Beth Littleford | |
|---|---|
Littleford at a charity event in Beverly Hills, California in 2011 | |
| Born | (1968-07-17) July 17, 1968 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Spouse |
Rob Fox
(m. 1998; div. 2015) |
| Children | 2[a] |
Elizabeth Littleford (born July 17, 1968)[1] is an American actress and comedian known as an original correspondent on Comedy Central's The Daily Show from 1996 to 2000. She was among the former correspondents recognized when The Daily Show with Jon Stewart received a 2015 institutional Peabody Award.
Littleford's later television roles include Nancy Blaford on the Fox sitcom Method & Red and Ellen Jennings on the Disney Channel series Dog with a Blog.[2][3] Her film roles include Claire Riley in the 2011 romantic comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love.[4]
Early life
Littleford was born in Nashville, Tennessee, the daughter of Jackie, a professor, and Philip O. Littleford, a cardiologist and inventor. She grew up in Winter Park, Florida and attended the Park Maitland School. Her father and brother died when she was sixteen in a pontoon plane accident during an Alaskan fishing trip.[5][6]
A National Merit Scholarship Program finalist in high school, she attended Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania for three years before taking up acting classes at New York University; she eventually graduated from The New School for Social Research.[5][7]
Career
Early in her acting career, Littleford worked in improvisational theatre with Chicago City Limits, wrote and performed the one-woman show This Is Where I Get Off at the Circle Repertory Company, and appeared in the romantic comedy film Picture This.[8]
Littleford was one of the original correspondents on Comedy Central's The Daily Show, appearing during both Craig Kilborn's and Jon Stewart's tenures as host. Her recurring celebrity-interview segments were performed in the style of Barbara Walters.[9] In 1998, Comedy Central aired The Beth Littleford Interview Special, a compilation of her previously shown interview segments.[10] In 1999, Entertainment Weekly described The Daily Show as a launching pad for Littleford and other correspondents, noting that she was expanding her recurring role on Spin City and had appeared in the film Mystery, Alaska.[11] That year, she was also listed among the celebrity participants at Austin's Big Stinkin' International Improv & Sketch Comedy Festival.[12]
Littleford played Nancy Blaford on the 2004 Fox sitcom Method & Red.[2] She later appeared in several television comedy and family series, including The Hard Times of RJ Berger, in which she played Suzanne Berger,[13] and the Disney Channel series Dog with a Blog, in which she played Ellen Jennings.[3]
Her later screen appearances include the Netflix series Dead to Me, in which she appeared in the 2019 episode "I Can Handle It",[14] and the 2021 film Senior Moment, in which she played Tess Woodson.[15]
Personal life
Littleford lives in Los Angeles. She was married to Rob Fox, a director and producer who worked alongside her on The Daily Show, from 1998 to 2015; they had a son (b. 2005) and an adopted daughter (b. 2012).[7][16] Fox died in 2017.[17][18]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | A Cool, Dry Place | Suzanne | |
| 1999 | The 24 Hour Woman | Lynn Shapiro | |
| Mystery, Alaska | Janice Pettiboe | ||
| Picture This | Patty | ||
| 2008 | Drillbit Taylor | Barbara Drennan | |
| 2009 | Veiled | Marie | Short |
| 2011 | Crazy, Stupid, Love | Claire | |
| 2012 | Music High | Lucy Bates | |
| Kidnap Party | Alison Slater | ||
| 2013 | It's Not You, It's Me | Sandy | |
| Movie 43 | Mrs. Cutler | ||
| 2017 | Random Tropical Paradise | Martha Crandall | |
| 2018 | I'll Be Next Door for Christmas | Fran | Christmas comedy film written and directed by David Jay Willis |
| 2021 | Senior Moment | Tess Woodson | Feature Film - Released theatrically and on demand |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–2000 | The Daily Show | Herself | Original Female Correspondent |
| 1998–2000 | Spin City | Deirdre West | Recurring role |
| 2001 | Boston Public | Marcia Fennel | Episode: "Chapter 24" |
| 2002 | The West Wing | WKZN Philadelphia Anchor Leslie | Episode: "The U.S. Poet Laureate" |
| Still Standing | Kristy Duncan | Episode: "Still in School" | |
| What I Like About You | Susan | Episode: "Copy That" | |
| Andy Richter Controls the Universe | Reggie Meadows | Episode: "The Show Might Go On" | |
| 2002–03 | Greetings from Tucson | Marna | 2 episodes |
| Life with Bonnie | Dr. 'Mrs.' Casey | 2 episodes | |
| 2003 | The Big Wide World of Carl Laemke | Laurie Laemke | TV film |
