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Deborah Foreman

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Deborah Foreman
Born
Deborah Lynn Foreman

(1962-10-12) October 12, 1962 (age 62)
Montebello, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actress, photographer, designer[1]
Years active1981–present

Deborah Lynn Foreman (born October 12, 1962)[2] is an American photographer and actress. She is perhaps best known for her starring role in the 1983 film Valley Girl opposite Nicolas Cage. She is also regarded as a scream queen and known for playing in various horror films of the 1980s, such as April Fool's Day, Waxwork, Destroyer and Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat.

Early life

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Foreman was born October 12, 1962, in Montebello, California,[2] the daughter of Lynette and Clyde Foreman, a Marine Corps pilot. She was raised in Arizona and Texas. When she was 13, her parents enrolled her at the Barbizon School of Modeling in Houston to help her overcome shyness, where she received a trophy after completing the courses. In high school, Foreman received high marks and was a cheerleader. While she was still a student, local photographer Wally Lewis hired her for newspaper and catalog ads. A chance meeting with a representative of Wilhelmina Models led to her signing with its California office and modeling assignments for Maybelline cosmetics.[1]

Career

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Four weeks after arriving in Los Angeles, Foreman earned her SAG card after appearing in a McDonald's of England commercial. Resolving to become a serious actress, she took acting lessons from a variety of teachers. Her first acting job was in a comedy pilot for NBC's The Grady Nutt Show. More television work and two supporting film roles soon followed. After a 1983 appearance on the popular sitcom Family Ties, her first starring role in a feature film was Valley Girl (1983) with the then-little-known Nicolas Cage, which brought her national fame. The New York Times reviewer did not care for Valley Girl and wrote that Foreman was "too passive to carry the movie"[3] while her counterpart at the Los Angeles Times enjoyed the same movie.[4] Mark Deming of AllMovie wrote that Foreman "made an indelible impression on fans of 1980s pop culture with her performance in the title role of the film Valley Girl".[5]

In 1985, Foreman had a small role in the comedy film Real Genius. In 1986, she was named "Most Promising New Star" by ShoWest, the largest and most notable film convention in the world.[6][7]

She had a starring role in the comedy film My Chauffeur (1986), in which she played a somewhat Madonna-influenced character who gets a job as a driver for a stuffy limousine service. My Chauffeur was publicized widely, but connected only modestly with teen audiences and critics. The New York Times reviewer Lawrence Van Gelder wrote "Miss Foreman, who with discipline and far better script might become an engaging comedienne, is mired here in a character who at one moment is delivering a lecture on proper treatment of women and at the next is smirking."[8] The Los Angeles Times reviewer Michael Wilmington called Foreman a "New Wave Carole Lombard crossed with early Shirley MacLaine".[9] However, Robert Blau of the Chicago Tribune wrote that Foreman "gives a breathlessly irritating portrayal of Casey".[10] By contrast, Charles Taylor of the Boston Phoenix wrote that Foreman "is an appealing comic actress who goes at even the most inane situations with tireless enthusiasm and dimpley sex appeal" and although "she can't salvage My Chauffeur, she does give perkiness a good name."[11]

That same year, Foreman played dual roles in the offbeat dark comedy and preppy murder mystery April Fool's Day. Although her performance was praised by reviewers, the film's plot and surprise ending were widely panned,[12][13][14] with critic Vincent Canby commenting for The New York Times: "... the dialogue is mostly composed of rude variations on 'eek,' 'ugh', and 'I'd like to sleep with you this evening.'"[15] The reviewer for AllMovie wrote "With her Sheryl Lee-like features and facial expressions, Deborah Foreman makes an appealingly off-balance scream queen".[16]

During the five years following, Foreman appeared in over half a dozen low-budget horror movies and independent films.[17][18][19][20] Syndicated columnist Joe Bob Briggs gave Foreman a "Drive-in Academy Award nomination as the damsel in distress" for saying "It's all very simple! Bunny men from Neptune have invaded Mars!"[21]

Though she retired from acting in 1991, Foreman did make a brief appearance in a music video for the rock band She Wants Revenge,[22] as well as a small cameo as a shopgirl in the 2020 remake of Valley Girl, her best known film.

