Biography
Bette Midler (born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, comedian, and film producer. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Midler began her professional career in several Off-Off-Broadway plays, prior to 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 in the Continental Baths, a local gay bathhouse where she managed to build up a core following. Since 1970, Midler has released 14 studio albums ...
Known For
Complete Filmography

Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything
2025
as Self
Few American journalists have had a career as trailblazing and transformative as Barbara Walters, whose astonishing life and work are recounted in her...

The Fabulous Four
2024
as Marilyn
Three lifelong friends travel to Key West, Florida to be bridesmaids in the surprise wedding of their college girlfriend Marilyn. Once there, sisterho...

The Greatest Night in Pop
2024
as Self (archive footage)
On a January night in 1985, music's biggest stars gathered to record "We Are the World." This documentary goes behind the scenes of the historic event...

Sitting in Bars with Cake
2023
as Benita
Extrovert Corinne convinces Jane, a shy, talented baker, to commit to a year of bringing cakes to bars, to help her meet people and build confidence. ...

Hocus Pocus 2
2022
as Winifred Sanderson
29 years since the Black Flame Candle was last lit, the 17th-century Sanderson sisters are resurrected, and they are looking for revenge. Now it's up ...

Lucy and Desi
2022
as Self
Explore the unlikely partnership and enduring legacy of one of the most prolific power couples in entertainment history. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz r...

The Addams Family 2
2021
as Grandma (voice)
The Addams get tangled up in more wacky adventures and find themselves involved in hilarious run-ins with all sorts of unsuspecting characters.

Live at Mister Kelly's
2021
as Self (archive footage)
The iconic Mister Kelly’s bedazzled the country by launching superstars like Barbra Streisand, Richard Pryor, Bette Midler, and Steve Martin. It smash...

Parkinson at 50
2021
as Self (archive footage)
Sir Michael Parkinson looks back over his 50 years as a broadcaster, revealing some tricks of the interview trade and remembering some of his favourit...

ariana grande: excuse me, i love you
2020
as Self (Archive Footage) (Uncredited)
Ariana Grande takes the stage in London for her Sweetener World Tour and shares a behind-the-scenes look at her life in rehearsal and on the road.

The Glorias
2020
as Bella Abzug
An equal rights crusader, journalist and activist: Gloria Steinem embodies these and more. From her role in the revolutionary women's rights movement ...

Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special
2020
as Self
Faced with a holiday cheer crisis, the North Pole knows there's only one person who can save the day: Santa's great friend Mariah Carey. The Queen of ...

In Search of the Sanderson Sisters: A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover
2020
as Winifred Sanderson
Follow Elvira as she searches for the Sanderson Sisters, interviewing various figures who claim to have encountered or been influenced by them, includ...

Coastal Elites
2020
as Miriam Nessler
A socially distanced comedic satire that spotlights five characters breaking down and breaking through as they grapple with politics, culture, and the...

Mae West: Dirty Blonde
2020
Executive Producer
Mae West achieved great acclaim in every entertainment medium that existed during her lifetime, spanning eight decades of the 20th century. A full-tim...

The Addams Family
2019
as Grandma (voice)
The Addams family's lives begin to unravel when they face-off against a treacherous, greedy crafty reality-TV host while also preparing for their exte...

Camp! The Movie
2019
as Self
At the Met Gala 2019, Lady Gaga, Cardi B, Kim Kardashian West, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Celine Dion, Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid, Harry Styles, Bette...

What the World Needs Now: Words by Hal David
2019
as Host
Hosted by Bette Midler, enjoy a musical tribute to the man who wrote some of the most enduring songs in American popular music. Lyricist Hal David and...

Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Halloween Bash
2018
as Self
Join us for a night of celebration, packed with celebrity guests and Hocus Pocus throwbacks, at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Freak Show
2018
as Muv
The story of teenager Billy Bloom who, despite attending an ultra conservative high school, makes the decision to run for homecoming queen.
Bette Midler: One Night Only
2014
as Self
Joanna Lumley hosts Bette Midler: One Night Only to celebrate 50 years of a divine career of The Divine Miss M, talking about her upcoming tour and he...

BBC Imagine: The Divine Miss M
2014
as Self
For five decades the woman they call the Divine Miss M has forged a path which has taken her from a pineapple-canning factory in Honolulu to becoming ...

And the Oscar Goes To...
2014
as Self (archive footage)
The story of the gold-plated statuette that became the film industry's most coveted prize, AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... traces the history of the Academy ...

Six by Sondheim
2013
as Mama Rose (archive footage)
This intimate documentary explores the life and career of the stage legend Stephen Sondheim through six of his best-known songs.

20 Feet from Stardom
2013
as Self
Backup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight. Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we've had no...

