Gabrielle Amanda Beaumont, a trailblazing director, made a significant impact in Hollywood by becoming the first woman to direct episodic prime-time television. Born in Buckinghamshire, England, Beaumont's family was deeply rooted in the arts and entertainment. Her father, Gabriel Toyne, was a multi-talented individual who excelled as an actor, poet, stuntman, and master swordsman. Her mother, Diana Beaumont, was a renowned actress who appeared in British films and was a skilled comedienne on the West End stage. Beaumont's great-uncle, Sir Gerald du Maurier, was a celebrated thespian and author, famous for his novel Svengali.
Beaumont began her career as a juvenile stage actress, making her debut in a 1948 touring production of Peter Pan. She then spent five years with a repertory theatre company in London, appearing in classic plays such as Billy Liar, Saint Joan, and Five Finger Exercise. Before joining the BBC, Beaumont had already transitioned to stage direction. At the BBC, she worked her way up the ranks, holding various positions including editor, assistant director, production manager, and producer.
Beaumont's experience at the BBC prepared her for her move to Los Angeles in 1980, where she began directing an episode of Vega$ (1978) for producer Aaron Spelling. She went on to work on some of the most popular TV shows of the 80s and 90s, including M*A*S*H, Dynasty, Cagney & Lacey, Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice, L.A. Law, and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Beaumont made history by becoming the first female director in charge of Star Trek episodes, working on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager.
Throughout her career, Beaumont was a member of the Directors Guild of America and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. She retired to Fornalutx, a municipality on the Spanish island of Mallorca, where she spent the last two decades of her life. Beaumont was previously married to actor and writer Olaf Pooley and cinematographer Michael J. Davis, both of whom predeceased her.
