Heather Langenkamp

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Heather Langenkamp
HeatherLangenkamp new.JPG
Langenkamp in 2008
Born
Heather Elizabeth Langenkamp[1]

(1964-07-17) July 17, 1964 (age 57)
Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Other namesHeather Langenkamp Anderson
Heather L. Anderson
Heather Anderson
Occupation
  • Actress
  • writer
  • director
  • producer
  • prosthetic makeup coordinator
Years active1983–present
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1984; div. 1987)​
​
​
(m. 1989)​
Children2
Signature
Heather Langenkamp's signature.png

Heather Elizabeth Langenkamp (born July 17, 1964) is an American actress, producer, and prosthetic makeup coordinator.[2] Langenkamp began her career as an extra in the Francis Ford Coppola films The Outsiders (1983) and Rumble Fish (1983). She had her breakthrough with a pioneering role as Nancy Thompson in Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), which is cited as "one of the most progressive female representations in the teen horror genre."[3] She is notable for her work with Craven, having appeared in Dream Warriors (1987), making a cameo in Shocker (1989), and starring as a fictionalized version of herself in Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994).

Langenkamp's other film work includes Robert Kurtzman's low-budget superhero film The Demolitionist (1995), Jonathan Zarantonello's thriller The Butterfly Room (2012), and J. J. Abrams' sci-fi film Star Trek Into Darkness (2013). She was featured in the Emmy Award–winning sitcoms Just the Ten of Us (1988–1990) and Growing Pains (1988–1990), and starred as Nancy Kerrigan in the NBC television film Tonya and Nancy: The Inside Story (1994). In 2020, she debuted in voice acting on the Adult Swim animated comedy series, JJ Villard's Fairy Tales.

Langenkamp was executive producer and narrator on the documentary films Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010) and I Am Nancy (2011). She directed a segment in the unfinished anthology horror film Prank (2008) and the short film Washed Away (2019). Langenkamp co-owns the make-up FX firm AFX Studio[4] which has designed and manufactured award-winning make-up effects for film and television. She was the special makeup effects coordinator for movies like Dawn of the Dead (2004), Cinderella Man (2005), Evan Almighty (2007), and The Cabin in the Woods (2012).

Early life[]

Langenkamp was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma.[5] Her mother, Mary Alice (née Myers), is an artist. Her father, Robert Dobie Langenkamp, is a petroleum attorney. Her father was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy in the Carter Administration, where he was partially responsible for realizing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.[6] He was under the Clinton Administration, where he helped with privatizing Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 1.[6] He later was the Director of the National Energy & Environmental Law & Policy Institute of the University of Tulsa College of Law.[6] She later moved to Washington, D.C. after her father's appointment to the Carter administration, where she attended the National Cathedral School for Girls, with classmate and future Stanford University roommate Susan Rice.[5]

Career[]

Early work and acting beginnings (1983)[]

At the age of nineteen, Langenkamp worked for Tulsa Tribune. She saw an ad looking for extras for Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders in the summer of 1983. Auditions took place at a nearby elementary school where Langenkamp gave the casting director her polaroid. She got a call back to appear in a high school scene. Amidst what seemed like "hundreds" of other adolescents, she had to wear 1950s based attire. The same summer, Coppola was shooting another film, Rumble Fish. Her friend got a phone call to appear in a street scene. Her friend's mother felt more comfortable with Langenkamp going with her to the set at night. The assistant director informed her that they had dialogue and wanted to give it to her. She did several takes of her saying dialogue to Matt Dillon's character. The scenes didn't make it into the final product of either film. Despite this, these extra parts helped her get into the Screen Actors Guild.[7] Langenkamp stayed in close contact with the casting director, her assistant, and the producer.

