# Mädchen Amick

Mädchen Amick (/ˈmeɪtʃən ˈeɪmɪk/ MAY-chən AY-mik; born December 12, 1970) is an American actress and television director. She is known for her starring role as Shelly Johnson on the television series Twin Peaks (1990–1991), its prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992) and its revival television series Twin Peaks: The Return (2017). She appeared in the pilot episode of Baywatch (1989). She was a series regular on Central Park West (1995–1996), Freddie (2005–2006), and Witches of East End (2013–2014) and as Wendall Meade in ER (2004). In film, she had starring roles in Sleepwalkers (1992) and Dream Lover (1993). She also portrayed Alice Cooper on The CW's drama television series Riverdale (2017–2023).

## Early life

Mädchen Elaina Amick was born in Sparks, Nevada, a city that borders Reno, the daughter of Judy (née Ross), a medical office manager, and Bill Amick, a musician. Amick's parents are of partial German descent; the name Mädchen (German for girl) was chosen by her parents because they wanted an unusual name. She is also of Norwegian, Swedish, English and Irish descent. As a young girl, Amick was encouraged by her parents to follow her creative instincts. She learned to play the piano, bass, violin and guitar and took lessons in tap, ballet, jazz and modern dance. In 1987, at the age of 16, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.

## Career

After moving to Los Angeles, Amick began her career with guest roles on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989) and Baywatch (1989). Amick got her first break when director David Lynch chose her to play waitress Shelly Johnson on the television series Twin Peaks (1990–1991). Amick's character endured physical abuse at the hands of her criminal husband, Leo, and was one of the most popular characters. Amick went on to work twice more with Lynch—reprising her role as Shelly in the prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992) and in seven episodes of the 2017 Twin Peaks revival series.
In 1990, Amick was cast as Mandy in Don't Tell Her It's Me and portrayed Amy in Tobe Hooper's horror film I'm Dangerous Tonight. In 1991, Amick was cast in The Borrower. In 1992, Amick portrayed the heroine Tanya Robertson in the Stephen King horror film Sleepwalkers. The following year, she starred in the thriller film Love, Cheat & Steal (1993).
In 1993, Amick was cast as Lena Mathers in the feature film Dream Lover, a thriller in which she co-starred with James Spader. In 1995, she and Spader were reunited in the TV movie The Courtyard. That same year, Amick appeared in the romantic comedy French Exit. In 1996, Amick was cast in the science fiction thriller Bombshell. Amick's return to network television came in the fall of 1995 with the much-publicized CBS primetime soap opera Central Park West. In 1997, she appeared in the film Wounded. In 1998, Amick costarred for one season in the reboot of Fantasy Island on ABC alongside Malcolm McDowell.
After a decade of roles that failed to ignite the publicity Twin Peaks had, Amick gradually became a noticeable face in television with recurring roles on Gilmore Girls, ER, Jake in Progress, and Joey. In 2006, Amick was a regular in the sitcom Freddie, which was subsequently canceled.
Amick guest-starred in a number of episodes of the serial thriller Kidnapped on NBC, playing a strange and deadly assassin. She also had a recurring role in the second season of Dawson's Creek as the lead character's substitute film studies teacher. In 2007, she had a lead role in the short-lived CBS musical series Viva Laughlin.
Amick had a recurring role in season 2 of Gossip Girl as Nate Archibald's "cougar" love interest, and she also appears in the second season of the Showtime series Californication. In 2008, Amick starred as Christian Slater's wife on the NBC series My Own Worst Enemy. In 2010, Amick played Danielle Marchetti on the FX series Damages.
In 2011, she appeared in the post-apocalyptic film Priest. In 2013, Amick began starring in the Lifetime supernatural drama Witches of East End opposite Julia Ormond, Rachel Boston and Jenna Dewan. Amick's character Wendy Beauchamp was originally a guest star, but she became a permanent character after shooting the pilot episode. On August 6, 2015, Amick joined the cast of American Horror Story: Hotel as a mother whose son is ailing. Since 2017, Amick has starred as Alice Cooper, Betty Cooper's mother, on the CW television series Riverdale.

