Madeleine Stowe

Madeleine Stowe
Stowe in 2014
Born	August 18, 1958 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Southern California
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1978–present
Spouse	Brian Benben ​ (m. 1982)​
Children	1

Madeleine Stowe (born August 18, 1958) ^[1] is an American actress. She appeared mostly on television before her role in the 1987 crime-comedy film Stakeout . She went on to star in the films Revenge (1990), Unlawful Entry (1992), The Last of the Mohicans (1992), Blink (1993), 12 Monkeys (1995), The General's Daughter (1999), and We Were Soldiers (2002). For her role in the 1993 independent film Short Cuts , she won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress.

From 2011 to 2015, Stowe starred as Victoria Grayson, the main antagonist of the ABC drama series Revenge . For this role, she was nominated for the 2012 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama.

Early life

Stowe, the first of three children, was born at the Queen of Angels Hospital, ^[2] in Los Angeles, California, ^[3] and raised in Eagle Rock, a section of Los Angeles. Her father, Robert Stowe, was a civil engineer from Oregon, while her mother, Mireya (née Mora Steinvorth), came from a prominent family in Costa Rica. ^{[4] [5] [6]} One of Stowe's maternal great-great-grandfathers, politician José Joaquín Mora Porras, was a younger brother of President Juan Rafael Mora Porras, who governed Costa Rica from 1849 to 1859. Another maternal great-great-grandfather, Bruno Carranza, was briefly President of that country in 1870 (he resigned three months after taking office); his wife, Stowe's great-great-grandmother Gerónima Montealegre, was the sister of President José María Montealegre Fernández, who governed Costa Rica from 1859 to 1863, and himself the son of his country's first Vice Head of State Mariano Montealegre Bustamante, himself the half brother of Mariano Montealegre y Romero, the founder of the Montealegre family branch in Nicaragua.

Stowe's father suffered from multiple sclerosis, and she accompanied him to all his medical treatments. ^{[7] [8]} She originally aspired to become a concert pianist, taking lessons between the ages of ten and eighteen. She later explained that playing the piano was a means to escape having to socialize with other children her age. Her Ukrainian-born music teacher, Sergei Tarnowsky, had faith in Stowe, even teaching her from his deathbed. Following his death at the age of 92, she quit, later commenting, "I just felt it was time to not be by myself anymore."

Acting career

Early years

Not being especially interested in her college classes, she volunteered to do performances at the Solaris, a Beverly Hills theater, where a movie agent saw her in a play and got her several offers of appearances in TV and films. In 1978, she made her debut in an episode in the police drama series Baretta , followed by a string of TV work with guest appearances on The Amazing Spider-Man , Barnaby Jones and Little House on the Prairie . In 1978, she played a leading role as Mary in the television movie, The Nativity (1978). ^[1] She starred in two NBC miniseries: Beulah Land (1980) and The Gangster Chronicles (1981), which starred Brian Benben, her future husband. She also starred in several television films, such as Amazons (1984) and Blood & Orchids (1986). In 1984, she was featured in the music video for JD Souther's song Go Ahead And Rain.

Breakthrough and film career

Madeleine Stowe in 2002

In 1987, Stowe appeared in her first breakthrough role in the feature film Stakeout with Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez. ^[1] The film debuted at No.1 at the box office. ^{[9] [10]} In 1988, she played a leading role in Ciro Durán's film Tropical Snow , with David Carradine. She co-starred with Mark Harmon in the comedy Worth Winning , with Kevin Costner in the 1989 thriller Revenge , and opposite Jack Nicholson in 1990 in The Two Jakes . She played a leading role in the 1991 independent film Closet Land . ^[11]

In 1992, she appeared opposite Kurt Russell in the crime drama Unlawful Entry . ^[12] That same year, Stowe played Cora Munro in The Last of the Mohicans , which also starred Daniel Day-Lewis. Her critically acclaimed performance in the film, which grossed more than $75 million worldwide, elevated Stowe from supporting player to an A-list movie star. ^{[1] [13]} The next year, director Robert Altman cast Stowe in the award-winning ensemble cast movie Short Cuts , where she gave one of her most acclaimed screen performances as the wife of a compulsively lying and adulterous police officer played by Tim Robbins. She won the National Society of Film Critics Awards for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe Award and a Volpi Cup for Best Ensemble Cast for her performance in the movie.^{[ citation needed ]} She also made a cameo appearance in Stakeout's sequel Another Stakeout . ^[1] The following year, Stowe played a leading role as a blind musician in the thriller Blink , in the neo-noir thriller China Moon , and in the Western Bad Girls . ^[13] The year after that, she was a sympathetic psychiatrist in the financially successful and critically lauded science-fiction movie 12 Monkeys . Stowe received a Saturn Awards nomination for this performance.^{[ citation needed ]}

Madeleine Stowe in 2008

In 1994 Stowe was named one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People in the World". ^{[1] [14]} In 1995, Stowe was chosen by Empire as one of the "100 Sexiest Stars in Film History".^{[ citation needed ]}

Stowe postponed her acting career in 1996 to concentrate on her family life. She settled for several years in a Texas ranch, with her daughter May and husband Brian Benben. ^[15] In 1998, she came back with The Proposition and Playing by Heart , and then The General's Daughter , opposite John Travolta in 1999. ^[13] In 2001, she starred in the science-fiction box office bomb Impostor . ^[16] In 2002, she played Julia Moore in the war film We Were Soldiers with Mel Gibson, and the box office flop action-comedy Avenging Angelo opposite Sylvester Stallone. ^[13] In 2003, she starred in the thriller Octane as Senga Wilson, a single mother trying to save her teenage daughter (Mischa Barton) from a bizarre cult obsessed with blood and cars.

