Betty Gabriel

Last updated
Betty Gabriel
Human Capital 02 (48816747746).jpg
Gabriel in 2019
Born (1981-01-06) January 6, 1981 (age 43)
Education Iowa State University (BS)
Juilliard School (MFA)
OccupationActress
Years active2004–present

Betty Gabriel (born January 6, 1981) is an American actress. For her work in horror films, particularly Blumhouse films, Gabriel has been established as a scream queen. [1] [2] [3] She has been nominated for two Black Reel Awards, an NAACP Image Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Contents

Gabriel began her career in musical theater. She made her screen debut with the short film In Memoriam (2011), and played Laney Rucker in the action film The Purge: Election Year (2016). She earned critical acclaim for starring as Georgina in the horror film Get Out (2017), a performance which The New York Times called one of the best of 2017. She has portrayed Nari in the horror film Unfriended: Dark Web (2018), Detective Cortez in the cyberpunk film Upgrade (2018), Deeks in the drama film Adopt a Highway (2019) and Joyce in the horror film It Lives Inside (2023).

On television, Gabriel has played Denise in the period drama series Good Girls Revolt (2016), Maling in the dystopian series Westworld (2018), Naya Temple in the science fiction series Counterpart (2018–2019), Pam Duffy in the miniseries Defending Jacob (2020), Sophie Brewer in the drama miniseries Clickbait (2021), and Elizabeth Wright in the series Jack Ryan (2022–2023).

Early life

Gabriel was born January 6, 1981, in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and in Hyattsville, Maryland. [4] In 2002, Gabriel received a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from Iowa State University. [5] After college, Gabriel relocated to Chicago, studying modern dance and working as an actress in the Chicago theater community. [6] [7] In 2014, she graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in drama from Juilliard. [8]

Career

After doing a bit of theater at Iowa State University, [9] Gabriel got her start working as an actress and dancer in Chicago theater, first as part of her further studies, and then in various productions. [6] [10] Gabriel's first film role was in the 2011 drama In Memoriam. [1] She began her career as a television actress with minor recurring roles in Good Girls Revolt and Westworld before landing her first major film role in the 2016 horror sequel The Purge: Election Year. [4] [11] Gabriel's character allows viewers to consider whether "the American dream" has become "the American nightmare" for many African-Americans, much as in her 2017 film Get Out . [12] [13]

Gabriel was on vacation when she was invited to audition for Get Out. To prepare for the role, Gabriel watched the TEDx talk of Martin Pistorius to get insight into the feeling of being trapped inside one's own body. [14] She also watched Bride of Frankenstein and talked to her own grandmother, who was raised in Alabama, about racial tensions from her era. [15] The film was a critical and commercial success, and Gabriel earned critical acclaim for her performance. Her role was discussed as a contender for Best Supporting Actress for the 2018 Academy Awards by Variety and The New York Times. [16] [17] The New York Times cited her role as Georgina as one of the best performances of 2017. [18]

Gabriel starred opposite Logan Marshall-Green in the sci-fi action horror film Upgrade (2018), written and directed by Leigh Whannell, and shot on location in Melbourne, Australia. [19] [20] [21] In 2017, Gabriel joined the cast of Westworld as the character Maling. [22] In February 2018, it was announced she would join the second season of Counterpart playing an FBI agent. [23]

In March 2021, Gabriel had a role in the animated horror film The Spine of Night, written and directed by Philip Gelatt and Morgan Galen King. [24] Later in August 2021, she continued her career in the horror genre by playing the role of Sophie Brewer in the Netflix miniseries Clickbait (2021), co-written by Christian White and Tony Ayres, [25] and despite the miniseries receiving a 59% on Rotten Tomatoes, [26] it received 1.46 billion minutes of watchtime in one week following its debut. [27]

Gabriel also appeared in the Apple TV+ limited series Manhunt , [28] [29] as well as having a recurring role in the TV series Jack Ryan for its third season [30] in 2022.

