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Ally Sheedy
Ally Sheedy (cropped).jpg
Sheedy in 2011
Born
Alexandra Elizabeth Sheedy

(1962-06-13) June 13, 1962 (age 63)
Occupation Actress
Years active 1975–present
Spouse(s)
David Lansbury
(m. 1992; div. 2009)
Children 1

Alexandra Elizabeth Sheedy (born June 13, 1962), known as Ally Sheedy, is an American actress. She first appeared in a movie called Bad Boys in 1983. She became very well known as a member of the "Brat Pack" group of young actors. Some of her famous movies from that time include The Breakfast Club (1985) and St. Elmo's Fire (1985).

Ally Sheedy was nominated for three Saturn Awards for her roles in WarGames (1983), Fear (1990), and Man's Best Friend (1993). She also won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her acting in High Art (1998). She has also starred in films like Short Circuit (1986) and appeared in TV shows such as Psych.

Early Life

Alexandra Elizabeth Sheedy was born in New York City on June 13, 1962. She has one brother and one sister. Her mother, Charlotte, was a writer and worked to support women's rights and civil rights. Her father, John J. Sheedy Jr., worked in advertising. Her parents divorced in 1971.

Ally went to the Bank Street School for Children and then to Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School in New York City, graduating in 1980. She started dancing ballet with the American Ballet Theatre when she was only six years old. She even thought about becoming a full-time dancer. However, she decided to focus on acting instead and began studying with acting teacher Harold Guskin.

When she was 12, Ally wrote a book called She Was Nice to Mice. It was published by McGraw-Hill Education and became a best-seller! The story was also released as a spoken word album in 1976. She even appeared on the game show To Tell the Truth in 1975.

At 18, Ally moved to Los Angeles, California. She joined the drama program at the University of Southern California. While studying, she also started her acting career.

Acting Career

Ally Sheedy began acting in local plays when she was a teenager. After appearing in several TV movies in 1981 and a few episodes of the TV show Hill Street Blues, she made her first big movie appearance. This was in Bad Boys (1983), where she acted alongside Sean Penn.

During the 1980s, Ally became a well-known member of the "Brat Pack." This was a group of young actors who often appeared in popular teen movies. Her roles in these films made her famous. Some of her popular movies from this time include WarGames (1983), The Breakfast Club (1985), St. Elmo's Fire (1986), and Short Circuit (1986).

In the 1990s, Ally Sheedy continued to act in movies like Fear (1990) and Man's Best Friend (1993). She received more Saturn Awards nominations for these roles. In 1998, she starred with Radha Mitchell in the independent film High Art. Her acting in High Art earned her awards from the Independent Spirit Awards and other film critic groups.

In 1999, Ally took on a lead role in the musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch off-Broadway. She was the first woman to play the main character, Hedwig. That same year, she was a lead actress in Sugar Town, an independent film with many actors and musicians.

Ally reunited with her Breakfast Club co-star Anthony Michael Hall in 2003. She was a special guest star on his TV show The Dead Zone. She also appeared in an episode of C.S.I. in 2007. From 2009 to 2013, she played the character Mr. Yang on the USA Network TV show Psych in several episodes.

Since 2021, Ally Sheedy has been a professor in the theater department at the City College of New York. She teaches acting to students there.

Personal Life

AllySheedy1975
Ally Sheedy and her mother, Charlotte, in Beverly Hills, California, 1975.

Ally Sheedy became a vegetarian when she was 12 years old.

