Betty Lou Bredemus was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the daughter of Elizabeth Ellen (née Billingsley) and Wendell John Bredemus (1904-1955),[2] a football player. She had one brother, John. She graduated from Austin High School in 1952. In school she sang in the choir, and performed in the drama club Dirk & Bobble, appearing in productions like You Can't Take It with You.
The summer after graduation, Bredemus joined a stock company and performed in several plays, and then returned to Austin, where she studied dramatic arts at the local junior college. She was forced to leave school after her father became ill. Her brother had his education paid for by joining the Army, which gave Bredemus the idea to join the United States Air Force. She signed up for two years, and started basic training in Texas in 1953. She spent her service at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi.
Bredemus met her husband Walter Grady Roberts (1933-1977) while performing in the play George Washington Slept Here together, which was directed by Rance Howard, father of director Ron Howard. Howard and his wife Jean, Roberts and Bredemus became close friends, and decided to tour to a couple of USO bases performing plays. Bredemus and Roberts were married in 1955, and soon after their first child was born, actor Eric Roberts in April 1956. After the army, Walter decided to pursue a career as a playwright, so he moved the family to Louisiana so he could attend Tulane University. The family lived on campus in family housing. Walter left school just shy of graduating, and he moved the family to Decatur, Georgia in 1960. Bredemus soon began working at Emory University in the public relations area, while Walter worked in various theatrical jobs.[3]
In 1965, Bredemus and Roberts created a children's show for the local network titled Bum Bum and His Buddies. In the first episode, Bredemus played the role of Bum Bum the clown. The Roberts' had previously created a short-lived series titled Creole Capers. After 15 episodes of Buddies, Bredemus and Roberts moved on to create the Actors and Writers Workshop, teaching classes to youth ages five to eighteen. Also in 1965 Bredemus gave birth to their daughter Lisa. The workshop became a huge success and popular amongst the children of Atlanta. Among the children that enrolled were the children of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King. Their eldest daughter Yolanda King took acting classes taught by Walter. In 1967, their daughter Julia Roberts was born. Bredemus' pregnancy caused commotion within the workshop community as she temporarily had to stop performing the various tasks needed to put on a show. When Julia was born the Roberts' were experiencing financial difficulty, and Coretta Scott King offered to pay for the hospital bill.[4]
In 1968 when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, their children were taking classes at the workshop. The Kings had become friends of the Roberts' and donated money to the workshop, which was having trouble financially.
The workshop eventually closed, and Roberts and Bredemus divorced. She married Michael Motes and gave birth to their daughter in 1976, and Walter died in 1977.
The summer after graduation, Bredemus joined a stock company and performed in several plays, and then returned to Austin, where she studied dramatic arts at the local junior college. She was forced to leave school after her father became ill. Her brother had his education paid for by joining the Army, which gave Bredemus the idea to join the United States Air Force. She signed up for two years, and started basic training in Texas in 1953. She spent her service at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi.
Bredemus met her husband Walter Grady Roberts (1933-1977) while performing in the play George Washington Slept Here together, which was directed by Rance Howard, father of director Ron Howard. Howard and his wife Jean, Roberts and Bredemus became close friends, and decided to tour to a couple of USO bases performing plays. Bredemus and Roberts were married in 1955, and soon after their first child was born, actor Eric Roberts in April 1956. After the army, Walter decided to pursue a career as a playwright, so he moved the family to Louisiana so he could attend Tulane University. The family lived on campus in family housing. Walter left school just shy of graduating, and he moved the family to Decatur, Georgia in 1960. Bredemus soon began working at Emory University in the public relations area, while Walter worked in various theatrical jobs.[3]
In 1965, Bredemus and Roberts created a children's show for the local network titled Bum Bum and His Buddies. In the first episode, Bredemus played the role of Bum Bum the clown. The Roberts' had previously created a short-lived series titled Creole Capers. After 15 episodes of Buddies, Bredemus and Roberts moved on to create the Actors and Writers Workshop, teaching classes to youth ages five to eighteen. Also in 1965 Bredemus gave birth to their daughter Lisa. The workshop became a huge success and popular amongst the children of Atlanta. Among the children that enrolled were the children of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King. Their eldest daughter Yolanda King took acting classes taught by Walter. In 1967, their daughter Julia Roberts was born. Bredemus' pregnancy caused commotion within the workshop community as she temporarily had to stop performing the various tasks needed to put on a show. When Julia was born the Roberts' were experiencing financial difficulty, and Coretta Scott King offered to pay for the hospital bill.[4]
In 1968 when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, their children were taking classes at the workshop. The Kings had become friends of the Roberts' and donated money to the workshop, which was having trouble financially.
The workshop eventually closed, and Roberts and Bredemus divorced. She married Michael Motes and gave birth to their daughter in 1976, and Walter died in 1977.