## Personal life

Amick married her boyfriend of 8 years David Alexis on December 16, 1995. Together they have two children: son Sylvester Time Amick-Alexis and daughter Mina Tobias Amick-Alexis (known professionally as Mina Tobias). Tobias, a musician, released her single "Freedom" in 2018, the music video for which pays homage to Twin Peaks.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1990 | Don't Tell Her It's Me | Mandy | |
| 1991 | The Borrower | Megan | |
| 1992 | Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me | Shelly Johnson | |
| 1992 | Sleepwalkers | Tanya Robertson | |
| 1993 | Dream Lover | Lena Mathers | Nominated–Saturn Award for Best Actress |
| 1993 | Love, Cheat & Steal | Lauren Harrington | |
| 1994 | Trapped in Paradise | Sarah Collins | |
| 1995 | French Exit | Zina | |
| 1997 | Wounded | Julie Clayton | |
| 1997 | Bombshell | Angeline | |
| 1998 | Twist of Fate | Rachel Dwyer | |
| 1999 | Mr. Rock 'n' Roll: The Alan Freed Story | Jackie McCoy | |
| 2000 | The List | Gabrielle Mitchell | |
| 2001 | Italian Ties | Jamie | |
| 2001 | Scenes of the Crime | Carmen | |
| 2002 | Global Effect | Dr. Sera Levitt | |
| 2005 | Four Corners of Suburbia | Rachel Samson | |
| 2005 | Lies and deception | Jean Brooks | |
| 2007 | A Slice of Lynch | Herself | Documentary |
| 2011 | Priest | Shannon Pace | |
| 2017 | Grannie | Daddy Warbucks's Assistant | Short film |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1989 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Young Anya | Episode: "The Dauphin" |
| 1989 | Baywatch | Laurie Harris | Episode: "Panic at Malibu Pier" |
| 1990 | The Great American Sex Scandal | Miss Doddsworth | Television film |
| 1990 | I'm Dangerous Tonight | Amy | Television film |
| 1990–1991 | Twin Peaks | Shelly Johnson | 26 episodes Nominated–Soap Opera Digest Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress: Prime Time |
| 1991 | For the Very First Time | Rhonda | Television film |
| 1995 | The Courtyard | Lauren | Television film |
| 1995 | Fallen Angels | Mrs. Cordell | Episode: "Love and Blood" |
| 1995–1996 | Central Park West | Carrie Fairchild | 21 episodes |
| 1997 | Heartless | Ann "Annie" O'Keefe | Television film |
| 1998 | The Hunted | Samantha Clark | Television film |
| 1998–1999 | Fantasy Island | Ariel | 13 episodes |
| 1999 | Dawson's Creek | Nicole Kennedy | 3 episodes |
| 1999 | Mr. Rock 'n' Roll: The Alan Freed Story | Jackie McCoy | Television film |
| 2001 | Hangman | Grace Mitchell | Television film |
| 2002 | The Rats | Susan Costello | Television film |
| 2002–2003 | Gilmore Girls | Sherry Tinsdale | 3 episodes |
| 2003 | Queens Supreme | Lisa Salinger | Episode: "The House Next Door" |
| 2003 | Wild Card | Crystal Stevenson | Episode: "Black Sheep" |
| 2003 | Ed | Celeste "CeCe" Royce | Episode: "Home for Christmas" |
| 2004–2005 | ER | Wendall Meade | 10 episodes |
| 2005 | Lies and Deception | Jean Brooks | Television film |
| 2005 | Jake in Progress | Kylie | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Joey | Sara | 5 episodes |
| 2005–2006 | Freddie | Allison | 22 episodes |
| 2006 | Law & Order | Alissa Goodwyn | Episode: "Home Sweet" |
| 2006–2007 | Kidnapped | Yvonne Guttman | 3 episodes |
| 2007 | Viva Laughlin | Natalie Holden | 8 episodes |
| 2008 | Shark | Gina Romero | Episode: "One Hit Wonder" |
| 2008 | Gossip Girl | Duchess Catherine Beaton | 4 episodes |
| 2008 | Californication | Janie Jones | 5 episodes |
| 2008 | My Own Worst Enemy | Angelica "Angie" Spivey | 9 episodes |
| 2009 | The Law | Liz | Pilot |
| 2010 | Pleading Guilty | Brushy | Pilot |
| 2010 | Damages | Danielle Marchetti | 5 episodes |
| 2010 | CSI: NY | Aubrey Hunter | 3 episodes |
| 2010 | Unanswered Prayers | Ava Andersson | Television film |
| 2011 | White Collar | Selena Thomas | Episode: "Veiled Threats" |
| 2011 | Metro | Mary McCarthy | Pilot |
| 2012 | Psych | Jacqueline Maderos | Episode: "Indiana Shawn and the Temple of the Kinda Crappy, Rusty Old Dagger" |
| 2012 | Beauty & the Beast | Lois Whitworth | Episode: "Basic Instinct" |
| 2012 | Ringer | Greer Sheridan | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | In Plain Sight | Associate Director Susan Campbell | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Mad Men | Andrea Rhodes | Episode: "Mystery Date" |
| 2012 | Drop Dead Diva | Gina Blunt | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Political Animals | Mindy Meyers | Episode: "Lost Boys" |
| 2013–2014 | Longmire | Deena | 3 episodes |
| 2013–2014 | Witches of East End | Wendy Beauchamp | 23 episodes |
| 2015 | American Horror Story: Hotel | Mrs. Ellison | 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Second Chance | Joan Solodar | Episode: "May Old Acquaintance Be Forgot" |
| 2016–2017 | Love | Mom | 3 episodes |
| 2017–2023 | Riverdale | Alice Susanna Smith (formerly Cooper) | Main role Also director: "Chapter Seventy-Six: Killing Mr. Honey", "Chapter Ninety: The Night Gallery" and "Chapter One-Thirty: The Crucible" |
| 2017 | Twin Peaks | Shelly Briggs | 7 episodes |

### Music videos

| Year | Title | Artist | Roles |
| 1988 | "My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama" | Dweezil Zappa | Cameo; baby |
| 1988 | "Temptation" | Wet Wet Wet | |
| 2016 | "Freedom" | Mina Tobias | Director |
| 2016 | "Kings & Queens" | Mina Tobias | Director |
| 2017 | "Spoken" | Sly Alexis | Director |
| 2018 | "Another One" (feat. Gabi DeMartino & Kai Lucas) | Mina Tobias | Director |
| 2019 | "Shoes" | Mina Tobias | Cameo; herself |