Virginia Madsen | |
|---|---|
 Madsen in 2012 | |
| Born | (1961-09-11)September 11, 1961 (age 64)[1][2] Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Partner(s) | Antonio Sabàto Jr. (1993–1998) |
| Children | 1 |
| Mother | Elaine Madsen |
| Relatives |
|
| Website | virginia-madsen |
Virginia Madsen (born September 11, 1961) is an American actress. She is the recipient of twoCritics' Choice Awards, anIndependent Spirit Award, and aScreen Actors Guild Award, as well as nominations for oneAcademy Award and oneGolden Globe Award.
Madsen made her film debut in 1983 with a small part inClass. Her breakout role came the following year when she playedPrincess Irulan inDune. After a string of parts inteen films, comedies and thrillers of varying commercial success, Madsen received critical acclaim and aSaturn Award for her starring role as Helen Lyle inCandyman (1992). Subsequent film appearances during the 1990s includedThe Prophecy (1995),Ghosts of Mississippi (1996),The Rainmaker (1997), andThe Haunting (1999). For her portrayal of Maya Randall inSideways (2004), she was nominated for theOscar for Best Supporting Actress. Her other credits includeA Prairie Home Companion (2006),The Number 23 (2007),The Haunting in Connecticut (2009),Joy (2015),Her Smell (2018),Prey for the Devil (2022), andLola (2024).
Outside film, Madsen has played recurring roles onMoonlighting (1989),Frasier (1998),American Dreams (2002–2003),Monk (2009),The Event (2011),Hell on Wheels (2012),Witches of East End (2013–2014),Designated Survivor (2016–2017), andElementary (2016–2019). Other television credits includeAmerican Gothic (2016),The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair (2018), andSwamp Thing (2019).
Virginia Madsen was born in Chicago, Illinois,[3] the daughter ofElaine (née Nelson), who became anEmmy Award-winning filmmaker and author, and Calvin Christian Madsen, afirefighter.[4] After Madsen's parents divorced in the late 1960s, when the children were young, her mother left a career in finance to pursue a career in the arts, encouraged by film criticRoger Ebert.[5] Madsen's siblings are actorMichael Madsen (1957–2025) and Cheryl Madsen, an entrepreneur. Her paternal grandparents were Danish, and her mother has Irish and Scottish along with distant Native American ancestry.[6] Madsen and her best friendRusty Schwimmer are graduates ofNew Trier High School inWinnetka, Illinois.[7]
Madsen later attended the Ted Liss Acting Studio in Chicago, and Harand Camp Adult Theater Seminar inElkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Of her experience with Liss, she said: "I had wanted to join his class since I was 12. It was well worth the wait because I don't think I could have got that sort of training anywhere else, especially in the United States ... I always wanted to make a real career out of acting."[8]
Madsen made her acting debut at age 22, in abit part where she landed her role as Lisa in the romantic comedy filmClass (1983), co-starringJacqueline Bisset andRob Lowe. She next appeared inKenny Loggins' music video for "I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man)" from theFootloose (1984) soundtrack.
She portrayed acellist named Madeline in the science fiction comedyElectric Dreams withLenny Von Dohlen (1984).[9] She was cast asPrincess Irulan inDavid Lynch's science fiction epicDune (1984).[10] In 1985, she starred as Boris (Vincent Spano)'s romantic interest Barbara in the filmCreator, which also starredPeter O'Toole.
Madsen first became known to audiences in 1986 with her portrayal of a Catholic school girl who fell in love with a boy from a prison camp in Duncan Gibbons'Fire with Fire, though the film drew scathing reviews. As beauty queen Dixie Lee Boxx, she was the love interest of minor league baseball manager Cecil "Stud" Cantrell (William Petersen) in theHBO original filmLong Gone (1987). That same year she also appeared in the music video for "I Found Someone" byCher. She played a secretary named Allison Rowe in the comedy filmHot to Trot (1988).
Madsen also playedfemme fatales in films such asSlam Dance (1987),Gotham (1988),The Hot Spot (1990), which co-starredDon Johnson andJennifer Connelly, andLinda (1993).
She also starred asHelen Lyle, an anthropology student, in the horror filmCandyman (1992), which drew good reviews and was a box office success.
