Zina Bethune - Life and Career

Life and Career

Bethune was born in New York City, the daughter of Ivy (née Vigder), an actress (born June 1, 1918, Sevastopol, Russia) and William Charles Bethune, a sculptor and painter who died in 1950 when Zina was five years old. Zina began her formal ballet training aged six at George Balanchine's School of American Ballet. By age 14 she was dancing with the New York City Ballet. As a child performer, she also appeared in several American daytime television dramas, including a stint as the first "Robin Lang" on The Guiding Light from May 1956 to April 1958. Bethune played President Franklin D. Roosevelt's daughter in Sunrise at Campobello in 1960.

She starred as "The Girl" alongside Harvey Keitel in Martin Scorsese's first feature film, Who's That Knocking at My Door. That movie was commercially released in 1967, although much of it (including Bethune's acting parts) was filmed in 1965 for Scorsese's film project at New York University. She was also featured on the CBS TV series The Nurses (1962–65), and other series, including Kraft Television Theatre (with Martin Huston in the series finale), Route 66, The Judy Garland Show, Pantomime Quiz, Hollywood Squares, Young Dr. Malone, and Dr. Kildare.

Zina Bethune married Sean Feeley in 1970; he survives her.Her Mother is actress Ivy Bethune.