ALLY SHEEDY
Born June 13, 1962, in New York City to her ad exec father and
literary agent mother, twelve-year-old Ally Sheedy published a
children's book, "She Was Nice to Mice", that earned her
notice in New York City's publishing world. Aside from getting
offers to pen reviews and articles for "The New York Times,"
"The Village Voice"and "Ms. Magazine," the pint-size scribe
was spotted by an agent on a TV appearance to promote her
book, thereby landing representation and her first experiences
with showbiz: casting calls for commercials. Aside from
commercials, Sheedy also appeared off-Broadway and in
after-school specials.
Surprisingly, acting was not Sheedy's first love. It was
ballet. But Sheedy found the stringent ballerina diet was not
to her taste. Fittingly, upon graduating high school, Ally
Sheedy packed her bags for Hollywood and the University of
Southern California. She promptly landed roles in such TV
movies as "Splendor in the Grass" and "Homeroom" and made her
big-screen debut in the gritty teen prison drama Bad Boys
(1983) with Sean Penn. That same year, she starred with
Matthew Broderick in War Games, and the actress followed this
up with the Rob Lowe vehicle Oxford Blues (1984). 1985 saw
Sheedy's star shine brightest. She co-starred in both The
Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire alongside Emilio Estevez,
Molly Ringwald and others. These films launched the Brat Pack
phenomenon that would cast a long shadow over all those
associated with this young crop of actors.
Unfortunately, Sheedy's subsequent films proved uneven: Maid
to Order (1987), The Heart of Dixie (1989) and Man's Best
Friend (1983) among the least celebrated. In the midst of her
career slide, Sheedy battled an addiction to prescription
sleeping pills. Undoubtedly the actress used her life
experience to nail her part of a drug-addicted New York City
photographer in 1998's acclaimed High Art. Since 1998 Sheedy
has put forth lauded performances in several independent
films. She also starred as the androgynous lead in the
off-Broadway hit "Hedgewidge and the Angry Inch."
Born June 13, 1962, in New York City to her ad exec father and
literary agent mother, twelve-year-old Ally Sheedy published a
children's book, "She Was Nice to Mice", that earned her
notice in New York City's publishing world. Aside from getting
offers to pen reviews and articles for "The New York Times,"
"The Village Voice"and "Ms. Magazine," the pint-size scribe
was spotted by an agent on a TV appearance to promote her
book, thereby landing representation and her first experiences
with showbiz: casting calls for commercials. Aside from
commercials, Sheedy also appeared off-Broadway and in
after-school specials.
Surprisingly, acting was not Sheedy's first love. It was
ballet. But Sheedy found the stringent ballerina diet was not
to her taste. Fittingly, upon graduating high school, Ally
Sheedy packed her bags for Hollywood and the University of
Southern California. She promptly landed roles in such TV
movies as "Splendor in the Grass" and "Homeroom" and made her
big-screen debut in the gritty teen prison drama Bad Boys
(1983) with Sean Penn. That same year, she starred with
Matthew Broderick in War Games, and the actress followed this
up with the Rob Lowe vehicle Oxford Blues (1984). 1985 saw
Sheedy's star shine brightest. She co-starred in both The
Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire alongside Emilio Estevez,
Molly Ringwald and others. These films launched the Brat Pack
phenomenon that would cast a long shadow over all those
associated with this young crop of actors.
Unfortunately, Sheedy's subsequent films proved uneven: Maid
to Order (1987), The Heart of Dixie (1989) and Man's Best
Friend (1983) among the least celebrated. In the midst of her
career slide, Sheedy battled an addiction to prescription
sleeping pills. Undoubtedly the actress used her life
experience to nail her part of a drug-addicted New York City
photographer in 1998's acclaimed High Art. Since 1998 Sheedy
has put forth lauded performances in several independent
films. She also starred as the androgynous lead in the
off-Broadway hit "Hedgewidge and the Angry Inch."