Ally Sheedy

Alexandra Elizabeth Sheedy (born June 13, 1962[1]) is an American actress and author. Following her film debut in 1983's Bad Boys, she became known as one of the Brat Pack group of actors in the films The Breakfast Club (1985) and St. Elmo's Fire (1985). She also acted in WarGames (1983) and Short Circuit (1986). For her performance in Lisa Cholodenko's High Art (1998), Sheedy won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead.[2]

Ally Sheedy
Sheedy in 2011
Born
Alexandra Elizabeth Sheedy

(1962-06-13) June 13, 1962
Alma materUniversity of Southern California
OccupationActress, author
Years active1975–present
Spouse(s)
David Lansbury
(m. 1992; div. 2008)
Children1

Early life

Sheedy was born Alexandra Elizabeth Sheedy in New York City[3] on June 13, 1962 and has two siblings, brother Patrick and sister Meghan. Her mother, Charlotte (née Baum), is a writer and press agent who was involved in women's and civil rights movements,[4] and her father, John J. Sheedy, Jr., is a Manhattan advertising executive.[5][6] Sheedy's mother is Jewish, whereas her father is of Irish Catholic background.[7] Her maternal grandmother was from Odessa, Ukraine.[8] Her parents divorced in 1971.[9]

She attended the Bank Street School for Children, followed by Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School in New York City, graduating in 1980. She started dancing with the American Ballet Theatre at age six[10] and was planning to make it a full-time career. However, she gave up dance in favor of acting full-time, then she started studying acting with acting teacher Harold Guskin.[11] At age 12 she wrote a book, She Was Nice to Mice. The book was published by McGraw-Hill Education and became a best-seller.[10] On June 19, 1975, she appeared on the game show To Tell the Truth.[12]

At age eighteen, Sheedy relocated to Los Angeles, California, where she enrolled in the drama department at the University of Southern California.[13] Sheedy concurrently began her acting career, and intermittently completed three years' worth of courses toward a BFA degree in acting.[13]

Career

Sheedy started acting in local stage productions as a teenager. After appearing in several television films in 1981, as well as three episodes of the television series Hill Street Blues, she made her feature film debut in Bad Boys (1983), starring Sean Penn, where she played Penn's humiliated girlfriend. The 1980s were her most active period, with roles in popular films such as WarGames, The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire, Short Circuit, and Maid to Order. Sheedy was offered the lead female role in Top Gun and passed it in saying no one wants to watch Tom Cruise in fighter jets.

Sheedy starred alongside Radha Mitchell in the 1998 independent film High Art, about a romance between two women and the power of art.[14] Her performance in High Art was recognized with awards from the Independent Spirit Awards, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and National Society of Film Critics.

In 1999, Sheedy took over the lead role in the off-Broadway production of the musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch. She was the first cis-gender female to play the part of the genderqueer Hedwig, but her run ended early amid "mixed" reviews, according to E! News.[15] That same year, she was cast as a lead actress in Sugar Town, an independent film, which featured an ensemble cast of actors and musicians.[16]

She was reunited with Breakfast Club co-star Anthony Michael Hall when she became a special guest star on his television show The Dead Zone, in the second-season episode "Playing God," from 2003.[17]

Sheedy has also appeared in the episode "Leapin' Lizards" of C.S.I. in which she played a woman who murdered her boyfriend's wife while mixed up in a cult. On March 3, 2008, Sheedy was introduced as the character Sarah, in the ABC Family show Kyle XY. In 2009, she played the role of Mr. Yang on the USA Network television show Psych (in the third season finale), a role that she reprised in the fourth season, fifth season, and seventh season finales.

Personal life

Sheedy dated Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora for less than a year in the 1980s. She stated in Los Angeles Times that the relationship led her to abuse drugs, a claim Sambora denied.[18] In 1985, Sheedy was admitted to Hazelden Foundation and in the 1990s was treated for a sleeping pill addiction,[19] an experience which she drew on for her role as a drug-addicted photographer in High Art.[20]

On April 12, 1992, Sheedy married actor David Lansbury, the nephew of actress Angela Lansbury and son of Edgar Lansbury, the original producer of Godspell. They have a son, Beckett (born 1994), who is a trans man.[21] In 2008, Sheedy announced that she and Lansbury had filed for divorce.[3]

In January 2018, Sheedy tweeted the #MeToo hashtag along with the names of James Franco and Christian Slater, indicating that they have been sexually inappropriate with her, but later took down the tweets. Franco stated that he did not know why Sheedy would have tweeted those accusations.[22][23]