She appeared in a small role in theFrancis Ford Coppola dramaThe Rainmaker (1997) alongsideMatt Damon andClaire Danes. Film criticRoger Ebert said that Madsen had a "strong scene",[11] while reviewer James Berardinelli noted that "the supporting cast is solid, with turns from . . . Virginia Madsen as a witness for the plaintiff".[12]
Madsen delivered a critically acclaimed performance inSideways (2004), directed byAlexander Payne. Her role catapulted her onto the HollywoodA-list.[13]
Her first major role afterSideways was oppositeHarrison Ford andPaul Bettany inFirewall (2006). She later appeared inRobert Altman'sA Prairie Home Companion, in a key role as the angel. She co-starred alongsideJim Carrey inThe Number 23 andBilly Bob Thornton inThe Astronaut Farmer; both films were released in North America on February 23, 2007. She voicedQueen Hippolyta, the mother ofWonder Woman, in the animated filmWonder Woman (2009).
In 1988, Madsen appeared as Maddie Hayes' cousin in the fifth and final season of theABC drama seriesMoonlighting. She has since made various television appearances, includingStar Trek: Voyager,CSI: Miami,Dawson's Creek,The Practice,Frasier, and other television series. She was also co-host of the long-running television seriesUnsolved Mysteries in 1999, during the show's eleventh season (which was also the second and final season onCBS). She starred alongsideRay Liotta in the short-lived CBS crime drama seriesSmith. She also had a recurring role in theeighth and final season in theUSA Network comedy-drama seriesMonk.
In 2010, she landed the starring role of Cheryl West in the ABC comedy-drama seriesScoundrels. In December 2010, it was announced that she would be joining the cast of theNBC science fiction seriesThe Event.[14] In 2012, she joined the cast of theAMC western drama seriesHell on Wheels as Mrs. Hannah Durant, first appearing in episode eight of season 2, "The Lord's Day". In 2013, Madsen began appearing onLifetime'sWitches of East End as Penelope Gardiner, the main villainess of the first season.
She starred as Speaker Kimble Hookstraten in thefirst season of theABC political drama seriesDesignated Survivor.[15]
In 2008, Madsen formed her own film production company called Title IX Productions.[16] Her first project was a film made with her mother titledI Know a Woman Like That. The film is a documentary about the lives of older women. On the creation of the film, she said her mother's active lifestyle was an inspiration to start filming.
My mother's level of activity, of productivity, was exactly why I thought a project like this would work. Originally, when we put the idea together, she had said, "I'm far too busy. I'm going to Holland, and then I'm going here and there and I'm writing my book." But that's really what it's about.[17]
Madsen was married to actor and directorDanny Huston after meeting on the set ofMr. North (1988). They married in 1989 and divorced in 1992.[18] From 1993 to 1998, Madsen was in a partnership relationship withAntonio Sabàto Jr., with whom she had one son.[19] In 2020, Madsen married actor Nick Holmes after dating for over ten years.[20]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Class | Lisa | |
| 1984 | Electric Dreams | Madeline Robistat | |
| Dune | Princess Irulan | ||
| 1985 | Creator | Barbara Spencer | |
| 1986 | Fire with Fire | Lisa Taylor | |
| Modern Girls | Kelly | ||
| 1987 | Slam Dance | Yolanda Caldwell | |
| Zombie High | Andrea Miller | ||
| 1988 | Mr. North | Sally Boffin | |
| Hot to Trot | Allison Rowe | ||
| 1989 | Heart of Dixie | Delia June Curry | |
| 1990 | The Hot Spot | Dolly Harshaw | |
| 1991 | Highlander II: The Quickening | Louise Marcus | |
| Becoming Colette | Polaire Sorel | ||
| 1992 | Candyman | Helen Lyle | |
| 1994 | Caroline at Midnight | Susan Prince | |
