Born in Richmond, Virginia, Alice Beardsley stepped a stage at the early age of 12. The event took place in the festival hall of her junior high school. Disguised as a witch, she enjoyed playing the villain in 'Hansel and Gretel'. And that was not to be a flash in the pan. Alice wanted to be a professional actress and she did become one. Indeed after graduating from the University of Iowa she studied acting very seriously, notably with Stella Adler. In 1955, she performed her first play in New York (she was Maggie in 'Eastward in Eden') and many, many plays were to follow on or off Broadway and in other places. Alice Beardsley also played bit parts in six movies (one of which is Woody Allen's 'Zelig') and appeared in several episodes of TV series like 'Naked City' 'U.S. Steel Hour' and 'American Playhouse', but her main activity remained theater.