Sheedy became a vegetarian at the age of 12.[24][25]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1983 Bad Boys J.C. Walenski
1983 WarGames Jennifer Mack
1984 Oxford Blues Rona
1985 The Breakfast Club Allison Reynolds
1985 St. Elmo's Fire Leslie Hunter
1985 Twice in a Lifetime Helen Mackenzie
1986 Blue City Annie Rayford
1986 Short Circuit Stephanie Speck
1987 Maid to Order Jessie Montgomery
1988 Short Circuit 2 Stephanie Speck Voice cameo (uncredited)
1989 Heart of Dixie Maggie DeLoach
1990 Betsy's Wedding Connie Hopper
1990 Fear Cayce Bridges
1991 Only the Lonely Theresa Luna
1992 Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Pam Block Cameo
1993 The Pickle Molly-Girl/Herself
1993 Man's Best Friend Lori Tanner
1994 Red Shoe Diaries 4: Auto Erotica Karen Video; segment: "The Fling"
1995 One Night Stand Mickey Sanderson
1997 Amnesia Martha Keller
1997 The Definite Maybe Joanne
1997 Macon County Jail Susan Reed
1997 Highball Ally Sheedy
1998 High Art Lucy Berliner
1999 Sugar Town Liz
1999 The Autumn Heart Deborah
1999 I'll Take You There Bernice
1999 Advice from a Caterpillar Jan
2002 Just a Dream Maureen Sturbuck
2002 Happy Here and Now Lois
2003 A Good Night to Die Marie
2003 Shelter Island Louise 'Lou' Delamere
2004 Noise Charlotte Bancroft
2005 Shooting Livien Brea Epling
2007 Day Zero Dr. Reynolds
2007 The Junior Defenders Jill Fields Video
2007 Steam Laurie
2008 Harold Maureen Reynolds
2009 Perestroika Helen
2009 Life During Wartime Helen Jordan
2010 Welcome to the Rileys Harriet
2010 Ten Stories Tall Jackie
2014 Sins of Our Youth Vicki
2014 Fugly! Stoddard
2016 Little Sister Joani Lunsford
2016 X-Men: Apocalypse Scott Summers' teacher Cameo

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1981 CBS Afternoon Playhouse Cathy Episode: "I Think I'm Having a Baby"
1981 The Best Little Girl in the World 1st Girl Movie
1981 The Violation of Sarah McDavid Tracy Barnes Movie
1981 Homeroom Karen Chase TV short
1981 The Day the Loving Stopped Debbie Danner Movie
1981 Splendor in the Grass Hazel Movie
1982 Chicago Story Episode: "Bright Lights, Big City"
1982 St. Elsewhere Diane Episode: "Samuels and the Kid"
1983 Hill Street Blues Kristen 3 episodes
1983 Deadly Lessons Marita Armstrong Movie
1990 The Lost Capone Kathleen Hart Movie
1992 Red Shoe Diaries Karen Episode: "Accidents Happen"
1992 Tattle Tale Laura Perot Movie
1993 Lethal Exposure Chris Cassidy Movie
1993 The Hidden Room Julia Episode: "Hungry Girls"
1993 Chantilly Lace Elizabeth Movie
1994 Ultimate Betrayal Adult Mary Rodgers Movie
1994 Parallel Lives Louise Movie
1994 The Haunting of Seacliff Inn Susan Enright Movie
1995 The Tin Soldier Billy's Mom Movie
1996 The Outer Limits Carter Jones Episode: "I Hear You Calling"
1996 Hijacked: Flight 285 Deni Patton Movie
1997 Country Justice Angie Baker Movie
1997 Buried Alive II Laura Riskin Movie
1998 The Fury Within Joanna Hanlon Movie
1999 Our Guys: Outrage at Glen Ridge Det. Kelly Brooks Movie
2001 Oz Lisa Logan Episode: "Medium Rare"
2001 The Warden Helen Hewitt Movie
2001 Strange Frequency Lee Bonner Episode: "Daydream Believer"
2002 Once and Again Miriam Rose Miller Episode: "Aaron's List of Dreams"
2002 The Interrogation of Michael Crowe Cheryl Crowe Movie
2003 Life on the Line Movie
2003 The Dead Zone Kate Moore Episode: "Playing God"
2006 The Veteran Sara Reid Movie
2007 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Shannon Turner Episode: "Leapin' Lizards"
2008–2009 Kyle XY Sarah 4 episodes
2009 Citizen Jane Jane Alexander Movie
2009–2011/13 Psych Yang 4 episodes
2014 Not with My Daughter (a.k.a. Client Seduction) Melissa Eco Movie

