Kristy Swanson

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Kristy Swanson
Kristy Swanson Photo Op Nightmare Weekend Richmond 2024 (cropped).jpg
Swanson in 2024
Born (1969-12-19) December 19, 1969 (age 55) [1] [2]
Laguna Beach, California, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1984–present
Spouse
(m. 2009)
Children1

Kristy Swanson (born December 19, 1969) is an American actress. She is best recognized for having played Buffy Summers in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer and appeared in the 1996 film The Phantom . [3]

Contents

Her first starring role was in Wes Craven's horror film Deadly Friend (1986), followed by her portrayal of Catherine "Cathy" Dollanganger in the 1987 film adaptation film adaptation of V. C. Andrews's Flowers in the Attic (1987). Swanson also starred in several films, including Hot Shots! (1991), Mannequin Two: On the Move (1991), The Program (1993), The Chase (1994), 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag (1997), Big Daddy (1999), and Dude, Where's My Car? (2000), and appeared in Pretty in Pink (1986) and Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986).

Early life

Swanson was born in South Laguna, California at the South Coast Community Hospital and was raised in Mission Viejo, California by her parents Rosemary Albrecht and Robert Russell Swanson, a high school teacher. [4] At the age of nine, she expressed interest in acting to her parents, and began pursuing roles in television commercials. She landed her first job appearing in a doll house commercial, which was followed with several more commercial appearances. [4]

Career

Swanson began her acting career at The Actors Workshop with R. J. Adams and promptly moved into TV advertising roles and several one-off appearances in TV series such as Cagney and Lacey and Alfred Hitchcock Presents . In 1986, she debuted on the big screen in two John Hughes films: Pretty in Pink , in a non-speaking role, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off as a character who announces a convoluted excuse for Ferris's absence in class. Her first starring role was later in 1986, in Wes Craven's Deadly Friend as Samantha "the girl next door." The next year she played Cathy in Flowers in the Attic, an adaptation of V. C. Andrews' bestselling novel.

Swanson described how she was cast in Pretty in Pink : "[Writer] John Hughes said, 'We're re-shooting the end of Pretty in Pink. I was wondering if you would come be in this scene with our main character, Ducky, because the way we tested it in the movie theater, it didn't work. We need him to end up with somebody else at the end of the movie. So would you play the part?'" [5]

By 1990, Swanson had made many television appearances, including multiple appearances in Knots Landing (1987–1988), Nightingales (1989), her first starring role in a television series, although it only lasted a season, and a short-lived Burt Reynolds television series called B.L. Stryker (1989).

Throughout the 1990s, she starred mostly in films. She played the title role in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer . Although not a hit at the box office originally, it had a profitable rental life. She appeared in both starring and supporting roles in films such as Hot Shots! , The Program , The Chase , and her most critically acclaimed role, playing Kristen Connor, a student discovering her sexuality, in John Singleton's Higher Learning . She also appeared in the film adaptation of the comic-book The Phantom and the dark comedy 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag with Joe Pesci. Most of these films failed at the box office, and she reverted to television work in the late 1990s.[ citation needed ]

In the 1998–99 season of Early Edition , Swanson played Erica Paget, a love interest of the main character, Gary Hobson. In 1999, Swanson played Vanessa, the ex-girlfriend of Adam Sandler in the film Big Daddy . In 2000, she returned to a television series, as the star of Grapevine , a revamp of a 1992 TV series that was canceled after five episodes. The same year, she starred in the successful film Dude, Where's My Car? , alongside Ashton Kutcher, Seann William Scott and Jennifer Garner.

Swanson posed nude for Playboy magazine in November 2002 in a cover-featured pictorial. [6] She appeared in and won in the 2006 Fox television program Skating with Celebrities , partnered with Lloyd Eisler.

In 2007, she became a spokesperson of the Medifast diet. In the following year, she guest-starred in three episodes of the lesbian web series 3Way. In the same year, she appeared in an episode Law & Order: Criminal Intent .