| Blue Tiger | Gina Hayes | ||
| 1995 | The Prophecy | Katherine | |
| 1996 | Just Your Luck | Kim | Video |
| Ghosts of Mississippi | Dixie DeLaughter | ||
| 1997 | The Rainmaker | Jackie Lemanczyk | |
| 1998 | Ambushed | Lucy Monroe | |
| 1999 | The Florentine | Molly | |
| Ballad of the Nightingale | Mo Lewis | ||
| The Haunting | Jane Vance | ||
| 2000 | After Sex | Traci | |
| 2001 | Lying in Wait | Vera Miller | |
| Almost Salinas | Clare | ||
| Full Disclosure | Brenda Hopkins | Video | |
| 2002 | American Gun | Penny Tillman | |
| 2003 | Artworks | Emma Becker | |
| Nobody Knows Anything! | Prison Lawyer | ||
| 2004 | Sideways | Maya Randall | |
| 2005 | Scooby-Doo! in Where's My Mummy? | Cleopatra (voice) | Video[21] |
| 2006 | Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild | The Beast (voice) | Video[21] |
| Firewall | Beth Stanfield | ||
| A Prairie Home Companion | Dangerous Woman | ||
| The Astronaut Farmer | Audrey "Audie" Farmer | ||
| 2007 | The Number 23 | Agatha Sparrow/Fabrizia | |
| Ripple Effect | Sherry Atrash | ||
| Cutlass | Robin | Short | |
| Being Michael Madsen | Herself | ||
| 2008 | Diminished Capacity | Charlotte | |
| 2009 | Wonder Woman | Hippolyta (voice) | Video[21] |
| The Haunting in Connecticut | Sara Campbell | ||
| 2010 | Father of Invention | Lorraine King | |
| 2011 | Red Riding Hood | Suzette | |
| Marriage Drama | Linda | Short | |
| 2012 | The Magic of Belle Isle | Charlotte O'Neil | |
| 2013 | The Last Keepers | Abigail Carver | |
| The Hot Flashes | Clementine Winks | ||
| Crazy Kind of Love | Augusta Iris | ||
| Jake Squared | Beth | ||
| 2014 | All the Wilderness | Abigail Charm | |
| 2015 | Walter | Karen Benjamin | |
| Dead Rising: Watchtower | Maggie | ||
| An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success | Karen Thomas | ||
| Burning Bodhi | Naomi | ||
| Joy | Terry Mangano | ||
| 2016 | Burn Your Maps | Victoria | |
| Better Watch Out | Deandra Lerner | ||
| 2017 | A Change of Heart | Deena | |
| 2018 | 1985 | Eileen Lester | |
| Her Smell | Ania Adamcyzk | ||
| Spare Room | Nat | ||
| 2020 | Operation Christmas Drop | Congresswoman Angie Bradford | |
| 2021 | Candyman | Helen Lyle (voice) | |
| 2022 | Give Me An A | Coach Judy | |
| Prey for the Devil | Dr. Peters | ||
| 2023 | One Day as a Lion | Valerie Brisky | |
| The Portrait | Mags | ||
| 2024 | Lola James | Mona |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | American Playhouse | Lou Ellen Purdy | Episode: "A Matter of Principle" |
| 1985 | The Hearst and Davies Affair | Marion Davies | Television film |
| 1985 | Mussolini: The Untold Story | Claretta Petacci | Main cast |
| 1987 | The Hitchhiker | Christina | Episode: "Perfect Order" |
| 1987 | Long Gone | Dixie Lee Boxx | Television film |
| 1988 | Gotham | Rachel Carlyle | Television film |
| 1989 | Moonlighting | Annie Charnock | Recurring cast: Season 5 |
| 1989 | Third Degree Burn | Anne Scholes | Television film |
| 1991 | Ironclads | Betty Stuart | Television film |
| 1991 | Victim of Love | Carla Simons | Television film |
| 1991 | Love Kills | Rebecca Bishop | Television film |
| 1992 | A Murderous Affair: The Carolyn Warmus Story | Carolyn Warmus | Television film |
| 1993 | Linda | Linda Cowley | Television film |
| 1994 | Bitter Vengeance | Annie Westford | Television film |
| 1994 | Earth 2 | Alonzo Solace's Dance Partner | Episode: "The Church of Morgan" |
| 1997 | The Apocalypse Watch | Karin De Vries | Television film |
| 1998 | Star Trek: Voyager | Kellin | Episode: "Unforgettable" |
| 1999 | Frasier | Cassandra Stone | Recurring cast:Season 6 |
| Unsolved Mysteries | Herself/Co-Host | Main co-host: season 11 | |
| 2000 | Children of Fortune | Ingrid Bast | Television film |
| 2001 | Crossfire Trail | Anne Rodney | Television film |
