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Background:
“...my Dad always told me ’Stop and look back and appreciate what you’ve done;
stop and smell the flowers.’” Madchen Amick
Model-turn-actress Madchen Amick has built a prolific career in acting since her
best-known role as the sexy, abused waitress Shelly Johnson on the David Lynch
series “Twin Peaks” (1990-91) and its film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992).
Following tremendous performances in the short-lived series “Central Park West/
CWP” (1995-96) and the updated edition of “Fantasy Island” (1998-99), the
multitalented actress increasingly achieved fame with recurring roles in such
shows as “Gilmore Girls” (2002 -03), the hit “ER” (2004 -05), “Jake in Progress”
(2005) and “Joey” (2005). She is now a regular in the sitcom ““Freddie.”
On the big screen, this lithe, pale, blue-eyed ingénue actress is perhaps
best-remembered as the ambitious femme fatale and James Spader’s lover in the
Nicholas Kazan-helmed erotic thriller Dream Lover (1994). Other movie credits
include the Stephen King horror Sleepwalkers (1992), the sci-fi thriller
Bombshell (1996) and Four Corners of Suburbia (2005).
The American beauty of German, Norwegian and Swedish descent is happily married
to musician and songwriter David Alexis, with whom she has shared her life
outside the limelight since 1992. The couple has two children. Her romantic life
was formerly linked to high school sweetheart Lloyd, but they split up just
before Amick left to become a star.
Versatile Mädchen
Childhood and Family:
In Sparks, Nevada, Mädchen Amick was born on December 12, 1970, to Bill and
Judd. Her parents separated before Mädchen’s 3rd birthday, leaving the little
girl under the guidance of her medical office manager mother who later married a
musician and band leader. Influenced by her stepfather’s fondness for music, the
young girl began to learn how to play the piano at age 3 and continued to learn
for 12 years. A very intellectual girl with a wide range of artistic talents,
Mädchen also studied bass, violin and guitar as well as trained in different
forms of dance such as ballet, tap, jazz, and modern. Additionally, she took her
first formal acting training with her drama teacher, Roberta Fluke, at Rino’s
Robert McQueen High School. Also an excellent painter, Mädchen, whose name means
“maiden” or “young woman” in German, started painting in oils while in school
and has since sold several pieces of her work.
As for her married life, Mädchen married her neighbor, aspiring singer and
songwriter David Alexis, in 1992. The happy couple are the proud parents of two
sons.
Dream Lover
Career:
16-year-old Madchen Amick left high school and headed for Los Angeles to become
an actress. After moving to L.A, the teen girl found herself working as an Elite
model and featured as a dancer in pop music videos with singers like Herb
Alpert, Dweezil Zappa, Julio Iglesias and Rick Astley. Her first real acting job
came in 1989 when she was hired to guest star in an episode of “Star Trek: The
Next Generation,” playing a young girl named Anya. More work followed, including
a spot in one episode of “Baywatch” (1989) and starring in the low-budget horror
movie I’m Dangerous Tonight (1990, starred with Corey Parker). She then held the
supporting part of Mandy in the 1990 comedy/romance Don’t Tell Her It’s Me,
which starred Steve Guttenberg and Jami Gertz.
Amick’s big breakthrough arrived when director David Lynch had her star as the
good-natured, ill-treated coffee shop waitress Shelly Johnson in the cult-soap
“Twin Peaks” (ABC, 1990-91), a memorable performance that launched the waitress
role as one of the most popular characters. With the success, she was invited to
reprise her part for the movie sequel Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, in 1992.
After her break out role in “Twin Peaks,” the actress dotted her acting resume
with countless projects, most notably the Stephen King popular horror movie
Sleepwalkers (1992), where she starred as a virgin involved with a good-looking
high school student who’s secretly a soul-eating mutant, and in 1994, she earned
good reviews for her fine, acting opposite James Spader, in the erotic thriller
Dream Lover, directed and written by Nicholas Kazan. Amick also was seen in the
direct-to-video release romantic comedy French Exit (1995) and the sci-fi
thriller Bombshell (1996).
Amick returned to TV in 1995 when she was cast as the sexy and scheming Carrie
Fairchild in the much-publicized CBS dramatic series “Central Park West/CWP.” In
spite of her dazzling acting, the nighttime soap failed to ignite audiences and
was cancelled in 1996. She was then seen in Twist of Fate (1997), Wounded
(1997), Heartless (1997, TV) and The Hunted (1998, TV) before scoring success
with her role as the shape-shifting Ariel, assistant to Mr. Rourke, in the
short-lived ABC series “Fantasy Island” (1998-99). She rounded out the decade
with a recurring role on the teen cult hit “Dawson’s Creek” (as Nicole Kennedy)
and a costarring role as Judd Nelson’s wife in the NBC biopic Mr. Rock ‘n’ Roll:
The Alan Freed Story (1999).
The next years saw Amick in films like The List (2000), Risque (2001), Hangman
(2001, TV), Face to Face (2001), Scenes of the Crime (2001), The Rats (2002, TV)
and Global Effect (2002). But, it was her three-episode appearance in the WB
series “Gilmore Girls” (2002-03) which gained attention. Amick then joined the
cast of the NBC long-running drama “ER” in the recurring role of Wendall Meade,
a social worker and romantic interest of Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle) for the
2004-2005 season. The actress’ next recurring parts were Kylie in NBC’s “Jake in
Progress” (2005) and Sara, the photographer and girlfriend of Joey Tribbian
(Matt LeBlanc), in “Joey” (2005). As for film, Amick was seen in the drama Four
Corners of Suburbia (2005, opposite Paul Blackthorne) and the made-for-TV
thriller Lies and Deception (2005, with Andrew W. Walker).
The 36-year-old performer now stars as Allison in the Freddie Prinze Jr.’s
comedy “Freddie.” The 2005 debuted series also stars Jacqueline Obradors, Brian
Austin Green, Jenny Gago and Chloe Suazo.
Award:
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