Beth Howland, born Elizabeth Howland on May 28, 1941, in Brighton, Massachusetts, was an American actress known for her work on stage and television. At the age of 16, she left home to follow a dancer friend to New York City, where she eventually made her Broadway debut in 1959 as Lady Beth in the musical "Once Upon a Mattress."

This marked the beginning of a successful career in musical theatre, with roles in productions such as "Bye Bye Birdie," "High Spirits," "Drat! The Cat!," and "Darling of the Day."

In 1970, Beth Howland originated the role of Amy in the original Broadway cast of Stephen Sondheim's "Company," where she introduced the patter song "Getting Married Today." Her performance caught the attention of television producers, and she relocated to California to pursue a career in television.

She made guest appearances on shows such as "Love, American Style," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Little House on the Prairie," and "The Love Boat."

Beth Howland is best known for her role as Vera Gorman, the ditzy waitress, in the sitcom "Alice," which aired from 1976 to 1985. For her work on "Alice," she received four Golden Globe Award nominations.

After the sitcom ended, she went into semi-retirement but continued to make occasional guest appearances in shows like "Murder, She Wrote," "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," and "The Tick."

Beth Howland was married to actor Michael J. Pollard from 1961 to 1969, with whom she had a daughter. In 2002, she married actor Charles Kimbrough, and they remained married until her death in 2015.

Beth Howland passed away on December 31, 2015, at the age of 74 from lung cancer. Per her request, her death was not reported to the media until May 24, 2016.