Parental Guidance
2012
as Diane Decker
Artie and Diane agree to look after their three grandkids when their type-A helicopter parents need to leave town for work. Problems arise when the ki...

Casting By
2012
as Self
This essential new documentary pays tribute to the legacy of the late, legendary casting director Marion Dougherty and shines a light on one of the mo...

Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On
2010
as Self
Filled with plenty of girls and gags and an enchanting repertoire of her greatest hits, The Showgirl Must Go On was a concert residency at The Colosse...

Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On
2010
Executive Producer, Director
Filled with plenty of girls and gags and an enchanting repertoire of her greatest hits, The Showgirl Must Go On was a concert residency at The Colosse...

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
2010
as Kitty Galore (voice)
The ongoing war between the canine and feline species is put on hold when they join forces to thwart a rogue cat spy with her own sinister plans for c...

The Greatest Ears in Town: The Arif Mardin Story
2010
as Self
The Greatest Ears in Town is an insightful documentary and testimonial to Arif Mardin; the producer, arranger, musician and multi Grammy award winner.
The Divine Miss M in Performance
2010
as Self
The program included in this DVD is the 1980s HBO Home Video Release of "Art Or Bust". It is a live recording of the performer's "De Tour" in Minneapo...

Waking Sleeping Beauty
2009
as Self - Barbara Whiteman / Barbara Stone (archive footage)
By the mid-1980s, the fabled animation studios of Walt Disney had fallen on hard times. The artists were polarized between newcomers hungry to innovat...

The Women
2008
as Leah Miller
The story centers on a group of gossipy, high-society women who spend their days at the beauty salon and haunting fashion shows. The sweet, happily-we...

Then She Found Me
2007
as Bernice Graves
A New York schoolteacher hits a midlife crisis when, in quick succession, her husband leaves, her adoptive mother dies and her biological mother, an e...

Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens
2007
as Self
An account of the professional and personal life of renowned American photographer Annie Leibovitz, from her early artistic endeavors to her internati...

Atlantic Records: The House That Ahmet Built
2007
as Self - Narrator
This American Masters episode showcases the wonderful influence of Ahmet Ertegun, the founder of Atlantic Records. Since the label's founding in 1947,...

From the Big Apple to the Big Easy: The Concert for New Orleans
2006
as Self
Elton John, Lenny Kravitz, Bette Midler, Cindy Lauper, Elvis Costello and more perform a live concert in Madison Square Gardens to benefit Hurricane K...

Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook
2005
as Self
Bette Midler performs four songs from her recording "Bette Midler Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook". Selections include "I'm A Woman," "He's A Tramp," "Fe...

Nos Bastidores de Hollywood
2005
as Self

The Divine Bette Midler
2005
as Self
Follow the career of the Divine Miss M -- singer and actress Bette Midler -- from the bathhouses to Broadway to starring film roles. This A&E biograph...

'Twas the Night - A Holiday Celebration
2004
as Self
This half-hour family special is a delightful combination of animated adaptations of classic holiday songs - performed by top stars ranging from Frank...

AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs: America's Greatest Music in the Movies
2004
as Self
The top 100 songs of the past 100 years chosen by the American Film Institute are presented by host-actor John Travolta.

Bette Midler: Kiss My Brass Live at Madison Square Garden
2004
as Self
Bette Midler hit the road for the first time in four years with her 2003–2004 Kiss My Brass concert tour, performing well-known hits and characters, a...

The Stepford Wives
2004
as Bobbie Markowitz
What does it take to become a Stepford wife, a woman perfect beyond belief? Ask the Stepford husbands, who've created this high-tech, terrifying littl...

A Barry Manilow Christmas: Live by Request
2003
as Self
The internationally renowned superstar Barry Manilow takes requests for Christmas songs and performs live with a band, an orchestra, and special guest...

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
2002
Executive Producer
A mother and daughter dispute is resolved by the "Yaya sisterhood" - long time friends of the mother.

What Women Want
2000
as Dr. J. M. Perkins (uncredited)
Advertising executive Nick Marshall is as cocky as they come, but what happens to a chauvinistic guy when he can suddenly hear what women are thinking...

Barry Manilow: Greatest Hits & Then Some
2000
as Self
Documentary film: originally bundled with the Greatest Hits & Then Some collection

Drowning Mona
2000
as Mona Dearly
The recently deceased Mona Dearly was many things: an abusive wife, a domineering mother, a loud-mouthed neighbor and a violent malcontent. So when he...

Isn't She Great
2000
as Jacqueline Susann
An unsuccessful over-the-top actress becomes a successful over-the-top authoress in this biography of Jacqueline Susann.

Fantasia 2000
2000
as Self - Host
Blending lively music and brilliant animation, this sequel to the original 'Fantasia' restores 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' and adds seven new shorts.