Filmography

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Movies

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Year Title Role Notes
1982 Love in the Present Tense Heather Jenkins
I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can Cindy
1983 Valley Girl Julie Richman
Grizzly II: Revenge Chrissy, The Park Ranger's Daughter Released in 2021
1985 Real Genius Susan Decker
1986 Charlie Barnett's Terms of Enrollment Coed/Recruiter
My Chauffeur Casey Meadows
April Fool's Day Muffy/Buffy St. John
3:15 Sherry Havilland
1988 Waxwork Sarah Brightman
Destroyer Susan Malone
1989 Friends, Lovers, & Lunatics Annie
The Experts Jill
Lobster Man from Mars Mary
Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat Sandy White
1991 Lunatics: A Love Story Nancy
2007 Beautiful Loser Carly
2020 Valley Girl Shopgirl Cameo appearance
TBA The Demons Within Nurse Didi

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1981 The Grady Nutt Show Becky Williams Unsold pilot[23]
1982 In the Custody of Strangers Karen TV movie
T. J. Hooker Alise Edwards / Jenny Clark 2 episodes: God Bless the Child, Deadly Ambition
1983 Romance Theatre Heather Jenkins 5 episodes
Family Ties Mary Catherine 1 Episode: Stage Fright
1984 Hot Pursuit Jody 2 episodes: Home Is the Heart: Part 1 & 2
1986 Maggie Alyce Farnsworth TV pilot for CBS[24]
1991 MacGyver Beth Webb 1 Episode: Eye of Osiris
1995 The Marshal Callie Fetter 1 Episode: Gone Fishing

References

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  1. ^ a b Becu, Didier (August 3, 2014). "Deborah Foreman (Actress)". Peek-A-Boo Magazine.
  2. ^ a b AllRovi. "Deborah Foreman Biography". AllMovie. Archived from the original on March 31, 2020.
  3. ^ Maslin, Janet (April 29, 1983). "Movie Review: Valley Girl (1983): 'Valley Girl,' A Coast Comedy". The New York Times.
  4. ^ Benson, Sheila (April 29, 1983). "Movie Reviews: 'Valley Girl' and 'Wicked': Nicolas Cage Steals A Romeo And Juliet Show". Los Angeles Times. p. H1. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017. Retrieved July 6, 2017. Alternate Link(subscription required) via ProQuest.
  5. ^ Deming, Mark. "Deborah Foreman". AllMovie.
  6. ^ Lovell, Glenn (May 25, 1986). "Future Stars? 12 newcomers moving up on the Hollywood horizon". Pittsburgh Press. p. F3.
  7. ^ Broeske, Pat H. (June 30, 1985). "A 'Valley Girl' Grows Up". Los Angeles Times. p. AC14. Archived from the original on September 18, 2016. Retrieved July 6, 2017. Alternate Link(subscription required) via ProQuest.
  8. ^ Van Gelder, Lawrence (January 30, 1986). "Movie Review: My Chauffeur (1986): Screen:'My Chauffeur'". The New York Times.
  9. ^ Wilmington, Michael (January 28, 1986). "Movie Review : A Rambunctious Ride With 'My Chauffeur'". Los Angeles Times.
  10. ^ Blau, Robert (January 27, 1986). "Pointless Obscenity Makes 'My Chauffeur' A Movie Violation". Chicago Tribune.
  11. ^ Taylor, Charles (March 18, 1986). "My Chauffeur". Boston Phoenix. p. 14.
  12. ^ Goldstein, Patrick (March 28, 1986). "Movie Reviews: 'April Fool's Day' Fools Itself". Los Angeles Times.
  13. ^ Taylor, Charles (April 15, 1986). "April Fool's Day". Boston Phoenix. p. 5.
  14. ^ Summers, Jimmy (June 1, 1986). "Reviews: April Fool's Day". Boxoffice. p. R64.[permanent dead link]
  15. ^ Canby, Vincent (March 27, 1986). "Movie Review: April Fool's Day (1986): Screen: 'April Fool's Day' Directed By Fred Walton". The New York Times.
  16. ^ Dillard, Brian J. "April Fool's Day (1986) review". AllMovie.
  17. ^ Thomas, Kevin (November 10, 1989). "Movie Review: 'Friends, Lovers & Lunatics' Not Played for Laughs". Los Angeles Times.
  18. ^ Thomas, Kevin (February 9, 1990). "Movie Review: 'Lobster' Launches Midnight Film Policy". Los Angeles Times.
  19. ^ Thomas, Kevin (February 21, 1992). "Movie Review: 'Lunatics': High Imagination, Low Budget". Los Angeles Times.
  20. ^ Hicks, Christopher (April 18, 1986). "'Showdown' should be rated 'S' for its total stupidity". Deseret News. p. W3.
  21. ^ Briggs, Joe Bob (August 10, 1990). "'Lobster Man From Mars' Is A Good Kind Of Bad". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 24, 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2013.
  22. ^ Sciarretto, Amy (March 24, 2011). "She Wants Revenge to Release "Valleyheart" on May 24th". Artistdirect.
  23. ^ Terrace, Vincent (2013). "The Grady Nutt Show". Encyclopedia of Television Pilots, 1937–2012. McFarland. pp. 110–111. ISBN 978-0-7864-7445-5.
  24. ^ Terrace, Vincent (2013). "Maggie". Encyclopedia of Television Pilots, 1937–2012. McFarland. p. 177. ISBN 978-0-7864-7445-5.
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