Betty Lou Bredemus was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the daughter of Elizabeth Ellen (née Billingsley) and Wendell John Bredemus (1904-1955),[2] a football player. She had one brother, John. She graduated from Austin High School in 1952. In school she sang in the choir, and performed in the drama club Dirk & Bobble, appearing in productions like You Can't Take It with You.
The summer after graduation, Bredemus joined a stock company and performed in several plays, and then returned to Austin, where she studied dramatic arts at the local junior college. She was forced to leave school after her father became ill. Her brother had his education paid for by joining the Army, which gave Bredemus the idea to join the United States Air Force. She signed up for two years, and started basic training in Texas in 1953. She spent her service at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi.
Bredemus met her husband Walter Grady Roberts (1933-1977) while performing in the play George Washington Slept Here together, which was directed by Rance Howard, father of director Ron Howard. Howard and his wife Jean, Roberts and Bredemus became close friends, and decided to tour to a couple of USO bases performing plays. Bredemus and Roberts were married in 1955, and soon after their first child was born, actor Eric Roberts in April 1956. After the army, Walter decided to pursue a career as a playwright, so he moved the family to Louisiana so he could attend Tulane University. The family lived on campus in family housing. Walter left school just shy of graduating, and he moved the family to Decatur, Georgia in 1960. Bredemus soon began working at Emory University in the public relations area, while Walter worked in various theatrical jobs.[3]
In 1965, Bredemus and Roberts created a children's show for the local network titled Bum Bum and His Buddies. In the first episode, Bredemus played the role of Bum Bum the clown. The Roberts' had previously created a short-lived series titled Creole Capers. After 15 episodes of Buddies, Bredemus and Roberts moved on to create the Actors and Writers Workshop, teaching classes to youth ages five to eighteen. Also in 1965 Bredemus gave birth to their daughter Lisa. The workshop became a huge success and popular amongst the children of Atlanta. Among the children that enrolled were the children of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King. Their eldest daughter Yolanda King took acting classes taught by Walter. In 1967, their daughter Julia Roberts was born. Bredemus' pregnancy caused commotion within the workshop community as she temporarily had to stop performing the various tasks needed to put on a show. When Julia was born the Roberts' were experiencing financial difficulty, and Coretta Scott King offered to pay for the hospital bill.[4]
In 1968 when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, their children were taking classes at the workshop. The Kings had become friends of the Roberts' and donated money to the workshop, which was having trouble financially.
The workshop eventually closed, and Roberts and Bredemus divorced. She married Michael Motes and gave birth to their daughter in 1976, and Walter died in 1977.
The summer after graduation, Bredemus joined a stock company and performed in several plays, and then returned to Austin, where she studied dramatic arts at the local junior college. She was forced to leave school after her father became ill. Her brother had his education paid for by joining the Army, which gave Bredemus the idea to join the United States Air Force. She signed up for two years, and started basic training in Texas in 1953. She spent her service at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi.
Bredemus met her husband Walter Grady Roberts (1933-1977) while performing in the play George Washington Slept Here together, which was directed by Rance Howard, father of director Ron Howard. Howard and his wife Jean, Roberts and Bredemus became close friends, and decided to tour to a couple of USO bases performing plays. Bredemus and Roberts were married in 1955, and soon after their first child was born, actor Eric Roberts in April 1956. After the army, Walter decided to pursue a career as a playwright, so he moved the family to Louisiana so he could attend Tulane University. The family lived on campus in family housing. Walter left school just shy of graduating, and he moved the family to Decatur, Georgia in 1960. Bredemus soon began working at Emory University in the public relations area, while Walter worked in various theatrical jobs.[3]
In 1965, Bredemus and Roberts created a children's show for the local network titled Bum Bum and His Buddies. In the first episode, Bredemus played the role of Bum Bum the clown. The Roberts' had previously created a short-lived series titled Creole Capers. After 15 episodes of Buddies, Bredemus and Roberts moved on to create the Actors and Writers Workshop, teaching classes to youth ages five to eighteen. Also in 1965 Bredemus gave birth to their daughter Lisa. The workshop became a huge success and popular amongst the children of Atlanta. Among the children that enrolled were the children of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King. Their eldest daughter Yolanda King took acting classes taught by Walter. In 1967, their daughter Julia Roberts was born. Bredemus' pregnancy caused commotion within the workshop community as she temporarily had to stop performing the various tasks needed to put on a show. When Julia was born the Roberts' were experiencing financial difficulty, and Coretta Scott King offered to pay for the hospital bill.[4]
In 1968 when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, their children were taking classes at the workshop. The Kings had become friends of the Roberts' and donated money to the workshop, which was having trouble financially.
The workshop eventually closed, and Roberts and Bredemus divorced. She married Michael Motes and gave birth to their daughter in 1976, and Walter died in 1977.
Family Members
Half Siblings
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