Bette Midler: Divine Miss Millennium
1999
as Self
Only the Divine Miss M could ring in the new millennium with such grandeur and style. Bette Midler's 1999-2000 concert tour to promote her Bathhouse ...

Jackie's Back!
1999
as Bette Midler
A British documentarian profiles washed-up diva Jackie Washington as she prepares for her comeback concert.

Get Bruce!
1999
as Self
Affectionate tribute to Bruce Vilanch, who writes material for celebrities who make public appearances, from Oscar hosts and award recipients to Presi...

Motown 40: The Music is Forever
1998
as Self (archive footage)
Archival music performances and contemporary interviews cover some of the history of Motown Records and Productions.

That Old Feeling
1997
as Lilly Leonard
A bride's divorced parents find their old feelings for each other during the wedding reception and over the course of the next few days upsetting the ...

Bette Midler: Diva Las Vegas
1997
as Self
Diva Las Vegas was a show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas starring Bette Midler performing as singer and comedian. The one-time performance...

The First Wives Club
1996
as Brenda Morelli Cushman
After years of helping their hubbies climb the ladder of success, three mid-life Manhattanites have been dumped for a newer, curvier model. But the tr...

Get Shorty
1995
as Doris Saphron
Chili Palmer is a Miami mobster who gets sent to L.A. to collect a bad debt from Harry Zimm, a Hollywood producer who specializes in cheesy horror fil...

How to Be Absolutely Fabulous
1995
as Self
Jennifer Saunders hosts a party of AbFab outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage.

Peter Allen: The Boy From Oz
1995
as Self
The story of Peter Allen, Australia's beloved variety entertainer and songwriter. As one of the first openly gay entertainers, Allen won a unique star...

A Century of Cinema
1994
as Self
A look back at the first 100 years of the movies.

Gypsy
1993
as Rose Hovick
Rose Hovick lives to see her daughter June succeed on Broadway by way of vaudeville. When June marries and leaves, Rose turns her hope and attention t...

Hocus Pocus
1993
as Winifred Sanderson
After 300 years of slumber, three sister witches are accidentally resurrected in Salem on Halloween night, and it is up to three kids and their newfou...

Annie Leibovitz 1993 Phaidon Documentary
1993
as Self
Produced in 1993, this documentary depicts the development of Annie Leibovitz's career as a celebrity photographer.

Earth and the American Dream
1992
as Reader (voice)
A beautiful and disturbing film recounts America’s story from the environment’s point of view. From the arrival of Columbus to the simple wilderness l...

For the Boys
1991
as Dixie Leonard
Talented USO entertainer Dixie Leonard and comedian Eddie Sparks deal with their relationship over the course of 5 decades from World War II to the Vi...

For the Boys
1991
Producer
Talented USO entertainer Dixie Leonard and comedian Eddie Sparks deal with their relationship over the course of 5 decades from World War II to the Vi...

Scenes from a Mall
1991
as Dr. Deborah Finegold-Fifer
A comedy about a married couple -- he's a sports lawyer, she's a psychologist -- which takes place on their 16th wedding anniversary, when they make s...
AN EVENING WITH: FRIENDS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
1990
as Self
Bette Midler, Cher, Olivia Newton-John, Goldie Hawn & Robin Williams perform at a benefit from the Greek Theater

The Earth Day Special
1990
as Mother Earth
The Earth Day Special is a television special revolving around Earth Day that aired on ABC on April 22, 1990. Sponsored by Time Warner, the two hour s...

Stella
1990
as Stella Claire
Barmaid Stella Claire and blueblood Stephen Dallas have very little in common -- except they've fallen in love. When their relationship fails, Stella ...

The Lottery
1989
as Woman
A music teacher realizes that she's won the lottery, but then promptly loses the ticket out the window. The short film then follows her exploits to re...

Beaches
1988
as CC Bloom
A privileged rich debutante and a cynical struggling entertainer share a turbulent, but strong childhood friendship over the years.

Beaches
1988
Producer
A privileged rich debutante and a cynical struggling entertainer share a turbulent, but strong childhood friendship over the years.

Oliver & Company
1988
as Georgette (voice)
A young cat named Oliver is left alone in a kitten box, while all the other young cats have new owners. A big dog named Dodger shows him how to get fo...

Mickey's 60th Birthday
1988
as Self
This film combines live action/original animation and library animation. Mickey steals a magic hat from a Sorcerer and is put under a spell by the ang...

Big Business
1988
as Sadie Ratliff / Sadie Shelton
In the 1940s in the small town of Jupiter Hollow, two sets of identical twins are born in the same hospital on the same night. One set to a poor local...

Bette Midler's Mondo Beyondo
1988
as Mondo Beyondo; Eudora P Quickly
In this spoof of a television talk show, Midler portrays the Italian bombshell hostess, Mondo Beyondo. Her guests include monologuist David Cale; Bill...

