Linda Manz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Linda Manz
Manz in Orphan Train (1979)
Born	Linda Ann Manz (1961-08-20)August 20, 1961 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	August 14, 2020(2020-08-14) (aged 58) Palmdale, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1978–1997
Spouse(s)	Bobby Guthrie ​ (m. 1985)​
Children	3

Linda Manz (born August 20, 1961 – died August 14, 2020) was an American actress. She started her movie career at age 15. Her first big film was Days of Heaven (1978). In this movie, she played a young girl growing up in Texas in 1916. She also had a role in The Wanderers (1979). Linda Manz was highly praised for her role in Out of the Blue (1980). She played a troubled teenage girl in this film.

Linda Manz stopped acting in the mid-1980s. She moved to Southern California to raise her three children. She returned to acting in 1997. She had small parts in the films Gummo and The Game.

Early Life and Acting Start

Linda Manz was born in New York City. Her mother was Sophie E. Manz. Linda never knew her father. She grew up in Upper Manhattan. Linda often ran away from home and went to many different schools. She once told People magazine, "For a long time, I was always asking people to adopt me."

At first, Linda was not very interested in acting. But her mother, who worked as a cleaner at the World Trade Center, wanted her to become an actress. Her mother made sure Linda went to a performing arts school. This school taught acting and dancing.

Linda Manz's Film Career

While at the performing arts school, Linda heard about a casting director. This director, Barbara L. Claman, was looking for "streetwise" young people for a new Hollywood movie. Linda went to Claman's office without an appointment. Claman said Linda "had that special quality we wanted."

Breakthrough Role in Days of Heaven

In 1976, when Linda was 15, she was chosen by director Terrence Malick. She got a part in his film Days of Heaven. In the movie, she played a smart orphan girl. She joins her older brother and his girlfriend. They run away from Chicago in 1916. They find work and a safe place with a rich farmer in Texas. The movie was released in 1978.

Linda's part was small at first. But Malick was very impressed by her. He decided to have her add her own voice-over narration. Linda said years later, "I just watched the movie and rambled on." She added, "They took whatever dialogue they liked." Critics loved her performance. Roger Ebert, a famous critic, said her voice sounded "utterly authentic."

More Film and TV Roles

After Days of Heaven, Linda Manz acted with Ken Wahl. This was in the 1979 movie The Wanderers. It was a drama about teenage gangs. The film was directed by Philip Kaufman.

Her next role was in a TV show called Dorothy. It was a short-lived CBS series. Linda then appeared in the 1979 TV movie Orphan Train. She played Sarah, one of many orphans. These orphans were moved from eastern orphanages to farms in the West and Midwest. This happened in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Starring in Out of the Blue

Linda Manz made a big impact as the main character in Out of the Blue (1980). This was a very important film directed by Dennis Hopper. In this drama, she played Cebe. Cebe was a troubled teenager who loved Elvis. She acted tough to hide her feelings. She would broadcast messages on a CB radio, like "Kill all hippies!"

Later Roles and Return to Acting

In 1981, Linda starred in the TV film Longshot. She acted with Leif Garrett. The movie was about a group of teenagers who loved foosball. In 1985, Linda Manz had a small role. She played a robber in "The Snow Queen". This was an episode of Faerie Tale Theatre.

By the mid-1980s, Linda stepped away from acting. She explained in 1997 that she wasn't leaving Hollywood in a dramatic way. She said, "There was a whole bunch of new young actors out there, and I was kind of getting lost in the shuffle, so I laid back and had three kids." She added, "Now I enjoy just staying home and cooking soup."

Director Harmony Korine admired Linda's work. He found her after she had been away from acting for 16 years. He cast her in his film Gummo. It was released in 1997. In the movie, she played a fast-talking, tap-dancing mother.

After Gummo, Linda Manz had a small part in The Game (1997). This was a thriller film directed by David Fincher. She played the roommate of Christine, a character played by Deborah Kara Unger.

Personal Life

Linda Manz married Bobby L. Guthrie in 1985. He worked as a camera operator in the film industry. They had three children together: Michael, Christopher, and William. Sadly, Christopher passed away in 2018. Linda spent her later life in Antelope Valley, California.

Linda Manz passed away in Palmdale, California, on August 14, 2020. She was 58 years old. She died from complications related to pneumonia and lung cancer.

Filmography

Film

Television

• 1979 Dorothy as Frankie (4 episodes; "The Bookworm Turns", "Hard Hearted Hamlet", "Lies and Whisper", "Give My Regrets to Broadway")
• 1979 Orphan Train as Sarah
• 1985 Faerie Tale Theatre as Robber Girl ("The Snow Queen")
• 2009 This Beat Goes On: Canadian Pop Music in the 1970s as Herself, documentary

See also

In Spanish: Linda Manz para niños