In 2021, a release date of June 15 was announced for Swanson's recent feature and a Jennifer Nichole Lee and Paul Schneider collaboration, Just Another Dream. She co-starred alongside long-time friend Dean Cain. [7]

Personal life

Swanson married her Skating with Celebrities partner Lloyd Eisler in 2009. They have a son, and two children from his previous marriage. [8]

Swanson is a Republican. [9] Swanson co-starred in Obamagate, a stage play that focused on Donald Trump, with Dean Cain. [10]

In 2021, Swanson was hospitalized with COVID-19 with severe respiratory complications. [11]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1986 Pretty in Pink Duckette
1986 Ferris Bueller's Day Off Simone Adamley
1986 Deadly Friend Samantha Pringle
1987 Flowers in the Attic Catherine "Cathy" Dollanganger
1990Dream TrapSue Halloran
1990 Diving In Terry Hopkins
1991 Mannequin Two: On the Move Jessie
1991 Hot Shots! Kowalski
1992 Highway to Hell Rachel Clark
1992 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Buffy Summers
1993 The Program Camille Shafer
1994 The Chase Natalie Voss
1994 Getting In Kirby Watts
1995 Higher Learning Kristen Connor
1995The Chili Con Carne ClubJulieShort film
1996 The Phantom Diana Palmer
1997 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag Laurie Bennett
1997Lover GirlDarlene Ferrari / "Sherry"
1997TinseltownNikki Randall
1998 Ground Control Julie Albrecht
1999 Big Daddy Vanessa
2000 Meeting Daddy Laurel Lee
2000 Dude, Where's My Car? Christie Boner
2001 Soul Assassin Tessa Jansen
2003SilenceDr. Julia Craig
2005Bound by LiesLaura CrossVideo
2005Six Months LaterLindaShort film
2006Living DeathElizabeth HarrisVideo
2009The CloserKaitlynShort film
2010 What If... Wendy WalkerThis was her first theatrical film in nine years.
2011Chick MagnetKristyVideo
2012Little Women, Big CarsRocky
2013The BouquetTerri Benton
2013 Storm Rider Jody PetersonVideo
2014 Beethoven's Treasure Tail Anne ParkerVideo
2014A Belle For ChristmasDaniella DownyVideo
2015Angels in the SnowJudith MontgomeryVideo
2017A Parent's Worst NightmareKathrinTelevision film
2017A Mother's SacrificeJoanna
2017Crowning Jules [12] Victoria
2018Killer Under the BedSarah
2020The ObamaGate Movie Lisa Page Online release
2021Just Another DreamCindy MillerVideo
2021Courting Mom and DadSarah Lambert

