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Bette Midler

Bette Midler

Actor and producer, also writer · Born December 1, 1945 (80) · Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, USA [now Hawaii, USA]

3 Primetime Emmys · 4 Golden Globes · Oscar nominee · 2 other major award bodies

Bette Midler (/bɛt ˈmɪdlər/ bet MID-lər; born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career, Midler has received numerous accolades, including four Golden Globe Awards, three Grammy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and a Kennedy Center Honor, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards and a British Academy Film Award. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Midler began her professional career in several off-off-Broadway plays before her engagements in Fiddler on the Roof and Salvation on Broadway in the late 1960s. She came to prominence in 1970 when she began singing at the Continental Baths. In this local gay bathhouse, she managed to build up a core following. Since 1970, Midler has released 14 studio albums as a solo artist, selling over 30 million records worldwide, and has received four Gold, three Platinum, and three Multi-Platinum albums from the RIAA. Many of her songs became chart hits, including her renditions of "The Rose", "Wind Beneath My Wings", "Do You Want to Dance", "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", and "From a Distance". She won Grammy Awards for Best New Artist, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "The Rose", and Record of the Year for "Wind Beneath My Wings". Midler made her starring film debut with the musical drama The Rose (1979), which won her the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical, as well as nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress, the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress, and the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress. She went on to star in numerous films, including Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), Ruthless People (1986), Outrageous Fortune (1987), Big Business (1988), Beaches (1988), Stella (1990), Hocus Pocus (1993) and its sequel (2022), The First Wives Club (1996), The Stepford Wives (2004), Parental Guidance (2012), and The Addams Family (2019) and its sequel (2021). Midler also had starring roles in For the Boys (1991) and Gypsy (1993), winning two additional Golden Globe Awards for these films and receiving a second Academy Award nomination for the former. Midler held a residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas with the show Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On from 2008 to 2010. She starred in the Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly!, which began previews in March 2017 and premiered at the Shubert Theatre in April 2017. The show was her first leading role in a Broadway musical. Midler received the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance. Description above from the Wikipedia article Bette Midler, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 1, 1945 (80)
From
Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, USA [now Hawaii, USA]
Works as
Actor and producer, also writer
Titles
46 on MovieCove · 65 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 24% in 30 days

What are Bette Midler's films like?

Across their 37 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy21 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Animation3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 37th percentile
: browse their Animation movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 47th percentile
: browse their Biography movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
35%
Self
23%
Society
16%
Morality
13%
Power
6%
Ideas
4%
Survival
3%
Family bonds11 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship10 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity9 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth8 titles, browse their movies with this themeFame5 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt4 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 37 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 24 · Serious 10 · Dark 3

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 19 · Stylized 15 · Heightened 3

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 12 · Charged 20 · Intense 5

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 18 · Shifting 13 · Whiplash 6

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 18 · Funny 15

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 13 · Even-paced 22 · Relentless 2

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 30 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 34 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

26 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 8 of 26 analyzed roles.

Shadow
8 of 26
Hero
6 of 26
Shapeshifter
4 of 26
Ally
3 of 26
Herald
2 of 26
Mentor
2 of 26
Trickster
1 of 26
Show the 26 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
18
Warm
13
Absurd
14
Bittersweet
9
Melancholic
11
Other
38

How their films linger

Feel-good19 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy15
  • Bittersweet17
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous3
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Bette Midler's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 30 of their 46 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Bette Midler's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

65 credits, 46 with a MovieCove page; 94 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Steps (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Fairy Godmother (voice)

  • The Fabulous Four(2024)

    as Marilyn

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Sitting in Bars with Cake(2023)

    as Benita

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Hocus Pocus 2(2022)

    as Winifred Sanderson

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Addams Family 2(2021)

    as Grandma (voice)

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The Glorias(2020)

    as Bella Abzug

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • In Search of the Sanderson Sisters: A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    as Winifred Sanderson

  • Coastal Elites(2020)

    as Miriam Nessler

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Mae West: Die verruchte Blonde(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The Addams Family(2019)

    as Grandma (voice)

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Politician(2019)

    Show 8 episodes · as Hadassah Gold

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • What the World Needs Now: Words by Hal David (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Host

  • Freak Show(2017)

    as Muv

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Six by Sondheim(2013)

    as Mama Rose (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Parental Guidance(2012)

    as Diane Decker

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director · Executive Producer · as Self

  • Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore(2010)

    as Kitty Galore (voice)

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • The Women(2008)

    as Leah Miller

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Then She Found Me(2007)

    as Bernice Graves

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Stepford Wives(2004)

    as Bobbie Markowitz

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood(2002)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • What Women Want(2000)

    as Dr. J. M. Perkins (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Bette (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 18 episodes · as Bette

  • Drowning Mona(2000)

    as Mona Dearly

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Isn't She Great(2000)

    as Jacqueline Susann

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Jackie's Back!(1999)

    as Bette Midler

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • That Old Feeling(1997)

    as Lilly Leonard

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The First Wives Club(1996)

    as Brenda Morelli Cushman

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Get Shorty(1995)

    as Doris Saphron

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Gypsy(1993)

    as Rose Hovick

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Nanny(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Bette Midler

