Biography: Sheryl Lee

Sheryl Lee (born April 22, 1967) is an American actress. She came to international attention for her performances as Laura Palmer and Maddy Ferguson on the 1990 cult TV series Twin Peaks and in the 1992 Palme d'Or-nominated film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. She is also known for portraying photographer Astrid Kirchherr in Backbeat and for her role in Vampires, as well as for her television series roles in LA Doctors, Kingpin, One Tree Hill and Dirty Sexy Money.

Biography

Early life

Lee was born in Augsburg, Bavaria, West Germany, the daughter of an artist mother and architect father. ^{She grew up in Boulder, Colorado, United States, where she was a graduate of Fairview High School (class of 1985).}

Acting career

Lee is remembered by legions of David Lynch fans for her appearance as the dead Laura Palmer in the cult television series Twin Peaks. When the series was picked up, Lee was also given the part of Laura's cousin Maddy Ferguson later in the series (a role which was reportedly written because Lynch, impressed with her abilities, wanted to give her a fuller role on the show). She also starred in the prequel Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, which elaborated on events leading up to Laura Palmer's death.

Other prominent roles have included playing the part of Astrid Kirchherr in the 1994 movie Backbeat, a bio-pic of the early career of The Beatles opposite Stephen Dorff, the part of Liza in Gary Walkow's 1995 adaptation of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novella Notes from Underground opposite Henry Czerny, the role of Katrina in John Carpenter's 1998 film Vampires opposite James Woods and Daniel Baldwin, and the role of Marlene Cadena in the 2003 television series Kingpin opposite Yancey Arias and Bobby Cannavale. Sheryl Lee also starred alongside Craig Sheffer in Bliss (1997). Lee starred opposite Anthony Michael Hall as the sweet but vengeful housewife Eve Robbins in the 2001 USA Cable movie Hitched.

In 2004, Lee was the original choice for the role of Mary-Alice Young on Desperate Housewives. It would have been the second time she would have played a dead character on a series; however, the producers ultimately chose to replace her with Brenda Strong.

In 2005, she played the recurring part of Ellie Harp, the biological mother of Peyton Sawyer (played by Hilarie Burton), who battles breast cancer, on the third season of the WB Network series One Tree Hill.

In 2007, Lee appeared on the ABC dramedy, Dirty Sexy Money as Andrea Smithson, the mother of Brian Darling's (Glenn Fitzgerald) illegitimate child.

In 2001, she presented the I Love 1990 segment of the BBC's popular I Love 1990s series.

On stage, Lee starred on Broadway in 1992 alongside Al Pacino in Oscar Wilde's Salome as the title role, in the Circle in the Square Theatre, under the direction of Robert Allan Ackerman. The play costarred Suzanne Bertish, Esai Morales and Arnold Vosloo.

Personal life

Lee practices kundalini yoga.

She dated David Duchovny. She is married to Jesse Diamond, a photographer and son of singer and songwriter Neil Diamond. They have a son, Elijah.

She is an avid member of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and has assertively campaigned against fur and mistreatment of animals.

In 2008, she participated in the 3rd Munchkin's Project Pink annual breast cancer awareness campaign to raise money for breast cancer research.

Awards and nominations

Saturn Awards

• 1999: nominated for Best Supporting Actress -- Vampires
• 1993: nominated for Best Actress -- Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

Sundance Film Festival

• 1995: won the Spirit of Sundance Award for her body of work

Independent Spirit Awards

• 1993: nominated for Best Female Lead -- Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

Filmography

Further reading

• "Woman of the Year: Laura Palmer". Esquire. Volume 114. Issue 2. August 1990. p.118-119.
• "Twin Peaks' Sheryl Lee Goes from Dead Role to Dead Ringer", by Laurie Grassi. TV Guide (Canada). Volume 14: Issue 45. November 10, 1990.
• "Sheryl's Peril", by James Wolcott. Vanity Fair. February 1992. p.106-107.
• "Sur la Croisette: Arrêts sur Images sur Quarante-Cinq Acteurs", by Michel Rebichon. Studio (France). Issue 62: Spécial Cannes 1992. May 1992. p.138.
• "5 July 1992 Sheryl Lee Interview", by Robert Getz. Wrapped In Plastic. Issue 16. April 1995.
• "Sheryl Lee", by Silvia Bizio. Max (Italy). September 1992. p.128-133.
• "Laura Palmer Lives!", by Jeff Dawson. Empire. December 1992. p.54-55.
• "A New Peak for Sheryl Lee", by Graham Fuller. Interview. March 1994.
• "Sheryl Lee Interview", by Craig Miller & John Thorne. Wrapped In Plastic. Issue 16. April 1995. p.5-10.
• "The Bliss of Being Sheryl Lee", by Edward Guthman. San Francisco Chronicle. June 8, 1997.
• "There's No Killing Laura Palmer: The Unstoppable Twin Peaks Ingenues", by Troy Patterson. Entertainment Weekly. February 13, 1998.
• "Three Women, One Peek: Sheryl Lee, Sherilyn Fenn and Lara Flynn Boyle Finally Leave David Lynch's World. Almost", by Ted Allen. Esquire. October 1998.
• "Sheryl Lee on Vampires", by John Thonen. Femme Fatales. Volume 7: Issue 6. November 1998. p.16-17.
• "Sheryl Lee Takes a Swipe at Animal Acts". PETA's Animal Times. Summer 1999.
• "Welcome to the TP Time Warp. Where Are They Now? Fire Walk with the Cast of Twin Peaks", by Paige Wiser. Chicago Sun-Times. April 15, 2007.

References

1. Sheryl Lee Biography (1967?-)