Bette Midler was born in Honolulu, Hawaii.[9][10] She was the third of four children born to Ruth (née Schindel; 1911–1979) and Fred Midler (1908–1986). Midler's family was one of the fewJewish families in a mostly Asian neighborhood.[11] Her mother was a seamstress and housewife, and her father worked at aU.S. Navy base in Hawaii as a painter, and also painted houses.[12][13] Both were born in New Jersey. She was named after actressBette Davis, although Davis pronounced her first name in two syllables (phonetically like "Betty") and Midler uses one syllable (phonetically like "bet").[1] She was raised inAiea and attendedRadford High School in Honolulu.[14] She was voted "Most Talkative" in the 1961 school Hoss Election, and "Most Dramatic" in her senior year (class of 1963).[15]
Midler majored in drama at theUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa but left after three semesters.[16] She performed as anextra in the 1966 filmHawaii,[1] playing an uncredited seasick passenger named Miss David Buff.
Midler relocated to New York City in the summer of 1965, using money from her work in the filmHawaii. She studied theatre atHB Studio[17] underUta Hagen. She landed her first professional onstage role inTom Eyen'soff-off-Broadway plays in 1965,Miss Nefertiti Regrets andCinderella Revisited, a children's play by day and an adult show by night.[18] In October 1966, she joined the Broadway company ofFiddler on the Roof, playing the ensemble role of Rivka and understudying the oldest daughter Tzeitel. She assumed the role of Tzeitel in February 1967, and played the role until February 1970.[19] AfterFiddler, she joined the original cast ofSalvation in 1969.[20]
In the summer of 1970, Midler began singing at theContinental Baths, agay bathhouse in the basement of theAnsonia Hotel.[1] During this time, she became close to her piano accompanist,Barry Manilow—also a regular performer at the Continental Baths—who produced her first album in 1972,The Divine Miss M.[18] It was during her time at the Continental Baths that she built up a core following. In the late 1990s, during the release of her albumBathhouse Betty (1998), Midler commented on her time performing there, "Despite the way things turned out [with the AIDS crisis], I'm still proud of those days. I feel like I was at the forefront of the gay liberation movement, and I hope I did my part to help it move forward. So, I kind of wear the label of 'Bathhouse Betty' with pride."[21]
Midler withDustin Hoffman on a Bette Midler TV special (1977)
Midler released her debut album,The Divine Miss M, onAtlantic Records in December 1972. The album was co-produced by Barry Manilow, who was Bette's arranger and music conductor at the time. It reached Billboard's Top 10 and became a million-selling Platinum-certified album,[23] earning Midler the 1973 Grammy Award for Best New Artist.[24] It featured three hit singles—"Do You Wanna Dance?", "Friends", and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"—the third of which became Midler's first No. 1 Adult Contemporary hit. "Bugle Boy" became a successful cover of the classic swing tune originally introduced and popularized in 1941 by theAndrews Sisters, to whom Midler has repeatedly referred as her idols and inspiration, as far back as her first appearances onThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Midler told Carson in an interview that she always wanted to move like the sisters, and Patty Andrews remembered: "When I first heard the introduction on the radio, I thought it was our old record. When Bette opened at the Amphitheater in Los Angeles, Maxene and I went backstage to see her. Her first words were, 'What else did you record?'"[25] During another Midler concert, Maxene went on stage and presented her with an honorary bugle. Bette recorded other Andrews Sisters hits, including "In the Mood" and "Lullaby of Broadway".[25]
Herself-titled follow-up album was released at the end of 1973. Again, the album was co-produced by Manilow. It reached Billboard's Top 10 and eventually sold close to a million copies in the United States alone.[26] Midler returned to recording with the 1976 and 1977 albumsSongs for the New Depression andBroken Blossom. In 1974, she received aSpecial Tony Award for her contribution to Broadway,[27] withClams on the Half Shell Revue playing at theMinskoff Theater.