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Work Result
1983 Saturn Award Best Actress WarGames Nominated
1983 Young Artist Award Best Young Motion Picture Actress in a Feature Film WarGames Nominated
1990 Saturn Awards Best Actress Fear Nominated
1993 Man's Best Friend Nominated
1999 Independent Spirit Awards Best Female Lead High Art Won
1999 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Actress (tie) High Art Won
1999 National Society of Film Critics Best Actress (tie) High Art Won
1999 Boston Society of Film Critics Best Actress (2nd place) High Art Nominated
1999 Chicago Film Critics Association Best Actress High Art Nominated
2005 MTV Movie Awards Silver Bucket of Excellence Award
(shared with other main cast members)
The Breakfast Club Won
2010 Gotham Independent Film Awards Best Ensemble Performance Life During Wartime Nominated

Books

  • She Was Nice to Mice (book), McGraw-Hill, 1975, ISBN 0-440-47844-8
  • Yesterday I Saw the Sun: Poems, Summit Books, 1991, ISBN 0-671-73130-0

References

  1. "Today in history". The New York Times. Associated Press. June 13, 2014. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  2. Independent, Film. "Film Independent Spirit Awards: 31 Years of Nominees and Winners" (PDF). filmindependent.org. filmindependent.org. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  3. Robledo, S. Jhoanna (September 13, 2009). "Brat Packer Packs Up". New York magazine. New York, N.Y.: New York Media. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
  4. Leibovich, Lori (June 26, 1998). "Heroine Chic". Salon. San Francisco, California: Salon Media Group. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  5. "WEDDINGS; Marilyn Webb, John Sheedy Jr". The New York Times. New York City: New York Times Company. March 21, 1993. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  6. "Ally Sheedy Biography (1962–)".
  7. Collins, Glenn (May 27, 1991). "Celebrating a Place Where for So Many The Good Life Began". The New York Times. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  8. Sohn, Amy (2011). "Musicians, Mensches, and Muff-Diving: Ally Sheedy by Amy Sohn". Retrieved May 21, 2011.
  9. Rochlin, Margy (June 14, 1998). "Ally Sheedy Makes a Bid To Be Taken Seriously". The New York Times. New York City: New York Times Company. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  10. Dretzka, Gary (June 28, 1998). "Back from the edge, Ally Sheedy may be on the verge of another breakthrough". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois: Tronc. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  11. Neumaier, Joe (July 17, 2010). "New York native Ally Sheedy never strays far from the Upper West Side". nydailynews.com. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  12. "A Young Ally Sheedy on 'To Tell the Truth' in 1975". The Retroist. July 15, 2013. Archived from the original on October 7, 2018. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  13. Willistein, Paul (May 9, 1986). "A NEW CONNECTION WITH 'SHORT CIRCUIT,' ALLY SHEEDY PLUGS INTO A STARRING ROLE". The Morning Call. Archived from the original on November 21, 2020.
  14. Ebert, Roger (July 3, 1998). "High Art Movie Review & Film Summary (1998)". Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago, Illinois: Sun-Times Media Group. Retrieved January 15, 2017 via rogerebert.com.
  15. Keller, Julie (December 17, 1999). "Ally Sheedy Inches Away from "Hedwig"". E! Online. Los Angeles, California: NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Group. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  16. Thomas, Kevin (September 17, 1999). "Down and Out in 'Sugar Town' After Fame Has Fled". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California: Tronc. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
  17. "Season 2 Overview". The Dead Zone Official Website. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  18. Natale, Richard (June 10, 1998). "On the Upswing". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California: Tronc. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  19. Rochlin, Margy (June 14, 1998). "FILM; Ally Sheedy Makes a Bid To Be Taken Seriously". The New York Times. New York City: New York Times Company. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  20. Winters, Laura (June 21, 1998). "Ally Sheedy, Leaver of the Pack". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.: Nash Holdings LLC. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  21. Pieklo, Jessica; Gandi, Imani (November 2, 2017). "Boom! Lawyered: Beckett Lansbury and Ally Sheedy on How to Be a Better Ally to Trans People". Rewire.com. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  22. Yahr, Emily (January 11, 2018). "Seth Meyers presses James Franco on why he hasn't contacted Ally Sheedy about her tweets". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.: Nash Holdings LLC. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  23. Robinson, Joanna (January 7, 2018). "Why Did Ally Sheedy Call out Golden Globe Winner James Franco on Twitter?". Vanity Fair. New York City: Condé Nast. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  24. Mann, Roderick. (1987). "Busy Ally Sheedy Finds a 'Maid to Order' Role". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  25. O`Malley, Kathy. (1987). For Ally Sheedy, Life is, Like, Just Fine, You Know?. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
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