{{short description|American actress}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}} {{Infobox person | image = BethLittlefordApr2011.jpg | caption = Littleford at a charity event in Beverly Hills, California in 2011 | name = Beth Littleford | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|07|17}} | birth_place = Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | occupation = {{hlist|Actress|comedian}} | years_active = 1996–present | spouse = {{marriage|Rob Fox|1998|2015|end=divorced}} | children = 2{{efn|One biological child and one adopted child.}} }} '''Elizabeth Littleford''' (born July 17, 1968)<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lt9kAAAAMAAJ&q=beth+littleford+1968|title=John Willis' Theatre World|first=John A.|last=Willis|publisher=Crown Publishers|year=1998|page=230|isbn=9781557833235}}</ref> is an American actress and comedian known as an original correspondent on Comedy Central's ''The Daily Show'' from 1996 to 2000. She was among the former correspondents recognized when ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'' received a 2015 institutional Peabody Award.
Littleford's later television roles include Nancy Blaford on the Fox sitcom ''Method & Red'' and Ellen Jennings on the Disney Channel series ''Dog with a Blog''.<ref name="TVGuideMethodRed">{{cite web |title=Method & Red - Full Cast & Crew |url=https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/method-and-red/cast/1030188888/ |website=TV Guide |access-date=27 May 2026}}</ref><ref name="VarietyDogBlog">{{cite web |last=Lowry |first=Brian |title=Dog With a Blog |url=https://variety.com/2012/tv/reviews/dog-with-a-blog-1117948512/ |website=Variety |date=9 October 2012 |access-date=27 May 2026}}</ref> Her film roles include Claire Riley in the 2011 romantic comedy ''Crazy, Stupid, Love''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Crazy, Stupid, Love. - Full Cast & Crew |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/crazy-stupid-love/cast/2030186076/ |website=TV Guide |access-date=28 May 2026}}</ref>
==Early life== Littleford was born in Nashville, Tennessee, the daughter of Jackie, a professor, and Philip O. Littleford, a cardiologist and inventor. She grew up in Winter Park, Florida and attended the Park Maitland School. Her father and brother died when she was sixteen in a pontoon plane accident during an Alaskan fishing trip.<ref name="spice">{{cite news|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1998-01-13-9801120091-story.html|title=Spice girl|work=Sun-Sentinel|date=January 13, 1998|first=Tyler|last=Gray|access-date=May 20, 2020|archive-date=January 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124162353/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1998-01-13-9801120091-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1985-06-18-0310030168-story.html|title=Youngster's spirit still leads the way|work=Orlando Sentinel|date=June 18, 1985|first=Ed|last=Hayes|access-date=May 21, 2020|archive-date=December 7, 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20211207025745/https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1985-06-18-0310030168-story.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
A National Merit Scholarship Program finalist in high school, she attended Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania for three years before taking up acting classes at New York University; she eventually graduated from The New School for Social Research.<ref name="spice" /><ref name="wedding">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/05/style/weddings-ms-littleford-and-mr-fox.html|title=WEDDINGS; Ms. Littleford And Mr. Fox|work=The New York Times|date=July 5, 1998|access-date=May 20, 2020|archive-date=May 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527075052/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/05/style/weddings-ms-littleford-and-mr-fox.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Career== Early in her acting career, Littleford worked in improvisational theatre with Chicago City Limits, wrote and performed the one-woman show ''This Is Where I Get Off'' at the Circle Repertory Company, and appeared in the romantic comedy film ''Picture This''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Blake |first=Leslie |title=ON LOCATION With 'Picture This' |url=https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/location-picture-25317/ |website=Backstage |date=21 February 2001 |access-date=27 May 2026}}</ref>