Filmography

Film

YearFilmRoleNotes
2009MaidenheadIsabeauShort
2011In MemoriamKayla
2013 He's Way More Famous Than You Hairstylist
The Story of Your LifeHouston
2015 Experimenter Sally
2016 The Purge: Election Year Laney Rucker
2017 Get Out Georgina/Marianne Armitage
Beyond Skyline Jones
2018Diverted EdenShirley
Unfriended: Dark Web Nari Jemisin
Upgrade Det. Cortez
2019 Adopt a Highway Deeks
Human Capital Ronnie Manning
2021 The Spine of Night Phae-Agura
2023 It Lives Inside Joyce Dixon
2025 Novocaine TBAFilming

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2016 Good Girls Revolt DeniseRecurring role
12 Deadly Days Willow Russell1 episode
2018 Westworld Maling4 episodes
2018–19 Counterpart Naya TempleMain role, 8 episodes
2019 The Twilight Zone Herself1 episode
2020 Defending Jacob Pam DuffyMiniseries, 8 episodes
2021 Clickbait Sophie BrewerMiniseries, 8 episodes
2022–23 Jack Ryan Elizabeth WrightMain cast (seasons 3–4); 8 episodes
2024 Manhunt Elizabeth Keckley 1 episode

Theater

Awards and nominations

YearNominated workAwardCategoryResultRef.
2017 Get Out 11th Fright Meter AwardsBest Supporting ActressNominated [34]
14th Women Film Critics Circle Awards Invisible Woman AwardWon [35]
201816th Gold Derby Awards Best Ensemble CastNominated [36]
18th Black Reel Awards Best Supporting Actress Nominated [37]
Best Breakthrough Female Performance Nominated
24th Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated [38]
2022 Clickbait 53rd NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Nominated [39]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sigourney Weaver</span> American actress and film producer (born 1949)

Susan Alexandra "Sigourney" Weaver is an American actress and film producer. Prolific in film since the late 1970s, she is known for her pioneering portrayals of action heroines in science fiction and horror films. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Grammy Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Lange</span> American actress (born 1949)

Jessica Phyllis Lange is an American actress. Known for her roles on stage and screen she has received numerous accolades and is one of the few performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting. Lange has received two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award as well as nominations for a BAFTA Award and a Olivier Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathy Bates</span> American actress (born 1948)

Kathleen Doyle Bates is an American actress. With a career spanning over six decades, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards, as well as nominations for a Tony Award and two BAFTA Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hope Davis</span> American actress (born 1964)

Hope Davis is an American actress. She is known for her performances on stage and screen earning various awards including nominations for a Tony Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marla Gibbs</span> Actress, entertainer, singer, writer, and producer (born 1931)

Marla Gibbs is an American actress, singer, comedian, writer, and television producer whose career spans seven decades. Gibbs is known for her role as George Jefferson's maid, Florence Johnston, on the CBS sitcom The Jeffersons (1975–1985), for which she received five nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren Ambrose</span> American actress (born 1978)

Lauren Ambrose is an American actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erika Alexander</span> American actress (born 1969)

Erika Rose Alexander is an American actress, writer, producer, entrepreneur and activist best known for her roles as Pam Tucker on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show (1990–1992), and Maxine Shaw on the Fox sitcom Living Single (1993–1998). She has won numerous awards for her work on Living Single, including two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. Her film credits include The Long Walk Home (1990), 30 Years to Life (2001), Déjà Vu (2006), Get Out (2017), American Refugee (2021), Earth Mama (2023) and American Fiction (2023), for which she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justina Machado</span> American actress

Justina Milagros Machado is an American actress. She began her career playing secondary roles on television and film before starring as Vanessa Diaz in the HBO comedy-drama series, Six Feet Under (2001—05), for which she received Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. Machado later starred in the short-lived series Missing, Three Rivers and Welcome to the Family and was a regular cast member in the first season of the USA Network crime drama Queen of the South.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carla Gugino</span> American actress

Carla Gugino is an American actress. After early roles in the films Troop Beverly Hills (1989), This Boy's Life (1993), Son in Law (1993), and Snake Eyes (1998), Gugino received wider recognition for her starring roles in the Spy Kids trilogy (2001–2003), Sin City (2005), Night at the Museum (2006), American Gangster (2007), Righteous Kill (2008), Race to Witch Mountain (2009), Sally Jupiter in Watchmen (2009), Sucker Punch (2011), Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011), San Andreas (2015), Gerald's Game (2017), Gunpowder Milkshake (2021), and Lisa Frankenstein (2024).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logan Marshall-Green</span> American actor (born 1976)

Logan Marshall-Green is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his roles in the television series 24, The O.C., Traveler, Dark Blue and Quarry, as well as his roles in the films Devil, Prometheus, The Invitation, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Upgrade and When They See Us.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lily Rabe</span> American actress (born 1982)

Lily Rabe is an American actress. She is best known for her multiple roles on the FX anthology horror series American Horror Story (2011–2021). For her performance as Portia in the Broadway production of The Merchant of Venice, she received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenne Headly</span> American actress (1955–2017)

Glenne Aimee Headly was an American actress. She was widely known for her roles in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Dick Tracy, and Mr. Holland's Opus. Headly received a Theatre World Award and four Joseph Jefferson Awards and was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily Bergl</span> British actress (born 1975)

