Birdie Howard

Birdie Howard was the mother of Sebastian "Bash" Howard. She had a strong personality, but nevertheless seemed to genuinely care for him.

On Netflix's GLOW, Birdie Howard was portrayed by Elizabeth Perkins.

History
She is shocked upon learning that Bash has spent over $600,000 on GLOW and freezes his assets. However, after he brings the girls of GLOW in as mock speakers for her anti-drug fundraiser, she begins to see things in a different light. She even finds him a ballroom for the program's pilot episode. ("The Liberal Chokehold")

Upon learning that he has gotten married, she pays a visit to the Fan-Tan Hotel & Casino to meet her new daughter-in-law, Rhonda Richardson. She is surprised to find Rhonda speaking for Bash, as he is on vocal rest due to shouting every night during the performances of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. She says that she's there to meet the woman her son secretly married.

They have lunch and drinks together, but Birdie doesn't seem to be quite sure what to make of Rhonda. She asks that they go shopping together, as she hasn't even gotten her a wedding present. They go out shopping for dresses, and there she learns that she actually married Bash because she needed a green card and fell in love with him later. She also learns that Rhonda is managing Bash's money, him being so clueless that he didn't even know how to cash a check. She comments that it's not hard for someone to love a millionaire, but Rhonda tells her that Bash is kind, caring and clever, but also compulsive and innocent.

Back at the hotel, Birdie arranges a conference call with the Howard family business manager and lawyer, Marty and Allen. Bash, thinking that she's going to cut him off, throws a fit, but it turns out to be exactly the opposite. Allen explains that there was a stipulation in the trust that his grandfather set up. If he were to get married, it would bypass the trustees and unlock the whole of his funds, a full $40 million. Rhonda is disbelieving, saying that Birdie is joking. She deadpans that she's the comic relief.

As Birdie prepares to leave, she tells Bash that she'll put him in contact with their group at Morgan Stanley. She tells him that she didn't feel a thing at his sister's wedding, but she thinks she would have felt something at his. He suggests that they do something when he gets back from Vegas, and she agrees that there's no way she'd let him off without a giant party, and suggests that he have children while she's still young enough to be mistaken for their mother. She hugs Rhonda goodbye, telling her to take care of Bash. ("Hollywood Homecoming")