Midler at the premiere of her feature-film starring debut,The Rose, in 1979
From 1975 to 1978, she also provided the voice of Woody the Spoon on thePBS educational seriesVegetable Soup. In 1977, Midler's first television special, whose title,Ol' Red Hair is Back, was a takeoff onFrank Sinatra'sOl' Blue Eyes Is Back, premiered, featuring guest starsDustin Hoffman andEmmett Kelly. It went on to win theEmmy Award[28] for Outstanding Special – Comedy-Variety or Music. In 1977 she also released her first live album,Live at Last, a double album taken from concert performances in Cleveland, Ohio.
Midler made her first motion picture in 1979, starring in the 1960s-era rock and roll tragedyThe Rose, as a drug-addicted rock star modeled afterJanis Joplin.[1] That year, she also released her fifth studio album,Thighs and Whispers. Midler's first foray into disco was a commercial and critical failure and went on to be her all-time lowest charting album, peaking at No. 65 on theBillboard album chart.[29] Soon afterward, she began a world concert tour, with one of her shows inPasadena being filmed and released as the concert filmDivine Madness (1980).
Her performance inThe Rose earned her a nomination forAcademy Award for Best Actress, a role for which she won the Golden Globe for Best Actress (Comedy or Musical).[1] The film's acclaimed soundtrack album sold over two million copies in the United States alone, earning a Double Platinum certification.[23] The single version of the title song, whichAmanda McBroom had written and composed, held the No. 1 position on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart for five consecutive weeks and reached No. 3 on Billboard's Hot 100. It earned Midler her first Gold single[23] and won the Grammy award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.[24]
1981–1989: "Wind Beneath My Wings",Beaches, and chart comeback
Midler performed onUSA for Africa's 1985 fund-raising single "We Are the World", and participated at theLive Aid event atJFK Stadium in Philadelphia.[31] Also in 1985, she signed a multi-picture deal with theWalt Disney Studios, where she starred in a string of successful films produced by the studio's newly formedTouchstone Pictures division. She also produced them through her production banner, All Girl Productions with producing partnerBonnie Bruckheimer.[32] She was subsequently cast by directorPaul Mazursky inDown and Out in Beverly Hills, beginning a successful comedic acting career.[1] She followed that role with several more Touchstone comedies,Ruthless People (1986),Outrageous Fortune (1987), andBig Business (1988).[1] Later in 1988, Midler lent her voice to the animated character Georgette, a snobbish poodle, in Disney'sOliver & Company, and had a hit withBeaches, co-starringBarbara Hershey.[1] The accompanying soundtrack remains Midler's all-time biggest selling disc, reaching No. 2 onBillboard's album chart and with U.S. sales of four million copies. It featured her biggest hit, "Wind Beneath My Wings", which went to No. 1 onBillboard's Hot 100, achieved Platinum status,[23] and won Midler her thirdGrammy Award – forRecord of the Year – at the 1990 telecast.[24]
1990–1999: Further acting career, and television appearances
She co-starred withWoody Allen in the 1991 filmScenes from a Mall, again for Paul Mazursky. In the film, Allen's character reveals to his author wife Deborah, played by Midler, after years of a happy marriage, that he has had an affair, resulting in her request for divorce. The movie performed poorly,[35] and received a mixed reception by critics.[36][37][38] Midler fared somewhat better with her other 1991 projectFor the Boys, on which she reteamed withThe Rose directorMark Rydell. A historical musical drama, it tells the story of 1940s actress and singer Dixie Leonard, played by Midler, who teams up with Eddie Sparks, a famous performer, to entertain American troops. While the film received a mixed reception from critics, Midler earned rave reviews for her portrayal. The following year she was awarded her second Golden Globe and received her second Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.[39]
Midler turned down the lead role in the musical comedySister Act in 1992, which instead went toWhoopi Goldberg.[40] Midler won an Emmy Award in 1992 for her performance on the penultimate episode ofThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in May 1992, during which she sang an emotion-laden "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" toJohnny Carson. During the show, Midler began singing "Here's That Rainy Day", Carson's favorite song; Carson joined in a few lyrics later.[41] In 1993, she starred withSarah Jessica Parker andKathy Najimy in the Walt Disney Halloweencomedyfantasy film,Hocus Pocus. Midler played the lead role of Winifred ‘Winnie’ Sanderson, the head witch and eldest of the fictional Sanderson Sisters; the sisters are a trio of convictedcolonial-era witches who were executed by hanging during theSalem Witch Trials, and then magically brought back to life in the 1990s by a teenager who lights a magic candle.[1] Released to initially mixed reviews, through various outlets (such as strong DVD sales and annual record-breaking showings on13 Nights of Halloween), the film has achievedcult status over the years.[42][43][44] In relation toHocus Pocus, every year Midler hosts her annual Hulaween costume party, which benefits the New York Restoration Project.[45] Her television work includes an Emmy-nominated version of the stage musicalGypsy and a guest appearance as herself inFran Drescher'sThe Nanny.
