Betty Thomas began her career as an actress, including an Emmy Award-winning role on
Hill Street Blues (1981), before launching a prominent and successful career a television director. Her ten Emmy nominations (seven for acting, three for directing), earned her three Emmys (one for acting, one for directing). She was the first woman ever to win an Emmy for directing a comedy series and is one of only five women to ever win a directing Emmy outside of the variety categories (two in drama, two in comedy and one in movies and Miniseries).