Littleford was one of the original correspondents on Comedy Central's ''The Daily Show'', appearing during both Craig Kilborn's and Jon Stewart's tenures as host. Her recurring celebrity-interview segments were performed in the style of Barbara Walters.<ref>{{cite web |last=Blake |first=Meredith |title=The true story of the women who made 'The Daily Show' — and were 'erased' from its legacy |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2021-07-22/the-daily-show-creators-lizz-winstead-madeleine-smithberg-25th-anniversary |website=Los Angeles Times |date=22 July 2021 |access-date=27 May 2026}}</ref> In 1998, Comedy Central aired ''The Beth Littleford Interview Special'', a compilation of her previously shown interview segments.<ref>{{cite news |title=Barbara Walters Becomes Subject On Comedy Central |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1998/mar/18/barbara-walters-becomes-subject-on-comedy-central/ |work=The Spokesman-Review |date=18 March 1998 |access-date=28 May 2026}}</ref> In 1999, ''Entertainment Weekly'' described ''The Daily Show'' as a launching pad for Littleford and other correspondents, noting that she was expanding her recurring role on ''Spin City'' and had appeared in the film ''Mystery, Alaska''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Fretts |first=Bruce |title=Beth Littleford and Stephen Colbert take flight |url=https://ew.com/article/1999/04/30/beth-littleford-and-stephen-colbert-take-flight/ |website=Entertainment Weekly |date=30 April 1999 |access-date=27 May 2026}}</ref> That year, she was also listed among the celebrity participants at Austin's Big Stinkin' International Improv & Sketch Comedy Festival.<ref>{{cite news |last=Barnes |first=Michael D. |title=BIG STINKIN INTERNATIONAL IMPROV AND SKETCH COMEDY FESTIVAL: TV's Comedy headhunters are following their noses to Austin |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A67142137/GPS?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=ae9c3322 |work=Austin American-Statesman |date=1 April 1999 |page=xl32 |via=Gale OneFile: News |access-date=28 May 2026}}</ref>
Littleford played Nancy Blaford on the 2004 Fox sitcom ''Method & Red''.<ref name="TVGuideMethodRed" /> She later appeared in several television comedy and family series, including ''The Hard Times of RJ Berger'', in which she played Suzanne Berger,<ref>{{cite web |title=The Hard Times of RJ Berger - Full Cast & Crew |url=https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/the-hard-times-of-rj-berger/cast/1030027951/ |website=TV Guide |access-date=27 May 2026}}</ref> and the Disney Channel series ''Dog with a Blog'', in which she played Ellen Jennings.<ref name="VarietyDogBlog" />
Her later screen appearances include the Netflix series ''Dead to Me'', in which she appeared in the 2019 episode "I Can Handle It",<ref>{{cite web |title=I Can Handle It |url=https://www.tvmaze.com/episodes/1650830/dead-to-me-1x07-i-can-handle-it |website=TVMaze |date=3 May 2019 |access-date=28 May 2026}}</ref> and the 2021 film ''Senior Moment'', in which she played Tess Woodson.<ref>{{cite web |title=Senior Moment - Full Cast & Crew |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/senior-moment/cast/2030442427/ |website=TV Guide |access-date=27 May 2026}}</ref>
==Personal life== Littleford lives in Los Angeles. She was married to Rob Fox, a director and producer who worked alongside her on ''The Daily Show'', from 1998 to 2015; they had a son (b. 2005) and an adopted daughter (b. 2012).<ref name="wedding" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://people.com/parents/beth-littleford-welcomes-daughter-halcyon-juna/|title=Beth Littleford Welcomes Daughter Halcyon Juna|publisher=People|date=March 24, 2012|access-date=May 20, 2020|archive-date=December 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207152400/https://people.com/parents/beth-littleford-welcomes-daughter-halcyon-juna/|url-status=live}}</ref> Fox died in 2017.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lentz|first=Harris M.|title=Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2017|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HMpZDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT143|year=2018|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-3318-3|pages=143–|access-date=May 20, 2020|archive-date=December 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207152400/https://books.google.com/books?id=HMpZDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT143|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://tabootales.libsyn.com/2015/11|title=Beth Littleford & the mid-life crisis|work=Taboo Tales|date=November 3, 2015|access-date=May 20, 2020}}</ref>
== Filmography ==
