Mädchen Amick


Actor

About

Also Known As
Madchen E Amick
Birth Place
Sparks, Nevada, USA
Born
December 12, 1970

Biography

Best-known for playing waitress Shelly Johnson in "Twin Peaks" (ABC, 1990-91), prolific actress Mädchen Amick also enjoyed recurring roles in "Central Park West" (CBS, 1995-96), "Witches of East End" (Lifetime, 2013-14) and "Riverdale" (The CW, 2017-) as well as leading parts in dozens of TV movies. Born in Sparks, NV in 1970, Amick moved to Los Angeles aged 16 to pursue an acting career...

Family & Companions

David Alexis
Husband
Recording artist.

Biography

Best-known for playing waitress Shelly Johnson in "Twin Peaks" (ABC, 1990-91), prolific actress Mädchen Amick also enjoyed recurring roles in "Central Park West" (CBS, 1995-96), "Witches of East End" (Lifetime, 2013-14) and "Riverdale" (The CW, 2017-) as well as leading parts in dozens of TV movies. Born in Sparks, NV in 1970, Amick moved to Los Angeles aged 16 to pursue an acting career and made her screen debut in a 1989 episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (Syndication, 1987-1994). She subsequently played an emotionally-disturbed teen in "Baywatch" (Syndication, 1989-2001), a serial killer in Tobe Hooper's "I'm Dangerous Tonight" (1990) and Kyle MacLachlan's girlfriend in "Don't Tell Her It's Me" (1990). There were also early roles in "Jury Duty: The Comedy" (1990), "Til I Kissed Ya" (1991) and "The Borrower" (1991), but it was her casting in "Twin Peaks" (ABC, 1990-91) that truly elevated her career. Amick portrayed waitress Shelly Johnson in the original series, its big-screen spin-off "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me" (1992) and its revival "Twin Peaks: The Return" (Showtime 2017). After landing her biggest film role, sexually curious virgin Tanya in Stephen King adaptation "Sleepwalkers" (1992), Amick played femme fatale figures in "Dream Lover" (1993) and "Love, Cheat and Steal" (1993), hostage victim Sarah in "Trapped in Paradise" (1994) and warring screenwriter Zina in "French Exit" (1995). She returned to television when she was cast as the scheming Carrie Fairchild in prime-time soap opera "Central Park West" (CBS, 1995-96) before adding "The Courtyard" (1995), "Heartless" (1997) and "The Hunted" (1998) to her ever-increasing list of TV movies. She also played a vengeful forest ranger in "Wounded" (1997), a surgeon in "Bombshell" (1997) and justice-seeking attorney in "Twist of Fate" (1998), assumed the role of shape-shifting second-in-command Ariel in the "Fantasy Island (ABC, 1998-99) revival and guested as substitute teacher Nicole on "Dawson's Creek" (The WB, 1997-2003). Amick then appeared as a blackmailing call-girl in "The List" (2000), deli owner in "Scenes of the Crime" (2001) and world-saving doctor in "Global Effect" (2002), took leading roles in TV movies "Hangman" (2001) and "The Rats" (2002), and played Sherry Tinsdale on three episodes of "Gilmore Girls" (The WB, 2000-07). She enjoyed much longer stints as social worker Wendall Meade in "ER" (NBC, 1994-2009) next-door-neighbor Sara in "Joey" (NBC, 2004-06) and sister-in-law Allison on "Freddie" (ABC, 2005-06). After starring in indie drama "Four Corners of Suburbia" (2005), Amick guested as an assassin on "Kidnapped" (NBC, 2006-07), a cougar Duchess on "Gossip Girl" (The CW, 2007-2012) and Lew's long-lost love on "Californication" (Showtime, 2007-2014), landed supporting roles in "Viva Laughlin" (CBS, 2007) and "My Own Worst Enemy" (NBC, 2008), and played Lily Collins' mother in "Priest" (2011). Amick's prolific TV streak continued with recurring guest spots on "Damages" (FX, 2007-2012), "CSI: NY" (2004-2013), "Longmire" (A&E, 2012-), "American Horror Story: Hotel" (FX, 2015-16) and "Love" (Netflix, 2016-). Amick also landed the permanent roles of troublemaking sister Wendy Beauchamp in "Witches of East End" (Lifetime, 2013-14) and Betty's controlling mother Alice in "Riverdale" (The CW, 2017-).

Life Events

1987

Moved to Los Angeles at age 16 (date approximate)

1990

Feature acting debut, "Don't Tell Her It's Me"

1990

Cast as Shelly Johnson in "Twin Peaks" (ABC, 1990-91)

1990

TV-movie acting debut, "Jury Duty"

1992

Took leading role in "Sleepwalkers"

1992

Reprised role of Shelly in David Lynch's feature "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me"

1994

Starred opposite James Spader in "Dream Lover"

1995

Played bad girl Carrie Fairchild in CBS nighttime soap, "Central Park West/CPW"

1998

Returned to series TV as co-star of the short-lived ABC series "Fantasy Island"

1999

Signed to play Mrs. Freed in the NBC biopic "Mr. Rock 'n' Roll: The Alan Freed Story" opposite Judd Nelson