While studying at Stanford University, she would travel to Los Angeles to pursue acting opportunities. Her first official Hollywood audition was for Drew Denbaum's Nickel Mountain (1984), an adaptation of John Gardner's 1973 novel. During the audition, her rented car got hit by a runaway truck on Cahuenga Boulevard. Denbaum and the casting director helped Langenkamp during the ordeal. She bonded with them and got cast in the lead role of Callie Wells.[8] She has expressed regret for doing the nude scene as she feared voicing her discomfort at the time of filming.[9] She later got cast as Beth alongside Joanne Woodward and Richard Crenna in the CBS television film Passions (1984).[8] The direction towards her character received praise.[10]

Breakthrough with A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984–1994)[]

Langenkamp became aware of auditions for a horror film known as A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) in the winter of 1983.[11] Casting director Annette Benson was familiar to Langenkamp as she had brought her in to read for the lead role in Night of the Comet (1984) although the part ultimately went to Catherine Mary Stewart.[12] She auditioned for the highly sought after role of fifteen-year-old heroine Nancy. There were not enough chairs to accommodate the number of actresses auditioning.[11] Her reading impressed both Benson and director Wes Craven enough that she was called back to read with another actress auditioning, Amanda Wyss.[11] Craven stated that he wanted someone very "non-Hollywood" and someone who embodied the "all-American, girl-next-door" for the role and believed that Langenkamp had these qualities.[12] Craven informed her that she got the part that winter, although shooting didn't begin until June 1984.[11] She beat out more than 200 actresses auditioning for the part. She won the Best Actress Award at the Avoriaz Film Festival for her role as Nancy.[13] That year, she starred in the music video for ZZ Top's "Sleeping Bag".[14] In 1986, she guest-starred in CBS Schoolbreak Special and ABC Afterschool Specials.

Langenkamp at the Fan Expo Canada in 2014

Langenkamp was cast in Suburban Beat (1985), a television pilot that was not picked up for a full series, where she played Hope Sherman, the youngest housewife.[15] Craven approached Langenkamp in 1986 to reprise her role of Nancy in the sequel A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), about the survivors of Freddy Krueger's previous attempts.[16] The film was a box office success in 1987 grossing over $44 million.[17] Film critic Kim Newman of Empire, who praised her performance in the original, described Langenkamp's portrayal as a grown-up Nancy as "miscast."[18] Later, she had a guest appearance as Tracy in the television series The New Adventures of Beans Baxter and Monica on the soap opera Hotel (both in 1987).[19] Following Nancy, Langenkamp obtained further recognition when she portrayed lead character Marie Lubbock on the ABC television series Just the Ten of Us, a spin-off of the popular ABC situation comedy Growing Pains (on which she guest-starred), from 1988 to 1990. Both shows won Emmy Awards.[20][21] That year, she and her castmates were nominated for the Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor/Actress Ensemble in a Television Comedy, Drama Series or Special.

She had a cameo role as the first victim of Horace Pinker in Wes Craven's horror film Shocker (1989).[22][23] In the film, she is on a news report being pulled away on a stretcher. Langenkamp returned to the Elm Street franchise with Wes Craven's New Nightmare,[24] which is a standalone film, and follows the journey Freddy Krueger takes to the real world.[25] Langenkamp instead starred as a fictionalized version of herself, which was based on a stalking incident she was subject to that involved a fan angry over the cancellation of her show, Just the Ten of Us.[26] On the film, Langenkamp stated "It's a really interesting concept, and it's one of the only horror movies where the monster's really in the background, at least until the end. But it's all about our mentality about fear."[27] Wes Craven's New Nightmare was released in 1994, and opened to critical praise,[28] being cited as an influential "metahorror" film. For her performance, she won the Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress. Following this, she portrayed the figure skater Nancy Kerrigan in the NBC television film Tonya & Nancy: The Inside Story (both in 1994), which focused on Tonya Harding's husband's attack.[29]

Further success and recurring work (1995–present)[]

Langenkamp starred in Robert Kurtzman's low-budget superhero film The Demolitionist (1995).[30] In 1997, she portrayed Lou Ann Solomon in one episode of the short-lived science fiction/horror television series Perversions of Science. She later starred in the direct-to-video film Fugitive Mind (1999). In 2000, she had a guest role in 18 Wheels of Justice as a waitress. The following year, she and her husband, David LeRoy Anderson, launched the Malibu Gum Factory which sold locally manufactured chewing gum that featured trading cards of local surfers inside each package.[31] Langenkamp played Janet Thompson in an episode of JAG (2002). After this, she took a break from acting to focus on her family.[32]

In 2005, she was cast in the Wes Craven horror film Cursed. The film had to be reshot and rewritten, causing her to leave due to scheduling conflicts.[33] Langenkamp portrayed a fictionalized version of herself in the indie mockumentary film The Bet (2007). It was released as a web series with the same title in April 2020. She starred in, executive produced, and narrated the 2010 documentary Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy. The following year, she produced a documentary entitled I Am Nancy, which focused on her experience portraying Nancy in the A Nightmare on Elm Street films.[34] Langenkamp portrayed Dorothy in the horror film The Butterfly Room (2012). As a partner in her husband's Special FX Make-up company, AFX Studio, she worked on the horror-comedy film The Cabin in the Woods. In 2013, Langenkamp appeared as herself in the documentary Fantasm[35] and had a small role of an alien in the film, Star Trek Into Darkness in which her husband David LeRoy Anderson designed all of the Special FX make-up.[36] In 2014, she made a cameo appearance in the fourth season of the horror anthology series American Horror Story, titled Freak Show, as a Tupperware party lady.[37]

I would never say no to the option of doing something like that. It's a great universe and it's one of the most creative franchises, there's more to be made, I'm sure.

—Langenkamp on the possibility of returning to the A Nightmare on Elm Street series[38]

In 2015, Langenkamp was cast in the short film Intruder, portrayed Sharon Monroe in four episodes of the drama series The Bay, and narrated the short horror film Vault of the Macabre II.[39][40] In 2016, she starred in the horror drama film Home.[41] Langenkamp had a cameo role in the short horror comedy film The Sub (2017) and appeared as herself in the documentary Unearthed & Untold: The Path to Pet Sematary (2017). She has a cameo appearance in the horror sequel film Hellraiser: Judgment. Also that year, she portrayed the adult version of the "final girl" Donna Boone in the Syfy television horror film Truth or Dare, guiding a group of teenagers with their battle with a deadly spirit that left her physically scarred several years prior.[42] She is confirmed to have the anchoring role in the Mike Flanagan written, directed, and executive produced Netflix series The Midnight Club (2022).[43]

Personal life[]

Langenkamp met David LeRoy Anderson, special effects artist, at a wrap party for Wes Craven's The Serpent and the Rainbow (1989).[5] They wed in 1989, and together, they have two children, son Daniel "Atticus" Anderson (1991-2018), who died as the result of a brain tumor, and daughter Isabelle Anderson.[44] She was previously married to Alan Pasqua, a musician, from 1984 until 1987.[45]

Filmography[]

Film[]

Year Title Role Notes References
1983 The Outsiders [a] Scenes deleted [46]
Rumble Fish
1984 Nickel Mountain Callie Wells
A Nightmare on Elm Street Nancy Thompson [46]
1987 A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
1989 Shocker Victim Cameo
1994 Wes Craven's New Nightmare Heather Langenkamp
1995 The Demolitionist Christy Carruthers
1999 Fugitive Mind Suzanne Hicks Direct-to-video
2007 The Bet Heather Langenkamp
2008 Prank None Director; segment: "Jennifer"
2010 Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy Narrator / Herself Documentary; also executive producer
2011 I Am Nancy Herself Documentary; also producer
2012 The Butterfly Room Dorothy [46]
2013 Star Trek Into Darkness Moto Cameo
2015 Intruder Sally Short film
2016 Home Heather
2017 The Sub Senora Babcock Short film
2018 Hellraiser: Judgment Landlady Direct-to-video; cameo
2019 Road Trash Narrator Short film
Portal Fiona
Washed Away None Short film; writer and director
In Search of Darkness Herself Documentary
2020 In Search of Darkness: Part II Herself Documentary