She was married to actor David Lansbury from 1992 to 2009. They have one son, Beckett, who was born in 1994.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1983 Bad Boys J.C. Walenski
WarGames Jennifer Mack
1984 Oxford Blues Rona
1985 The Breakfast Club Allison Reynolds
St. Elmo's Fire Leslie Hunter
Twice in a Lifetime Helen Mackenzie
1986 Blue City Annie Rayford
Short Circuit Stephanie Speck
1987 Maid to Order Jessie Montgomery
1988 She's Having a Baby Herself Uncredited Cameo
1988 Short Circuit 2 Stephanie Speck Voice cameo (uncredited)
1989 Heart of Dixie Maggie DeLoach
1990 Betsy's Wedding Connie Hopper
Fear Cayce Bridges
1991 Only the Lonely Theresa Luna
1992 Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Pam Block - Ticket Agent (New York) Cameo
1993 The Pickle Molly-Girl/Herself
Man's Best Friend Lori Tanner
1994 Red Shoe Diaries 4: Auto ... Karen Video; segment: "The Fling"
1997 Amnesia Martha Keller
The Definite Maybe Joanne
Macon County Jail Susan Reed
Highball Ally Sheedy
1998 High Art Lucy Berliner
1999 Sugar Town Liz
The Autumn Heart Deborah
I'll Take You There Bernice
Advice from a Caterpillar Jan
2002 Just a Dream Maureen Sturbuck
Happy Here and Now Lois
2003 A Good Night to Die Marie
Shelter Island Louise 'Lou' Delamere
2004 Noise Charlotte Bancroft
2005 Shooting Livien Brea Epling
2007 Day Zero Dr. Reynolds
The Junior Defenders Jill Fields Video
Steam Laurie
2008 Harold Maureen Reynolds
2009 Perestroika Helen
Life During Wartime Helen Jordan
2010 Welcome to the Rileys Harriet
Ten Stories Tall Jackie
2014 Sins of Our Youth Vicki
Fugly! Stoddard
2016 Little Sister Joani Lunsford
X-Men: Apocalypse Scott Summers' teacher Cameo
2024 Brats Self

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1981 CBS Afternoon Playhouse Cathy Episode: "I Think I'm Having a Baby"
The Best Little Girl in the World 1st Girl Movie
The Violation of Sarah McDavid Tracy Barnes
Homeroom Karen Chase TV short
The Day the Loving Stopped Debbie Danner Movie
Splendor in the Grass Hazel
1982 Chicago Story Episode: "Bright Lights, Big City"
St. Elsewhere Diane Episode: "Samuels and the Kid"
1983 Hill Street Blues Kristen 3 episodes
Deadly Lessons Marita Armstrong Movie
1990 The Lost Capone Kathleen Hart
1992 Red Shoe Diaries Karen Episode: "Accidents Happen"
Tattle Tale Laura Perot Movie
1993 Lethal Exposure Chris Cassidy
The Hidden Room Julia Episode: "Hungry Girls"
Chantilly Lace Elizabeth Movie
1994 Ultimate Betrayal Adult Mary Rodgers
Parallel Lives Louise
The Haunting of Seacliff Inn Susan Enright
1995 The Tin Soldier Billy's Mom
1996 The Outer Limits Carter Jones Episode: "I Hear You Calling"
Hijacked: Flight 285 Deni Patton Movie
1997 Country Justice Angie Baker
Buried Alive II Laura Riskin
1998 The Fury Within Joanna Hanlon
1999 Our Guys: Outrage at Glen Ridge Det. Kelly Brooks
2001 Oz Lisa Logan Episode: "Medium Rare"
The Warden Helen Hewitt Movie
Strange Frequency Lee Bonner Episode: "Daydream Believer"
2002 Once and Again Miriam Rose Miller Episode: "Aaron's List of Dreams"
The Interrogation of Michael Crowe Cheryl Crowe Movie
2003 Life on the Line
The Dead Zone Kate Moore Episode: "Playing God"
2006 The Veteran Sara Reid Movie
2007 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Shannon Turner Episode: "Leapin' Lizards"
2008–2009 Kyle XY Sarah 4 episodes
2009 Citizen Jane Jane Alexander Movie
2009–2011/13 Psych Yang 4 episodes
2014 Not with My Daughter ) Melissa Eco Movie
2022–2023 Single ... Female Carol Main role

Awards and Nominations

Ally Sheedy, May 2003 (4)
Ally Sheedy with a 2002 Peabody Award for The Interrogation of Michael Crowe.
Year Association Category Work Result
1983 Saturn Award Best Actress WarGames Nominated
Young Artist Award Best Young Motion Picture Actress in a Feature Film Nominated
1990 Saturn Awards Best Actress Fear Nominated
1993 Man's Best Friend Nominated
1999 Independent Spirit Awards Best Female Lead High Art Won
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Actress (tie) Won
National Society of Film Critics Won
Boston Society of Film Critics Best Actress (2nd place) Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association Best Actress Nominated
2005 MTV Movie Awards Silver Bucket of Excellence Award
(shared with other main cast members)
The Breakfast Club Won
2010 Gotham Independent Film Awards Best Ensemble Performance Life During Wartime Nominated

Books

  • She Was Nice to Mice, McGraw-Hill, 1975, ISBN: 0-440-47844-8
  • Yesterday I Saw the Sun: Poems, Summit Books, 1991, ISBN: 0-671-73130-0

See Also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Ally Sheedy para niños

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