===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |1998 |''{{sortname|A|Cool, Dry Place}}'' |Suzanne | |- | rowspan="3" |1999 |''{{sortname|The|24 Hour Woman}}'' |Lynn Shapiro | |- |''Mystery, Alaska'' |Janice Pettiboe | |- |''Picture This'' |Patty | |- |2008 |''Drillbit Taylor'' |Barbara Drennan | |- |2009 |''Veiled'' |Marie |Short |- |2011 |''Crazy, Stupid, Love'' |Claire | |- | rowspan="2" |2012 |''Music High'' |Lucy Bates | |- |''Kidnap Party'' |Alison Slater | |- | rowspan="2" |2013 |''It's Not You, It's Me'' |Sandy | |- |''Movie 43'' |Mrs. Cutler | |- |2017 |''Random Tropical Paradise'' |Martha Crandall | |- | 2018 | ''I'll Be Next Door for Christmas'' | Fran | Christmas comedy film written and directed by David Jay Willis |- |2021 |''Senior Moment'' |Tess Woodson |Feature Film - Released theatrically and on demand |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |1996–2000 |''The Daily Show'' |Herself |Original Female Correspondent |- |1998–2000 |''Spin City'' |Deirdre West |Recurring role |- |2001 |''Boston Public'' |Marcia Fennel |Episode: "Chapter 24" |- | rowspan="4" |2002 |''{{sortname|The|West Wing}}'' |WKZN Philadelphia Anchor Leslie |Episode: "The U.S. Poet Laureate" |- |''Still Standing'' |Kristy Duncan |Episode: "Still in School" |- |''What I Like About You'' |Susan |Episode: "Copy That" |- |''Andy Richter Controls the Universe'' |Reggie Meadows |Episode: "The Show Might Go On" |- | rowspan="2" |2002–03 |''Greetings from Tucson'' |Marna |2 episodes |- |''Life with Bonnie'' |Dr. 'Mrs.' Casey |2 episodes |- |2003 |''{{sortname|The|Big Wide World of Carl Laemke|nolink=1}}'' |Laurie Laemke |TV film |- |2003–04 |''One on One'' |Geraldine Murphy |Recurring role |- | rowspan="2" |2004 |''Method & Red'' |Nancy Blaford |Main role |- |''Frasier'' |Creationism Date |Episode: "Match Game" (season 11) |- |2005 |''Joey'' |Carla |Episode: "Joey and the Premiere" |- | rowspan="2" |2006 |''Rodney'' |Amy O'Brien |Episode: "Rodney Gets a Leg Up" |- |''Love, Inc.'' |Charlene |Episode: "Anything But Love" |- |2006–12 |''Family Guy'' |Various (voice) |Guest role |- | rowspan="2" |2007 |''Without a Trace'' |Diane Neese |Episode: "Two of Us" |- |''Ben 10: Race Against Time'' |Sandra Tennyson |TV film |- | rowspan="2" |2008 |''Samantha Who?'' |Audrey Rhodes |Episode: "The Girlfriend" |- |''Ben 10: Alien Force'' |Sandra Tennyson (voice) |Episode: "Grounded" |- |2009 |''Take 2'' |Amy |TV film |- |2009–10 |''Rules of Engagement'' |Laura |3 episodes |- |2009–11 |''I'm in the Band'' |Beth Campbell |Recurring role |- | rowspan="6" |2010 |''StarStruck'' |Barbara Olson |TV film |- |''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' |Nurse Mona |Episode: "Field Mice" |- |''Ben 10: Ultimate Alien'' |Sandra Tennyson (voice) |Episode: "Hit 'Em Where They Live" |- |''{{sortname|The|New Adventures of Old Christine}}'' |Tony Kershaw |Episode: "Get Smarter" |- |''Neighbors from Hell'' |Various (voice) |Recurring role |- |''CSI: Miami'' |Elena Manus |Episode: "Sleepless in Miami" |- |2010–11 |''{{sortname|The|Hard Times of RJ Berger}}'' |Suzanne Berger |Recurring role |- |2010–13 |''{{sortname|The|Cleveland Show}}'' |Various (voice) |Guest role |- |2011 |''Desperate Housewives'' |Dana |2 episodes |- | rowspan="2" |2012 |''Melissa & Joey'' |Suzanne Haber |Episode: "Good to Go" |- |''Mad'' |Tasha / Various (voice) |1 episode |- |2012–15 |''Dog with a Blog'' |Ellen Jennings |Main role |- |2013 |''{{sortname|The|Mindy Project}}'' |Helen |Episode: "Mindy's Minute" |- |2013–14 |''Ben 10: Omniverse'' |Sandra Tennyson |Voice, 3 episodes |- | rowspan="2" |2016 |''Mistresses'' |Lindsay Lehman |Episode: "Under Pressure" |- |''Unwanted Guest'' |Anna Roberts |TV film |- |2016–17 |''{{sortname|The|Fosters|The Fosters (2013 TV series)}}'' |Realtor |3 episodes |- | rowspan="2" |2017 |''2 Broke Girls'' |Bonnie |Episode: "And the Stalking Dead" |- |''Liberty Crossing'' |Special Agent Margaret Smith |Episode: "Comfort Zones" |- |2018 |''My Dead Ex'' |Laurel |Recurring |- | rowspan="2" |2019 |''Dead to Me'' |Doug's Wife |Episode: "I Can Handle It" |- |''Home Is Where the Killer Is'' |Patricia Wade |TV film |- |2020–21 |''Love, Victor'' |Sarah |Hulu Original Series |}
=== Podcasts === {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |2018 |''[https://www.stitcher.com/show/gossip/ Gossip]'' |Rockin' Robin |12 episodes |}
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{official website}} *{{IMDb name|514719|Beth Littleford}}
{{The Daily Show}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Littleford, Beth}} Category:American women comedians Category:Living people Category:Actresses from Nashville, Tennessee Category:Actresses from Florida Category:Swarthmore College alumni Category:New York University alumni Category:The New School alumni Category:American television actresses Category:American film actresses Category:American voice actresses Category:20th-century American actresses Category:21st-century American actresses Category:Comedians from Nashville, Tennessee Category:Comedians from Florida Category:20th-century American comedians Category:21st-century American comedians Category:1968 births