Beverly Bentley, originally from Atlanta, Georgia, began her career in 1951 in New York by appearing on live television. She is a member of the American Equity Association (AEA),American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA),and Screen Actors Guild (SAG).
Her theatrical debut was Off-Off Broadway in 1955, where she played the role of Connie Bliss in Clifford Odets' "The Big Knife", directed by her mentor Nola Chilton. This was followed by her Broadway debut at the Plymouth Theater in Peter Ustinov's "Romanoff and Juliet", directed by George S. Kaufman, in 1957.
Beverly also appeared in "The Heroine" in 1963 at the Lyceum Theater, showcasing her comedic talents and receiving rave reviews. Off-Off Broadway saw her in "Tennessee" by Romulus Linney and "When I Was Your Age", directed by Pamela Berlin, both at The Ensemble Studio Theatre.
She also appeared in "Transatlantic Bridge" at Playwright's Horizon and "The Ballad Of The Sad Cafe" at Image Theatre. Off-Broadway, she appeared in "Deer Park" by her husband Norman Mailer.
Some of her notable film credits include "A Face In The Crowd" (1957) by Elia Kazan, "Scent Of Mystery" (1966) co-starring Peter Lorre and Denholm Elliott, and "Religion, Inc." (1989) produced by Michael Mailer, with Sandra Bullock.
Her television credits include "Naked City", "The Defenders", Norman Mailer's "Omnibus", "Eurydice" aka "Point of Departure" opposite William Shatner as Orpheus, "Tiger At The Gate" as Helen Of Troy, and "The Woman Rebel" on PBS with Piper Laurie.
Married in 1963, she had two sons, Michael Mailer, a film producer, and Stephen Mailer, an actor. In 1966, she was one of four producers who founded Act IV, and brought in the first play through her friend and fellow student Joe Chaikin, founder of Open Theater and collaborator with Sam Shepard.
She won critical acclaim for her portrayal of Alice in "Mens Lives" for the Provincetown Repertory Theater at Town Hall in July 1996. She is a member of the Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference, where she performed in five plays, and went on to play the lead in Lloyd Richards' world premiere of "Shay" by Anne Commire at the Carolina Playmakers in North Carolina.
Recently, she performed in "Love Letters" by A.R. Gurney, co-starring with Guy Strauss, at the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre, "The Lion in Winter" for the Provincetown Theatre Company, as Eleanor of Aquitaine, "Suppressed Desires", "Tickless Time", "Change Your Style" by Susan Glaspell and George Cram Cook, and "A Celebration of Mary Heton Vorse" at the Provincetown Library.
