Barbara Bosson(1939-2023)
- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Barbara Bosson, who earned an
Emmy Award nomination for her performance on
Murder One (1995), was raised in
Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, a small coal-mining town about 30 miles
south of Pittsburgh. When she was a teenager, she and her family moved
to Florida, where she attended Boca Ciega High School in Gulfport.
After graduation, she was accepted into the Drama Department of
Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh (now Carnegie Mellon). When Bosson learned
the tuition would be too great a burden on her parents, she instead
moved to New York. She supported herself in a variety of jobs --
secretary, television production assistant, Playboy Bunny, etc. --
while studying acting with
Milton Katselas and
Herbert Berghof, and musical comedy with
Word Baker. Six years later, Bosson reevaluated her prospects while
working as a secretary for ACT (the American Conservatory Theater). She
spoke frequently with various drama department heads, including Earl
Gister, head of Carnegie Tech's Drama Department. Deciding it wasn't
too late to pursue her dream, she asked Gister for an audition. He
agreed. Bosson can't remember her audition, but it convinced Gister to
place her in the school and to assist her in finding scholarship money.
So, at 26, she became Carnegie Tech's oldest freshman. While attending
Carnegie Tech, Bosson met her future husband,
Steven Bochco (whom she would not marry
until years later), and fellow
Capitaine Furillo (1981)
stars Bruce Weitz and
Charles Haid. On a summer break from
Carnegie Tech, she landed a job in San Francisco with the
improvisational group, "The Committee". With Gister's blessing, she
stayed with the group and performed with them for three years. Bosson
is a five-time Emmy Award nominee for Best Supporting Actress in a
Dramatic Series for her portrayal of "Fay Furillo" in the Emmy
Award-winning series,
Capitaine Furillo (1981).
An innovative cook, Bosson raises her own herbs and vegetables. She
enjoys skiing, doing crossword puzzles and dancing. Bosson also hates
dieting, which she has done unsuccessfully for 25 years. Bosson and
Steven Bochco have two children and reside
in Los Angeles.
