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Adrienne Jo Barbeau (born June 11, 1945) is an American actress and author. She came to prominence in the 1970s as Broadway's original Betty Rizzo in the musical Grease, and as Carol Traynor, the divorced daughter of Maude Findlay (played by Bea Arthur) on the sitcom Maude (1972–1978). In 1980, she began appearing in horror and science fiction films, including The Fog (1980), Escape from New York (1981), Creepshow (1982), and Swamp Thing (1982). She also provided the voice of Catwoman in the DC Animated Universe. In the 2000s, she appeared on the HBO series Carnivàle (2003–2005) as Ruthie.
During the 1970s, Barbeau starred as Carol Traynor, the daughter of Bea Arthur title character, on the comedy series Maude, which ran from 1972 to 1978 (actress Marcia Rodd had originated the role of Carol in a 1972 episode of All in the Family, also titled "Maude," alongside Arthur). In her autobiography, There Are Worse Things I Could Do, Barbeau remarked: "What I didn't know is that when I said my I was usually walking down a flight of stairs and no one was even listening to me. They were just watching my breasts precede me." During the last season of Maude, Barbeau did not appear in the majority of the episodes. In a 2009 Entertainment Tonight TV interview, Barbeau mentioned that she had good on- and off-camera chemistry with Arthur; she said that the two stayed close until Arthur's death on April 25, 2009. Barbeau and Arthur reunited on camera during a 2007 taping of The View, reminiscing about their long-running friendship and their years as co-stars on Maude. About her relationship with Arthur, Barbeau said in a 2018 interview with Dread Central:
"I was doing an interview for this one-woman show that I am doing and the interviewer asked, 'What do people usually ask you,' and I said, 'They always want to know what it was like working with Bea.' She was fantastic and, you know, I realized years later how much I took it for granted because it was my first experience on television. I just assumed that everyone was as giving as she was, as professional as she was, that everyone who was doing a TV show showed up knowing their lines and showed up on time and was willing to say to the writers, 'I think this line was funnier if Adie had said it or Conrad had said it or Bill had said it.' I mean, she was just the best, she was the best, very funny. She was not Maude when she wasn't saying those lines. I don't know if I'd say she was quiet. She was a homebody. She had her sons, her dog and her cooking and she wasn't into the celebrity scene and she was a great lady. I loved her dearly and we had a great cast and they were my family for six years. I loved each of them and all of them and it was the best experience anyone could've had, being introduced to television like that!"
Barbeau made guest appearances in numerous television films and series such as The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Valentine Magic on Love Island, and Battle of the Network Stars. In her autobiography, she claimed: "I actually thought CBS asked me to be on Battle of the Network Stars because they thought I was athletic. My husband clued me in: who cared if I won the race, as long as I bounced when I ran?"
The popularity of Barbeau's 1978 Pin-up girl poster confirmed her status as a sex symbol. Barbeau's popularity stemmed partly from what critic Joe Bob Briggs referred to as the "two enormous talents on that woman," and her typecasting as a "tough broad". Despite her initial success, she said at the time that she thought of Hollywood as a "flesh market" and that she would rather appear in films that "explore the human condition" and "deal with issues".
Barbeau's then-husband, director John Carpenter, cast her in his horror film, The Fog (1980), which was her first theatrical film appearance. The film was released on February 1, 1980, and was a theatrical success, grossing over $21 million in the United States alone, and establishing Barbeau as a genre film star. She subsequently appeared in a number of early-1980s horror and science fiction films, including Escape from New York (1981) (also from Carpenter), Creepshow (1982) and Swamp Thing (1982). Of her screen work with Carpenter, Barbeau has stated: "John is a great director. He knows what he wants and he knows how to get it. It's simple and it's easy working."
She also appeared in the Burt Reynolds comedy The Cannonball Run (1981), and as the wife of Rodney Dangerfield's character in Back to School (1986). Barbeau also starred in the comedy Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (1989).
