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Ann Dusenberry

Ann Dusenberry
Dusenberry in Captains and the Kings (1976)
Born (1953-09-13) September 13, 1953 (age 71)
Alma materOccidental College
OccupationActress
Years active1975–present
Spouse
(m. 1993)
Children2

Ann Dusenberry (born September 13, 1953[1][2]) is an American film, television, and stage actress. She appeared in about 50 film and television productions from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s. Among her best-known roles are those of Tina Wilcox in the horror film Jaws 2 (1978), Stevie in the drama film Heart Beat (1980) and Valerie in the thriller Cutter's Way (1981). After her retirement from the film industry in 1992, she remained active as an actress on stage, performing sporadically.

Biography

Early life and education

Ann Dusenberry was born in Tucson, Arizona as the daughter of Bruce and Katie Dusenberry.[3] Dusenberry studied theater arts for four years, first at the University of Arizona, then Occidental College,[3][4] where she earned her degree.[5] She got her first role by circulating her resume and photograph within the Universal Studios offices using internal envelopes obtained by her boyfriend, a truck driver for Universal. She then signed a seven-year contract with Universal.[4]

Acting career

Dusenberry made her acting debut in 1975 with a small role as a barmaid in the film White Line Fever. She gained attention in 1978 for the role of Tina Wilcox in the horror film Jaws 2, the sequel to Steven Spielberg's 1975 classic.[3] Dusenberry was hired as a contract actress by Universal for the role. Due to the long shooting time away from her home in Los Angeles, she actually had no interest in playing the role. While the film originally directed by John D. Hancock, he was fired after a short time of shooting and replaced by Jeannot Szwarc. This also resulted in the dismissal of many actors who had already signed on. Dusenberry's role, however, was still expanded during script changes and she received co-starring credit.[6] She had another success in 1978 with the role of Amy March in the miniseries Little Women, an adaptation of the novel of the same name. She also took on the role in the short-lived 1979 television series based on it, which failed to match the miniseries' success and was canceled after 4 episodes.[7]

Dusenberry's best-known film appearances in the 1980s include her role as Stevie in Heart Beat alongside Nick Nolte and Sissy Spacek, and as Valerie in Cutter's Way alongside Jeff Bridges. In the 1986 film The Men's Club, she again starred alongside Roy Scheider, her co-star from Jaws 2. In addition to her appearances in films, she mainly played roles for television. In 1977 she starred alongside Harrison Ford, shortly before the latter's breakthrough with Star Wars, in the television thriller The Possessed. Other television roles included that of Amory (aka Angel Collins) in Stonestreet: Who Killed the Centerfold Model? (1977) and the dual role of Joy Morgan and Elaine Steel in Killjoy (1981) alongside Kim Basinger. She also appeared in numerous successful series of the period, including Magnum, P.I. (1982), Remington Steele (1983) and Murder, She Wrote (1986 and 1987). In 1986, she starred as the daughter of Lucille Ball's character in the short-lived series Life with Lucy.[8][9]

After co-starring in the 1992 thriller Play Nice and a guest appearance in the series The Commish (1992), she retired from acting in front of the camera in the early 1990s. However, Dusenberry continues to be active as a stage actress. Among other roles, she played Mrs. Gibbs in the play Our Town (1998). Other plays have included 2014's Noises Off and 2021's Ripcord.

Personal life

She is married to composer Brad Fiedel,[10] with whom she lives in Santa Barbara, California. They have two daughters named Alixandra and Zoe. She received an MA degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, and works as Artistic Director of the Actors' Conservatory Theatre in Santa Barbara.[11]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1975 White Line Fever Barmaid
1975 Speeding Girl in Corvette Short film
1978 Goodbye, Franklin High Sharon Browne
1978 Jaws 2 Tina Wilcox
1978 Tarzana Thelma Short film
1980 Heart Beat Stevie
1981 Cutter's Way Valerie Duran
1982 National Lampoon's Movie Madness Dominique Corsaire segment: Success Wanters
1983 Lies Robyn Wallace
1985 Basic Training Melinda
1986 The Men's Club Page
1991 Rich Girl Additional Voices Voice role
1992 Play Nice Pam Crichmore
2012 Roaring Camp Short film