| 2001 | Just Ask My Children | Brenda Kniffen | Television film |
| 2001 | The Practice | Marsha Ellison | Recurring cast: season 6 |
| 2002 | Justice League | Sarah Corwin (voice) | Episode: "The Brave and the Bold"[21] |
| 2002–2003 | American Dreams | Rebecca Sandstrom | Recurring cast: season 1 |
| 2003 | Pet Star | Herself/Celebrity Judge #2 | Episode: "Episode #2.1 & "#2.3" |
| Dawson's Creek | Maddy Allen | Recurring cast: Season 6 | |
| Spider-Man: The New Animated Series | Silver Sable (voice) | Recurring cast | |
| CSI: Miami | Krista Walker | Episode: "Death Grip" | |
| Boomtown | Erika Ashland | Episode: "The Big Picture" | |
| Tempted | Emma Burke | Television film | |
| 2004 | Brave New Girl | Wanda Lovell | Television film |
| 2005 | Teen Titans | Arella (voice) | Episode: "The Prophecy"[21] |
| 2005–2006 | Justice League Unlimited | Veronica Sinclair/Roulette (voice) | Guest cast: seasons 2-3[21] |
| 2006 | Hollywood Greats | Herself | Episode: "Harrison Ford" |
| TV Land's Top Ten | Herself | Recurring guest | |
| 2006–2007 | Smith | Hope Stevens | Main cast |
| 2006–2008 | Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan | Herself | Guest cast: Season 3-4 |
| 2009 | Orangutan Island | Herself/Narrator | Episode: "Cheating Extinction" |
| Monk | T.K. Jensen | Recurring cast:season 8 | |
| 2010 | Scoundrels | Cheryl West | Main cast |
| 2011 | The Event | Senator Catherine Lewis | Recurring cast: season 1 |
| 2012 | Jan | Mel | Recurring cast |
| Hell on Wheels | Mrs. Hannah Durant | Recurring cast:season 2 | |
| Ruth & Erica | Mel | Episode: "September" | |
| Hornet's Nest | Judy Hammer | Television film | |
| 2013 | Who's Cooking with Florence Henderson | Herself | Episode: "Virginia Madsen" |
| Susanna | Mel | Episode: "Episode #1.12" | |
| Witches of East End | Penelope Gardiner | Recurring cast:season 1 | |
| The Anna Nicole Story | Virgie Arthur | Television film | |
| 2014 | A Healthy You & Carol Alt | Herself | Episode: "May 3, 2014" |
| Let's Go to the Movies | Herself | Episode: "Virginia Madsen" | |
| 2015 | Metropolis | Herself | Recurring guest |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Beth Anne Rollins | Episode: "Maternal Instincts" | |
| 2015–2016 | Celebrity Name Game | Herself/Celebrity Player | Episode: "Ross Mathews & Virginia Madsen 1-3" |
| 2016 | Pickle and Peanut | Jackson (voice) | Episode: "Night Shift/Scalped" |
| American Gothic | Madeline Hawthorne | Main cast | |
| 2016–2017 | Designated Survivor | Kimble Hookstraten | Recurring cast:season 1 |
| 2016–2019 | Elementary | Paige Cowan | Guest Cast: Season 4-5 & 7 |
| 2017 | Voltron: Legendary Defender | Commander Heera (voice) | Episode: "Hole in the Sky" |
| 2018 | The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair | Tamara Quinn | Main cast |
| 2019 | Swamp Thing | Maria Sunderland | Main cast[22] |
| 2021 | Behind the Monsters | Herself | Episode: "Candyman" |
| 2023 | Obliterated | Marge McKnight | Episode: "Walks of Shame" |
| 2024 | Holidazed | Connie Manetti-Hanahan | Recurring cast |
| Year | Song | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | "I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man)" | Kenny Loggins |
| 1986 | "But Not Tonight" | Depeche Mode |
| 1987 | "I Found Someone" | Cher |
| 1989 | "Liberian Girl" | Michael Jackson |
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2001 | Captured on Film: The True Story of Marion Davies |
| 2003 | Complicated Women |
| 2009 | I Know a Woman Like That |
| 2012 | Made in New Mexico |
| 2013 | Battling Darkness |
| 2016 | Joy, Strength and Perseverance |
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2018–2021 | Imagined Life |
| 2020–2023 | Little Stories Everywhere |
| 2021–2023 | Whose Amazing Life? |
Actress Virginia Madsen is 57.