She also worked as a television talk show host and a weekly book reviewer for KABC talk radio in Los Angeles. In 1999, she guest starred in the episode "" as Romulan Senator Kimara Cretak.
In 1998, Barbeau released her debut album as a folk singer, the self-titled Adrienne Barbeau. She starred in the cartoon series Totally Spies! doing the voice of villainess Helga Von Guggen in seasons 1, 2 and 4.
From 2003 to 2005, she starred on the HBO series Carnivàle. From March to May 2006, she starred as Judy Garland in the off-Broadway play The Property Known as Garland.
in 2007, Barbeau played a cameo role in Rob Zombie's Halloween, a "reimagining" of the 1978 film of the same name, written and directed by her first husband, John Carpenter. Her scene was cut from the theatrical version of the film but is included in the DVD version.Halloween – Special Edition DVD (2007).
In 2009, Barbeau was cast as "The Cat Lady" in the family comedy The Dog Who Saved Christmas, as Scooter's mother in the 3D animated feature Fly Me to the Moon, and as a hospice patient in the love story Reach for Me.
Also in 2009, Barbeau had guest spots in the first episode of Showtime's series Dexter (Season 4).
She voiced the Greek goddess Hera in the video game God of War III released for the PlayStation 3 in March 2010. In August 2010, she began a role on the long-running ABC daytime drama General Hospital. In 2012 to 2015, she had a role as Victoria Grayson’s (Madeleine Stowe) mother on the ABC drama Revenge.
In 2012, she voiced UNSC scientist Dr. Tilson in the highly anticipated game Halo 4, released on the Xbox 360 in November 2012. She voiced characters in the 2015 Mad Max video game.
She appears in Argo (2012), playing the former wife of Alan Arkin's character.
Barbeau reprised her role as Catwoman in an animated remake of the third trailer for The Dark Knight Rises. This trailer was made to both celebrate the upcoming film as well as to promote Hub's ten episode marathon of Batman: The Animated Series.
In 2015, she assumed the role of Berthe in Pippin with the Broadway Touring Company of the renowned musical.
In 2021, Barbeau voiced the role of Queen Gehenna in the sci-fi musical audio series, The World to Come.
In 1991, Barbeau met actor/playwright/producer Billy Van Zandt, when she was cast in the West Coast premiere of his play Drop Dead!. They wed in 1992. On March 17, 1997, at the age of almost 52, Barbeau gave birth to twin boys, quipping that she was the only one on the maternity ward who was a member of AARP. The couple filed for divorce in 2018.
| 1980 | The Fog | Stevie Wayne | |
| 1981 | Escape from New York | Maggie | |
| 1981 | The Cannonball Run | Marcie | |
| 1982 | Swamp Thing | Alice Cable | |
| 1982 | The Thing | Chess Computer | Voice |
| 1982 | Creepshow | Wilma Northrup | Segment: "The Crate" |
| 1984 | The Next One | Andrea | |
| 1984 | Terror in the Aisles | Stevie Wayne | Archival footage |
| 1986 | Back to School | Vanessa | |
| 1987 | Open House | Lisa Grant | |
| 1989 | Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death | Dr. Kurtz | |
| 1990 | Mary Magdalene | Voice, direct-to-video short | |
| 1990 | Two Evil Eyes | Jessica Valdemar | Segment: "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar" |
| 1993 | Father Hood | Celeste | |
| 1993 | Demolition Man | Main Frame Computer (voice) | Uncredited |
| 1994 | Silk Degrees | Violet | |
