Beth Grant (born September 18, 1949) is an American character actress known for playing "quirky and emotionally complex characters".

Her credits include Rain Man (1988), Child's Play 2 (1990), Flatliners (1990), Speed (1994), To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995), A Time To Kill (1996), Sordid Lives (2000), Donnie Darko (2001), Wonderfalls (2004), Little Miss Sunshine (2006), Jericho (2006–2007), No Country for Old Men (2007), Pushing Daisies (2008), Dear Lemon Lima (2009), The Artist (2011), The Mindy Project (2012–2017), Mockingbird Lane (2012), As I Lay Dying (2013), Bad Words (2013), Faults (2014), Consumed (2015), Jackie (2016), Lucky (2017), A Series of Unfortunate Events (2019), Dollface (2019–2022), Grace and Frankie (2022), Mayfair Witches (2023), Carol & the End of the World (2024), and The Bondsman (2025).

Early life Grant was born on September 18, 1949, in Gadsden, Alabama. She grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina and graduated from New Hanover High School in Wilmington in 1967. Her father was a poultry specialist and salesman. Her mother worked as a manager for the North Carolina Employment Security Commission and was an activist for the Equal Rights Amendment. Grant credits her mother with providing her the inspiration to become an actress.

Grant graduated from East Carolina University in 1973 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting and Directing and then moved to New York City to pursue a career in acting.

Career Grant has appeared in a wide range of films, including three Oscar Best Picture winners: as Mother at Farm House in Rain Man; Helen in Speed; Loretta in To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar; Love Field; Kitty Farmer in Donnie Darko; Cora Mae Cobb in A Time to Kill; Pageant Official Jenkins in Little Miss Sunshine; Child's Play 2; Daltry Calhoun; City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold; Don't Tell Her It's Me; Matchstick Men; Factory Girl; The Wizard; Sordid Lives; The Rookie; All About Steve; Carla Jean's dying Mother in No Country for Old Men, Extract, Crazy Heart, Rango, Hollywood to Dollywood (as herself), and Dance with Me.

Grant has appeared in many TV shows, including Coach; Everwood; Delta; The Golden Girls; Malcolm in the Middle; The X-Files; Friends; CSI; Six Feet Under; Wonderfalls; Pushing Daisies; My Name Is Earl; Yes, Dear; King of the Hill; The Office; Angel; Judging Amy; Jericho; Sordid Lives: The Series; Criminal Minds, Sabrina The Teenage Witch; True Blood; How I Met Your Mother; Modern Family; and The Mentalist;

Between 2012 and 2017, she was a series regular as Beverly Janoszewski, in the television comedy The Mindy Project. She is also known for her role as Gracie Leigh in the CBS post-apocalyptic, the drama Jericho. Grant played Arianne Marie Beetle, in the short-lived show Wonderfalls and Pushing Daisies, both created by Bryan Fuller, and portrays the similarly named "Marie" in Mockingbird Lane, Fuller's re-imagining of The Munsters.

Grant guest-starred as Gillian, Brady Kelly's mother, in the third season of the sitcom Husbands.

Grant received the award on behalf of the cast for 2014 Chlortrudis Best Ensemble winner, for her role as Annie Bundren in the film As I Lay Dying (2013). Inspired by Mindy Kaling, Grant is also in the process of writing a Broadway musical, set in 1969 Greenwich Village.

Grant was nominated as Best Supporting Performance Female at the 2016 Milan Film Festival for her role as Kristin Kessler; Sophie's diabetic mother and Garrett's grandmother in Consumed (2015). She later portrayed the recurring role of "The Woman with Hair but No Beard" in Netflix's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2019), and the Cat Lady in Hulu's Dollface (2019–2022).

She had regular slots Dr. Louise Gelson in Grace and Frankie (2022), as Carlotta Mayfair in Mayfair Witches (2023), as Pauline Kohl in Carol & the End of the World (2024), and played Kitty Halloran in The Bondsman (2025).

