# Barbara Crampton

Barbara Crampton (born December 27, 1958) is an American actress and producer. She began her career in the 1980s in television soap operas before starring in horror and thriller films. In 2024, Crampton was inducted into the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards' Monster Kid Hall of Fame.
Crampton made her television debut on the daytime drama Days of Our Lives (1983–84) before a supporting role as Leanna Love on the soap opera The Young and the Restless (1987–93, 1998–2002, 2006–07 & 2023). Later in her career, she would appear in television horror anthologies such as Syfy's Channel Zero: The Dream Door (2018), Hulu's Into the Dark (2019), and Shudder's Creepshow (2021).
She made her film debut in Body Double (1984), but received recognition in the comedy horror film Re-Animator (1985) as Megan Halsey and the science fiction film From Beyond (1986) as Dr. Katherine McMichaels. Later defining roles are Chopping Mall (1986), Puppet Master (1989), Castle Freak (1995), You're Next (2011), We Are Still Here (2015), Little Sister (2016), Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich (2018), and Jakob's Wife (2021), for which she was nominated for Critics' Choice Super Awards.

## Early life

Crampton was born December 27, 1958, in Levittown, Long Island, New York. She was raised Roman Catholic. Crampton grew up in Vermont, and spent summers traveling the country with the carnival, as her father was a carny. She started acting in school plays when she was in seventh grade and went on to study acting in high school. She attended Castleton State College in Vermont, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater Arts. After graduation, Crampton made a brief stop in New York, where she appeared as Cordelia in King Lear for the American Theater of Actors.

## Career

From New York, Crampton moved to Los Angeles and made her television debut on the daytime drama Days of Our Lives, playing Trista Evans Bradford. She subsequently starred in the pilot episode of Rituals, the television film Love Thy Neighbor, and the television series Santa Barbara. She made her film debut in the 1984 film Body Double. The following year, Crampton portrayed Chrissie in Fraternity Vacation, Megan Halsey in Re-Animator, and Stacy in Hotel. In 1986, Crampton portrayed Suzie Lynn in Chopping Mall, Dr. Katherine McMichaels in From Beyond, and Anne White in Prince of Bel Air. In 1987, Crampton was cast in Kidnapped and portrayed Teri in the TV series Ohara. From 1987 to 2007, Crampton played Leanna Love in The Young and the Restless. In 2023, she returned to the role for the show's 50th anniversary. In 1989, Crampton had a cameo role in the horror film Puppet Master. In 1991, Crampton portrayed Sadie Brady in Trancers II.
In 1993, Crampton portrayed archeologist Dr. Leda Fanning in Robot Wars with Don Michael Paul. That year she also guest starred on Civil Wars and portrayed Mindy Lewis on Guiding Light from 1993 to 1995 and left when her contract expired and when she got engaged to L.A.-based actor and director Kristoffer Tabori in April 1995. By September of the same year, their engagement was called off. In 1995, Crampton starred in Castle Freak. From 1995 to 1998, Crampton portrayed Maggie Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful. In 1996, Crampton portrayed Carol in Space Truckers. In 1997, Crampton guest starred on The Nanny. The following year, she guest starred on Party of Five and starred in the film The Godson. In 1999, Crampton guest starred on the television series Pacific Blue.
In 2001, Crampton had a recurring role as Dr. Leslie Bogan in 5 episodes of the television series Spyder Games and starred in the movie Thy Neighbor's Wife. Crampton starred the films The Sisterhood (2004), Read You Like a Book (2006) and Never Enough (2008). She was a special guest at Creation Entertainment's Weekend of Horror 2010. She had a supporting role in the 2011 horror slasher film You're Next and played the leading role of Anne Sacchetti in We Are Still Here (2015). Both films received positive reviews from critics.
Crampton next appeared in Abner Pastoll's European thriller Road Games (2015), in which she speaks both French and English. In 2015 she starred along with fellow horror icons Danny Trejo, Kane Hodder, Bill Moseley, Michael Berryman, Doug Bradley, Gunnar Hansen, Ken Foree and Dee Wallace in the Harrison Smith horror film Death House.
In 2018, Crampton was given the Horror Channel Lifetime Achievement Award at Grimmfest in Manchester, United Kingdom.
In 2021, Crampton produced and starred in the horror-drama Jakob's Wife, which she developed over the course of several years. The same year, she voiced serial killer Nicolette Aster in an audio drama adaptation of Our Lady of the Inferno and appeared in the Lovecraftian film Sacrifice. Also that year she did a voice role for the first-person shooter video game Back 4 Blood, as Mom.