| 1995 | Judge Dredd | Central | Voice, uncredited |
| 1998 | Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island | Simone Lenoir | Voice, direct-to-video |
| 1999 | A Wake in Providence | Aunt Lidia | |
| 2000 | Across the Line | Mrs. Randall | |
| 2000 | Adult Christine | ||
| 2002 | No Place Like Home | Evie | |
| 2003 | Ghost Rock | Mattie Baker | |
| 2007 | Halloween | Adoption Agency Secretary | Her role was cut from the final finished film, but was later included on the DVD Special Edition |
| 2007 | Unholy | Martha | |
| 2008 | Fly Me to the Moon | Scooter's mother | Voice |
| Reach for Me | Valerie | ||
| 2009 | Alice Jacobs Is Dead | Alice Jacobs | Short film |
| 2012 | Complacent | Judy Sanderson | |
| 2012 | Argo | Nina / Serski | |
| 2015 | Divine Access | Catherine | |
| 2016 | ISRA 88 | Dr. Withersford | |
| 2017 | Death House | Narrator | |
| 2018 | Big Legend | Rita Laird | |
| 2018 | For the Love of Jessee | Katharyn | |
| 2020 | Unearth | Kathryn Dolan | |
| 2022 | Hellblazers | Georgia | |
| 2022 | Early Retirement | Pat | (Short) |
| 2023 | Oddities | Susan | (Short) |
| 2024 | Watchmen Chapter 1 | Sally Jupiter, TV Broadcaster | Voice; Direct-to-Video |
| Watchmen Chapter 2 | Sally Jupiter / Silk Specter I, Police Dispatcher | ||
| 2025 | The Pitch-Fork | Elle | Pre-production |
| TBA | Kindling | Mother Ruth |
| 1972–1978 | Maude | Carol Traynor | Regular role (93 episodes) |
| 1974-1975 | The Match Game | Herself | Celebrity panelist in episodes airing in September and December 1974 and August of 1975 |
| 1976 | Daisy White | Television film | |
| 1976 | Julie Farr, M.D. | Allie Duggin | Television film |
| 1977 | Eight Is Enough | Jennifer Linden | Episode: "Turnabout" |
| 1977 | Red Alert | Judy Wyche | Television film |
| 1977 | Quincy, M.E. | Carol Bowen | Episode: "Let Me Light the Way" |
| 1977 | Have I Got a Christmas for You | Marcia Levine | Television film |
| 1978 | Maj. Kate Steele | Television film | |
| 1978 | Cathy Randall | 2 episodes | |
| 1978 | Crash | Veronica Daniels | Television film |
| 1978 | Someone's Watching Me! | Sophie | Television film |
| 1978 | Fantasy Island | Margo Dean | Episode: "Return to Fantasy Island" |
| 1979 | $weepstake$ | Bonnie Jones | 1 episode |
| 1979 | Fantasy Island | Brenda Richards | Episode: "The Pug/Class of '69" |
| 1979 | Margaret Corwin | Television film | |
| 1980 | Top of the Hill | Elizabeth Stone | Television film |
| 1980 | Valentine Magic on Love Island | Beverly McGraw | Television film |
| 1980 | Tourist | Barbara Huggins | Television film |
| 1981 | Charlie and the Great Balloon Chase | Susan O'Neill | Television film |
| 1983 | Fantasy Island | Adele Anthony | Episode: "Midnight Waltz/Let Them Eat Cake" |
| 1983-1988 | The $25,000 Pyramid | Herself | Celebrity guest star in 45 episodes airing between January 1983 and April 1988 |
| 1984 | Hotel | Barbara Harrington | Episode: "Tomorrows" |
| 1985 | Seduced | Barbara Orloff | Television film |
| 1985 | Murder, She Wrote | Kathryn | Episode: "Jessica Behind Bars" |
| 1985 | Bridge Across Time | Lynn Chandler | Television film |
| 1985 | The Twilight Zone | Miss Peters | Episode: "Teacher's Aide" |
| 1985-1987 | The $100,000 Pyramid | Herself | Celebrity guest star in 35 episodes airing between November 1985 and January 1988 |
| 1986 | Hotel | Ellie | Episode: "Shadow Play" |