Emily Bergl is an English-born American actress. Bergl is known for her roles as Rachel Lang in the supernatural horror film The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999), Francie Jarvis on Gilmore Girls (2001–2003), Annie O'Donnell on the ABC series Men in Trees (2006–2008), Tammi Bryant on the TNT drama series Southland (2009–2013), Beth Young on Desperate Housewives (2010–2012), Sammi Slott on Shameless (2014–2015), Lilah Tanner on American Crime (2016–2017), and Tessie on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2018–2023). She also performs as a cabaret singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angela Sarafyan</span> Armenian-American actress

Angela Sarafyan, sometimes credited as Angela Sarafian, is an Armenian-American actress. She has appeared as a guest star in several television series and has acted in the feature films: Kabluey (2007), On the Doll (2007), A Beautiful Life (2008), The Informers (2008), A Good Old Fashioned Orgy (2011), Lost & Found in Armenia (2012), and Reminiscence (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoe Kazan</span> American actress (born 1983)

Zoe Swicord Kazan is an American actress and writer. She made her acting debut in the film Swordswallowers and Thin Men (2003) and later acted in films such as The Savages (2007), Revolutionary Road (2008), and It's Complicated (2009). She starred in Happythankyoumoreplease (2010), Meek's Cutoff (2010), Ruby Sparks (2012), What If (2013), The Big Sick (2017), The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018), and She Said (2022). She also wrote Ruby Sparks and co-wrote Wildlife (2018) with her partner Paul Dano.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dale Dickey</span> American actress

Diana Dale Dickey is an American character actress who has worked in theater, film, and television. She began her career on stage, performing in the 1989 Broadway version of The Merchant of Venice, before appearing in popular revivals of A Streetcar Named Desire, Sweeney Todd and more off-Broadway and in regional theaters. She's the recipient of two Ovation Awards for her stage work in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrie Coon</span> American actress (born 1981)

Carrie Alexandra Coon is an American actress. On television, she has starred in the HBO drama series The Leftovers (2014–2017) and played Gloria Burgle in the third season of the FX anthology series Fargo (2017). She won a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress for The Leftovers and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress for Fargo. She also starred in the second season of the anthology drama series The Sinner (2018), and has played an aspiring socialite in the HBO period drama series The Gilded Age since 2022. For the latter, she received another Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty Gilpin</span> American actress (born 1986)

Elizabeth Folan Gilpin is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Debbie "Liberty Belle" Eagan in the Netflix comedy series GLOW (2017–2019), for which she was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She also starred as Dr. Carrie Roman in the Showtime comedy-drama series Nurse Jackie (2013–2015). In 2023, she starred in the lead role as a nun who battles A.I. in the Peacock science fiction series Mrs. Davis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danielle Deadwyler</span> American actress and writer

Danielle Deadwyler is an American actress. She began her career appearing on Atlanta stage, including in the 2009 production of For Colored Girls, and made her screen debut in the 2012 drama film A Cross to Bear. Deadwyler appeared in the primetime series The Haves and the Have Nots (2015–2017), the series P-Valley (2020), the miniseries Station Eleven (2021–2022), and the miniseries From Scratch (2022).

Phoenix Raei is an Australian actor, director and producer of Iranian descent. Raei, who was born in Shiraz in Iran, emigrated to Australia as a child. In 2019, he was the recipient of the Casting Guild of Australia, Rising Star Award. In 2021, he starred in the Netflix series Clickbait. He was a main cast member of the Perth two season TV soap The Heights (2018-2019).