Midler appeared onSeinfeld in "The Understudy" episode, that show's sixth-season finale in May 1995. That same year, she had a supporting role inGet Shorty. Her 1997HBO specialDiva Las Vegas earned her a third Emmy Award, for Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Music Program.[46] Midler's other 1990s films includeThe First Wives Club (1996).[1] In 1997, Midler, along with her co-stars fromThe First Wives Club,Goldie Hawn andDiane Keaton, was a recipient of theWomen in FilmCrystal Award, which honors "outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry".[47]
In 1998, Midler released her ninth studio album,Bathhouse Betty, named after the nickname she was given for performing at bathhouses early in her career. In 1999, she appeared in an episode of theCBS sitcomMurphy Brown and was featured in the animated musical filmFantasia 2000.
2000–2005:Bette sitcom, tribute albums, andKiss My Brass tour
Midler starred in her own sitcom in 2000,Bette, which featured Midler playing a version of herself, a divine celebrity who is adored by her fans. Airing onCBS, initial ratings were high, marking the best sitcom debut for the network in more than five years, but viewers percentage soon declined, resulting in the show's cancellation in early 2001.[48] Midler openly griped about the show's demanding shooting schedule, while the show itself was also reportedly rocked by backstage turmoil, involving the replacement of co-starKevin Dunn whose departure was attributed by the media to his behind-the scenes bickering with Midler.[48] However, Midler, critically praised, was awarded aPeople's Choice Award for her performance in the show and received aGolden Globe Award nomination the following year.[49] Also in 2000, Midler made an uncreditedcameo appearance inNancy Meyers' fantasy rom–comWhat Women Want, starringMel Gibson andHelen Hunt.[50] In the film, she portrayed a therapist who realizes that central character Nick, played by Gibson, is able to understand women'sthoughts.[50] Released to generally mixed reviews, it became the then-most successful film ever directed by a woman, taking in $183 million in the United States, and grossing upward of $370 million worldwide.[51][52]
The same year Midler starred inIsn't She Great andDrowning Mona. InAndrew Bergman'sIsn't She Great, a highly fictionalized account of the life and career of authorJacqueline Susann, she played alongsideNathan Lane andStockard Channing, portraying Susann with her early struggles as an aspiring actress relentlessly hungry for fame, her relationship withpress agent Irving Mansfield, her success as the author ofValley of the Dolls, and her battle with and subsequent death from breast cancer. The dramedy garnered largely negative reviews by critics, who dismissed it as "bland material [that] produces entirely forgettable comic performances."[53] For her performance in the film, Midler received her secondGolden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Actress at the 21st ceremony.[54] InNick Gomez's dark comedyDrowning Mona, Midler appeared along withDanny DeVito andJamie Lee Curtis, playing title character Mona Dearly, a spiteful, loud-mouthed, cruel and highly unpopular woman, whose mysterious death is investigated. Another critical fiasco, reviewers noted that the film "drowns itself in humor that never rises above sitcom level."[55]
After nearly three decades of erratic record sales, Midler was dropped from theWarner Music Group in 2001. Following a reported long-standing feud with Barry Manilow, the two joined forces after many years in 2003 to recordBette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook. Now signed toColumbia Records, the album was an instant success, being certified gold byRIAA. One of theClooney Songbook selections, "This Ole House", became Midler's first Christian radio single shipped by Rick Hendrix and his positive music movement. The album was nominated for a Grammy the following year.[56]
