Angela Marie Bettis (born January 9, 1973) is an American actress, film producer and director known for her lead role in the horror film May.
Bettis was born in Austin, Texas to Mary Lynn Guthrie and Richard Joseph Bettis. Her debut role was a lead in the romantic tragedy, Sparrow, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, at the age of eighteen. After that film she attended The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. She later went on to star in a movie called The Last Best Sunday and have a minor role in Girl, Interrupted opposite Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie. Her turn in the title role in May won her something of a cult following. She won many Best Actress awards and Roger Ebert lobbied for an Oscar nomination for her performance. After the film she starred in the TV movie Carrie as Carrie White. Bettis was offered the role numerous times, but declined since she just finished May, which had a similar character to Carrie White. Since the movie was a pilot to launch a series she thought having a steady job would allow her to do more independent work. The series never took off. She has starred and produced many short independent films under production company MoFreek which she co-owns with her husband, Kevin Ford.
In 2005, Bettis starred in The Circle, an independent film shot in only one shot.
