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Nancy Allen

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
56

Gender
Female

Birthday
June 24, 1950 (76 years old)

Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA

Nancy Allen

Biography

Nancy Anne Allen (born June 24, 1950) is an American actress. She came to prominence for her performances in several films directed by Brian De Palma in the 1970s and early 1980s. Her accolades include a Golden Globe Award nomination and three Saturn Award nominations.

The daughter of a New York City police lieutenant, Allen was raised in the Bronx, and attended the High School of Performing Arts, aspiring to have a career as a dancer. In her early twenties, she shifted her focus to acting and relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career there. Her first major role was as Chris Hargensen in Brian De Palma's film adaptation of Carrie (1976). Allen was subsequently cast as the lead in the Robert Zemeckis-directed comedy I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978), followed by a supporting part in Steven Spielberg's 1941 (1979).

Allen married De Palma in 1979, and her subsequent portrayal of a prostitute who witnesses a murder in his feature Dressed to Kill (1980) earned her a Golden Globe nomination for New Star of the Year. She then appeared in De Palma's neo-noir film Blow Out (1981), playing a woman implicated in an assassination. Allen and DePalma divorced in 1984.

She appeared in the science fiction films Strange Invaders (1983) and The Philadelphia Experiment (1984), and Abel Ferrara's television film The Gladiator (1986). Allen garnered mainstream fame playing Anne Lewis in Paul Verhoeven's RoboCop (1987), a role she reprised for the two sequels that followed. Other credits include Poltergeist III (1988), Limit Up (1990), and Les patriotes (1994).

Allen stepped back from acting in 2008, and became involved in cancer support after her friend, Wendie Jo Sperber, died of breast cancer. In 2010, she was named executive director of the weSPARK Cancer Support Center in Los Angeles, which was founded by Sperber.

Known For

Acting

2023RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCopas Self
2022In Search of Tomorrowas Self - Interviewee
2020In Search of Darkness: Part IIas Self
2019The Movies That Made Usas Self
2017Corporate Wars: The Making of 'RoboCop 2'as Self
2016More Acting 'Carrie'as Self
2016Close Encounters with Vilmos Zsigmondas Self
2012Rag Doll Memories: Nancy Allen on 'Blow Out'as herself
2012Bound by Fleshas Voiceover
2008My Apocalypseas Linda Savage
2004John Travolta: The Inside Storyas Self
2002The Curse of Poltergeistas
2001Circuitas Louise
2001The Making of 'Dressed to Kill'as Self
2001Acting 'Carrie'as Self
2001The Divisionas Christine Ogden
2001Slashing 'Dressed to Kill'as Self
1999Kiss Toledo Goodbyeas Madge
1999Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's Returnas Rachel Colby
1999Law & Order: Special Victims Unitas Carin Healy
1999Secret of the Andesas Brenda Willings
1998Out of Sightas Midge
1998The Passas Shirley Duprey
1997Against the Lawas Maggie Hewitt
1997Dusting Cliff 7as Anna Bishop
1996E! True Hollywood Storyas
1995Valerie 23as Rachel Rose
1995The Outer Limitsas Rachel Rose
1994Touched by an Angelas Megan
1994The Patriotsas Catherine Pelman
1994The Man Who Wouldn't Dieas Jessie Gallardo
1993Acting on Impulseas Cathy Thomas
1993RoboCop 3as Anne Lewis
1991The Commishas
1990Memories of Murderas Alice
1990RoboCop 2as Officer Anne Lewis
1989Limit Upas Casey Falls
1988Poltergeist IIIas Patricia Wilson-Gardner
1987RoboCopas Officer Anne Lewis
1987Sweet Revengeas Jillian Grey
1986The Gladiatoras Susan Neville
1984Not for Publicationas Lois
1984Terror in the Aislesas Self - Host
1984The Philadelphia Experimentas Allison Hayes
1984The Buddy Systemas Carrie
1984The Princess and the Peaas Princess Elizabeth
1983Strange Invadersas Betty Walker
1982Faerie Tale Theatreas Princess Elizabeth
1981Blow Outas Sally Badina
1980Dressed to Killas Liz Blake
1980Home Moviesas Kristina
19791941as Donna Stratton
1978I Wanna Hold Your Handas Pam Mitchell
1976Carrieas Chris Hargenson
1975Forced Entryas Hitch Hiker
1973The Last Detailas Nancy

Production