Margaret JoBeth Williams was born in 1948 in Houston, Texas. She is the daughter of Frances Faye, a dietitian, and Fredric Roger Williams, who worked as both an opera singer and a wire and cable company manager. Williams grew up in the South Park neighborhood of Houston and attended Jones High School.
She graduated from Pembroke College at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1970, initially intending to pursue a career as a child psychologist. However, her interests shifted toward the performing arts, prompting her to train in theater under Jim Barnhill and John Emigh at Trinity Repertory Company. She took voice lessons to minimize her Texan accent and subsequently moved to New York City to begin her acting career during the 1970s.
Williams's first television role came on the Boston-produced children's show Jabberwocky, where she played a character also named JoBeth, replacing original hostess Joanne Sopko.
Throughout the 1970s, Williams appeared in several television productions, which helped lay the foundation for her subsequent transition into film.
JoBeth Williams made her feature film debut in Stir Crazy (1980), starring alongside Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder. Her career gained momentum with acclaimed roles in multiple high-profile films, including Poltergeist (1982), where she portrayed a suburban housewife in a supernatural setting. Her performance in this Steven Spielberg-produced film became one of her most recognizable roles.
She continued to gain prominence with roles in The Big Chill (1983), The Day After (1983), and various other dramatic features. Known for her versatility, Williams successfully transitioned from leading lady roles to playing more mature characters over time.
| Net Worth 2021: | 10 million |
