Deborah Foreman

Last updated

Deborah Foreman
Born
Deborah Lynn Foreman

(1962-10-12) October 12, 1962 (age 61)
Montebello, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actress, photographer, designer [1]
Years active1981–present

Deborah Lynn Foreman (born October 12, 1962) [2] is an American photographer and actress. She is perhaps best known for her starring role in the 1983 film Valley Girl opposite Nicolas Cage. She is also regarded as a scream queen and known for playing in various horror films of the 1980s, such as April Fool's Day , Waxwork , Destroyer and Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat .

Contents

Early life

Foreman was born October 12, 1962, in Montebello, California, [2] the daughter of Lynette and Clyde Foreman, a Marine Corps pilot. She was raised in Arizona and Texas. When she was 13, her parents enrolled her at the Barbizon School of Modeling in Houston to help her overcome shyness, where she received a trophy after completing the courses. In high school, Foreman received high marks and was a cheerleader. While she was still a student, local photographer Wally Lewis hired her for newspaper and catalog ads. A chance meeting with a representative of Wilhelmina Models led to her signing with its California office and modeling assignments for Maybelline cosmetics. [1]

Career

Four weeks after arriving in Los Angeles, Foreman earned her SAG card after appearing in a McDonald's of England commercial. Resolving to become a serious actress, she took acting lessons from a variety of teachers. Her first acting job was in a comedy pilot for NBC's The Grady Nutt Show. More television work and two supporting film roles soon followed. After a 1983 appearance on the popular sitcom Family Ties , her first starring role in a feature film was Valley Girl (1983) with the then-little-known Nicolas Cage, which brought her national fame. The New York Times reviewer did not care for Valley Girl and wrote that Foreman was "too passive to carry the movie" [3] while her counterpart at the Los Angeles Times enjoyed the same movie. [4] Mark Deming of AllMovie wrote that Foreman "made an indelible impression on fans of 1980s pop culture with her performance in the title role of the film Valley Girl." [5]

In 1985, Foreman had a small role in the comedy film Real Genius . In 1986, she was named "Most Promising New Star" by ShoWest, the largest and most notable film convention in the world. [6] [7]

She had a starring role in the comedy film My Chauffeur (1986), in which she played a somewhat Madonna-influenced character who gets a job as a driver for a stuffy limousine service. My Chauffeur was publicized widely, but connected only modestly with teen audiences and critics. The New York Times reviewer Lawrence Van Gelder wrote "Miss Foreman, who with discipline and far better script might become an engaging comedienne, is mired here in a character who at one moment is delivering a lecture on proper treatment of women and at the next is smirking". [8] The Los Angeles Times reviewer Michael Wilmington called Foreman a "New Wave Carole Lombard crossed with early Shirley MacLaine". [9] However, Robert Blau of the Chicago Tribune wrote that Foreman "gives a breathlessly irritating portrayal of Casey". [10] By contrast, Charles Taylor of the Boston Phoenix wrote that Foreman "is an appealing comic actress who goes at even the most inane situations with tireless enthusiasm and dimpley sex appeal" and although "she can't salvage My Chauffeur, she does give perkiness a good name." [11]

That same year, Foreman played dual roles in the offbeat dark comedy and preppy murder mystery April Fool's Day . Although her performance was praised by reviewers, the film's plot and surprise ending were widely panned, [12] [13] [14] with critic Vincent Canby commenting for The New York Times: "... the dialogue is mostly composed of rude variations on 'eek,' 'ugh', and 'I'd like to sleep with you this evening.'" [15] The reviewer for AllMovie wrote "With her Sheryl Lee-like features and facial expressions, Deborah Foreman makes an appealingly off-balance scream queen". [16]

During the five years following, Foreman appeared in over half a dozen low-budget horror movies and independent films. [17] [18] [19] [20] Syndicated columnist Joe Bob Briggs gave Foreman a "Drive-in Academy Award nomination as the damsel in distress" for saying "It's all very simple! Bunny men from Neptune have invaded Mars!" [21]

Though she retired from acting in 1991, Foreman did make a brief appearance in a music video for the rock band She Wants Revenge, [22] as well as a small cameo as a shopgirl in the 2020 remake of Valley Girl, her best known film.

Filmography

Movies

YearTitleRoleNotes
1982Love in the Present TenseHeather Jenkins
I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can Cindy
1983 Valley Girl Julie Richman
Grizzly II: Revenge Chrissy, The Park Ranger's DaughterReleased in 2021
1985 Real Genius Susan Decker
1986Charlie Barnett's Terms of EnrollmentCoed/Recruiter
My Chauffeur Casey Meadows
April Fool's Day Muffy/Buffy St. John
3:15Sherry Havilland
1988 Waxwork Sarah Brightman
Destroyer Susan Malone
1989Friends, Lovers, & LunaticsAnnie
The Experts Jill
Lobster Man from Mars Mary
Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat Sandy White
1991 Lunatics: A Love Story Nancy
2007Beautiful LoserCarly
2020 Valley Girl Shopgirl Cameo appearance
TBAThe Demons WithinNurse Didi