Personal life Grant married actor Michael Chieffo in 1984 or 1985. The couple have one daughter, actress Mary Chieffo. Grant lives with her family in Los Angeles.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes1987Under CoverMiss Randolphfirst film role1988Rain ManMother at Farm Housefirst major film role1989The WizardDiner Manager1990FlatlinersHousewife1990Don't Tell Her It's MeBabette1990Welcome Home, Roxy CarmichaelLillian Logerfield1990Child's Play 2Elizabeth Kettlewell1990EatingCarla1992White SandsRoz Kincaid1992Love FieldHazel1993The Dark HalfShayla Beaumont1994SpeedHelen1994City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold Lois1995SafeBecky – Auditorium Speaker1995To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie NewmarLoretta1995Lieberman in LoveLinda Bakershort film1996A Time to KillCora Mae Cobb1996Love AlwaysStephanielost film1997A Thousand AcresRoberta1997Lawn DogsTrent's Mother1997InterruptionsPeggy, the Mistress1998Dr. DolittleWoman1998Dance with MeLovejoy1998Making SandwichesMrs. Hellmanshort film1998AngelmakerMrs. Turcott2000Sordid LivesSissy Hickey2001Donnie DarkoKitty Farmer2001The Rising PlaceMelvina Pou2001Pearl HarborMotherly Secretary2001Rock StarMrs. Cole2002Desert SaintsLou2002The RookieOlline2002BirdseyeRuth Betters2003Judge KoanBrenda Lundy2003Matchstick MenLaundry Lady2003Evil Alien ConquerorsSheila2004Sweet UnionMama Iris Baileyshort film2004A One Time ThingMom2005Our Very OwnVirginia Kendal2005HomefrontPamshort film2005Daltry CalhounDee2005Hard PillMom2006Little Miss SunshinePageant Official Jenkins2006Hard ScrambledAlice2006Hot TamaleDori Woodriff2006Southland TalesDr. Inga Von Westphalen / Marion Card2006The House of UsherMrs. Thatcher2006Flags of Our FathersMother Gagnon2006Factory GirlJulia Warhol2006These DaysMaureen2006RockerMrs. Hill2007Magnus, Inc.Magnus' Momshort film2007The UngodlyEmma Lemac2007No Country for Old MenAgnes Kracik2007Welcome to ParadiseFrances Loren2008Natural DisastersBeth2008Henry Poole is HereJosie2008HideCandy2008No Place Like HomeMomshort film2008Polar OppositesGeneral Railen2008Winged CreaturesCarla's Mom2009Dear Lemon LimaPrincipal Applebomb2009Door PrizeN/Ashort film2009ExtractMary2009All About SteveMrs. Horowitz2009StolenOlder Edvena2009AbracadabraPattishort film2009Herpes BoyMom2009Crazy HeartJoAnn2010In My SleepEvelyn2010SporkPrincipal Tulip 2010Operation: EndgameSusan2011RangoBonnievoice role2011SedonaDeb2011Life of LemonPhyllis2011Valley of the SunMarva2011The ArtistPeppy's Maid2011Serenity HouseJudith Levine-Bluestone short film2011Mister HandsomeEmily's Mom2012SwerveAlsa2012Blues for WilladeanWilladean Winkler 2013Miss DialMrs. Wojiechowski 2013 The ViolationLinda Helmshort film2013As I Lay DyingAddie BundrenChlortrudis Best Ensemble winner2013Bad WordsIrene2014The Midnight SwimAmelia Brooks2014Alex of VeniceTeacher2014Just Before I GoMrs. Lawrence2014The Bridge PartnerMattieshort film2014FaultsEvelyn2015Addicted to FresnoTilda2015Band of RobbersWidow Douglass2015Consumed Kristin Kessler1 Nomination at 2016 MIFF2016Six LA Love StoriesMeg Albright2016JackieLady Bird Johnson2017HeartlandCrystal2017AndoverRebecca2017LuckyElaine2017The Concessionaires Must Die!Coupon Lady2017The Long HomeMrs. Winerpost-production2018Mississippi Requiem2018HoverJoana2019Hold OnShelly 2020 Wander Darkly Patty Healy 2020 Fully Realized Humans Tipper 2020 Words on Bathroom Walls Sister Catherine 2021Willy's WonderlandSheriff Eloise Lund2021Grave IntentionsMattie Whalen2021The Long HomeMrs. Winer2022AmsterdamMrs. DillenbeckConfessions of a Closeted People PleaserMom2023Maximum TruthMary Jo Nackserson2026Remarkably Bright CreaturesBarb Vanderhoof

Television