Betty Jean Ward (born September 16, 1944 in Wilmington, Delaware) is a prolific voice actress, singer, former
Playboy Bunny (yes, really), and licensed aviator. She is best known for her work on
Jana of the Jungle and her one-woman stage show,
Stand-Up Opera. Her second husband, Gordon Hunt, was a voice recording director for
Hanna-Barbera (this made her the stepmother of Gordon's daughter, actress
Helen Hunt). Fans of 1980s cartoons remember her as Scarlett in the original series of
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, one of a handful of shows that juxtaposed her with
Michael Bell.
Notable roles:
Tropes associated with B.J. Ward:
- Cross-Dressing Voices: She did voices for Butch and Waldo in Hanna-Barbera's animated version of The Little Rascals.
- Do Not Call Me "Paul": She'd rather go by her initials than by Betty Jean.
- Method Acting: She is a rare voice acting example. During her stint as the voice of Velma in Scooby-Doo, she would wear turtleneck sweaters and glasses to the recording sessions to help get into character.
- Playboy Bunny: She worked as one in the 1960s.