References

  1. 1 2 Puchko, Kristy (6 April 2018). "Meet Get Out's Betty Gabriel, the fabulous queen of Blumhouse horror". SyfyWire. Syfy. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  2. "Betty Gabriel: The Unsung Black Scream Queen". Essence. 2022-10-28. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  3. Caballero, David (2022-07-25). "10 Best Scream Queens Of The 21st Century". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  4. 1 2 O'Donnell, S.C. (22 February 2018). "Get To Know Westworld Season 2 Newcomer Betty Gabriel". Beyond Westworld. Fansided.
  5. "Inside Get Out: Betty Gabriel, Chicago, IL". Iowa State University Alumni. Archived from the original on 30 August 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  6. 1 2 Carroll, Rebecca (2 March 2018). "Don't Sleep on Betty Gabriel, the Housekeeper From 'Get Out'". Shondaland.
  7. Manaa-Hoppenworth, Leni (10 September 2006). "Chicago Dancers Share Their Views on College". Chicago Dance Supply. Archived from the original on April 10, 2018.
  8. "Juilliard Drama Announces 2013-2014 Season". Juilliard School . 15 July 2013. Archived from the original (Press release) on 29 November 2013.
  9. "College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Department of Music, ISU Theatre: Betty Gabriel". Iowa State University . 2000. Archived from the original on 2013-05-07. Retrieved 2018-04-09.
  10. "Steppenwolf Theatre Presents The Brother/Sister Plays". Steppenwolf Theatre Company . 21 January 2010. pp. 13, 17. Archived from the original on 30 August 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  11. Adlakha, Siddhant (11 August 2017). "Betty Gabriel Gets In Westworld With A Viking And A Tryant". Birth. Movies. Death.
  12. McKenna, Mark; Proctor, William (2021-09-30). Horror Franchise Cinema. Routledge. ISBN   978-0-429-59384-0.
  13. Kendi, Ibram X. (June 1, 2020). "The American Nightmare: To be black and conscious of anti-black racism is to stare into the mirror of your own extinction" (PDF). Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  14. Rosen, Lisa (21 December 2017). "They don't have big roles but these three actresses come through with scene-stealing moments". Los Angeles Times .
  15. Forero, Camilo (24 February 2018). "Betty Gabriel interviewed at The Wrap's 2018 Women, Whiskey & Wisdom Oscar Nominee Party" (Video interview). Red Carpet Report. Archived from the original on 30 August 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  16. Tapley, Kristopher; Riley, Jenelle (22 June 2017). "Oscars: 13 Deserving Contenders From 2017 So Far". Variety .
  17. Dargis, Manohla; Scott, A.O. (5 January 2018). "And the 2018 Oscar Nominees Should Be…". The New York Times .
  18. Morris, Wesley (6 December 2017). "The Best Performances of 2017". The New York Times .
  19. Hope, Clover (14 April 2017). "A Chat With Actor Betty Gabriel About Get Out, White Colonization and the Allure of Horror Films". Jezebel .
  20. Hamman, Cody (24 January 2017). "Betty Gabriel is Leigh Whannell's Stem female lead". JoBlo.com.
  21. Kit, Borys (23 January 2017). "'Purge: Election Year' Actress Joins Blumhouse Sci-Fi Thriller 'Stem' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 30 August 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  22. Petski, Denise (9 August 2017). "'Westworld': Gustaf Skarsgård & Fares Fares Cast As Regulars For Season 2, Betty Gabriel To Recur In HBO Series". Deadline Hollywood .
  23. Andreeva, Nellie (26 February 2018). "'Counterpart': Betty Gabriel Joins Season 2 Cast Of Starz Series". Deadline Hollywood.
  24. The Spine of Night , retrieved 2022-12-02
  25. Robinson, Jacob (2021-08-05). "Netflix Miniseries 'Clickbait': Everything We Know So Far". What's on Netflix. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  26. Clickbait , retrieved 2022-12-02
  27. Porter, Rick (2021-09-30). "'Clickbait' Shoots to No. 1 on Streaming Rankings". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  28. Petski, Denise (2022-05-10). "Apple Limited Series 'Manhunt' Adds Seven To Cast". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  29. "Manhunt (TV Series 2022– )", IMDb, retrieved 2022-12-02
  30. Andreeva, Nellie (2021-05-18). "'Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan': Betty Gabriel Joins Amazon Series In Recasting; Four Others Added For Season 3". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  31. "Pluto Was a Planet". ArtSlant. 24 July 2008. Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  32. Morgan, Scott C. (30 July 2008). "Theater Review: Pluto Was a Planet" (PDF). Windy City Times . p. 12.
  33. "The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare Directed by Karen Fort". Chase Park Theater. November 2009.
  34. "2017 Fright Meter Award Winners". Fright Meter Awards. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  35. Neglia, Matt. "The 2017 Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC) Winners". NextBestPicture. Archived from the original on December 26, 2017. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  36. Montgomery, Daniel; Eng, Joyce; Beachum, Chris. "2018 Gold Derby Film Awards winners: 'Call Me by Your Name' wins Best Picture, but voters spread the wealth". GoldDerby. Archived from the original on March 2, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  37. "Get Out Dominates the Black Reel Awards". The Black Reel Awards. 2017-12-13. Archived from the original on 2017-12-19. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  38. "2018 SAG Award Nominations: See the Full List". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  39. "'Insecure,' H.E.R. lead 2022 NAACP Image Awards nominations". Los Angeles Times. 2022-01-18. Retrieved 2022-11-28.