Outrageous Fortune
1987
as Sandy Brozinsky
Refined actress Lauren Ames finally has a chance to study with the great theatre professor Stanislav Korzenowski. Sandy Brozinsky, a brash, loud actre...

Barbra Streisand: One Voice
1986
as Self (Interviewee)
Originally broadcast as an exclusive special on HBO, Barbra Streisand launched her September 6, 1986 concert One Voice, in part, as a protest against ...

Ruthless People
1986
as Barbara Stone
Sam Stone hates his wife Barbara so much that he wants her dead. He's ecstatic when she's taken by a duo of kidnappers who want $500,000 ransom in exc...

Down and Out in Beverly Hills
1986
as Barbara Whiteman
Beverly Hills couple Barbara and Dave Whiteman find their lives altered by the arrival of a vagrant who tries to drown himself in their swimming pool.

Women in Rock
1986
as Self
All the legendary women of rock 'n' roll are brought together in this stunning collage of artists and their music. Through a music-driven mix of rare ...

Live Aid
1985
as Self
Live Aid was held on 13 July 1985, simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, and the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, United State...

We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song
1985
as Self
We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song is a documentary which examines how the song was written, how producer Quincy Jones and songwriters Michae...

Miami Vice: Brother's Keeper
1984
Songs
Miami detective Sonny Crockett reluctantly teams with New York City cop Rico Tubbs when both of them end up pursuing a drug dealer who killed their re...

Bette Midler: Art or Bust
1984
as Self
The Divine Miss M is featured in a concert filmed at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, at the culmination of her most recent cross-country tou...

Bette Midler: Art or Bust
1984
Writer
The Divine Miss M is featured in a concert filmed at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, at the culmination of her most recent cross-country tou...
Bette Midler: No Frills
1983
as Herself
Bette Midler’s “No Frills” Cinemax Special

Jinxed!
1982
as Bonita Friml
Harold, a professional gambler, and his girlfriend Bonita, a lounge singer, follow Willie, a young blackjack dealer, around the western U.S. Harold ha...

Divine Madness
1980
as Self - The Divine Miss M
Divine Madness is a 1980 concert film directed by Michael Ritchie, and featuring Bette Midler during her 1979 concert at Pasadena's Civic Auditorium. ...

Divine Madness
1980
Writer
Divine Madness is a 1980 concert film directed by Michael Ritchie, and featuring Bette Midler during her 1979 concert at Pasadena's Civic Auditorium. ...

The Sensational Shocking Wonderful Wacky 70's
1980
as Self (archive footage)
A look back at the people, events, music, and trends of the 1970s.

The Rose
1979
as Mary Rose Foster
Rock-and-roll singer Mary Rose Foster's romantic relationships and mental health are continuously imperilled by the demands of life on the road.

Bette Midler: Ol' Red Hair Is Back
1977
as Self - Host
In 1977, Bette Midler's first television special premiered, featuring guest stars Dustin Hoffman and Emmett Kelly. It went on to win Bette her first ...

Bette Midler: Ol' Red Hair Is Back
1977
Writer
In 1977, Bette Midler's first television special premiered, featuring guest stars Dustin Hoffman and Emmett Kelly. It went on to win Bette her first ...
Rolling Stone Magazine: The 10th Anniversary
1977
as Self
Train wreck, some might call it a TV special, proving that not everything was better in the good old days. That includes Rolling Stone Magazine.

The Bette Midler Show
1976
as Self - Host
The Bette Midler Show is a HBO Video special of one of Bette Midler's tours entitled 'The Depression Tour', The video is of her show at the Cleveland ...

The Thorn
1974
as Virgin Mary
A series of vignettes involving various Biblical characters, including 'The Divine Mr. J', the Virgin Mary, a lecherous priest, King Herod, among othe...

Bette Midler at the Continental Baths
1971
as Self
Bette Midler performs her final concert at the famous Continental Baths.

Goodbye, Columbus
1969
as Wedding Guest (uncredited)
A Jewish man and a Jewish woman meet, and while attracted to each other, find that their worlds are very different. She is the archetypal Jewish Ameri...

The Detective
1968
as Woman at Party
Police detective Joe Leland investigates the murder of a gay man.

Hawaii
1966
as Passenger (uncredited)
Abner Hale, a rigid and humorless New England missionary, marries the beautiful Jerusha Bromley and takes her to the exotic island kingdom of Hawaii, ...

Hocus Pocus 3
N/A
as Winifred Sanderson
The third installment in the Hocus Pocus franchise. Plot TBA.

A Childhood History Plan
N/A
Three women are forced to spend Christmas together, along with their children and grandchildren, after the man they were all once married to drops dea...