Bitty Schram (born Elizabeth Natalie Schram, 1968 or 1969)[1] is an American actress best known for playing Sharona Fleming in the television series Monk and Evelyn Gardner in the film A League of Their Own (1992).
Bitty Schram | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1968 or 1969 (age 55–56) |
| Alma mater | University of Maryland |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1992–2016 |
Early life
editSchram is from Mountainside, New Jersey, and she attended Jonathan Dayton High School, where she was a competitive athlete.[1] She studied at the University of Maryland on a tennis scholarship and graduated with a degree in advertising design. Bitty was a nickname she decided to use when she became an actress.[2] Schram is Jewish.[3][4]
Career
editThe role that initially brought her note was that of Evelyn Gardner, the Rockford Peaches' right fielder, in the Penny Marshall film A League of Their Own. Her character was the recipient of the classic admonition by manager Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks), "There's no crying in baseball!"[5] Her character was also the mother of the obnoxious little boy, Stilwell.
During 1993–1995, she appeared in the original Broadway production of Neil Simon's Laughter on the 23rd Floor.[6]
In 2002, Schram landed a major role opposite Tony Shalhoub on the USA Network series Monk. She was released midway through the show's third season. The network stated it had "decided to go in a different creative direction with some of its characters." The Hollywood Reporter reported that "some members of the series' supporting cast, including Schram, Ted Levine and Jason Gray-Stanford, attempted to renegotiate the terms of their contract[s]" and cited Schram's departure as evidence of the industry's "hard line against raise-seeking actors who aren't absolutely essential to the show." Levine and Gray-Stanford remained on the show.[7] Natalie Teeger, played by Traylor Howard, replaced Schram's character as Monk's assistant. Schram made a guest appearance on one episode of the show's eighth and final season, titled "Mr. Monk and Sharona".[8]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Fathers & Sons | Terry | |
| 1992 | A League of Their Own | Evelyn Gardner[9] | |
| 1993 | The Night We Never Met | Pharmacy Clerk | |
| 1993 | My Family Treasure | Young Alexandra | |
| 1994 | Chasers | Flo | |
| 1994 | Full Cycle | Sofie | |
| 1996 | Caught | Amy | |
| 1996 | The Pallbearer | Lauren | |
| 1996 | Marvin's Room | Janine | |
| 1996 | One Fine Day | Marla | |
| 1998 | Kissing a Fool | Vicki Pelam | |
| 1998 | Cleopatra's Second Husband | Hallie Marrs | |
| 2001 | The Tag | Gina | Short |
| 2002 | Unconditional Love | Waitress | |
| 2004 | The Sure Hand of God | Christine Bigbee | |
| 2006 | A-List | Samantha | |
| 2016 | Moments of Clarity | Officer Lori[10] | Nominated–Maverick Movie Awards for Best Ensemble Acting (Feature) |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Episode: Long Island Fever | Penny | TV film |
| 1999 | G vs E | Ani | Episode: "Gee Your Hair Smells Evil" |
| 2001 | Destiny | TV film | |
| 2001 | Strong Medicine | Juno Bouvoir | Episode: "Fix" |
| 2001 | Roswell | Bunny | Episode: "Secrets and Lies" |
| 2001–2002 | Felicity | Rita | Episodes: "Moving On", "A Perfect Match", "The Paper Chase" |
| 2002–2005, 2009 | Monk | Sharona Fleming | Regular Seasons 1-3, Guest Season 8 Nominated–Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series (Comedy or Musical) |
| 2005 | Kitchen Confidential | Reese Ryder | Episode: "Exile on Main Street" |
| 2006 | Thief | Lila Granville | TV miniseries |
| 2007 | You've Got a Friend | Jackie Nelson | TV film |
| 2009 | Ghost Whisperer | Jody | Episode: "This Joint's Haunted" |
References
edit- ^ a b Chollet, Laurence. "A shining bit between the stars", The Record, July 16, 1992. Accessed January 18, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "All that attention has elevated Schram, a 23-year-old from Mountainside in Union County, into what could be called a league of her own.... The sports part came pretty easily, as Schram has played competitive tennis since she was 10, starred at Jonathan Dayton High School in Springfield, and eventually won a tennis scholarship to the University of Maryland."
- ^ Feitelberg, Amy (February 13, 2004). "Where Bitty Schram Wants to be in Five Years". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
- ^ Correspondent, J. (September 10, 2004). "Celebrity Jews".
- ^ "September 10, 2004 - Image 95". The Detroit Jewish News Digital Archives – via University of Michigan.
- ^ Adam Thomlison, "Hollywood Q & A", (TV Tabloid/TV Media Inc.), March 24, 2018.
- ^ Laughter on the 23rd Floor details, ibdb.com; accessed September 6, 2015.
- ^ Wallenstein, Andrew (31 August 2004). "No Sharona — Bitty Schram leaves 'Monk'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
- ^ Summer TV sizzles with new shows and returning favorites Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Boston Herald; accessed September 6, 2015.
- ^ Laman, Allen (June 19, 2017). "Welcoming back 'A League Of Their Own'". Dubois County Herald. Retrieved 2018-04-26.
- ^ Freedman, Richard (November 13, 2015). "Schram has a bit part in 'Moments of Clarity' at Napa Fest". Vallejo Times-Herald. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