Recent years

Stowe's onscreen appearances became increasingly rare in the 2000s, as she focused on motherhood. She later stated in an interview : "I never thought, 'I'm retiring,' but I didn't feel that 'thing' revving in me. I was much more focused on May. It was frustrating at times, but now I see how she's turned out, I wouldn't have it any other way." ^[15] She occasionally appeared in some TV productions, such as Saving Milly , an adaptation of Morton Kondracke's book of the same name, of a woman diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. ^[17] Stowe starred in the not-picked-up Fox pilot Southern Comfort about a woman who takes over her mobster husband's business when he gets sent to prison. ^[18] In 2007, she appeared in the recurring role of Dr. Samantha Kohl in Jeff Goldblum's detective drama Raines on NBC, a mid-season replacement. The series was canceled after two months. In 2009 she starred in the Lifetime movie, The Christmas Hope . ^[13]

Stowe at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival

In 2011, Stowe announced her return and began playing Victoria Grayson, the glamorous and powerful matriarch of the Grayson family, on ABC's television drama series Revenge . ^{[19] [20]} It debuted on September 21, and was picked up for a full season by ABC on October 13. ^[21] Stowe's portrayal of the character received critical praise, ^[22] and she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for this role. ^[23] In April 2012, she was listed at No. 5 in People magazine's annual Most Beautiful Woman list. ^{[24] [25]} The series ended in 2015 after four seasons and 89 episodes.

In May and June 2016, Stowe guest hosted primetime films on Turner Classic Movies, appearing in dozens of wraparounds on the channel. In 2019, she returned to acting starring as actress Margot Weston in the Netflix musical drama series, Soundtrack . ^[26] The series was canceled after one season. ^[27]

Personal life

In 1982, Stowe married Brian Benben, whom she met on the set of the NBC miniseries The Gangster Chronicles the previous year. Now living in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, they have lived on a ranch west of Austin, near Fredericksburg, Texas. ^{[28] [2] [29]}

In 2008, Stowe traveled to Haiti and helped found Artists for Peace and Justice. She is on the board of directors of the foundation. ^{[30] [31]}

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1981	Gangster Wars	Ruth Lasker
1987	Stakeout	Maria McGuire
1988	Tropical Snow	Marina
1989	Worth Winning	Veronica Briskow
1990	Revenge	Miryea Mendez
	The Two Jakes	Lillian Bodine
1991	Closet Land	Victim
1992	Unlawful Entry	Karen Carr
	The Last of the Mohicans	Cora Munro
1993	Another Stakeout	Maria McGuire	Uncredited cameo
	Short Cuts	Sherri Shepard
1994	China Moon	Rachel Munro
	Blink	Emma Brody
	Bad Girls	Cody Zamora
1995	12 Monkeys	Kathryn Railly
1998	The Proposition	Eleanor Barret
	Playing by Heart	Gracie
1999	The General's Daughter	Warr. Off. Sara Sunhill
2001	Impostor	Maya Olham
2002	We Were Soldiers	Julia Moore
	Avenging Angelo	Jennifer Barrett Allieghieri
2003	Octane	Senga Wilson	aka Pulse

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1978	Baretta	Anna	Episode: "The Marker"
1978	The Amazing Spider-Man	Maria Calderon	Episode: "Escort to Danger"
1978	The Nativity	Mary, mother of Jesus	Movie
1978	The Deerslayer	Hetty Hutter	Movie
1979	Barnaby Jones	Diane	Episode: "School of Terror"
1980	Beulah Land	Selma Kendrick Davis	Miniseries
1980	Little House on the Prairie	Annie Crane	Episode: "Portrait of Love"
1981	Trapper John, M.D.	Cassie	Episode: "Creepy Time Gal"
1981	The Gangster Chronicles	Ruth Lasker	Miniseries
1984	Amazons	Dr. Sharon Fields	Movie
1986	Blood & Orchids	Hester Ashley Murdoch	Movie
2002	The Magnificent Ambersons	Isabel Amberson Minafer	Movie
2005	Saving Milly	Milly Martinez	Movie
2006	Southern Comfort	Charlotte	Pilot
2007	Raines	Dr. Samantha Kohl	5 episodes
2009	The Christmas Hope	Patricia Addison	Movie
2011–2015	Revenge	Victoria Grayson	89 episodes
2016	12 Monkeys	Lillian	Episode: "Memory of Tomorrow"
2019	Soundtrack	Margot Weston	10 episodes
2025	It: Welcome to Derry	TBA	[32]