Throughout 2003 and 2004, Midler toured the United States in her new show,Kiss My Brass, to sell-out audiences. Also in 2004, she appeared in a supporting role inFrank Oz'science fiction satireThe Stepford Wives, aremake of the1975 film of the same name also based onthe Ira Levin novel. Also starringNicole Kidman,Matthew Broderick,Christopher Walken andGlenn Close, Midler played Bobbie Markowitz, a writer and recovering alcoholic. The project underwent numerous production problems that occurred throughout its shooting schedule, with reports of problems on-set between director Oz and the actors being rampant in the press. Oz later blamed Midler—who was amid recording her next album and rehearsing for her tour—for being under a lot of stress by other projects and making "the mistake of bringing her stress on the set."[57] While the original book and film had tremendous cultural impact, the remake was marked by poor reviews by many critics, and a financial loss of approximately $40 million at the box office.[58][59]
Midler joined forces again with Manilow for another tribute album,Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook. Released in October 2005, the album sold 55,000 copies the first week of release, returned Midler to the top ten ofUSBillboard 200,[60] and was nominated for a Grammy Award.[61]
Midler released a new Christmas album titledCool Yule in 2006, which featured a duet of Christmastime pop standards "Winter Wonderland"/"Let It Snow" withJohnny Mathis. Well-received, the album garnered aGrammy Award nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album in 2007.[62] The same year, Midler returned to the big screen, appearing inThen She Found Me,Helen Hunt's feature film directorial debut. Also starring Hunt along withMatthew Broderick andColin Firth, the comedy-drama film tells the story of a 39-year-old Brooklyn elementary school teacher, who after years is contacted by the flamboyant host of a local talk show, played by Midler, who introduces herself as her biological mother. Critical response to the film was mixed; whereas some critics praised the film for having strong performances, others felt the film was bogged down by a weak script and technical issues.
Midler (in costume as her character Winifred Sanderson fromHocus Pocus) performing on herDivine Intervention Tour in 2015
Midler received theSammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award at theSongwriters Hall of Fame in June 2012, recognizing how she "captivated the world" with her "stylish presentation and unmistakable voice."[69] The same year, she co-starred alongsideBilly Crystal in the family filmParental Guidance, playing a couple of old school grandparents trying to adapt to their daughter's 21st-century parenting style. Despite generally negative reviews by critics, who felt the film was "sweet but milquetoast", box office totals for the movie were higher than initially expected.[70][71]
Midler portrayed Hollywood super-agentSue Mengers in the playI'll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers, dramatized byJohn Logan, opening April 24, 2013, at theBooth Theatre, her first time on Broadway in three decades. After the show's success in New York, recouping its initial $2.4 million investment, the play transferred to Los Angeles at the Geffen Playhouse.[72] A December 2013 announcement cast Midler as actressMae West in anHBO biopic written byHarvey Fierstein and directed byWilliam Friedkin.[73] (The project remains unproduced over a decade later.)
She returned to the stage in the titular role ofHello, Dolly! for the 2017 Broadway revival, earning her aTony Award.[6][77] In 2017, she also appeared in the role of Muv in the 2017 filmFreak Show. Midler continued inHello, Dolly! through January 2018, then returned in July to close out the run of the successful revival.
