Virginia Madsen

Virginia Gayle Madsen is an American actress and film producer. She made her film debut in Class (1983), which was filmed in her native Chicago. After moving to Los Angeles, director David Lynch cast her as Princess Irulan in the science fiction film Dune (1984) Madsen starred in a series of successful teen movies, including Electric Dreams (1984), Modern Girls (1986), and Fire with Fire (1986). She received further recognition for her starring role as Helen Lyle in the horror film Candyman (1992) For her performance in Alexander Payne's comedy-drama Sideways (2004), Madsen was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. On television, Madsen has appeared in the comedy series Frasier, the period drama series American Dreams, and the DC Universe superhero horror series Swamp Thing (2019)

Madsen made her acting debut at age 22, in a bit part where she landed her role as Lisa in the comedy film Class (1983). She next appeared in Kenny Loggins' music video for "I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man)" from the Footloose soundtrack. Madsen first became popular with audiences in 1986 with her portrayal of a Catholic school girl who fell in love with a boy from a prison camp. She was the love interest of minor league baseball manager Cecil "Stud" Cantrell (William Petersen) in the HBO original film Long Gone. Madsen played Allison Rowe, a secretary in the comedy film Hot to Trot ( 1988) She also starred as Helen Lyle in the horror film Candyman (1992) Madsen appeared in a small role in the Francis Ford Coppola drama The Rainmaker (1997) Virginia Madsen had a critically acclaimed performance as a supporting actress in Sideways (2004), directed by Alexander Payne. Film critic Roger Ebert said she had a "strong scene" in the film. Madsen also had a role as a witness for the plaintiff in "Sideways" Her first major role after Sideways was opposite Harrison Ford in Firewall. She later appeared in Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion, in a key role as the angel. She co-starred alongside Jim Carrey in The Number 23 and Billy Bob Thornton in The Astronaut Farmer. In 1988, Madsen appeared as Maddie Hayes' cousin in the fifth and final season of the ABC drama series Moonlighting. She has since made various television appearances, including Star Trek: Voyager, CSI: Miami, Dawson's Creek, The Practice, Frasier, and other television series. She voiced Queen Hippolyte, mother of Wonder Woman, in the animated film Wonder Woman (2009). She was also co-host of the long-running television series Unsolved Mysteries in 1999. She starred alongside Ray Liotta in the short-lived CBS crime drama series Smith. She also had a recurring role in the eighth and final season in the USA Network comedy-drama series Monk. In 2010, she landed the starring role of Cheryl West in the ABC comedy- drama series Scoundrels. In December 2010, it was announced that she would be joining the cast in the NBC science fiction series The Event. In 2012, she joined the cast of the AMC western drama series Hell on Wheels as Mrs. Hannah Durant, first appearing in episode eight of season 2, "The Lord's Day" In 2013, Madsen began appearing on Lifetime's Witches of East End as Penelope Gardiner. She starred as Congresswoman Kimble Hookstraten in the first season of the ABC political drama series Designated Survivor. In 2008, she formed her own film production company called Title IX Productions. The film is a documentary about the lives of older women. On the creation of the film, she said her mother's active lifestyle was an inspiration. "My mother's level of activity, of productivity, was exactly why I thought a project like this would work," she said. "I'm going to Holland, and then I'm going here and there and I'm writing my book," he says. "That's really what it's about. But that's really not what I'm doing. I'm not going to do that every day."

Danny and Madsen were married after meeting on the set of Mr. Huston. The North was released in 1988. They were married in 1989 and then divorced in 1992. There was a long-term relationship between Madsen and Antonio Sabto Jr. She had one son from 1993 to 1998 with her.

Virginia Gayle Madsen was born in Chicago, Illinois. She is the daughter of Elaine Madsen (née Elaine Loretta Melson), who became an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and author, and Calvin Madsen, a firefighter. Her mother left a career in finance to pursue an arts career, encouraged by Roger Ebert. Madsen is a graduate of New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois. Her paternal grandparents were Danish, and her mother has English, Irish, Scottish, German and distant Native American ancestry. Madsen later attended the Ted Liss Acting Studio in Chicago, and Harand Camp Adult Theater Seminar. "It was well worth the wait because I don't think I could have got that sort of training anywhere else especially in the United States," he says. "I always wanted to make a real career out of acting." "I don't know if I've ever been so happy in my whole life," he adds.