Brett Butler (actress)
A sharp-tongued stand-up comic from the South who broke network television's mold with a groundbreaking sitcom about a single, working-class mother.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American actress·Birthday: January 30·Baby Boomers
Biography
Brett Butler's rise from the gritty comedy club circuit to television stardom was as unconventional as her humor. Hailing from Alabama, she worked a series of blue-collar jobs before finding her voice in stand-up, delivering brutally honest, self-deprecating material about poverty, relationships, and survival. Her appearances on 'The Tonight Show' caught the industry's attention, leading to the creation of 'Grace Under Fire.' As Grace Kelly, a divorced mother and recovering alcoholic working in an oil refinery, Butler brought a raw, previously unseen authenticity to the sitcom mom. The show was a massive hit, making her one of the most prominent female voices on television in the 1990s. Her comedy was grounded in hard-won experience, and her success paved the way for a more realistic, flawed portrayal of women on TV. While personal struggles later impacted her career, her influence is undeniable. Brett Butler proved that a woman's story, told with unvarnished wit and Southern grit, could command prime time and resonate with millions.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Brett was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brett Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Brett's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created and starred in the hit ABC sitcom 'Grace Under Fire,' which ran for five seasons and topped ratings charts.
- Received two Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actress in a Television Series for her role as Grace Kelly.
- Was one of the first female stand-up comedians to successfully headline and carry a network television series based on her own persona.
- Her stand-up career included multiple appearances on both Johnny Carson's and Jay Leno's versions of 'The Tonight Show.'
Did You Know?
Before comedy, she worked as a waitress, a substitute teacher, and a maid.
She is a published author, having written a memoir titled 'Knee Deep in Paradise.'
She is an outspoken advocate for animal rights and has worked with PETA on campaigns.
She made a notable guest appearance on 'The Drew Carey Show' as the hostile bartender, Nicki Fifer.
“I'm from the South. We have a gene that allows us to say the most horrible things in the world to each other, and then go, 'More iced tea?'”