| 1987 | Murder, She Wrote | Lynette Bryant | Episode: "The Bottom Line Is Murder" |
| 1987 | Lt. Beth O'Brien | Voice, television film | |
| 1989 | Monsters | Fiona FLynn | Episode: "All in a Days Work" |
| 1989 | Head of the Class | Gloria | Episode: "The Little Sister" |
| 1990 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Mary Martelli | Episode: "The Fourth Man" |
| 1991 | Blood River | Georgina | Television film |
| 1991 | Doublecrossed | Debbie Seal | Television film |
| 1991 | The $100,000 Pyramid | Herself | Celebrity guest star for 10 episodes airing February 18 to February 22, 1991 and December 2 to December 6, 1991 |
| 1992 | Silvia Hartnell | Television film | |
| 1992 | Dream On | Gloria Gantz | Episode: "Bad Girls" |
| 1992–1995 | Catwoman | Voice, 7 episodes | |
| 1993 | Marguerite Dobson | Episode: "Dapper Drew" | |
| 1993 | ABC Weekend Special | Lucinda 'Lucy' Condraj | Episode: "The Parsley Garden" |
| 1993 | Daddy Dearest | Annette | Episode: "You Bet Your Life" |
| 1994 | One West Waikiki | Edna Jaynes | Episode: "A Model for Murder" |
| 1994 | Barbara Rossetti | Episode: "George Gets Caught in the Middle" | |
| 1994 | Babylon 5 | Amanda Carter | Episode: "Spider in the Web" |
| 1994 | Jailbreakers | Mrs. Norton | Television film |
| 1995 | Bram Stoker's Burial of the Rats | The Queen | Television film |
| 1996 | Flipper | Sydney Brewster | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | Trish Neidermeyer | Episode: "New Lease on Life" | |
| 1997 | Weird Science | Lily | Episode: "Show Chett" |
| 1997–1998 | Selina Kyle / Catwoman | Voice, 2 episodes | |
| 1997 | Sliders | Mother Morehouse | Episode: "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" |
| 1998 | Nancy Muldenhower | Television film | |
| 1998 | Vivien Sanderson | Episode: "Rain of Terror" | |
| 1998 | Toluca Lake | Voice, episode: "The Day the Earth Got Really Screwed Up" | |
| 1998 | Adventures from the Book of Virtues | Greta | Voice, episode: "Honor" |
| 1998–2004 | Kim Harvey | Recurring role (6 episodes) | |
| 1999 | Grace Brooks | Episode: "Three Stages of Love" | |
| 1999 | Senator Cretak | Episode: "" | |
| 2000 | Batman Beyond | Singer | Voice, episode: "Out of the Past" |
| 2000–2002 | Gotham Girls | Selina Kyle / Catwoman, Renee Montoya | Voice, main role |
| 2001 | Nash Bridges | Annie Corell | Episode: "Something Borrowed" |
| 2001 | Sabrina the Teenage Witch | Herself | Episode: "The Gift of Gab" |
| 2002–2004 | Totally Spies! | Helga Von Guggen | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2002 | Evelyn Hall | Episode: "Tears of a Clone" | |
| 2002 | Alice | Television film | |
| 2003–2005 | Carnivàle | Ruthie | Regular role (24 episodes) |
| 2004 | Ring of Darkness | Alex | Television film |
| 2006 | Deceit | Kathleen Darrow | Television film |
| 2006 | Christmas Do-Over | Trudi | Television film |
| 2007 | K-Ville | Marquetta Dinovi | Episode: "Bedfellows" |
| 2008 | Cold Case | Helen McCormick | Episode: "Wings" |
| 2009 | War Wolves | Gail Cash | Television film |
| 2009 | Dexter | Suzanna Coffey | Episode: "Living the Dream" |
| 2009 | Grey's Anatomy | Jodie Crawley | Episode: "I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watchin' Me" |
| 2009 | The Dog Who Saved Christmas | Cat Lady Mildred | Television film |
| 2010 | The New Adventures of Old Christine | Herself | Episode: "A Whale of a Tale" |