| 2003–04 | One on One | Geraldine Murphy | Recurring role |
| 2004 | Method & Red | Nancy Blaford | Main role |
| Frasier | Creationism Date | Episode: "Match Game" (season 11) | |
| 2005 | Joey | Carla | Episode: "Joey and the Premiere" |
| 2006 | Rodney | Amy O'Brien | Episode: "Rodney Gets a Leg Up" |
| Love, Inc. | Charlene | Episode: "Anything But Love" | |
| 2006–12 | Family Guy | Various (voice) | Guest role |
| 2007 | Without a Trace | Diane Neese | Episode: "Two of Us" |
| Ben 10: Race Against Time | Sandra Tennyson | TV film | |
| 2008 | Samantha Who? | Audrey Rhodes | Episode: "The Girlfriend" |
| Ben 10: Alien Force | Sandra Tennyson (voice) | Episode: "Grounded" | |
| 2009 | Take 2 | Amy | TV film |
| 2009–10 | Rules of Engagement | Laura | 3 episodes |
| 2009–11 | I'm in the Band | Beth Campbell | Recurring role |
| 2010 | StarStruck | Barbara Olson | TV film |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Nurse Mona | Episode: "Field Mice" | |
| Ben 10: Ultimate Alien | Sandra Tennyson (voice) | Episode: "Hit 'Em Where They Live" | |
| The New Adventures of Old Christine | Tony Kershaw | Episode: "Get Smarter" | |
| Neighbors from Hell | Various (voice) | Recurring role | |
| CSI: Miami | Elena Manus | Episode: "Sleepless in Miami" | |
| 2010–11 | The Hard Times of RJ Berger | Suzanne Berger | Recurring role |
| 2010–13 | The Cleveland Show | Various (voice) | Guest role |
| 2011 | Desperate Housewives | Dana | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Melissa & Joey | Suzanne Haber | Episode: "Good to Go" |
| Mad | Tasha / Various (voice) | 1 episode | |
| 2012–15 | Dog with a Blog | Ellen Jennings | Main role |
| 2013 | The Mindy Project | Helen | Episode: "Mindy's Minute" |
| 2013–14 | Ben 10: Omniverse | Sandra Tennyson | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Mistresses | Lindsay Lehman | Episode: "Under Pressure" |
| Unwanted Guest | Anna Roberts | TV film | |
| 2016–17 | The Fosters | Realtor | 3 episodes |
| 2017 | 2 Broke Girls | Bonnie | Episode: "And the Stalking Dead" |
| Liberty Crossing | Special Agent Margaret Smith | Episode: "Comfort Zones" | |
| 2018 | My Dead Ex | Laurel | Recurring |
| 2019 | Dead to Me | Doug's Wife | Episode: "I Can Handle It" |
| Home Is Where the Killer Is | Patricia Wade | TV film | |
| 2020–21 | Love, Victor | Sarah | Hulu Original Series |
Podcasts
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Gossip | Rockin' Robin | 12 episodes |
Notes
- One biological child and one adopted child.
References
- Willis, John A. (1998). John Willis' Theatre World. Crown Publishers. p. 230. ISBN 9781557833235.
- "Method & Red - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
- Lowry, Brian (October 9, 2012). "Dog With a Blog". Variety. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
- "Crazy, Stupid, Love. - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- Gray, Tyler (January 13, 1998). "Spice girl". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- Hayes, Ed (June 18, 1985). "Youngster's spirit still leads the way". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - "WEDDINGS; Ms. Littleford And Mr. Fox". The New York Times. July 5, 1998. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- Blake, Leslie (February 21, 2001). "ON LOCATION With 'Picture This'". Backstage. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
- Blake, Meredith (July 22, 2021). "The true story of the women who made 'The Daily Show' — and were 'erased' from its legacy". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
- "Barbara Walters Becomes Subject On Comedy Central". The Spokesman-Review. March 18, 1998. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- Fretts, Bruce (April 30, 1999). "Beth Littleford and Stephen Colbert take flight". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
- Barnes, Michael D. (April 1, 1999). "BIG STINKIN INTERNATIONAL IMPROV AND SKETCH COMEDY FESTIVAL: TV's Comedy headhunters are following their noses to Austin". Austin American-Statesman. p. xl32. Retrieved May 28, 2026 – via Gale OneFile: News.
- "The Hard Times of RJ Berger - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
- "I Can Handle It". TVMaze. May 3, 2019. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- "Senior Moment - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
- "Beth Littleford Welcomes Daughter Halcyon Juna". People. March 24, 2012. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- Lentz, Harris M. (2018). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2017. McFarland. pp. 143–. ISBN 978-1-4766-3318-3. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- "Beth Littleford & the mid-life crisis". Taboo Tales. November 3, 2015. Retrieved May 20, 2020.