A highly talented performer of musical theater who has made some inroads moving into character roles in straight comedy and drama, Kelly Bishop is one of those performers whose abilities are heralded by show business insiders, but whose star does not glisten as much as it should. A "gypsy" (chorus dancer) from her teen years, she is best recalled by theatergoers for her Tony-winning performance as Sheila, the aging, sarcastic hoofer, in the original Broadway company of "A Chorus Line" (1975). In films, Bishop may be remembered as Jill Clayburgh's best friend and confidante in "An Unmarried Woman" (1978) and as the mother of Jennifer Grey in "Dirty Dancing" (1987).