Daphne Zuniga | |
|---|---|
 Zuniga atGalaxyCon Oklahoma City in May 2024 | |
| Born | Daphne Eurydice Zuniga (1962-10-28)October 28, 1962 (age 63) |
| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Spouse | |
Daphne Eurydice Zuniga (/zəˈniːɡə/;[1] born October 28, 1962)[2][3] is an American actress. Following her film debut inThe Dorm That Dripped Blood (1982) Zuniga had lead roles in films such asThe Initiation (1984),The Sure Thing (1985),Modern Girls (1986),Last Rites (1988),Gross Anatomy, andThe Fly II (both 1989). She is best known for her lead role as Princess Vespa in the space opera parody filmSpaceballs (1987), and will reprise her role in the sequelSpaceballs 2, which is scheduled for a release in 2027.
She is also known for her lead roles asJo Reynolds on theFox primetime soap operaMelrose Place (1992–1996) and Lynn Kerr on theFreeform drama seriesBeautiful People (2005–2006), as well as her recurring role as Victoria Davis onThe CW teen drama seriesOne Tree Hill (2008–2012).
Zuniga has been active in environmental issues since the mid-2000s, and was a founding member of the Earth Communications Office. She has also worked with theNatural Resources Defense Council, theWaterkeeper Alliance, andEnvironment California.[4]
Zuniga was born inSan Francisco, California on October 28, 1962, to Agnes A. (née Janawicz) and Joaquin Alberto Zuniga. Her mother is aUnitarian minister, of Polish and Finnish descent,[citation needed] and her father, originally fromGuatemala,[5] was an emeritus professor of philosophy atCalifornia State University, East Bay.[6][7] She has one sister, Jennifer Zuniga.[citation needed] In her early teens, Zuniga expressed interest in acting, and attended the Young Conservatory program of theAmerican Conservatory Theater of San Francisco.
After her parents divorced, Zuniga moved with her mother and sister fromBerkeley, California, toReading, Vermont, where she spent the remainder of her teen years.[8] Zuniga graduated fromWoodstock Union High School inWoodstock, Vermont, in 1980, after which she returned to California and enrolled in the three-year theater program at theUniversity of California, Los Angeles.[9] After leaving college, Zuniga was close friends and roommates with fellow actressMeg Ryan.[10] In Los Angeles, Zuniga studied acting withLarry Moss andPeggy Feury at the Loft Studio.[11]
Zuniga made her film debut in Stephen Carpenter's slasher filmThe Dorm That Dripped Blood (1982), playing a supporting role as a college student. Two years later, she made her lead debut inThe Initiation, another college-themed slasher co-starringVera Miles andClu Gulager.[12] "It was a great part," Zuniga recalled. "I got to play twins: a good sister and an evil sister. I got shot in the back on-screen. It was pretty heavy for a first role."[12]
She then appeared in the dramaVision Quest (1985), followed by a lead role inRob Reiner'sThe Sure Thing (1985), oppositeJohn Cusack.[13] The film was critically praised; criticRoger Ebert said of the film: "The movie industry seems better at teenage movies likePorky's, with its sleazy shower scenes, than with screenplays that involve any sort of thought about the love lives of its characters. That's whyThe Sure Thing is a small miracle."[14] Shortly after, Zuniga was cast in the television drama filmStone Pillow (1985), playing a social worker inNew York City who forms a bond with an elderly homeless woman, played byLucille Ball.[15] She also appeared in the comedyModern Girls (1986), oppositeCynthia Gibb andVirginia Madsen.
In 1987, Zuniga was cast as Princess Vespa inMel Brooks's comedySpaceballs, oppositeRick Moranis,Bill Pullman, andJohn Candy. Though the film received mixed critical reception,[16] it later garnered acult following.[17] The next year, Zuniga appeared in a lead role in the blockbuster horror filmThe Fly II (1988), followed by the drama-comedyStaying Together (1989), and as a med student oppositeMatthew Modine in the dramaGross Anatomy (1989).
