Zina Bethune

Zina Bethune was an American actress, dancer, and choreographer best known for her wide-ranging career in television, film, and stage from the 1950s through the 1990s. She was born on February 17, 1945, in New York City, and showed remarkable talent from a young age, studying ballet at George Balanchine’s School of American Ballet. By the time she was a teenager, she was already performing professionally.

Bethune first gained major attention starring as the young nurse Gail Lucas on the groundbreaking medical drama "The Doctors and the Nurses," which aired on CBS from 1962 to 1965. She also made memorable appearances on shows like "Route 66," "The Twilight Zone," and "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour." In film, she starred opposite Martin Sheen in the 1967 movie "The Incident," a gritty drama about passengers terrorized on a New York City subway.

Alongside her acting, Bethune had a significant career in dance and choreography. She performed with the New York City Ballet and later founded Bethune Theatredanse (later renamed Theatre Bethune), a company that combined dance, drama, and multimedia performance. She was also a passionate advocate for the disabled, founding Dance Outreach, a program designed to provide arts education to people with disabilities.

Tragically, Zina Bethune died on February 12, 2012, just days before her 67th birthday, in a hit-and-run accident in Los Angeles. She had been helping an injured animal on the road when she was struck. Her legacy endures not only through her acting and dancing but also through her advocacy for accessibility in the arts.