Veronica Cartwright facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Veronica Cartwright
Cartwright in 2022
Born	(1949-04-20) April 20, 1949 (age 76) Bristol, England
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1958–present
Spouse(s)	Richard Gates ​ (divorced)​ Stanley Goldstein ​ (divorced)​ Richard Compton ​ (died 2007)​
Relatives	Angela Cartwright (sister)

Veronica Cartwright is an American actress born on April 20, 1949. She is well-known for her roles in exciting science fiction and scary horror films. She has also been nominated three times for the prestigious Primetime Emmy Award. Her younger sister, Angela Cartwright, is also an actress.

As a child, Veronica appeared in movies like The Children's Hour and The Birds. The Birds was her first big success. Later, she took on more grown-up roles, starting with Invasion of the Body Snatchers in 1978. She played Lambert in the famous science-fiction horror movie Alien, which earned her a special award called the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also appeared in popular films such as The Right Stuff and The Witches of Eastwick. In the 1990s, she received three nominations for the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her work on TV shows like ER and The X-Files.

Early Life

Veronica Cartwright was born in Bristol, England, on April 20, 1949. She moved to America with her family shortly after her younger sister, Angela, was born. They grew up in Los Angeles.

Acting Career

Early Roles as a Child Actress

Veronica's acting career began in 1958 when she was a child. Her first role was in the movie In Love and War. She also appeared in several TV shows. She played Violet Rutherford and Peggy MacIntosh in Leave It to Beaver. She also had roles in episodes of One Step Beyond and The Twilight Zone.

In 1963, she guest-starred twice in the medical drama The Eleventh Hour. She also appeared in the successful films The Children's Hour (1961) and Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963). In The Birds, she acted alongside Richard Deacon, who played her father in Leave It to Beaver.

Cartwright (second from left) with the cast of The Birds (1963) in 2006.

She also appeared in Spencer's Mountain (1963) with Henry Fonda. From 1964 to 1966, she played Jemima Boone in the TV series Daniel Boone. She even won a regional Emmy Award for the TV movie Tell Me Not in Mournful Numbers (1964).

Moving to Adult Roles

Veronica successfully transitioned to adult roles in the 1970s. She appeared in films like Inserts (1974), Goin' South (1978), and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978).

Her most famous role came in the 1979 science-fiction horror film Alien. She was originally going to play the main hero, Ellen Ripley. However, the director, Ridley Scott, decided she would play Lambert instead. During a very famous scene in the movie, Veronica's reaction was completely real. She had not been told beforehand that fake blood would be used. Her co-star, Tom Skerritt, confirmed this, saying, "What you saw on camera was the real response. She had no idea what the hell happened." For her performance, she won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Later Film and TV Work

After Alien, Veronica continued to appear in many films. These include The Right Stuff (1983), Flight of the Navigator (1986), and The Witches of Eastwick (1987). She was nominated for another Saturn Award for her role in The Witches of Eastwick. Other films include Money Talks (1997), Scary Movie 2 (2001), Kinsey (2004), and Straight-Jacket (2004).

She has also been a frequent guest star on many television shows. Some of these include Miami Vice, Baywatch, L.A. Law, ER, The X-Files, Will & Grace, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She received three Emmy Award nominations for her TV work: one for ER in 1997, and two for The X-Files in 1998 and 1999. She also played Mrs. Olive Osmond in the TV movie Inside the Osmonds.

In 2007, she co-starred in The Invasion, which was another version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. In 2014, she returned to voice her character Joan Lambert for special episodes in the video game Alien: Isolation. She also appeared in the remake of The Town That Dreaded Sundown. From July 8 to July 16, 2019, she played a psychic named Sibley Gamble on the show General Hospital.

Theatre Performances

Veronica has also performed in many plays. Some of her theatre credits include Electra, Talley's Folly, The Bat, and The Master Builder. She received excellent reviews for these performances. She also won Drama-Logue Awards for Best Actress for her roles in The Hands of its Enemy, The Triplet Collection, and Homesteaders.

Awards and Nominations

Veronica Cartwright has received several awards and nominations throughout her career:

See also

In Spanish: Veronica Cartwright para niños