Ally Sheedy

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**Alexandra Elizabeth** "**Ally**" **Sheedy** (born June 13, 1962) is an American film and stage actress, as well as the author of two books. Following her film debut in 1983's *Bad Boys*, she became known as one of the Brat Pack group of actors in the films *The Breakfast Club* (1985) and *St. Elmo's Fire* (1985). She also acted in *WarGames* (1983) and *Short Circuit* (1986). For her performance in Lisa Cholodenko's *High Art* (1998), Sheedy won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead.

## Early life

Sheedy was born in New York City and has two siblings, brother Patrick and sister Meghan. Her mother, Charlotte (née Baum), is a writer and press agent who was involved in women's and civil rights movements, and her father, John J. Sheedy, Jr., is a Manhattan advertising executive. Her mother is Jewish and her father is of Irish Catholic background. Her maternal grandmother was from Odessa, Ukraine. Her parents divorced in 1971.

Sheedy attended Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in New York City, graduating in 1980. She started dancing with the American Ballet Theatre at age six and was planning to make it a full-time career. However, she gave up dance in favor of acting full-time. At age 12 she wrote a book, *She Was Nice to Mice*; the book was published by McGraw-Hill and became a best-seller. On June 19, 1975, she appeared on the game show *To Tell the Truth* in her role as a young writer.

## Career

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Sheedy started acting in local stage productions as a teenager. After appearing in several made-for-television films in 1981, as well as three episodes of the television series *Hill Street Blues*, she made her feature film debut in *Bad Boys* (1983), starring Sean Penn, where she played Penn's humiliated girlfriend. The 1980s were her most active period, with roles in popular films such as *WarGames*, *The Breakfast Club*, *St. Elmo's Fire*, *Short Circuit*, and *Maid to Order*.

Sheedy starred alongside Radha Mitchell in the 1998 independent film *High Art*, about a romance between two women and the power of art. Her performance in *High Art* was recognized with awards from the Independent Spirit Awards, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and National Society of Film Critics.

In 1999, Sheedy took over the lead role in the off-Broadway production of the musical *Hedwig and the Angry Inch.* She was the first female to play the part of the genderqueer Hedwig, but her run ended early amid "mixed" reviews, according to E! News. That same year, she was cast as a lead actress in *Sugar Town*, an independent film, which featured an ensemble cast of actors and musicians.

She was reunited with *Breakfast Club* co-star Anthony Michael Hall when she became a special guest star on his television show *The Dead Zone*, in the second-season episode "Playing God," from 2003.

Sheedy has also appeared in the episode "Leapin' Lizards" of *C.S.I.* in which she played a woman who murdered her boyfriend's wife while mixed up in a cult. On March 3, 2008, Sheedy was introduced as the character Sarah, in the ABC Family show *Kyle XY*. In 2009, she played the role of Mr. Yang on the USA Network television show *Psych* (in the third season finale), a role that she reprised in the fourth season, fifth season, and seventh season finales.

## Personal life

Sheedy dated Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora for less than a year in the 1980s. She stated in *The Los Angeles Times* that the relationship led her to abuse drugs, a claim Sambora denied. In 1985, Sheedy was admitted to Hazelden Foundation and in the 1990s was treated for a sleeping pill addiction, an experience which she drew on for her role as a drug-addicted photographer in *High Art*.

On April 12, 1992, Sheedy married actor David Lansbury, the nephew of actress Angela Lansbury and son of Edgar Lansbury, the original producer of *Godspell*. Their son Beckett was born in 1994. In May 2008, Sheedy announced that she and Lansbury had filed for divorce.

## 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

## References

1. ↑ "Today in history". *The New York Times*. Associated Press. June 13, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
2. ↑ Independent, Film. "Film Independent Spirit Awards: 31 Years of Nominees and Winners" (PDF). *filmindependent.org*. filmindependent.org. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Brat Packer Packs Up". *New York Magazine*. September 13, 2009. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
4. ↑ Leibovich, Lori (May 25, 1989). "Heroine Chic". Salon Magazine.
5. ↑ "WEDDINGS; Marilyn Webb, John Sheedy Jr". *The New York Times*. March 21, 1993. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
6. ↑ "Ally Sheedy Biography (1962–)".
7. ↑ Collins, Glenn (May 27, 1991). "Celebrating a Place Where for So Many The Good Life Began". *The New York Times*. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
8. ↑ Amy Sohn (2011). "Musicians, Mensches, and Muff-Diving: Ally Sheedy by Amy Sohn". Retrieved May 21, 2011.
9. ↑ Margy Rochlin (June 14, 1998). "Ally Sheedy Makes a Bid To Be Taken Seriously". The New York Times. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Gary Dretzka (June 28, 1998). "Back from the edge, Ally Sheedy may be on the verge of another breakthrough". *Chicago Tribune*. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
11. ↑ To Tell the Truth *TVseriesfinale.com*
12. ↑ Ally Sheedy appearance on *To Tell the Truth*, June 19, 1975. Rebroadcast on Game Show Network and viewed July 2, 2007.
13. ↑ Roger Ebert (July 3, 1998). "High Art Movie Review & Film Summary (1998)". Retrieved January 15, 2017.
14. ↑ Ally Sheedy Inches Away from "Hedwig" (E! Online, December 17, 1999)
15. ↑ Kevin Thomas (September 17, 1999). "Down and Out in 'Sugar Town' After Fame Has Fled". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 15, 2017. Italic or bold markup not allowed in: `|publisher=` (help)
16. ↑ "Season 2 Overview". *The Dead Zone Official Website*. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
17. ↑ Richard Natale (June 10, 1998). "On the Upswing". *Los Angeles Times*. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
18. ↑ Rochlin, Margy (June 14, 1998). "FILM; Ally Sheedy Makes a Bid To Be Taken Seriously". *The New York Times*. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
19. ↑ Truth's Ally[*permanent dead link*] (interview with actress Ally Sheedy, by Elizabeth Weitzman, August 1998)[*dead link*]
20. ↑ Sheedy Divorces Husband Contact Music. May 28, 2008.

## External links

* Template:Str rightmost/ Ally Sheedy on IMDb
* Ally Sheedy at the Internet Broadway Database
* Ally Sheedy at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
* Ally Sheedy at AllMovie
* Salon interview (June 25, 1998)
* New York Magazine interview (June 15, 1998)
* "Breakfast Club" cast interview at the Chicago Tribune (February 17, 1985)
* "The Poetry of Ally Sheedy: A Look Back" (February 24, 2012)
* Ally Sheedy at TriviaTribute.com

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