Jaclyn Betham

Jaclyn Michelle Betham was born on July 4, 1986, in Long Beach, California. Her heritage includes Samoan, Mexican, Irish, German, and English. She initially pursued gymnastics until the age of 12 before transitioning to dance. Betham received a full scholarship to the Houston Ballet at fifteen and trained with the American Ballet Theatre. At eighteen, she earned a gold medal at the Dance Grand Prix Italia for both contemporary and classical ballet. Her ballet career included performances with Ballet San Jose, Anaheim Ballet, Opera San Jose, and the San Francisco Opera. She also established Betham Ballet Theatre, a nonprofit organization.

Betham’s acting career began with a role as a kidnapped girl on “America’s Most Wanted.” In 2012, she acted in the short film “Quiet,” which gained attention at film festivals. Her first significant acting role came in 2013 when she was cast as Amanda Cryer in Tyler Perry’s television series “The Haves and the Have Nots,” appearing in 56 episodes between 2013 and 2014. She has since held roles in other television series such as “NCIS: New Orleans” (2018), “Dear White People” (2018), “Grand Hotel” (2019), and “Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings” (2019).

In addition to her acting work, Betham expanded her career to include writing and producing. She made her debut as a writer and producer in 2020 with the film “Getaway,” in which she also played the character Tamara. Her film credits also include “Touched” (2015), “Ulterior Motives: Reality TV Massacre” (2016), “Bring Me a Dream” (2020), and “Stars Fell on Alabama” (2021). Parallel to her entertainment career, she is also a certified Pilates Master with 21 years of coaching experience, certified by NPCP and STOTT.