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Hocus Pocus(1993)

    as Winifred Sanderson

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Earth and the American Dream(1992)

    as Reader (voice)

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 1 episode · as Narrator (voice)

  • For the Boys(1991)

    Producer · as Dixie Leonard

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Laf Lafı Açıyor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Scenes from a Mall(1991)

    as Dr. Deborah Finegold-Fifer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Earth Day Special(1990)

    as Mother Earth

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Stella(1990)

    as Stella Claire

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Simpsons(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Bette Midler (voice)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Seinfeld(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Bette Midler

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • The Lottery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Woman

  • Beaches(1988)

    Producer · as CC Bloom

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Oliver & Company(1988)

    as Georgette (voice)

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Big Business(1988)

    as Sadie Ratliff / Sadie Shelton

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Bette Midler's Mondo Beyondo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Mondo Beyondo; Eudora P Quickly

  • Outrageous Fortune(1987)

    as Sandy Brozinsky

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Ruthless People(1986)

    as Barbara Stone

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • American Masters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 1 episode · Executive Producer · as Self

  • Down and Out in Beverly Hills(1986)

    as Barbara Whiteman

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Miami Vice: Brother's Keeper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Songs

  • Bette Midler: Art or Bust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Writer · as Self

  • Jinxed!(1982)

    as Bonita Friml

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Divine Madness(1980)

    Writer · as Self - The Divine Miss M

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Rose(1979)

    as Mary Rose Foster

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Bette Midler: Ol' Red Hair Is Back (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Writer · as Self - Host

  • Vegetable Soup (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 57 episodes · as Woody The Spoon

  • The Thorn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Virgin Mary

  • Goodbye, Columbus(1969)

    as Wedding Guest (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Detective(1968)

    as Woman at Party

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Hawaii(1966)

    as Passenger (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • A Childhood History Plan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show Creator

  • Cut Off (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Hocus Pocus 3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Winifred Sanderson

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 65 titles, 60 of them dated from 1966 to 2024; peak year 1987.

Biggest box office

The Addams Family (2019)

$204M worldwide

Highest rated

Six by Sondheim (2013)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Hocus Pocus (1993)

Film career

MilestoneAward winNomination
19662024

Peak 1987 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 21 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

Show 3 more milestones

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting56 of 65: 54 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score55thDirecting1 of 65: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting3 of 65: 3 only writing, 0 with another roleProducing6 of 65: 3 only producing, 3 with another roleOther crew2 of 65: 2 only other crew, 0 with another role

65 titles, 3 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1960s3 · acting1970s4 · 3 acting · 1 crew1980s15 · 11 acting · 5 crew1990s14 · 14 acting · 1 crew2000s8 · 7 acting · 1 crew2010s8 · 7 acting · 1 crew2020s8 · 7 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 34% of 35 roles
668691960616

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

3 Primetime Emmys, 4 Golden Globes and 3 other major awards from 34 major nominations, 1974–2020.

WinNomination
  1. 2020
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
  2. 2018
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Musical Theater Album
  3. 2011
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special
  4. 2008
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
  5. 2007
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
  6. 2004
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
  7. 2001
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical
  8. 1998
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Show 11 earlier years
  1. 1997
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Music Program
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special
  2. 1994
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special
    • Golden Globe, won · Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
  3. 1992
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Actress in a Leading Role
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program
    • Golden Globe, won · Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
  4. 1991
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Record of the Year
  5. 1990
    • Grammy Award, won · Record of the Year
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female
  6. 1988
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
  7. 1987
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Comedy Recording
  8. 1981
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Actress
    • +1 other major body · 1 win and 1 nomination
      • Grammy Award, won · Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female
      • Grammy Award, nominated · Record of the Year
  9. 1980
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Actress in a Leading Role
    • Golden Globe, won · Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
    • Golden Globe, won · New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture - Female
  10. 1978
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Special - Comedy-Variety or Music
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Special
  11. 1974
    • Grammy Award, won · Best New Artist
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Album of the Year
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Bette Midler's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 53rd percentile, the median of all 42; across their 37 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 50th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 37

Approval · how many liked their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 37

Reach · how many have seen their films

86thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 37

Midcredits score across 46 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up11
  • 50th to 74th16
  • 25th to 49th12
  • Below 25th7

Shape of the crowd

24 of their 46 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser24
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed14

Most divisive · actor

The Earth Day Special (1990)

94th percentile spread · 33% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Six by Sondheim (2013)

Midcredits 97th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the acting 69/100 in their films, across 35 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 43. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Bette Midler's work okay for kids?

Across up to 19 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore13 titles18–39 · median 31 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity19 titles18–48 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity14 titles10–64 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs12 titles13–42 · median 35 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense10 titles22–45 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Bette Midler work with?

People who share at least 2 of Bette Midler's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Bonnie Bruckheimer shares the most, 8.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles