- Born
- Birth nameAlexandra Elizabeth Sheedy
- Height5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
- Ally Sheedy was born in New York City, to Charlotte (Baum), a press agent and writer, and John J. Sheedy, Jr., an advertising executive. She is of Russian Jewish (mother) and Irish and German (father) descent. While at New York's Bank Street School, twelve-year-old Ally Sheedy wrote about a mythical encounter between Queen Elizabeth I and an inquisitive mouse. The result, "She Was Nice to Mice", was published by McGraw-Hill and became an instant bestseller. Although it proved a springboard to an acting career, Sheedy's strongest memories of childhood remain those of "dancing and doing plays". From six until fourteen, she danced with the American Ballet Theatre and, during summers at Fire Island, she'd "get a bunch of kids together and stage shows on back lawns and porches". When she discovered that to stay with dancing meant staying with starvation diets, she shifted her focus to acting for good. Meanwhile, her book brought her requests from several publications. The Village Voice asked her to review movies and the New York Times wanted her to review children's books. The assignment she accepted was from Ms. Magazine, which requested an article about her mother and herself. It was an appearance on "The Mike Douglas Show (1961) to promote her book, however, that brought Sheedy work as a performer.
Signed by an agent who caught the show, she was sent out on television commercials, immediately. Only 15 at the time, she also performed off-Broadway and on a series of after-school specials. The day she turned 18, Sheedy packed her bags and headed for Los Angeles, where she enrolled in the drama department at USC, and soon landed roles in the television drama The Best Little Girl in the World (1981), The Day the Loving Stopped (1981), Splendor in the Grass (1981) and Homeroom (1981) and played a recurring character on Hill Street Blues (1981). The strength of her performances led directly to her film debut as Sean Penn's naive-but-knowing girlfriend, "J.C.", in Bad Boys (1983). That same year (1983), she starred as Matthew Broderick's zany partner in WarGames (1983). After starring as Rob Lowe's would-be romantic interest in Oxford Blues (1984), the withdrawn adolescent of The Breakfast Club (1985) and Gene Hackman's adoring daughter in Twice in a Lifetime (1985), Sheedy played her first fully-adult role in St. Elmo's Fire (1985), the 1985 hit about college friends.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous
- SpouseDavid Lansbury(October 10, 1992 - June 9, 2009) (divorced, 1 child)
- ChildrenRebecca Elizabeth
- ParentsJohn J. Sheedy Jr.
- RelativesPatrick Sheedy(Sibling)Meghan Sheedy(Sibling)
- Turned down the Kelly McGillis role in Top Gun (1986).
- Wrote a best selling novel at the the tender age of 12.
- Danced with the American Ballet Theatre from about the time she was six and was rapidly pursuing a career, but when puberty caused her breasts to fill out and all the starvation diets caused her an eating disorder, she gave up dance and pursued acting full-time.
- Was one of the nine original members of the 1980s "brat pack", along with Judd Nelson, Demi Moore, Anthony Michael Hall, Sean Penn, Rob Lowe, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez and Andrew McCarthy.
- Was considered for the role of "Sarah Connor" in The Terminator (1984). The part eventually went to Linda Hamilton.
- It's so unfair. The term "Brat Pack" is so condescending.
- I started writing because I used to tell stories to the children who lived nearby and when I was six I started writing them down. I write poetry and plays, too, and writing is important to me. It is important for me to express my feelings and thoughts. If I'm feeling angry or wonderful or upset or happy I just write it out and reread the feelings over and over again. When I'm depressed I read something I wrote when I was happy and I can feel a great lift in my spirits. I love writing!
- I am really close to my parents. My mother and my father do not live together. We children spend half of the week at one house and half of the week at the other house. We have been living as we do for six years. I get along well with my brother Patrick Sheedy, who is ten, and my sister Meghan Sheedy, who is thirteen. We have an iguana and rabbit as pets.
- All I care about for Christmas and 2003 is health and happiness for my daughter.
- [inteview with Alissa Quart, 1998] I had to leave [Hollywood]. The roles I wanted weren't there.
- Maid to Order (1987) - $500,000
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