Television[]

Year Title Role Notes
1984 Passions Beth Kennerly Television film
1985 Suburban Beat Hope Sherman Television pilot
1986 CBS Schoolbreak Special Erica Episode: "Have You Tried Talking to Patty?"
1986 ABC Afterschool Special Paula Finkle Episode: "Can a Guy Say No?"
1986 Heart of the City Audrey Episode: "Of Dogs and Cat Burglars"
1987 The New Adventures of Beans Baxter Tracy Episode: "Beans Goes to Camp"
1987 Hotel Monica Episode: "Desperate Moves"
1988 Circus of the Stars #13 Herself Television special
1988–1990 Growing Pains Marie Lubbock / Amy Boutilier 5 episodes
1988–1990 Just the Ten of Us Marie Lubbock Main role (47 episodes)
1990 ABC TGIF Marie Lubbock Episode: "#1.19"
1994 Tonya and Nancy: The Inside Story Nancy Kerrigan Television film
1997 Perversions of Science Lou Ann Solomon Episode: "Ultimate Weapon"
1999 Partners Suzanne Episode: "Always..."
2000 18 Wheels of Justice Waitress Episode: "Genesis
2002 JAG Janet Thompson Episode: "Odd Man Out"
2014 American Horror Story: Freak Show Female Toulouse 2 episodes
2017 Truth or Dare Donna Boone Television film
2020 JJ Villard's Fairy Tales Charla (voice) Episode: "Boypunzel"
2022 The Midnight Club TBA Main role

Web series[]

Year Title Role Notes
2015 The Bay Sharon Monroe 4 episodes
2016–2020 The Bet Heather Langenkamp 4 episodes

Music videos[]

Year Title Artist Role Ref.
1985 "Sleeping Bag" ZZ Top Sleeping Girl [47]

Awards and nominations[]

Year Association Category Work Result Ref.
1985 Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival Best Performance A Nightmare on Elm Street Won
Young Artist Award Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical, Comedy, Adventure or Drama Nominated
1989 Best Young Actor/Actress Ensemble in a Television Comedy, Drama Series or Special Just the Ten of Us Nominated
1995 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards Best Actress Wes Craven's New Nightmare Won
2010 Fright Night Film Fest Scream Queen of the Year N/A Won
2020 Indie Fest Best Ensemble Cast The Bet: The Web Series Won

Notes[]

  1. ^ Uncredited role as an extra

References[]

