Santa barbara Actress Betty Harford Dies at 98
Santa Barbara actress Betty Harford, known for her roles in television classics like “The Paper chase” and “Dynasty,” has reportedly died, according to a recent social media post by friend and fellow actress, Judy wilkin. Harford was 98 years old. Wilkin shared that she was unable to reach Harford at her home and expressed concern for her well-being, writing, “She’s not answering her phone anymore so I’m afraid that she might’ve passed on.”
Born in New York City on January 28, 1927, Harford began her acting career in the 1950s with radio dramas including “Gunsmoke” and “Crime Classics.” She transitioned to television, appearing in episodes of iconic series such as “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” “Dr. Kildare,” “Fireside Theater,” and “The Twilight Zone.”
Harford gained significant recognition for her role as Mrs. Nottingham in “The Paper Chase,” appearing in 45 episodes of the series based on John Jay Osborn Jr.’s novel. The show followed the lives of law students under a demanding professor. In the 1980s, she became a familiar face to “Dynasty” viewers as Hilda Gunnerson, the Carrington family’s cook, appearing in 34 episodes and reprising the role in the 1991 mini-series finale, “Dynasty: The Reunion.”
Beyond television, Harford’s film credits include “The Wild and the Innocent” (1959) as Mrs. Forbes, and “Inside Daisy Clover,” starring Natalie Wood and Christopher Plummer. She also had minor roles in films like “Spartacus,” “Signpost to Murder,” “Win, Place or Steal,” and “The China Syndrome.”
In the 1960s, Harford was a member of the Westwood-based UCLA Theatre Group alongside actresses Nina Foch, inga Swenson, and Pippa Scott. She also made smaller appearances in television shows such as “Room 222,” “The Name of the Game,” and “Mrs. Columbo.”
Harford was married to Californian sculptor Oliver Andrews, with whom she had a son, Chris, and later divorced. She lived with Hungarian actor Sándor Naszódy until his death in 1996. She is survived by her son,Chris,and her grandsons.
