بیوگرافی
Belinda Montgomery, a lovely brunette who occasionally used the middle initial "J." in her stage name, hails from Canada, where she launched her TV career in the 1967 series Barney Boomer. She went on to portray "Cinderella" and various emotionally complex or confused teenage characters as she climbed the acting ranks.
The petite brunette, whose soft, misty-eyed beauty was reminiscent of actress Bonnie Bedelia, was born on July 23, 1950, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to actor Cecil Montgomery. She moved to Hollywood in her late teens, where television became her primary platform, often playing soulful victims and troubled characters in compelling dramas. Her younger brother, Lee Montgomery, eleven years her junior, was also making strides in film and TV, frequently credited as "Lee Harcourt Montgomery," and became best known for his role in the cult horror thriller Ben (1972). Another sibling, sister Tannis G. Montgomery, also appeared in film and television throughout the 1970s and 80s.
Belinda made one of her earliest ingénue appearances on an episode of The Virginian (1962) and grew increasingly popular throughout the 1970s TV movie circuit, sharing the screen with many top industry talents. Her first TV movie, Ritual of Evil (1970), featured her as Anne Baxter's daughter in a family involved with devil worship in California. She and Tim Matheson received praise for their roles as a young frontier couple in love who embark on an unexpected adventure in Lock, Stock and Barrel (1971). Known for brightening any scene, she appeared in the mini-movie western The Bravos (1972) alongside George Peppard and Pernell Roberts. However, in the TV prison drama Women in Chains (1972), she, Lois Nettleton, and Jessica Walter were overshadowed by the theatrical performance of prison matron Ida Lupino. Belinda revisited devilish themes as the innocent protagonist in The Devil's Daughter (1973), co-starring with seasoned actress Shelley Winters, and added depth to the mysterious plots of Crime Club (1973) and The Hostage Heart (1977).
She delivered touching performances on series television as well, appearing multiple times on popular primetime soaps Medical Center (1969) and Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969). It was no surprise when she later took roles in daytime dramas such as Days of Our Lives (1965). A reliable and warm performer, she frequently guest-starred on TV, often portraying vulnerable innocents in crime dramas like Mannix (1967), The Rookies (1972), Cannon (1971), Barnaby Jones (1973), and The Streets of San Francisco (1972). She also demonstrated her professional range as a scientist who aids superhuman Patrick Duffy in the one-season adventure series Man from Atlantis (1977).
Though mostly a television presence, Belinda held a prominent female role in the film The Todd Killings (1971), based on a true serial killer story, in which her sister Tannis G. Montgomery had a minor part. One of her finest movie performances was as the supportive second lead in The Other Side of the Mountain (1975) and its sequel, The Other Side of the Mountain: Part II (1978), which told the story of Jill Kinmont, a promising ski champion and Olympic hopeful who became a quadriplegic after an accident, portrayed by newcomer Marilyn Hassett.
Though she did not achieve top stardom in the early 1970s due to typecasting in troubled teen roles, Belinda matured into an engaging adult actress in the following decade, portraying a variety of inspired mother and wife characters. One of her more moving roles was Barbara Marciano in the TV movie Marciano (1979), playing the wife of famed boxer Rocky Marciano, portrayed by Tony Lo Bianco. She had a recurring role as Don Johnson's estranged wife on Miami Vice (1984) and played a devoted mother in the short-lived series Aaron's Way (1988). Her most notable maternal role was as the attentive parent of young Neil Patrick Harris in Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989), where she and James B. Sikking offered a grounded balance to the young medical prodigy's public life. Despite her talents and natural screen presence, she was seen less frequently after Doogie Howser ended in 1993. More recently, she appeared in Tron: Legacy (2010), alongside Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner, and in the TV movie Radio Christmas (2019). Now a talented painter, she dedicates much of her time to her artwork.
