Besedka Johnson

Beatrice Vivian "Besedka" Johnson was an American actress who garnered acclaim at the age of 85 in the drama film Starlet, her first and only role.

Early life

Johnson was born Beatrice Vivian Divic in Detroit on October 5, 1925, one of two children of Milan and Frances Divic. She moved to Southern California with her family as a teenager.

Career

Johnson worked briefly as a model. In the 1960s, she took on the nickname "Besedka" after a dress shop that she owned and operated in the San Fernando Valley. She later opened another Besedka dress store on Riverside Drive in North Hollywood, which closed in 1981. She then managed a condo in San Francisco for a time before returning to Los Angeles.
In 2011, Johnson had knee surgery; as part of her rehabilitation, she started swimming at a YMCA, where she was scouted at the age of 85 by a film producer seeking an older woman for a role in a movie. She was cast in a starring role in Sean Baker's drama film Starlet, which would become her first and only role, and earned critical praise and awards for her performance.

Personal life

At an unknown date, Divic married a painter whose surname was Johnson and took his surname. They had three sons named James, Marc, and Lloyd before getting divorced. She later married and divorced a second time.

Death

On April 4, 2013, at the age of 87, Johnson died from complications following surgery for a bacterial infection at Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale, California. She was survived by her three sons and two grandchildren.