A steadily working actress, most recently appearing in the hit show, “24,” dark-haired beauty JoBeth Williams was perhaps best remembered for a string of hit films in the early 1980s, most notably as the terrified yet determined young mom in the Spielberg classic horror film, “Poltergeist” (1982).

Born Dec. 6, 1948 in Houston, TX, Williams developed an interest in performing while in high school, thanks in part to the influence of her father, an opera singer. At age 18, she joined Actor’s Equity so she could participate in a local musical company. While she attended Brown University, however,