1999

Had a recurring role as Nicole Kennedy in the WB drama "Dawson's Creek"

2002

Cast in a recurring role on the WB's "Gilmore Girls"

2004

Cast as Wendall Meade, a social worker and love interest to Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle) on the medical drama "ER" (NBC)

2005

Joined the cast of "Joey" (NBC) as a photographer and romantic interest of Matt LeBlanc's character

2013

Landed part of Wendy Beauchamp in "Witches of East End" (Lifetime, 2013-14)

2016

Began playing Alice Cooper on "Riverdale"

2017

Reprised role of Shelly Johnson in "Twin Peaks: The Return"

Videos

Movie Clip

Terminal Man, The (1974) -- (Movie Clip) You've Been Given Ten Milligrams Unbridled corporate scientists, Donald Moffat as McPherson, with Richard Dysart, Michael C. Gwynne, Matt Clark as technician Gerhard and Joan Hackett as Dr. Ross, with their post-surgical patient, the title character, George Segal as psychotic computer genius Harry, delight at their ability to control his laughter, then contain his seizure, in The Terminal Man, 1974.
Terminal Man, The (1974) -- (Movie Clip) In Unfamiliar Surroundings Psychiatrist Ross (Joan Hackett) lectures an absurdly large assemblage of colleagues about her patient (George Segal as the title character, psychotic computer genius Harry Benson) before his radical brain surgery procedure, Mike Hodges directing from his script based on the Michael Crichton novel, in The Terminal Man, 1974.
Terminal Man, The (1974) -- (Movie Clip) He's Very Heavily Sedated As violent psychotic computer scientist Harry (George Segal, title character) is prepared for experimental brain surgery, one of his doctors (Michael C. Gwynne as Morris) receives unexpected visitor Angela (Jill Clayburgh, in one of her first movie roles), while a nurse (Dee Carroll) reads a disturbing report, in The Terminal Man, 1974, directed by Mike Hodges.
Terminal Man, The (1974) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Where Psycho-Surgery Is Concerned An unexplained shot of a helicopter, then photos of the title character (George Segal) and family in a forensic context, as doctor Donald Moffat, P-R man James B. Sikking and surgeon Richard Dysart converse in a rooftop L-A restaurant, opening director and screenwriter Mike Hodges’ adaptation of the Michael Crichton novel, The Terminal Man, 1974.
Mandingo (1975) -- (Movie Clip) On This Plantation Out of the credits with the end of Muddy Waters’ recording of the original theme song by Maurice Jarre and Hi Tide Harris, James Mason as plantation owner Maxwell, Paul Benedict as slave trader Brownlee, Ji-Tu Cumbuka as Cicero and Perry King as son Hammond, with foul language typical of the controversial box-office hit Mandingo, 1975.
Mandingo (1975) -- (Movie Clip) The New Mrs. Maxwell In pre-Civil War New Orleans, Perry King as plantation owner Hammond, Susan George his cousin and new bride Blanche, whom we understand to have been raped by her brother while a pre-teen, with unusually direct and explicit language, in the controversial box office hit Mandingo, 1975.
Mandingo (1975) -- (Movie Clip) Slaves & Mules Impressive period staging, Richard Fleischer directing, the introduction of heavyweight ex-champ Ken Norton as slave Mede, prized as a specimen of the Mandinka ethnic group, noted in the title, nasty language as Hammond (Perry King) bids against a German (Rosemary Tichenor), in Mandingo, 1975.
Soylent Green (1973) -- (Movie Clip) Keep It Friendly Charles (Leonard Stone), building manager and de facto pimp for the “furniture” girls, breaks up their party not realizing that openly corrupt detective Thorn (Charlton Heston) is busy with Shirl (Leigh Taylor-Young), the property of his murdered tenant, in 2022 New York, in Soylent Green, 1973.
Soylent Green (1973) -- (Movie Clip) L'Chaim! Bent but honest future cop Thorn (Charlton Heston) and his aged research assistant Sol (Edward G. Robinson), who knows about how food used to be way back when, feast on what he’s plundered from crime victims in recent days, in famine-stricken 2022 New York, in Soylent Green, 1973.
Competition, The (1980) -- (Movie Clip) Placing Third In Cincinnati After credits in which he competes in a concert piano competition, Richard Dreyfuss as Paul at home with his parents (Philip Sterling, Gloria Stroock) considering his future, opening The Competition, 1980, from director Joel Oliansky, also starring Amy Irving.
Competition, The (1980) -- (Movie Clip) You Have No Time For Her Introduced separately in earlier scenes, relatively junior pianist Heidi (Amy Irving) greets Paul (Richard Dreyfuss), who’s entering one last competition before he gives it up to become a teacher, at an elite San Francisco event, in The Competition, 1980.
Competition, The (1980) -- (Movie Clip) Like Any Virgin We already know the male lead (Richard Dreyfuss) will be joining the prestigious San Francisco piano competition as we meet Amy Irving (as pianist Heidi), with Lee Remick as her profane-ish instructor Greta, in The Competition, 1980.

Trailer

Companions

David Alexis
Husband
Recording artist.

Bibliography