Dynasty actress Betty Harford passes away at 98

Harford gained recognition on television and in films during her many years in the business.

Betty Harford, the beloved television actress best remembered for her long-running role on the ABC soap opera Dynasty, has passed away at the age of 98.

Her close friend Wendy Mitchell confirmed the news on Facebook, writing that Harford “passed away peacefully with family at her side, noon on November 2, 2025.”

Harford gained recognition on television and in films during her many years in the business. She gained notoriety in the CBS drama The Paper Chase for her role as Ms. Nottingham, the secretary to Charles W. Kingsfield, a professor at the law school.

During the show's run on CBS from 1978 to 1979, she made 41 appearances. Later, the program was revived on Showtime, where it ran for three more seasons from 1983 to 1986.

But her most famous role was in Dynasty, where she portrayed Hilda Gunnerson, the endearing cook, for nine years, from 1981 to 1989. During the first eight seasons of the show, Harford made 34 appearances. She later returned in the 1991 reunion miniseries Dynasty: The Reunion.

Harford, who was born in New York City, started his career in entertainment in the 1950s. She began by making appearances on television and radio, including the docudrama series Crime Classics and the Western drama Gunsmoke.

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Her early film credits include Inside Daisy Clover (1965), in which she played the sister of Natalie Wood's title character, and The Wild and the Innocent (1959), in which she played Mrs. Forbes, carer to Sandra Dee's character.

In her personal life, Harford was first married to California sculptor Oliver Andrews, with whom she had a son, Chris. The couple eventually separated in the late 1970s. She later married Hungarian actor Alex de Naszody and remained with him until his passing. Betty Harford is survived by her son Chris and her grandsons.