Betty Harford, Actress Known For ‘Dynasty’ And ‘The Paper Chase,’ Dies At 98

Betty Harford, who is remembered for roles on “Dynasty” and “The Paper Chase,” has died. She was 98.

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Character actress Betty Harford, best known for her recurring roles on The Paper Chase and Dynasty, died on November 2, 2025, in Santa Barbara, California. She was 98.

Harford’s death was confirmed by her friend Wendy Mitchell, who shared the news on Facebook.

Born January 28, 1927, in New York City, Harford launched her television career in 1951 with an appearance on the anthology series Fireside Theatre. She quickly became a familiar face on the small screen, guest-starring in numerous television dramas throughout the 1950s and 1960s, including Lux Video Theatre, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Richard Diamond, Private Eye, and Gunsmoke.

In 1956, Harford lent her voice to the stop-motion children’s series The Gumby Show as Gumba, a role she would revisit nearly four decades later in 1994. That same year, she made her feature-film debut with a small uncredited appearance in the Leslie Caron drama Gaby.

Her first regular television role came in The Paper Chase, the 1978-79 CBS drama based on the film of the same name. Harford portrayed Ms. Nottingham, the efficient and loyal secretary to Professor Charles Kingsfield (John Houseman). When Showtime revived the series in 1983, she reprised her role.

In the 1980s, Harford found a lasting home in prime time as Hilda Gunnerson, the Carrington family’s beloved cook on ABC’s Dynasty. Appearing throughout the show’s nine-season run from 1981 to 1989, she returned once more for the 1991 miniseries Dynasty: The Reunion.

DYNASTY – “Shadow Play” – Airdate May 6, 1987. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images) VIRGINIA HAWKINS; JESSICA PLAYER; BETTY HARFORD; JAMESON SAMPLEY

Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Her feature-film credits include The Wild and the Innocent (1959), Inside Daisy Clover (1965) opposite Natalie Wood, and The China Syndrome (1979), the Oscar-nominated thriller starring Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, and Michael Douglas.

Harford is survived by her son, Chris, from her first marriage, and her grandsons.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marcberman1/2025/11/10/betty-harford-actress-known-for-dynasty-and-the-paper-chase-dies-at-98/