Awards and nominations

Year	Association	Category	Work	Result
1993	Venice Film Festival	Special Volpi Cup for Best Ensemble Cast	Short Cuts	Recipient
1994	National Society of Film Critics	Best Supporting Actress		Won
	Golden Globe Awards	Special Award for Ensemble Cast (non-competitive)		Recipient
1996	Sci-Fi Universe Magazine, USA	Best Actress in a Genre Motion Picture	12 Monkeys	Won
	Saturn Awards	Best Actress		Nominated
2000	Blockbuster Entertainment Awards	Favorite Supporting Actress - Suspense	The General's Daughter	Nominated
	ALMA Awards	Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film		Nominated
2003	American Veterans Center	Best Actress	We Were Soldiers	Won
2005	Imagen Awards	Best Actress	Saving Milly	Won
2012	Golden Globe Awards	Best Actress – Television Series Drama	Revenge	Nominated
	ALMA Awards	Favorite TV Actress – Drama		Nominated
2013	TV Guide Awards	Favorite Villain		Nominated
2014	Keck School of Medicine of USC	Humanitarian Award [33]		Won

References

1. "Biography for Madeleine Stowe". Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved February 16, 2011.
2. Wallace, Amy (February 1, 2012). "Madeleine Stowe". Los Angeles magazine. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
3. Jackson, Vannessa (May 17, 2016). "Madeleine Stowe". Hollywood Life. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
4. "The Leading Madeleine Online Site on the Net". MadeleineOnline.com. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
5. "Search Results" . Retrieved November 28, 2014.
6. "Madeleine Stowe's Second Act | MORE Magazine". More.com. Archived from the original on October 8, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
7. "The Trip to Bankable", Los Angeles Times , January 30, 1994.
8. "Madeleine Stowe on Caring For Someone With MS". NewLifeOutlook | Multiple Sclerosis. October 23, 2014.
9. "Stakeout' Ranks No. 1 In Box-Office Sales". The New York Times . September 2, 1987. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
10. "Stakeout in First Place In Week's Ticket Sales". The New York Times . August 27, 1987. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
11. Closet Land (1990), AllRovi .
12. Unlawful Entry, Box Office Mojo .
13. "Madeleine Stowe- Biography". Yahoo! . Retrieved February 17, 2011.
14. "The 50 Most Beautiful People in the World". People magazine . Retrieved February 17, 2011.
15. Madeleine Stowe: Best Revenge, People , December 12, 2011.
16. "Impostor - boxofficemojo" . Retrieved November 28, 2014.
17. TELEVISION REVIEW When the Course of True Love Is Derailed by Disease, March 12, 2005, The New York Times .
18. IN OTHER FALL PILOT NEWS..., Feb 27, 2006, TV Guide .
19. Andreeva, Nellie (March 15, 2011). "Madeleine Stowe Among Latest Pilot Castings". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved March 22, 2011.
20. "Revenge on ABC". ABC. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
21. Ausiello, Michael (October 13, 2011). "Breaking: ABC Orders Full Seasons of Revenge and Suburgatory". TVLine . Retrieved October 13, 2011.
22. "The New Queen of Mean: Madeleine Stowe of 'Revenge'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 8, 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
23. "Golden Globes nominations: 'The Artist' leads pack of nominees". EW.com. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
24. PEOPLE's 2012 World's Most Beautiful Woman, People, Retrieved April 28, 2012.
25. Madeleine Stowe Shares Mom's Best Beauty Advice, People, April 17, 2012, Retrieved April 25, 2012.
26. Petski, Denise; Andreeva, Nellie (February 16, 2018). "'Mixtape': Madeleine Stowe To Co-Star In Fox Musical Drama Pilot". Deadline Hollywood .
27. Petski, Denise (January 31, 2020). "'Soundtrack' Canceled After One Season At Netflix". Deadline Hollywood .
28. "Tree Crushes Actress Madeleine Stowe's Car in Pacific Palisades". November 28, 2011.
29. Macor, Alison (June 1999). "Madeleine in the Hill Country". Texas Monthly. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
30. "abc News". ABC News . Retrieved July 29, 2013.
31. "The Team - Artists For Peace And Justice web site" . Retrieved November 28, 2014.
32. D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 14, 2023). "Max 'It' Prequel Series 'Welcome To Derry' Welcomes Madeleine Stowe & Stephen Rider". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved April 14, 2023.
33. "Twitter / USCHealthNews: Actress Madeleine Stowe takes". Twitter.com. Retrieved June 4, 2014.

External links

• Madeleine Stowe at IMDb
• Madeleine Stowe at the TCM Movie Database
• Madeleine Stowe at AllMovie
• Madeleine Stowe at TV Guide
• Madeleine Stowe at People.com