Vanessa Lee Chester

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Vanessa Lee Chester
Vanessa Lee Chester.jpg
Chester in 2007
Born (1984-07-02) July 2, 1984 (age 40)
Alma mater University of Southern California
OccupationActress
Years active1992–present

Vanessa Lee Chester (born July 2, 1984) is an American actress. [1] She began her career as a child actor in the films A Little Princess (1995) and Harriet the Spy (1996), before her breakthrough role in Steven Spielberg's The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997).

Contents

Biography

Chester was born on July 2, 1984, at Brooklyn, New York City, [2] to Guyanese parents who immigrated to the United States. In her early childhood, she relocated with her mother to Los Angeles, California, where she began auditioning for and appearing in commercials. [2]

Chester made her film debut in the comedy CB4 (1993) starring Chris Rock. The following year, she appeared in a supporting role in Alfonso Cuarón's A Little Princess (1995). [1] In 1996, she appeared opposite Michelle Trachtenberg as Janie in the Nickelodeon film Harriet the Spy, which was a moderate box office success. [3] The following year, she was cast in a lead role as Kelly in Steven Spielberg's The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), [4] playing the daughter of Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum). The film was a box office hit, grossing over $600 million worldwide. [5] Chester later worked mostly in television, most notably appearing in Malcolm in the Middle and The West Wing. She was nominated for a Saturn Award (The Lost World: Jurassic Park), Image Award (The Lost World: Jurassic Park), Young Artist Award (A Little Princess) and took home the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actress (Harriet The Spy). [6] In early 2012, Chester began work on an unnamed film by Ty Hodges. [6]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1993 CB4 Talona
1995 A Little Princess Becky
1996 Harriet the Spy Janie Gibbs
1997 The Lost World: Jurassic Park Kelly Curtis
1999 She's All That Melissa's Friend
2006The ShiftDaughterShort
2008 Extreme Movie Charlotte
2009 17 Again Cheerleader
2014The Costume ShopYoung Janie
The ArrangementEmily Myers-StanleyShort
2015FatedEliza

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1992 Hangin' with Mr. Cooper StephanieEpisode: "Miracle in Oaktown"
1994 Me and the Boys ReneeEpisode: "Every Good Boy Does Fine" & "Talent Show"
1997 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child School Child #3Episode: "Goldilocks and the Three Bears"
Promised Land Emily DixonEpisode: "Stealing Home: Part 1 & 2"
1999 Get Real Rude GirlEpisode: "Anatomy of a Rumor"
1999-2000 Once and Again AnnieRecurring cast: season 1, guest: season 2
2000 Stepsister from Planet Weird MichelleTV movie
Dreams in the AtticAngel
2002 Family Law Girl #1Episode: "Celano v. Foster"
Malcolm in the Middle Student #3Episode: "Humilithon"
2004 Crossing Jordan AndreaEpisode: "Most Likely"
2005 Without a Trace DoriEpisode: "Lost Time"
2006 The West Wing Youth Voter #2Episode: "Duck and Cover"
Veronica Mars MaureenEpisode: "I Am God"
Justice 2nd Mock JurorEpisode: "Filicide"
2010 Lone Star Tamar WilsonEpisode: "Small Time"
20119ineCandaceEpisode: "May"
Switched at Birth LizzyEpisode: "The Stag Hunt"
ReconstructionEleanorTV movie
2012 How I Met Your Mother MiaEpisode: "The Autumn of Break-Ups"
2013 Welcome to Sanditon Letitia "Griff" Griffiths4 episodes
2015 Scorpion SecretaryEpisode: "Cliffhanger"
2016Ladies Like Us: The Rise of Neighborhood WatchNataliaEpisode: "In a Matrix"
2021 Summer Camp Island Nancy (voice)Episode: "Betsy and the Ghost Chapter 3: There's a Racket In My Hope Chest"

References

  1. 1 2 "Vanessa Lee Chester". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-06-20.
  2. 1 2 Chester, Vanessa Lee (June 19, 2018). "Crystals and Jeff Goldblum (with Vanessa Chester)" (Interview). Interviewed by Povitsky, Esther; Goldfarb, Caroline. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  3. Box Office Mojo: Harriet the Spy
  4. Holden, Stephen (May 23, 1997). "The Lost World Jurassic Park (1997) A Jurassic Romp of Parental Mayhem". The New York Times .
  5. "The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Natural Hair Talk with Vanessa Lee Chester". Mz Mahogany Chic. Retrieved 16 April 2012.