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In 1992, she was cast asJo Reynolds in the Fox soap operaMelrose Place, and appeared on the show as a regular character until 1996. The role garnered Zuniga major exposure to television audiences, though her television career had begun in the early eighties with a minor role onFamily Ties (1984) as a girlfriend ofAlex P. Keaton.[18] She also appeared in the 1995miniseriesDegree of Guilt.[19]
In 1994, Zuniga appeared in the release of a video forBob Seger's previously released 1976 hit "Night Moves".[20] In the video version of the song, she and a pre-FriendsMatt LeBlanc are shown in a 1960s drive-in theater, where Zuniga as a dark, edgy young woman becomes a visual fascination for LeBlanc as a clean-cut young man. In 2000, Zuniga appeared as a bartender in the music video forEvan and Jaron's single "Crazy for This Girl".
Later, Zuniga would work as avoice actor on theanimated television seriesStories from My Childhood (1998), and also had a lead role in the miniseriesPandora's Clock (1996), an action thriller filmed inSeattle, Washington.[21]
From 2005 to 2006, she was cast asLynn Kerr on theABC family seriesBeautiful People, and also had a recurring role in the seriesAmerican Dreams.[22] She also appeared in a recurring role as Victoria Davis onThe CW seriesOne Tree Hill between 2008 and 2012, appearing in over forty episodes. During this time, she appears in several made-for-television movies includingSecret Lives (2005),The Obsession (2006),Christmas Do-Over (2006),Mail Order Bride (2008), andOn Strike for Christmas (2010).[23]
In 2007, Zuniga co-produced and co-directed (with Steven Latham) the documentary "The Future We Will Create: Inside the World of TED" — a look at the annualTechnology, Entertainment and Design conference held in Monterey, California. She also starred in the scripted web seriesNovel Adventures, which premiered November 3, 2008 fromCBS Interactive.[24][25] In February and March 2008, Zuniga appeared onstage in a production ofThe Scene byTheresa Rebeck, at the San Francisco Playhouse.[26]
Zuniga reprised her role as Princess Vespa from the 1987 filmSpaceballs, byvoice-over in the televisionspin-offSpaceballs: The Animated Series. She also reprised her role fromMelrose Place in anupdated version, but it was short-lived, as the series was cancelled after just one season in 2009–10. She starred in 2010 in the hit Hallmark Channel filmA Family Thanksgiving. In 2013, Zuniga appeared as a postal worker in theHallmark Channel seriesSigned, Sealed, Delivered, as well as the television film based on the series and inGone Missing with Lauren Bowles.
Zuniga appeared in a guest starring role in theVH1 scripted seriesHindsight as Libby.[27] In 2016, she was cast in a new TV movie for Hallmark Channel,When Duty Calls, withJudd Nelson andDaniella Monet.
More recently,[when?] Zuniga starred inHeartbeats,Witness Unprotected andA Christmas Arrangement with Miles Fisher.
