Actress Bebe Neuwirth: From Dancer to Actress
Everyone knows her as famed, stone-cold Dr. Lilith Sternin on Cheers and Frasier, but before some of her most iconic TV roles, you could find Bebe Neuwirth dancing on the Broadway stage.
Beginning her career in multiple plays and musicals, Neuwirth swiftly transitioned from the stage to television in 1986, when she booked her most iconic role. Although she remained on the stage for many years to follow, everyone knows Neuwirth for her iconic TV personalities.
Join us for a look back at some of your favorite Bebe Neuwirth roles and a few of the newer parts you may not know she played!
Early career of Bebe Neuwirth
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Born in 1958 as Beatrice Neuwirth in Newark, New Jersey, the actress, singer and dancer was tailor made for show business. She began her career in musicals, her first being A Chorus Line in 1975. For her next two shows, Dancin’ (1978) and Little Me (1982), Neuwirth was credited as a performer and as a part of the ensemble.
Although she was only 18 at the time of her first show, the actress convinced producers that she could act well alongside her costars, who were in their 30s. “I played Lois, the ballerina who gets cut from the opening… I eventually took over the role of Sheila, and then I took over the role of Cassie, and left the show at the ripe old age of 22.”
Neuwirth becomes Dr. Lilith Sternin
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By 1986, Neuwirth received a featured role as Nickie in Sweet Charity, winning a Tony Award in the category of Featured Role in a Musical. That same year she was hired for Cheers, and even though Lilith became one of her best-known roles, Neuwirth wasn’t so sure about taking on the part.
“I didn’t want to do television,” she explained. “But Cheers was a great show… Usually, and especially at the time, the leading lady in a musical is a soprano ingénue. But she’s got a best friend who dances great, she sings great, she belts. And she’s tough as nails with a heart of gold. That was my part. That’s Nickie in Sweet Charity. Lilith was so not that.”
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But Neuwirth stuck with the role, becoming an icon for the brutally honest, analytical and na?ve psychiatrist married to Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer). The actress first appeared in season 4 and continued to show up throughout the series' run, for a total of 80 episodes.
Fans and critics alike loved Neuwirth as Lilith and she ended up winning 2 Primetime Emmy Awards in 1990 and 1991. “It’s very gratifying when people say that they appreciate my work and that I made them laugh or entertained them. They felt something from a performance. It’s lovely.” She eventually reprised the role on the spinoff series, Frasier.
A few of Neuwirth’s most memorable roles
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Following her time on the sitcom, Neuwirth scored quite a few exciting roles. In 1995, she took on the part of Nora in Jumanji, a role she reprised in 2019 in Jumanji: Next Level. Meanwhile, the actress and dancer was still dancing away on Broadway, musicals including Damn Yankees (1994), Fosse (1999) and Funny Girl (2002).
On the screen, Neuwirth had roles in films like How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days (2003), Game 6 (2005) and Fame (2009). In 2013, the actress booked a part on the drama series Blue Bloods, where she continued to appear in seasons 4, 8 and 9. By 2014, she also landed a role on Madam Secretary as Nadine Tolliver, where she remained until 2017.
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Although Neuwirth exited the series early, she was nothing but grateful for the partsaying as much on Twitter upon her exit: “So grateful for my time @MadamSecretary — a wonderful show where I love the cast, crew, background artists.”
Neuwirth’s life recently
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Most recently, Neuwirth has had a starring role on the series, Julia (2022-23) and even came back for the Frasier reboot in 2023. In April 2024 she returned to her Broadway roots in Cabaret. She is currently married to the author, Chris Calkins.
While she continues to work on and off screen, Neuwirth will always be a stage actor at heart. “My own personal preference is the theater. I would rather be on stage than anywhere else. That’s where I started. I’ve been on stage — dancing and ballet since I was 6 or 7 years old, so that’s where I am most comfortable.”
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