  1. ^ "Annual Commencement: Order of Exercises - Stanford University". 1987. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  2. ^ "Heather Langenkamp - Filmography - Movies & TV". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. 2013. Archived from the original on December 20, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  3. ^ Keating, Shannon (October 31, 2014). "'I'm Into Survival': A Nightmare on Elm Street's Nancy, 30 Years Later". The Atlantic. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  4. ^ "AFX Studio". AFX Studio. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c Yamato, Jen (October 31, 2018). "Beyond slashers and 'scream queens': Three iconic women of horror on the legacies of their legendary roles". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c Levy, Larry (November 28, 1998). "Former Soviet Oil Tap Tough Turn, Expert Says". The Oklahoman. p. 27. Retrieved June 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Hutson 2016, p. 106.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Hutson 2016, p. 108.
  9. ^ "Heather Langenkamp, Star of ABC's Just the Ten of Us, Who Has Put Her Nightmares Down for the Count". People. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  10. ^ Jarvis, Jeff (October 1, 1984). "Picks and Pans Review: Passions". People. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Hutson 2016, p. 112.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b Hutson 2016, p. 110.
  13. ^ Barton, Steve (April 26, 2010). "Heather Langenkamp Explains Why You Should Never Sleep Again". Dread Central. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  14. ^ Bartel, Jordan (November 8, 2015). "Flashback Friday: The top 10 songs this week in 1985". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  15. ^ Corry, John (August 16, 1985). "TV WEEKEND; 'SUBURBAN BEAT,' AN NBC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT". The New York Times. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  16. ^ Crow, David (November 18, 2020). "The New Mutants and Its Nightmare on Elm Street Influences". Den of Geek. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  17. ^ "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  18. ^ Newman, Kim. "A Nightmare On Elm Street, Part 3: Dream Warriors Review". Empire. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  19. ^ Therkelsen, Michael. "Where Are They Now? : Heather Langenkamp". Horror Society. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  20. ^ "JUST THE TEN OF US". Emmys.com. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  21. ^ "Growing Pains". Emmys.com. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  22. ^ Heerden, Bill van (2008). Film and Television In-Jokes: Nearly 2,000 Intentional References, Parodies, Allusions, Personal Touches, Cameos, Spoofs and Homages. McFarland. ISBN 9781476612065.
  23. ^ Muir, John Kenneth (2017). Wes Craven: The Art of Horror. McFarland. ISBN 9780786419234.
  24. ^ Maslin, Janet (October 14, 1994). "FILM REVIEW; Freddy Krueger Enters The Real World. Yikes!". The New York Times. p. 8. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  25. ^ Peitzman, Louis. "How "New Nightmare" Changed The Horror Game". BuzzFeed. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  26. ^ "New Nightmare based on factual events". Games.tcm.com. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  27. ^ "INTERVIEW: Heather Langenkamp Reminisces About Being Freddy's First Final Girl". nerdbastards.com. September 1, 2014. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  28. ^ "Wes Craven's New Nightmare Meta Message Cuts Deeper Than Ever". Collider. October 14, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  29. ^ Bianculli, David (April 30, 1994). "'Most Wanted' looks for 300th fugitive". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  30. ^ "Heather Langenkamp". Flixster. Fandango. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  31. ^ Jones, Noa (December 11, 2001). "Trading Cards Are Added to Surfers' Turf". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  32. ^ "Interview: Heather Langenkamp". Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  33. ^ Dietsch, Drew (September 14, 2016). "Movie of the Day: Cursed (2005)". CHUD.com.hk. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  34. ^ "Exclusive: Heather Langenkamp Discusses Her New Documentary I Am Nancy". Dread Central. May 5, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  35. ^ "Horror Convention Documentary Fantasm Arrives on DVD November 11th". Dread Central. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  36. ^ "Langenkamp In Star Trek Into Darkness". Trek Today. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
  37. ^ Squires, John. "Heather Langenkamp in American Horror Story: Freakshow". . Retrieved October 4, 2015.
  38. ^ "Heather Langenkamp thinks there are more Elm Street stories to tell". JoBlo.com. US. March 3, 2017.
  39. ^ "Intruder Short Review". Shock Ya Movies. March 31, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  40. ^ Jones, Tamika (November 3, 2015). "Round-Up: UNCANNY Q&A with Lucy Griffiths, EMELIE, ONE EYED GIRL Blu-ray / DVD, VAULT OF THE MACABRE II". Daily Dead. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  41. ^ "Heather Langenkamp Narrated This Nancy Thompson Fan Film". iHorror.com. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  42. ^ McGrew, Shannon (October 5, 2017). "An innocent game turns deadly in SYFY's 'Truth or Dare'". 1428 Elm. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  43. ^ Scott, Ryan. "Netflix's The Midnight Club Cast Announced, Including Elm Street Icon Heather Langenkamp". MovieWeb. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  44. ^ "Obituary: Daniel Atticus Anderson". The Malibu Times. The Malibu Times. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  45. ^ Yu, Ting. "Beyond Freddy". People.com. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  46. ^ Jump up to: a b c Colllis, Clark. "'Nightmare on Elm Street': Whatever happened to Nancy?". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  47. ^ "ZZ Top – Sleeping Bag (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)". YouTube. Retrieved November 11, 2018.

Further reading[]

  • Hutson, Thommy (2016). Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy: The Making of Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street. Permuted Press. ISBN 978-1-61-868640-4.

External links[]

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