In 2018, Zuniga directed her first feature film,The Protégé, with Keenan Tracey and Jeannette Sousa.[28] It was released in 2019 under the titleDeadly Assistant.[29][better source needed]
In 2019, she co-starred in the television filmGates Of Paradise, opposite Lizzie Boys andJason Priestley, andChristmas In Paris with Karl E. Ländler.[citation needed] In 2020, she was a guest star inNCIS as Stacy Gordon, Navy commander.[citation needed]
In 2021, she was a guest star inFantasy Island as Margot, with her oldMelrose Place co-starsJosie Bissett andLaura Leighton.[30] In 2022, Zuniga appeared onDynasty as Sonya Jackson, alongside another oldMelrose Place co-starGrant Show.[31]
Since 2024, Zuniga, along with Leighton and Courtney Thorne-Smith, have hosted an IHeartRadio podcast,Still The Place.[32]
In April 2024, it was announced that aMelrose Place reboot was in development, with Zuniga joining Leighton and Heather Locklear in the cast.[33]
In June 2025, it was announced that Zuniga would reprise her role as Princess Vespa for the upcomingSpaceballs sequel, which will be directed byJosh Greenbaum and is scheduled for release in 2027.[34]
Zuniga has cited her family's camping trips toYosemite National Park andYellowstone as sparking her lifelong interest in the environment.[35] "The planet does nothing but support us," she said in a 2007 interview, "and we are constantly committing crimes against nature."[18] Zuniga has supported severalenvironmental campaigns: In 2009, she was appointed by Los Angeles MayorAntonio Villaraigosa to the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles River Revitalization Corporation, a not-for-profit development corporation charged with catalyzing sustainable development along theLos Angeles River.[36][37]
Zuniga was a founding member of the Earth Communications Office (ECO), and has worked with theNatural Resources Defense Council, theWaterkeeper Alliance, andEnvironment California.[4]
In addition to environmental causes, Zuniga has been active in theMultiple Sclerosis Foundation, theAIDS Project Los Angeles, and theSouthwest Voter Registration Education Project.[11]
Zuniga's younger sister Jennifer, also an actress, debuted in the filmA Woman, Her Men, and Her Futon (1992). Zuniga attends privateBuddhist meditation retreats to manage stress in her life.[18]
In 2004, Zuniga suffered frommercury poisoning, which she attributed to overconsumption of fish. She said she had eatensushi four times in the week prior to being taken to the emergency room and that her symptoms included weak memory, headaches, crying spells, rashes, and milddepression.[38] After her diagnosis, Zuniga stopped consuming fish in addition to other meat.[18]
Zuniga began dating businessman David Mleczko, whom she met on ablind date, in 2006.[39] The two married in a private ceremony inCambridge, Massachusetts, on June 8, 2019.[39]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | The Dorm That Dripped Blood | Debbie | |
| 1984 | The Initiation | Kelly Fairchild/Terry Fairchild | |
| 1985 | Vision Quest | Margie Epstein | |
| The Sure Thing | Alison Bradbury | ||
| 1986 | Modern Girls | Margo | |
| 1987 | Spaceballs | Princess Vespa | |
| 1988 | Last Rites | Angela | |
| 1989 | The Fly II | Beth Logan | |
| Staying Together | Beverly Young | ||
| Gross Anatomy | Laurie Rorbach | ||
| 1992 | Mad at the Moon | Young Mrs. Miller | |
| 1993 | Eight Hundred Leagues Down the Amazon | Minha | |
| 1994 | Charlie's Ghost Story | Ronda | |
| Cityscrapes: Los Angeles | Chantal | ||
| 1997 | Naked in the Cold Sun | Rini | |
| Stand-ins | Shirley | ||
| 2000 | Artificial Lies | Karen Wettering | |
| Enemies of Laughter | Judy | ||
| 2005 | Secret Lives | Jill Thompson | |
| 2006 | A-List | Tina | |
| 2008 | Mail Order Bride | Diana McQueen | |
| 2010 | Seducing Charlie Barker | Stella | |
| 2012 | Changing Hearts | Christina Riley | |
| 2013 | Gone Missing | Rene | |
| A Remarkable Life | Tracy | ||