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1981The Grady Nutt ShowBecky WilliamsTV pilot for NBC [23]
1982 In the Custody of Strangers KarenTV movie
T. J. Hooker Alise Edwards / Jenny Clark2 episodes: God Bless the Child, Deadly Ambition
1983 Romance Theatre Heather Jenkins5 episodes
Family Ties Mary Catherine1 Episode: Stage Fright
1984 Hot Pursuit Jody2 episodes: Home Is the Heart: Part 1 & 2
1986MaggieAlyce FarnsworthTV pilot for CBS [24]
1991 MacGyver Beth Webb1 Episode: Eye of Osiris
1995 The Marshal Callie Fetter1 Episode: Gone Fishing

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alyson Hannigan</span> American actress and television presenter

Allison Lee Hannigan, known professionally as Alyson Hannigan, is an American actress and television presenter. After starting her career at age four with appearances in commercials, she moved to Hollywood at age 11 and soon got an agent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martha Plimpton</span> American actress (born 1970)

Martha Plimpton is an American actress, activist, and former model. Her feature-film debut was in Rollover (1981); she subsequently rose to prominence in the Richard Donner film The Goonies (1985). She has also appeared in The Mosquito Coast (1986), Shy People (1987), Running on Empty (1988), Parenthood (1989), Samantha (1992), Small Town Murder Songs (2011), Frozen II (2019), and Mass (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carroll Baker</span> American actress (born 1931)

Carroll Baker is a retired American actress. After studying under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio, Baker began performing on Broadway in 1954. From there, she was recruited by director Elia Kazan to play the lead in the adaptation of two Tennessee Williams plays into the film Baby Doll in 1956. Her role in the film as a coquettish but sexually naïve Southern bride earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nora Ephron</span> American writer and filmmaker (1941–2012)

Nora Ephron was an American journalist, writer, and filmmaker. She is best known for writing and directing romantic comedy films and received numerous accolades including a British Academy Film Award as well as nominations for three Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award and three Writers Guild of America Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melanie Griffith</span> American actress (born 1957)

Melanie Richards Griffith is an American actress. She began her career in the 1970s, appearing in several independent thriller films before achieving mainstream success in the mid-1980s.

Michelle Meyrink is a Canadian teacher and former actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katharine Ross</span> American actress and author (born 1940)

Katharine Juliet Ross is an American actress on film, stage, and television. Her accolades include an Academy Award nomination, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards.

<i>Some Kind of Wonderful</i> (film) 1987 American romantic drama film by Howard Deutch

Some Kind of Wonderful is a 1987 American teen romantic drama film directed by Howard Deutch and starring Eric Stoltz, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Lea Thompson. It is one of several successful teen dramas written by John Hughes in the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stella Stevens</span> American actress (1938–2023)

Stella Stevens was an American actress. She is the mother of actor Andrew Stevens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colleen Camp</span> American actress and film producer

Colleen Celeste Camp is an American character actress and producer. After appearing in several bit parts, she had a lead role in the comedy The Swinging Cheerleaders (1974), followed by roles in two installments of the Police Academy series. Camp had supporting roles in Lady of the House (1978), Apocalypse Now (1979), and The Seduction (1982), after which she played Julie’s mother in Valley Girl and Yvette the Maid in the 1985 comedy Clue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Coolidge</span> American actress (born 1961)

Jennifer Coolidge is an American actress. A character actress with performances across screen and television, primarily in the comedy genre, Coolidge is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2023, Coolidge was named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

<i>Valley Girl</i> (1983 film) 1983 film by Martha Coolidge

Valley Girl is a 1983 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Martha Coolidge and written and produced by Wayne Crawford and Andrew Lane. Loosely based on the tragedy Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the film centers on the romance between a valley girl and a city punk. Michelle Meyrink, Elizabeth Daily, Cameron Dye and Michael Bowen appear in supporting roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martha Coolidge</span> American filmmaker (born 1946)

Martha Coolidge is an American film director and former President of the Directors Guild of America. She has directed such films as Valley Girl, Real Genius and Rambling Rose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noel Black</span> American film director

Noel Black was an American film and television director, screenwriter, and producer.

<i>April Fools Day</i> (1986 film) 1986 film by Fred Walton

April Fool's Day is a 1986 American black comedy mystery slasher film directed by Fred Walton, produced by Frank Mancuso Jr., and starring Thomas F. Wilson, Deborah Foreman, Griffin O'Neal, Amy Steel, Ken Olandt, Deborah Goodrich, and Leah Pinsent. The plot follows a group of college students vacationing during April Fool's Day weekend on an island estate, which is infiltrated by an unknown assailant.

<i>My Dream Is Yours</i> 1949 film by Friz Freleng, Michael Curtiz

My Dream Is Yours is a 1949 American Technicolor musical romantic comedy film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Jack Carson, Doris Day, and Lee Bowman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiffany Haddish</span> American comedian and actress (born 1979)

Tiffany Cornilia Haddish is an American stand-up comedienne and actress. Her breakthrough came in with a leading role in the comedy film Girls Trip (2017), which earned her several accolades and was included on The New Yorker's list of the best film performances of the 21st century. She was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2018, and The Hollywood Reporter listed her among the 100 most powerful people in entertainment in both 2018 and 2019.

