JoBeth Williams, the 77-year-old actress best known for her leading role in the 1982 supernatural horror film Poltergeist, was spotted on a rare outing in Beverly Hills last week. The star, who began her career in the mid-1970s with minor television roles, has appeared alongside Hollywood icons such as Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, and Gene Wilder. She has earned both an Oscar and an Emmy nomination for her work.
Casual Chic in Beverly Hills
During her daytime excursion, Williams opted for a relaxed look, wearing a black button-up shirt over a plain black top. She paired this with dark brown sweatpants and comfortable sneakers. Her shorter hair was parted in the middle and styled into soft waves that brushed her shoulders. To complete the ensemble, she donned black-rimmed sunglasses and carried a black Yves Saint Laurent handbag over her shoulder.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Born in December 1948 in Houston, Texas, Williams developed an interest in acting as a teenager, performing in theater productions. She attended Brown University, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in English, and later trained at the Trinity Repertory Company. Her first professional acting credit came in 1974 with a guest role on Great Performances. She also appeared in episodes of the NBC soap opera Somerset in 1976 and the daytime soap Guiding Light.
Breakthrough and Acclaim
Williams gained recognition for her role in the legal drama Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), starring alongside Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep. The film was both a critical and commercial success, winning the Academy Award for Best Picture. She continued with big-screen roles in Stir Crazy (1980) opposite Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor.
In 1982, she was cast as Diane Freeling in Poltergeist, directed by Tobe Hooper and co-written by Steven Spielberg. The film grossed $121 million on a $10.7 million budget and earned three Oscar nominations, including Best Visual Effects. Williams recalled the shoot as "physically very hard" in a 2019 interview with Variety, noting that the cast often screamed at unspecified threats. She added that Spielberg was heavily involved, saying, "It was Steven's movie, really."
Continued Success and Directing
Williams reprised her role in the sequel Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986). Throughout the 1980s, she starred in films such as The Big Chill (1983), Teachers (1984), and Welcome Home (1989). She earned an Emmy nomination for the 1983 TV movie Adam and another for the 1988 miniseries Baby M.
In the 1990s, she appeared in Wyatt Earp (1994) and Jungle 2 Jungle (1997), as well as TV shows like Frasier and The Client. During the 2000s, she took on roles in Law & Order: SVU, Criminal Minds, Dexter, Private Practice, NCIS, Hart of Dixie, and The Good Doctor. Her most recent credit is the 2025 survival thriller Not Without Hope with Zachary Levi.
Williams also directed the 1994 short film On Hope, which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Live Action Short Film.
Personal Life
Williams married director John Pasquin in 1982, and the couple has two children. Pasquin is known for directing films such as The Santa Clause (1994) and Jungle 2 Jungle (1997), as well as TV episodes of Growing Pains and Last Man Standing.