| 2014 | Monkey in the Middle | Olive | |
| 2015 | Summer Forever | Sophie | |
| Occupy Alice | Cindy Lowe | Short film | |
| 2016 | Who's Driving Doug | Alison | |
| Beyond Paradise | Elana | ||
| Search Engines | Kate | ||
| Those Left Behind | Shelly | ||
| 2017 | Heartbeats | Michelle Andrews | |
| 2018 | Witness Unprotected | Sam | |
| Abigail Falls | Anne | ||
| 2027 | Spaceballs 2 | Queen Vespa | Filming |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Quarterback Princess | Kim Maida | Television film |
| 1984 | Family Ties | Rachel Miller | 2 episodes |
| 1985 | Stone Pillow | Carrie Lang | Television film |
| 1989 | Nightmare Classics | Irene Marlowe | Episode: "The Eyes of the Panther" |
| 1992 | Prey of the Chameleon | Patricia / Elizabeth Burrows | Television film |
| 1992–1996 | Melrose Place | Jo Reynolds | 112 episodes |
| 1993 | The Hidden Room | Elizabeth Mahern | Episode: "The Faithful Follower" |
| 1994 | Models Inc. | Jo Reynolds | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1995 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Cinderella (voice) | Episode: "Cinderella" |
| Degree of Guilt | Teresa 'Terri' Peralta | Television film | |
| 1996 | Pandora's Clock | Dr. Roni Sanders | |
| 1997 | Johnny Bravo | Gabrielle (voice) | Episode: "My Fair Dork" |
| Dead Man's Gun | Lillian / Tanya | Episode: "Black Widow" | |
| Loss of Faith | Claire Hainey | Television film | |
| 1997–1998 | Spin City | Carrie | 2 episodes |
| 1998 | Stories from My Childhood | Unknown | Episode: "Ivan and His Magic Pony" |
| 1999 | The Outer Limits | Juliette Kagan | Episode: "Essence of Life" |
| 1999–2000 | Batman Beyond | April; Lula (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2000 | Stark Raving Mad | Dr. Anne Russo | Episode: "Therapy" |
| 2003 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Emma Dishell | Episode: "Abomination" |
| Eve | Mrs. King | Episode: "Twas the Fight Before Christmas" | |
| Ghost Dog: A Detective Tail | Amanda Morton | Television film | |
| 2004–2005 | American Dreams | Shelly Pierce | 14 episodes |
| 2005–2006 | Beautiful People | Lynn Kerr | 16 episodes |
| 2006 | Christmas Do-Over | Jill | Television film |
| The Obsession | Deborah Matthews | ||
| 2007 | Nip/Tuck | Carly Summers | Episode: "Carly Summers" |
| TED: The Future We Will Create | Herself / Host | Television film; alsodirector andexecutive producer | |
| 2008 | Novel Adventures | Laura French | 8 episodes |
| 2008–2009 | Spaceballs: The Animated Series | Princess Vespa (voice) | 12 episodes |
| 2008–2012 | One Tree Hill | Victoria Davis | 40 episodes |
| 2009–2010 | Melrose Place | Jo Reynolds | Episodes: "Windsor" and "Santa Fe" |
| 2010 | A Family Thanksgiving | Claudia | Television film; also executive producer |
| On Strike for Christmas | Joy Robertson | Television film | |
| 2013 | Signed, Sealed, Delivered | Andrea Shmeckle | |
| 2015 | Hindsight | Libby | Episode: "The Cranberries" |
| 2016 | When Duty Calls | Carol Lawton | Television film |
| My Husband Is Missing | Ann Bradshaw | ||
| 2017 | The Wrong Babysitter | Susan | |
| 2018 | A Christmas Arrangement | Blair Covington | |
| 2019 | V.C. Andrews' Heaven | Nurse Broadfield | Episode: "Gates of Paradise" |
| Christmas in Paris | Kate Fortune | Television film | |
| 2020 | NCIS | Navy Commander Stacy Gordon | Episode: "Lonely Hearts" |
| 2021 | Fantasy Island | Margot | Episode: "The Big Five Oh" |
| 2022 | Dynasty | Sonya Jackson | 2 episodes |
| 2023 | The Masked Singer | Herself / Clue Giver | Episode: "Masked Singer in Space"[40] |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | LA Femme Film Festival | LA Femme Filmmaker Award: New Establishment Award | Herself | Won |
| 2011 | Environmental Leadership Awards | CLCV Environmental Leadership Award[41] | Won | |
| 2016 | Santa Fe Film Festival | Creative Spirit Award | Search Engines | Won |
Actress Daphne Zuniga is 34.
Actress Daphne Zuniga is 35.