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1984 It's Your Move LauraEpisode: "Love Letters"
1985 Call to Glory SallyEpisodes: "JFK: Parts 1 & 2"
1985 Cagney & Lacey Stephanie BrandonEpisode: "On the Street"
1985Joan Rivers and Friends Salute Heidi AbromowitzYoung Heidi Abromowitz
1986 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Female Student #2Episode: "The Gloating Place"
1986Miracle of the Heart: A Boys Town StoryStephanie GambleTelevision film
1986 Mr. Boogedy Jennifer DavisTelevision film (ABC)
1986 The Hogan Family Linda PerkinsEpisode: "The Big Fix-Up"
1987JuarezCathy DodgeTelevision film
1987 Growing Pains RhondaEpisode: "Thank God It's Friday"
1987 Not Quite Human Eron JeffriesTelevision film (ABC)
1987–1988 Knots Landing Jody CampbellRecurring role (8 episodes)
1988The LonerSherry SpicerTelevision film
1988 Ohara Jennifer CollinsEpisode: "X"
1988NightingalesRebecca "Becky" GrangerTelevision film (NBC)
1989 Nightingales Rebecca "Becky" GrangerMain role (13 episodes)
1989 B.L. Stryker Lynn EllingsworthEpisodes: "The Dancer's Touch", "Blues for Buder"
1996Marshal LawLilly NelsonTelevision film (Showtime)
1997Bad to the BoneFrancesca WellsTelevision film (ABC)
1998–1999 Early Edition Erica PagetMain role (20 episodes)
1999 Supreme Sanction JennaTelevision film (HBO)
2000GrapevineSusan CrawfordRegular role (5 episodes)
2001Untitled Charles Randolph ProjectTV pilot
2001 Zebra Lounge Louise BauerTelevision film
2003 Just Shoot Me! Allison CavanaughEpisode: "There's Something About Allison"
2003 Red Water Dr. Kelli RaymondTelevision film (TBS)
2004 CSI: Miami Roxanne PriceEpisode: "Complications"
2005Forbidden SecretsAlexandra Kent LambethTelevision film
2006 The Black Hole Shannon MuirTelevision film (Syfy)
2007 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Lorelai MailerEpisode: "Bombshell." Her character appears similar to Anna Nicole Smith.
2009 Hell's Kitchen HerselfSeason 6 Episode 4: "13 Chefs Compete"
2010 One Tree Hill Woman in CarEpisode: "Don't You Forget About Me" Cameo appearance. The episode is also an homage to John Hughes.
2011 Swamp Shark Rachel BouchardTelevision film (Syfy)
2011A Christmas WishMartha EvansTelevision film (Hallmark)
2011–2014 Psych Marlowe Viccellio Recurring role (6 episodes)
2012Operation CupcakeJanet CarsonTelevision film
2014A Lesson in Romance [13] Megan MillsTelevision film (PixL)
2014Merry Ex-MasNoelleTelevision film (ION)
2015Driven UndergroundSarah PalmerTelevision film (Lifetime)
2015Angels in the SnowJudith MontgomeryTelevision film (UP)
2018Bad StepmotherLouiseTelevision film (Lifetime)
2018Winter's DreamKatTelevision film (Hallmark)
2019 SEAL Team Julia LoganEpisodes: "Payback", "Medicate and Isolate", "Rock Bottom"

Awards and nominations

Wins

Nominations

References

  1. "Official Page/Actress #KristySwanson, God 1st, Proud Mama, Happy Wife, Loyal Friend". Twitter.com. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  2. "Kristy Swanson, Pro-Trump Actress Who's Questioned COVID Protocols, Hospitalized With COVID". Thewrap.com. November 1, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  3. O., Jimmy (July 24, 2015). "Where in the Horror are they Now? Kristy Swanson". Arrow in the Head. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  4. 1 2 Vanderknyff, Rick (July 31, 1992). "Will 'Buffy' Role Slay 'Em? : Mission Viejo's Kristy Swanson Is No Stranger to Outrageous Parts". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved December 29, 2015.
  5. "Kristy Swanson, Lead Role in 1992 Film "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"—Guest 06/04/2015". Kenboxerlive.com. June 4, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  6. "Amazon.com: Kristy Swanson Cover Playboy November 2002 : Hugh Hefner: Everything Else". Amazon.com. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  7. "Michigan Native Writes & Films New Movie Throughout State". Wcrz.com. June 14, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  8. Benet, Lorenzo (February 7, 2009). "Kristy Swanson and Lloyd Eisler Get Married!". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  9. Swanson, Kristy [@kristyswansonxo] (August 16, 2017). "I've always been a proud republican" (Tweet). Retrieved April 24, 2019 via Twitter.
  10. Moniuszko, Sara M. (May 23, 2019). "Pro-Trump star Kristy Swanson: Dean Cain and I got 'death threats' over play". USA Today. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  11. Lukpat, Alyssa (November 2, 2021). "Kristy Swanson, actress and vaccine skeptic, is hospitalized with Covid. (Published 2021)". The New York Times. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  12. "Video: Crowning Jules Trailer". Brian Harrington. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
  13. "Kristy Swanson - A Lesson in Love - Cast". Hallmarkchannel.com. Archived from the original on April 20, 2014. Retrieved February 16, 2022.