Royalty of the stage and screen, Bernadette Peters is known for her unmistakable singing voice, shock of red curls, doll-like features, and a stage presence that is bigger than some small countries. She’s starred in tons of classic films and musicals, such as Annie,  Into the Woods, and Impromptu. She has distinguished herself across the media of film and television, earning a Golden Globe in addition to her numerous Tonys, and at the age of 77, she’s still ageless and going strong. In honor of Bernadette Peters’ career, we’re going to look at some of her historical roles in film and television — a legacy that goes back over 50 years!
George M! (1970)
Once Upon a Mattress (1972)
Ace Eli & Rodger of the Skies (1973)
W.C. Fields and Me (1976)
Pennies From Heaven (1981)
Annie (1982)
Faerie Tale Theater: Sleeping Beauty (1982)
Into the Woods (1987)
Impromptu (1991)
Great Performances: The Last Mile (1992)
The Odyssey (1997)
Cinderella (1997)
What the Deaf Man Heard (1997)
High Desert (2023)
Last Train to Fortune (2025)
Are you a fan of Bernadette Peters? Share your favorite role of hers in the comments!
It’s not a period piece, but oh how I loved her character and performance in Mozart in the Jungle!
Yes. No one does “sincere” like Bernadette.
Found an interview with Peters about High Desert, it looks like her character Ginger is an actress who Arquette’s character convinces to come do a play with her, and it’s either set in the past or they’re using what they have on hand in ‘Pioneertown’ (actual tourist attraction that was originally built in the 1940s as a movie set) for costumes.
“What was interesting was that we were dressed in these pioneer clothes with corsets and hats, but we’re not pioneer women. We’re actually modern-day women that are just dressed up in these outfits because she’s got me there to try to work on this stuff with her — the script that she’s written. You find the whole thing kind of a little odd. Now, the people that work there, a lot of the time they’re in character unless you have a personal scene. And they’re walking around, and it’s a weird juxtaposition, which is fun.”
I looked up High Dessert, and it seems like the community is near an old or recreated “old west” town. Some bts photos show the cast in modern clothing too, so her character could be playing a character in the old west town? That’s my best guess.
I love, love, love her! Saw her cabaret act a bazillion years ago at the old Studio One Backlot Theater in West Hollywood; her boyfriend at the time, Steve Martin, sat across from us. She is just so incredibly talented. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Bob Mackie’s spectacular costumes for Pennies from Heaven. The film was bonkers, but the musical numbers – chef’s kiss. Mackie knew his stuff, and his chorus cuties looked like they stepped out of a genuine Depression era film. Plus, he recreated – down to the beading – one of Ginger Rogers iconic dresses for the scene where Steve and Bernadette recreated Let’s Face the Music and Dance. Somewhere, I have Bob Mackie’s first book, Dressing for Glamour, and he wrote that the role he really wanted to design for Bernadette would be the iconic Gibson Girl, and he included a sketch. She would have been period perfect.
Oh, wow, she would have been perfect as a Gibson Girl! Now I’m sad that never happened and Bob Mackie never got to design it!
I’m surprised you didn’t include her performance aa Dot in Sunday in the Park with George which was filmed for PBS.
Dear me, those curls … please pardon the leonine purring vibrating out of my manly breast, it’s entirely appropriate but one accepts that it’s quite disruptive.
It’s an homage rather than an actual period piece, but I loved her in Silent Movie!