Midler performed the song "The Place Where Lost Things Go" fromMary Poppins Returns at the 91st Annual Academy Awards ceremony on February 24, 2019.[78] Midler voiced the character of Grandmama, Gomez and Fester's mother, in the animated film version ofThe Addams Family released in October 2019.[79] She reprised the role in the 2021 sequelThe Addams Family 2.[80] Midler portrayedBella Abzug inThe Glorias, a 2020 biographical film revolving around the life ofGloria Steinem, directed byJulie Taymor.[81] She also starred in the second season ofThe Politician after previously guest starring in the first.[82]
Midler has written several books, includingThe Saga of Baby Divine andA View from a Broad.[83] She published the children's bookThe Tale of the Mandarin Duck in 2020, based on the 2018 story of a rare duck spotted inCentral Park.[84] She played Miriam Nessler, a retired teacher from New York, in HBO'sCoastal Elites byPaul Rudnick.[85]
Midler performing the titular song inHello, Dolly! on Broadway in 2017
Midler received theKennedy Center Honor for a lifetime of achievement in the performing arts, with the medallion ceremony held at theLibrary of Congress on December 4, 2021. She attended the gala performance at theKennedy Center the following day.[86] Later that month, Midler came under fire when criticizingJoe Manchin for not supporting Joe Biden'sBuild Back Better Plan. While criticizing Manchin, Midler also criticized the State ofWest Virginia with atweet where Midler stated, "What #JoeManchin, who represents a population smaller than Brooklyn, has done to the rest of America, who wants to move forward, not backward, like his state, is horrible. He sold us out. He wants us all to be just like his state, West Virginia. Poor, illiterate and strung out." She later apologized for the remarks.[87][88][89][90]
Midler's eldest sibling, Judith (1942–1968), died on December 22, 1968, when a car struck her while she was walking along West 44th Street inNew York City.[93] Midler married artistMartin von Haselberg on December 16, 1984. Their daughter, actressSophie von Haselberg, was born November 14, 1986.[94]
In 1991, Midler was an early sponsor of theAdopt-a-Highway, paying $2,000 a month for a crew to clean up a 2 miles (3.2 km) section of theVentura Freeway inBurbank, California. Signs at both ends of the section read "Litter Removal Next 2 Miles, Bette Midler."[95] The location was so prominent that it became fodder for her 1993 guest appearance on theSimpsons episode "Krusty Gets Kancelled", where she is seen picking up trash along a stretch of highway she has adopted and causes car crashes for drivers who deliberately litter. In 1995, she carried the same idea to the east coast, adopting a section of theLong Island Expressway andBronx River Parkway.[96]
When the city planned in 1991 to auction 114community gardens for commercial development, Midler led a coalition ofgreen organizations to save them. NYRP took ownership of 60 of the most neglected plots. Since then, Midler and her organization have worked with local volunteers and community groups to ensure that these gardens are kept safe, clean and vibrant. In 2003, Midler opened Swindler Cove Park, a new 5-acre (20,000 m2) public park on theHarlem River shore featuring specially designed educational facilities and the Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse, the first communityrowing facility to be built on the Harlem River in more than 100 years. The organization offers free in-school and after-schoolenvironmental education programming to students from high-povertyTitle I schools.[97]
In 2001 after9/11, she established programs run by her foundation which help wounded service members and their families by providing them resources, including custom homes. One of these initiatives supports service members during their recovery from trauma, injury, and bereavement. Also, since the firstGulf War she visits theUSO and military bases to show her gratitude to service members by serving them meals just before deployment.[98]
^"Bette Midler Biography (1945–)".Film Reference. RetrievedDecember 10, 2013. Source notes: "Born December 1, 1945, in Paterson, NJ (some sources cite Honolulu, HI or Aiea, HI); raised in Aiea, HI".
^Dove, Ian (December 4, 1973)."Stage: Miss M. Devine".The New York Times. RetrievedNovember 26, 2014.Despite Bette Midler's Honolulu birthplace, New York has always regarded her as homegrown and hometown.
Harvey Fierstein / Marco Paguia, David Oquendo, Renesito Avich, Gustavo Schartz, Javier Días, Román Diaz, Mauricio Herrera, Jesus Ricardo, Eddie Venegas, Hery Paz, and Leonardo Reyna / Jamie Harrison, Chris Fisher, Gary Beestone, and Edward Pierce (2025)
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