<i>Get Yourself a College Girl</i> 1964 film by Sidney Miller

Get Yourself a College Girl, also released as The Swingin' Set, is a 1964 Metrocolor film comedy in the style of a beach party movie. The plot involves a college student who tries to balance her time writing songs and dealing with her publisher who tries to pursue her. It was directed by Sidney Miller and written by Robert E. Kent, and filmed at Sun Valley, Idaho, United States.

<i>Joy of Sex</i> (film) 1984 film by Martha Coolidge

Joy of Sex is a 1984 American sex comedy film directed by Martha Coolidge. It was written by Kathleen Rowell and J.J. Salter, based on the sex manual by Alex Comfort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diana Bellamy</span> American actress (1943–2001)

Diana Alice Bellamy was an American character actress of stage, film, and television, during the 1980s and mid-2000s, who was often cast in both comedic and dramatic roles to great acclaim. Bellamy is known for her starring role as Head Nurse Maggie Poole in the NBC comedy 13 East, as Principal Cecilia Hall in Popular, and as Mrs. Pananides in Outbreak and Air Force One.

References

  1. 1 2 Becu, Didier (August 3, 2014). "Deborah Foreman (Actress)". Peek-A-Boo Magazine.
  2. 1 2 AllRovi. "Deborah Foreman Biography". AllMovie . Archived from the original on March 31, 2020.
  3. ↑ Maslin, Janet (April 29, 1983). "Movie Review: Valley Girl (1983): 'Valley Girl,' A Coast Comedy". The New York Times .
  4. ↑ Benson, Sheila (April 29, 1983). "Movie Reviews: 'Valley Girl' and 'Wicked': Nicolas Cage Steals A Romeo And Juliet Show". Los Angeles Times . p. H1. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017. Retrieved July 6, 2017. Alternate Link (subscription required) via ProQuest.
  5. ↑ Deming, Mark. "Deborah Foreman". AllMovie .
  6. ↑ Lovell, Glenn (May 25, 1986). "Future Stars? 12 newcomers moving up on the Hollywood horizon". Pittsburgh Press . p. F3.
  7. ↑ Broeske, Pat H. (June 30, 1985). "A 'Valley Girl' Grows Up". Los Angeles Times . p. AC14. Archived from the original on September 18, 2016. Retrieved July 6, 2017. Alternate Link (subscription required) via ProQuest.
  8. ↑ Van Gelder, Lawrence (January 30, 1986). "Movie Review: My Chauffeur (1986): Screen:'My Chauffeur'". The New York Times .
  9. ↑ Wilmington, Michael (January 28, 1986). "Movie Review : A Rambunctious Ride With 'My Chauffeur'". Los Angeles Times .
  10. ↑ Blau, Robert (January 27, 1986). "Pointless Obscenity Makes 'My Chauffeur' A Movie Violation". Chicago Tribune .
  11. ↑ Taylor, Charles (March 18, 1986). "My Chauffeur". Boston Phoenix . p. 14.
  12. ↑ Goldstein, Patrick (March 28, 1986). "Movie Reviews: 'April Fool's Day' Fools Itself". Los Angeles Times .
  13. ↑ Taylor, Charles (April 15, 1986). "April Fool's Day". Boston Phoenix . p. 5.
  14. ↑ Summers, Jimmy (June 1, 1986). "Reviews: April Fool's Day". Boxoffice . p. R64.[ permanent dead link ]
  15. ↑ Canby, Vincent (March 27, 1986). "Movie Review: April Fool's Day (1986): Screen: 'April Fool's Day' Directed By Fred Walton". The New York Times .
  16. ↑ Dillard, Brian J. "April Fool's Day (1986) review". AllMovie .
  17. ↑ Thomas, Kevin (November 10, 1989). "Movie Review: 'Friends, Lovers & Lunatics' Not Played for Laughs". Los Angeles Times .
  18. ↑ Thomas, Kevin (February 9, 1990). "Movie Review: 'Lobster' Launches Midnight Film Policy". Los Angeles Times .
  19. ↑ Thomas, Kevin (February 21, 1992). "Movie Review: 'Lunatics': High Imagination, Low Budget". Los Angeles Times .
  20. ↑ Hicks, Christopher (April 18, 1986). "'Showdown' should be rated 'S' for its total stupidity". Deseret News . p. W3.
  21. ↑ Briggs, Joe Bob (August 10, 1990). "'Lobster Man From Mars' Is A Good Kind Of Bad". Orlando Sentinel . Archived from the original on June 24, 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2013.
  22. ↑ Sciarretto, Amy (March 24, 2011). "She Wants Revenge to Release "Valleyheart" on May 24th". Artistdirect .
  23. ↑ Terrace, Vincent (2013). "The Grady Nutt Show". Encyclopedia of Television Pilots, 1937–2012. McFarland. pp. 110–111. ISBN   978-0-7864-7445-5.
  24. ↑ Terrace, Vincent (2013). "Maggie". Encyclopedia of Television Pilots, 1937–2012. McFarland. p. 177. ISBN   978-0-7864-7445-5.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.