Television actress Betty Harford, perhaps best known for her role on the classic nighttime soap Dynasty, has passed away.
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Her death was confirmed by her friend, Wendy Mitchell. In a heartfelt tribute on Facebook, Mitchell shared that Harford “passed away peacefully with family at her side, noon on November 2, 2025.”
No cause of death was given. Harford was 98.
Rest well, Hilda. RIP, #BettyHarford #Dynasty pic.twitter.com/FkZoZV2ngh
— J'Fuzion (@JFuzion) November 9, 2025
Harford also starred in CBS/Showtime’s serialized adaptation of The Paper Chase. The series, based on the 1971 novel and 1973 film, featured Harford as Mrs. Nottingham, the efficient legal secretary to law professor Charles W. Kingsfield. John Houseman, who originated the role of Kingsfield in the film, reprised it for the television series.
The show followed law students, including lead James T. Hart (James Stephens), at a fictional university based on Harvard. It first aired on CBS from 1978 to 79. However, after its cancellation, Showtime resurrected it for three more seasons in 1983, concluding with James’ graduation from law school.
Betty Harford Lands Her Most Popular Role
However, many TV fans will remember Harford for her recurring role as Hilda Gunnerson on the popular soap opera Dynasty. The show followed the rivalry between two wealthy, warring oil families, the Carringtons and the Colbys, in Denver, Colorado. Mrs. Gunnerson was the cook for John Forsythe’s Blake Carrington, with Harford appearing in 34 episodes of the primetime soap. She also reprised the role for the 1991 reunion miniseries, according to IMDb.
Harford’s television credits also include Alfred Hitchcock Presents (and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour), Gunsmoke, Dr. Kildare, and The Twilight Zone.
Meanwhile, Harford collaborated several times with director James Bridges, who directed The Paper Chase film and developed the show. She appeared in a 1963 episode of The Great Adventure written by Bridges, his 1977 movie September 30, 1955, and his 1979 action-thriller The China Syndrome.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, she was married to sculptor Oliver Andrews, who died in a scuba diving accident in 1978 at age 53, and to Hungarian actor Sándor Naszódy, who passed away in 1996 at age 81.
She is survived by her son, Chris, and her grandsons.