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1976 Captains and the Kings Anne-Marie 2 Episodes
1976 The Six Million Dollar Man Clerk Episode: "A Bionic Christmas Carol"
1976 McCloud Peggy Episode: "'Twas the Fight Before Christmas..."
1977 Emergency! Candy Striper Episode: "Loose Ends"
1977 Stonestreet: Who Killed the Centerfold Model? Amory Osborn alias Angel Collins Television film
1977 The Possessed Weezie Sumner Television film
1978 Eight Is Enough Andrea Jenkins Episode: "Poor Little Rich Girl"
1978 Little Women Amy March Miniseries
1978 Desperate Women Joanna Dance Television film
1979 Little Women Amy March 4 Episodes (Follow-up series to the 1978 miniseries)
1979 Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Ariela Dyne Episode: "Planet of the Amazon Women"
1980 The Secret War of Jackie's Girls Donna Television film
1981 Elvis and the Beauty Queen Jeannie Television film
1981 Killjoy Joy Morgan / Elaine Steel Television film
1982 Magnum, P.I. Katrina Tremaine Episode: "Italian Ice"
1982 Trapper John, M.D. Maggie Nolan Episode: "Medicine Man"
1982 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Molly McGraw Episode: "I Love You Molly McGraw"
1983 Confessions of a Married Man Jennifer Television film
1983 The Family Tree Molly Nichols Tanner Episode: "Tess's Birthday"
1983 Remington Steele Tracy Crockett / Roxie Tyler Episode: "My Fair Steele"
1983 Simon & Simon Frankie Gillard - Compulsive Gambler Episode: "All Your Favourite Games"
1984 Hardcastle and McCormick Casey O'Bannon Episode: "Whistler's Pride"
1984 Emerald Point N.A.S. Betsy Episode: "Secrets"
1984 He's Not Your Son Holly Barnes Television film
1985 MacGruder and Loud Elaine Kinney Episode: "For Better or for Worse"
1986 Murder, She Wrote Elizabeth Gordon Episode: "Murder by Appointment Only"
1986 Long Time Gone Marilyn Television film
1986 Life with Lucy Margo Barker McGibbon Main role (13 Episodes)
1987 Murder, She Wrote Carol Selby Episode: "Simon Says, Color Me Dead"
1988 Jake and the Fatman Leslie Randall Episode: "It Had to Be You"
1989 Paradise Lorna Episode: "Treasure"
1989 Designing Women Belva McPherson Episode: "The Proxy Pig and Great Pretenders"
1991 Matlock Amy Boggs Episode: "The Parents"
1992 The Commish Laura Daley Episode: "Skeletons"

Theatre

References

  1. ^ "Ann Dusenberry | Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos".
  2. ^ "Ann Dusenberry - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.
  3. ^ a b c "Ann Dusenberry Adapting to Rigors of Film Life". Boxoffice. July 19, 1978.
  4. ^ a b Scott, Vernon. "One Way To Succeed". Reading Eagle. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  5. ^ "Ann Dusenberry". University of Arizona. Archived from the original on January 11, 2020.
  6. ^ "Ann Dusenberry ('Tina Wilcox'): JAWS 2 45th Anniversary Interview". YouTube. June 16, 2023.
  7. ^ "'Little Women' Becomes New NBC Series". The Sumter Daily Item. February 8, 1979. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  8. ^ O'Connor, John J. (September 22, 1986). "TV Reviews; Lucille Ball Returns in ABC Comedy Series". New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  9. ^ Bobbin, Jay (October 3, 1986). "TV Daughter Likes 'Life with Lucy' Just Fine". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  10. ^ Ryon, Ruth (October 3, 1999). "Prolific Cannell Can Set Up Typewriter In Laguna Beach". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  11. ^ "Ann Dusenberry profile". Women's Plaza of Honor. University of Arizona. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  12. ^ Shirley, Don (July 9, 1998). "'Our Town' for Our Times". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  13. ^ "Review: Noises Off! at the Garvin Theatre". Independent.com. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  14. ^ "Brad Fiedel Releases 'Full Circle'". July 2020.
  15. ^ "Review | 'Ripcord' at SBCC on October 15". October 19, 2021.