Beth Littleford

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Beth Littleford
Littleford at a charity event in Beverly Hills, California in 2011
Born (1968-07-17) July 17, 1968
Occupations
  • Actress
  • comedian
Years active1996–present
Spouse
Rob Fox
(m. 1998; div. 2015)
Children2[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

  1. One biological child and one adopted child.

References

  1. Willis, John A. (1998). John Willis' Theatre World. Crown Publishers. p. 230. ISBN 9781557833235.
  2. "Method & Red - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  3. Lowry, Brian (October 9, 2012). "Dog With a Blog". Variety. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  4. "Crazy, Stupid, Love. - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  5. Gray, Tyler (January 13, 1998). "Spice girl". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  6. 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)
  7. "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.
  8. Blake, Leslie (February 21, 2001). "ON LOCATION With 'Picture This'". Backstage. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  9. 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.
  10. "Barbara Walters Becomes Subject On Comedy Central". The Spokesman-Review. March 18, 1998. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  11. Fretts, Bruce (April 30, 1999). "Beth Littleford and Stephen Colbert take flight". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  12. 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.
  13. "The Hard Times of RJ Berger - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  14. "I Can Handle It". TVMaze. May 3, 2019. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  15. "Senior Moment - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  16. "Beth Littleford Welcomes Daughter Halcyon Juna". People. March 24, 2012. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  17. 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.
  18. "Beth Littleford & the mid-life crisis". Taboo Tales. November 3, 2015. Retrieved May 20, 2020.