| 2010 | Proposition 8 Trial Re-Enactment | Dr. Letitia Peplau | Television documentary |
| 2010 | Mildred | Television film | |
| 2010–2011 | General Hospital | Suzanne Stanwyck | Regular role |
| 2011 | Dr. Theola Kumi | Episode: "Smooth Criminal" | |
| 2012, 2015 | Revenge | Marion Harper | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Sons of Anarchy | Alice | Episode: "Sweet and Vaded" |
| 2014 | Criminal Minds | Cissy Howard | Episode: "Blood Relations" |
| 2015 | American Dad! | Maxine | Episode: "A Star is Reborn" |
| 2019 | Swamp Thing | Dr. Palomar | Episode: "Long Walk Home" |
| 2019 | Creepshow | Dixie Parmalee, Radio Host | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | AJ and the Queen | Helen | Episode: "Columbus" |
| 2020 | Curious George: Go West, Go Wild | Ginny's mother | Voice, television film |
| 2021 | American Horror Stories | Verna | Episode: "Drive In" |
| 2021 | Cowboy Bebop | Maria Murdock | Episode: "Callisto Soul" |
| 2023 | 9-1-1 | Lois Gilbertson (soon to be Mrs. Phillip Garrity) | Episode: "Love Is in the Air" |
| 2023 | Harlan Corben's Shelter | Ellen Bolitar | Recurring |
| 2025 | Duster | Evelyn Breen HBO | Recurring |
| 1999 | Descent 3 | Dr. Katelyn Harper | |
| 2006 | Sif | ||
| 2009 | Dr. Gretchen Whistler / Voice of Arkham Asylum | ||
| 2010 | God of War III | Hera | |
| 2012 | Ciara Sydanus | ||
| 2012 | Halo 4 | Dr. Tillson | |
| 2012 | Hotel Manager's Wife | ||
| 2013 | Veritas | ||
| 2015 | Mad Max | Pink Eye | |
| 2018 | Fallout 76 | The Overseer | |
| 2020 | Wastelanders | The Overseer | |
| Steel Dawn | Vault 76 overseer | ||
| 2023 | Spider-Man 2 | Cafe Lady / Civilians | |
| 2023 | Starfield | Betty Howser |
| 1972 | Theatre World Awards | Performance | Grease | |
| 1972 | Tony Awards | Best Supporting or Featured Actress in a Musical | Grease | |
| 1977 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Maude | |
| 1991 | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Television Film | Due occhi diabolici | |
| 1993 | Theatre World Awards | Performance | Grease | |
| 1999 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | OFTA Television Award | ||
| 2002 | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Best Supporting Actress | The Convent | |
| 2004 | Satellite Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Television Series | Carnivàle | |
| 2007 | ShockerFest International Film Festival | Lifetime Achievement Award | Recognized for her long-standing impact on horror cinema | |
| 2010 | Chicago Horror Film Festival | Festival Award for Best Actress | Alice Jacobs Is Dead | |
| 2012 | New York City Horror Film Festival | Lifetime Achievement Award | Contributions to the History of Horror | |
| 2016 | New York City Horror Film Festival | Lifetime Achievement Award | ||
| 2023 | Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival | Best Actress in a Short Film | Early Retirement | |
| 2023 | FANtastic Horror Film Festival, San Diego | Best Supporting Actress in a Short Film | Oddities | |
| 2023 | Los Angeles CINEVERSE Film Festival | Best Performance | Early Retirement | |
| 2024 | Coolidge Corner Theatre | Coolidge After Midnite Award | The Fog & Escape From New York | |
| 2024 | Nightmare in the Ozarks Film Festival | Best Actress | Oddities | |
| 2024 | Riverrun International Film Festival | Master of Cinema | Special Master of Cinema |
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