## Personal life

In December 1986, Crampton appeared in a nude pictorial in Playboy magazine titled "Simply Beastly. Behind every successful monster, there's a woman."
She was married to director of photography David Boyd.
As of 2015, Crampton lives in Mill Valley, California, with her husband, financial executive Robert Bleckman, her two children, and her adult stepson.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1984 | Body Double | Carol | |
| 1985 | Fraternity Vacation | Chrissie | |
| 1985 | Re-Animator | Megan Halsey | |
| 1986 | Chopping Mall | Suzie Lynn | |
| 1986 | From Beyond | Dr. Katherine McMichaels | Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Actress |
| 1987 | Kidnapped | Bonnie | |
| 1988 | Pulse Pounders | Said Brady | Segment: The Evil Clergyman. Considered a lost film until the discovery of a workprint in 2011 where it was then digitally restored and released. |
| 1989 | Puppet Master | Woman at Carnival | Cameo appearance |
| 1991 | Trancers II | Sadie Brady | |
| 1993 | Robot Wars | Leda | |
| 1995 | Castle Freak | Susan Reilly | |
| 1996 | Space Truckers | Carol | |
| 1998 | The Godson | Goldy | |
| 1999 | Cold Harvest | Christine Chaney | |
| 2000 | Learning to Surf | | |
| 2001 | Thy Neighbor's Wife | Nicole Garrett | |
| 2004 | The Sisterhood | Ms. Master | |
| 2006 | Read You Like a Book | Zoe | |
| 2008 | Never Enough | Dr. Gladmore | |
| 2011 | You're Next | Aubrey Davison | |
| 2012 | The Lords of Salem | Virginia Cable | |
| 2013 | Paisley | Christine | |
| 2013 | The Cartridge Family | Mom | Short film |
| 2013 | The Well | Grace | |
| 2014 | Sun Choke | Irma | |
| 2015 | We Are Still Here | Anne Sacchetti | Nominated—Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress |
| 2015 | The Divine Tragedies | Mother | |
| 2015 | Road Games | Mary | Also producer |
| 2015 | Tales of Halloween | Darla | |
| 2016 | Beyond the Gates | Evelyn | Also producer |
| 2016 | Little Sister | The Reverend Mother | |
| 2016 | Day of Reckoning | Stella | |
| 2017 | Death House | Dr. Karen Redmane | |
| 2017 | Replace | Dr. Rafaela Crober | |
| 2018 | Dead Night | Leslie Bison | |
| 2018 | Reborn | Lena | Independent Horror Movie Award for Best Actress Nominated—Horrible Imaginings Film Festival Award for Best Actress in a Feature Film |
| 2018 | Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich | Carol Doreski | |
| 2019 | In Search of Darkness | Herself | Documentary film |
| 2020 | Run Hide Fight | Mrs. Crawford | |
| 2020 | Stay Home | Barbara | Short film |
| 2020 | In Search of Darkness: Part II | Herself | Documentary film |
| 2020 | Sacrifice | Renate Nygard | |
| 2020 | Castle Freak | | Producer |
| 2021 | Jakob's Wife | Anne Fedder | Producer Nominated—Critics' Choice Super Award for Best Actress in a Horror Movie Nominated—Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress |
| 2021 | King Knight | Ruth | |
| 2021 | Superhost | Vera | |
| 2021 | Alone with You | Mom | |
| 2022 | Glorious | | Producer |
| 2023 | Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls | Nancy | |
| 2023 | Suitable Flesh | Daniella | Also producer |
| 2023 | Blackout | Kate | |
| 2023 | The Last Stop in Yuma County | Virginia | |
| 2024 | Snow Valley | Ellen | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1983–84 | Days of Our Lives | Trista Evans Bradford | |
| 1984 | Rituals | Sandy Hutchison | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1984 | Love Thy Neighbor | Carol | ABC television film |
| 1984 | Santa Barbara | Paula | |
| 1985 | Hotel | Stacy | Episode: "Obsessions" |
| 1986 | Prince of Bel Air | Anne White | ABC television film |
| 1987 | Ohara | Teri | Episode: "Toshi" |
| 1987–93, 1998–2002, 2006–07, 2023 | The Young and the Restless | Leanna Love | Nominated – Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villainess in a Drama Series – Daytime (1990) |
| 1993 | Civil Wars | Michele Connolly | Episode: "Dances with Sharks" |
| 1993–1995 | Guiding Light | Mindy Lewis | |
| 1995–1998 | The Bold and the Beautiful | Maggie Forrester | Nominated – Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Female Scene Stealer (1996) |
| 1997 | The Nanny | Barbara Crampton | Episode: "The Heather Biblow Story" |
| 1998 | Party of Five | Woman Shopper | Episode: "Tender Age" |
| 1999 | Pacific Blue | Gloria Stockwell | Episode: "Infierno" |
| 2001 | Spyder Games | Dr. Leslie Bogan | 5 episodes |
| 2001 | Lightning: Fire from the Sky | Mayor Sylvia Scott | Pax television film |
| 2018 | Channel Zero: The Dream Door | Vanessa Moss | 6 episodes |
| 2019 | Into the Dark | Betty | Episode: "Culture Shock" |
| 2021 | Creepshow | Victoria | Episode: "Pipe Screams" |

## Video games

Crampton was featured in the asymmetrical horror game The Texas Chain Saw Massacre as a playable character Virginia who used her likeness and voice.