Betty Gilpin
Discover the life and career of Betty Gilpin (born July 21, 1986), the American actress known for GLOW, The Hunt, Mrs. Davis, and theater work. Explore her background, acting journey, notable roles, and influence.
Introduction
Betty Gilpin is an acclaimed American actress known for her dynamic performances across television, film, and stage. Born on July 21, 1986, she rose to widespread recognition for her role as Debbie “Liberty Belle” Eagan in the Netflix series GLOW. Since then, she has taken on challenging parts in projects like The Hunt, Mrs. Davis, and various theatrical productions. Her versatility, emotional nuance, and artistic ambition have earned her critical admiration and awards buzz.
Early Life and Family
Betty Gilpin was born Elizabeth Folan Gilpin in New York City on July 21, 1986. Jack Gilpin and Ann McDonough, are both actors. Drew Gilpin Faust, who served as president of Harvard University.
She was raised in the South Street Seaport area of Manhattan, in a home that she has described as once among the few occupied buildings in a largely commercial zone.
For her education, she attended Loomis Chaffee School, graduating in 2004, and then went on to Fordham University, where she studied under actress Dianne Wiest.
Career & Milestones
Television Beginnings & Supporting Roles
Gilpin’s early acting work included guest spots on shows like Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Fringe, Medium, Law & Order: SVU, Elementary, and The Good Wife. Heartless, I’m Gonna Pray for You So Hard, and We Live Here.
She earned more visibility when she was cast as Dr. Carrie Roman on Nurse Jackie (2013–2015), a recurring role on the Showtime series.
Breakthrough: GLOW
Her breakthrough arrived when she was cast as Debbie “Liberty Belle” Eagan in GLOW, the Netflix comedy-drama about an 1980s female wrestling troupe (2017–2019). GLOW, she was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
This role showed her ability to balance humor, physicality, emotional conflict, and character arc, raising her profile in both television and film circles.
Film and Other Screen Work
Gilpin has appeared in a variety of film genres:
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True Story (2015)
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Future ’38 (2017)
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Isn’t It Romantic (2019)
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A Dog’s Journey (2019)
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Stuber (2019)
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The Grudge (2020)
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The Hunt (2020)
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Coffee & Kareem (2020)
For The Hunt, she received the Critics’ Choice Super Award for Best Actress in an Action Movie.
In 2023, she starred in the science-fiction series Mrs. Davis, playing a nun who battles artificial intelligence.
She also voiced Irene in the Netflix animated series Skull Island.
Theatre and New Projects
Gilpin has continued her stage work and in 2025 made her Broadway debut, stepping into the role of Mary Todd Lincoln in Oh, Mary!.
She’s also involved in upcoming works such as American Primeval and a miniseries Death by Lightning.
Additionally, she published a collection of essays titled All the Women in My Brain: And Other Concerns (2022).
Personality, Style & Values
Gilpin is often described as introspective, expressive, and grounded. In interviews, she has reflected on balancing vulnerability and humor in her work, and her internal emotional life plays a significant part of her creative voice.
Her essays in All the Women in My Brain reveal a willingness to explore identity, celebrity, familial relationships, and her internal struggles amid public life.
She is also known to protect her privacy; she has said that motherhood and her relationships are areas she keeps more guarded from the public eye.
Awards & Recognition
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Emmy nominations (three) for GLOW (Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series)
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Critics’ Choice Super Award for Best Actress in an Action Movie for The Hunt
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Other nominations across Critics’ Choice Television, TCA Awards, etc.
Though she may not yet have a shelf of major trophy wins, her consistent critical respect and versatility mark her as a prominent talent of her generation.
Legacy & Influence
Betty Gilpin is becoming a model of modern, multi-dimensional acting career: balancing television, film, theatre, and writing. Her ability to shift between genres—comedy, action, drama, horror, sci-fi—and mediums gives her a kind of artistic agility that few achieve.
She also stands as an example to actors who resist typecasting. After GLOW, rather than being confined to comedic or “strong female” roles, she has intentionally chosen varied, sometimes challenging, roles to expand her range.
Her voice as a writer and essayist also suggests she aims to shape her own narrative—not just through the characters she plays, but through how she reflects publicly on art, identity, and womanhood.
If you want, I can also provide a chronological timeline of her awards or a breakdown of her most deeply analyzed roles (e.g. GLOW vs The Hunt). Would you like me to prepare that?