Born
December 1, 1945 in
Honolulu,
Hawaii to
Fred Midler and
Ruth Schindel,
Bette (aka
The Divine Miss M,
Trash with Flash,
Sleaze with Ease) majored in
Theatre at the
University of Hawaii. Her first professional acting
role was a minor part in
Hawaii as a
missionary wife.
Savor the irony.
She moved to New York, and in 1967, took on the lead female role of Tzeitel in the Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof, after having sung in the chorus for a time. After the Fiddler gig, she started singing at the Continental Baths, singing to sweaty gay men in towels. Her campy outfits and sultry songs have defined her career, for the most part.
She's married to Martin von Haselberg, and has one daughter, Sophie, who was born in 1986.
Discography:
Selected Filmography (Thanks iMDB!):