![Love Cheat Steal [VHS]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/413GJ5KTXNL._SL160_.jpg)
![Breakdown [HD]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51hU07-nDoL._SL160_.jpg)
Madchen Amick Biography
|
Madchen Amick
|
| Mädchen Amick | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 12, 1970 Reno, Nevada, U.S. |
| Other name(s) | Madchen Amick |
| Spouse(s) | David Alexis (m. 1992–present) |
Mädchen Amick (born December 12, 1970) is an American actress best known for playing Shelly Johnson on the cult TV series Twin Peaks and its 1992 prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.
Contents |
Early life
Amick was born in Reno, Nevada, the daughter of Judy, a medical office manager, and Bill Amick, a musician.1 Amick's parents are German;2 the name Mädchen (pronounced [ˈmɛːtçən] (
listen)), which means "girl" in German, was chosen by her parents because they wanted an unusual name.3 As a young girl, Amick was encouraged by her parents to follow her creative instincts. She learned to play the piano, bass, violin and guitar and took lessons in tap, ballet, jazz and modern dance. In 1987, at the age of 16, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.
Career
After moving to L.A., Amick appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation as well as in The Borrower (1991). Amick got her first break when director David Lynch chose her to play waitress Shelly Johnson on the TV series Twin Peaks. Amick's character endured terrible abuse at the hands of her husband, Leo, and was one of the most popular characters, ensuring her return in the feature film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. In 1992, Amick appeared in the Stephen King horror movie Sleepwalkers. She has also appeared in TV movies such as Love, Cheat and Steal (1993). A highlight of Amick's film career is the 1994 feature film Dream Lover, a thriller in which she co-starred with James Spader. Amick also appeared in the romantic comedy French Exit (1995) and the sci-fi thriller Bombshell (1996).
Amick's return to network TV came in the fall of 1995 with the much-publicized CBS dramatic series Central Park West. In 1998, Amick starred in the updated edition of Fantasy Island. Both shows only lasted one season.
After a decade of roles that failed to ignite the publicity Twin Peaks had, Amick gradually became a noticeable face in television with recurring roles on Gilmore Girls, ER, Jake in Progress, and Joey. In 2006, Amick was a regular in the sitcom Freddie which was subsequently cancelled. Amick guest starred in a number of episodes of the serial thriller Kidnapped on NBC, playing a strange and deadly assassin. She also had a recurring role in the second series of Dawson's Creek as the lead character's substitute film studies teacher. In 2007, she had a lead role in the short-lived CBS musical series Viva Laughlin.
She had a recurring role in season 2 of Gossip Girl as Nate Archibald's "cougar" love interest, and she also appears in the second season of the Showtime series Californication. In 2008, Amick appeared as Christian Slater's wife on the NBC series My Own Worst Enemy.
Personal life
Amick has been married to songwriter David Alexis since 1992. The couple has two children.1
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1990 | Don't Tell Her It's Me | Mandy | Alternative title: The Boyfriend School |
| 1991 | The Borrower | Megan | |
| 1992 | Sleepwalkers | Tanya Robertson | Alternative titles: Stephen King's Sleepwalkers Sleepstalkers |
| Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me | Shelly Johnson | ||
| 1994 | Dream Lover | Lena Mathers | |
| Trapped in Paradise | Sarah Collin | ||
| 1995 | French Exit | Zina | |
| 1996 | Bombshell | Angeline | |
| 1997 | Wounded | Julie Clayton | |
| 1998 | Twist of Fate | Rachel Dwyer | Alternative title: Psychopath |
| 2000 | The List | Gabrielle Mitchell | |
| 2001 | Face to Face | Jamie | Alternative title: Italian Ties |
| Scenes of the Crime | Carmen | ||
| 2002 | Global Effect | Dr. Sera Levitt | |
| 2005 | Four Corners of Suburbia | Rachel Samson | |
| 2010 | Priest | Shannon | filming |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1989 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Anya (Teenage Girl) | Episode: "The Dauphin" |
| Baywatch | Laurie Harris | Episode: "Panic at Malibu Pier" | |
| 1990 | Jury Duty: The Comedy | Miss Doddsworth | Television movie |
| I'm Dangerous Tonight | Amy | Television movie | |
| 1990-1991 | Twin Peaks | Shelly Johnson | 30 episodes |
| 1991 | For the Very First Time | Rhonda | Television movie |
| 1993 | Love, Cheat & Steal | Lauren Harrington | Television movie |
| 1995 | The Courtyard | Lauren | Television movie |
| Fallen Angels | Mrs. Cordell | Episode: "Love and Blood" | |
| 1995-1996 | Central Park West | Carrie Fairchild | 21 episodes |
| 1997 | Heartless | Ann "Annie" O'Keefe | Television movie |
| 1998 | The Hunted | Samantha Clark | Television movie |
| Fantasy Island | Ariel | 13 episodes | |
| 1999 | Dawson's Creek | Nicole Kennedy | Episodes: "Psychic Friends" "A Perfect Wedding" "Reunited" |
| Mr. Rock 'n' Roll: The Alan Freed Story | Jackie McCoy | Television movie | |
| 2001 | Hangman | Grace Mitchell | Television movie |
| 2002 | The Rats | Susan Costello | Television movie |
| 2002-2003 | Gilmore Girls | Sherry Tinsdale | Episodes: "It Should Have Been Lorelai" "Take the Deviled Eggs..." "Dear Emily and Richard" |
| 2003 | Queens Supreme | Lisa Salinger | 1 episode |
| Wild Card | Crystal Stevenson | Episode: "Black Sheep" | |
| Ed | Celeste "CeCe" Royce | Episode: "Home for Christmas" | |
| 2004-2005 | ER | Wendall Meade | 10 episodes |
| 2005 | Lies and Deception | Jean Brooks | Television movie |
| Jake in Progress | Kylie | Episodes: "Pilot" "Check Please" |
|
| Joey | Sara | Episodes: "Joey and the Neighbor" "Joey and the Spying" "Joey and the Temptation" "Joey and the Moving In" "Joey and the Breakup" |
|
| 2005-2006 | Freddie | Allison | 22 episodes |
| 2006 | Law & Order | Alissa Goodwyn | Episode: "Home Sweet Home" |
| 2006-2007 | Kidnapped | Yvonne Guttman | Episodes: "Burn, Baby, Burn" "Gone Fishing" "Impasse" |
| 2007 | Viva Laughlin | Natalie Holden | 3 episodes |
| 2008 | Shark | Gina Romero | Episode: "One Hit Wonder" |
| The Verdict | Christine | Television movie | |
| Gossip Girl | Catherine | Episodes: "Summer, Kind of Wonderful" "Never Been Marcused" "The Dark Night" "The Ex Files" |
|
| My Own Worst Enemy | Angie Spivey | 13 episodes | |
| Californication | Janie Jones | 5 episodes | |
| 2009 | The Law | Liz | |
| Damages | Danielle Marie Marchetti | Season Three | |
| 2010 | CSI:NY | Aubrey Hunter | Episode: "Pot of Gold" |
Award nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Film or series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Soap Opera Digest Awards | Nominated | Outstanding Supporting Actress: Prime Time | Twin Peaks |
| 1995 | Saturn Award | Best Actress | Dream Lover |