Amy Steel

Amy Steel Pulitzer (born Alice Amy Steel; May 3, 1960)[1] is an American actress and marriage and family therapist. She began her career with guest appearances on a variety of television soap operas. Transitioning into feature films, Steel rose to prominence when she was chosen to play the role of Ginny Field in Steve Miner's slasher-horror film Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981). A commercial hit, Steel was asked by Miner to reprise her role as Ginny in the 1982 3D film Friday the 13th Part III but declined the offer as she feared being typecast.

For the netballer, see Amy Steel (netballer).
Amy Steel
Born
Alice Amy Steel

(1960-05-03) May 3, 1960
Pennsylvania, United States
Other namesAmy Steel Pulitzer
OccupationActress, writer
Years active1980–2004; 2009–present

After her involvement in the Friday the 13th franchise, she was cast as a prominent supporting character in Fred Walton's mystery film April Fool's Day (1986). Subsequently, Steel had supporting roles in Melvin Frank's comedy film Walk Like a Man (1987), David Greene's remake What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1991), and the Bart Mastronardi and Alan Rowe Kelly directed anthology horror film Tales of Poe (2014).

In addition to film, Steel has an extensive television career, starring on the NBC series The Powers of Matthew Star (1982–83), followed by guest appearances on shows such as Family Ties (1982), The A-Team (1983), Quantum Leap (1990), and China Beach (1991).[2] In the early 2000s, she retired from acting and launched a career as a psychologist.

Career

Steel began her career with guest roles on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light as Trudy Wilson from 1980–1981, and as Peggy Warner on All My Children in 1980. In 1981, Amy made her film debut in the comedy film Fat Chance before being cast as Ginny Field in the horror film Friday the 13th Part 2. She won the role through an audition and it went on to become one of her most recognizable performances.[3] The film earned over $21 million at the box office.[4] She was offered the chance to reprise the role for the third film in the long-running series, but was hesitant because she feared being typecast and was persuaded to turn it down by her agent at the time.[5] However, she does make a brief cameo appearance on a news report shown in the film. Steel described filming the window scene in Part 2 as a stressful experience. In a March 2010 interview, she stated:

"I was thinking this is the worst moment of my life, and they had to do a lot of re-sets because they had to put the window back together. So it would be an hour, hour and a half between takes. I think we did it at least three times. When the director came back a week later and told me we had to do it again, I was so upset."

In 1982, Steel had guest roles on the television series Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1982) as Allison Freleng, Family Ties (1982) as Stephanie Brooks, CHiPs as Kelly Monahan, The A-Team (1983) as Kathy Ludlam, before being cast as Pam Elliott in the sci-fi series The Powers of Matthew Star alongside Peter Barton, who went on to appear in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter. The series lasted until 1983. The same year, Steel had a cameo role as a party guest in the drama film Exposed (1983). She was subsequently cast in the television films Women of San Quentin (1983) as Liz Larson and First Steps (1985) as Nan Davis. From 1983–1984, Steel portrayed Sharon on the short lived television series For Love and Honor.

In 1985, she had a guest appearance in Stir Crazy as Lisa Grant before being cast as Kit Graham in the horror film April Fool's Day (1986). The latter earned nearly $13 million against an estimated budget of $5 million.[6][7] The following year, she portrayed Penny in the comedy film Walk Like a Man (1987). The following year, Steel was cast in the television thriller film The Red Spider. In 1987, and again in 1989, Steel a guest roles in Jake and the Fatman. In 1990, Steel guest starred on Father Dowling Mysteries and Quantum Leap before being cast as Connie in the television film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, a remake of the 1962 film of the same name. The same year, she guest starred on China Beach and Walter & Emily. In 1992, Steel was cast in the television film Perry Mason: The Case of the Reckless Romeo. The same year, she was cast in the horror film Play Nice.

I think it would be really cool to come back as Ginny again. The funny thing is that I’ve never been asked since Part 3. But I think it’s time to see Ginny again in a Friday the 13th movie. She has some unfinished business.

—Steel on the possibility of returning to the Friday the 13th series[8]

In 1994, Steel guest starred on Viper, Home Improvement and Diagnosis: Murder before being cast in the television films Ray Alexander: A Taste for Justice and The Innocent. In 1995, she was cast in the television series The Commish and the television film Damaged and Deceived. In 1996, she guest starred on American Gothic and Chicago Hope. The following year, she portrayed Dr. Liz Michaels in an episode of Millennium. In 1999, Steel was cast in the films Valerie Flake and Tycus. The following year, she portrayed Commander Samantha Woodling in a guest appearance on JAG.

In 2003, Steel was cast as Claire Goodman Isenberg in the television film A Time to Remember. After this role, Steel took an extensive break from acting and became a psychotherapist. In 2009, Steel appeared as herself in the television documentary His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th. In 2013, she appeared as herself in the documentary Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th. In 2014, Steel made her first acting appearance in 11 years in the anthology horror film Tales of Poe. She starred alongside Adrienne King and Caroline Williams. Steel is set to reprise her role as Ginny in a short Friday the 13th sequel set 40 years after the original film. She is co-writing the film with King.

Personal life

During the filming of the 1985 television film First Steps, Steel developed a friendship with Nan Davis. In an interview, Steel said:

"We have a good relationship, we don't fret if we don't talk for a month. The filming ended last May, and we've seen each other two or three times since then. We get on the phone and it's as if we've not been out of touch at all."[9]

In 1986 she married Peter Pulitzer.[10] She has two daughters. She serves as a marriage and family therapist intern at InBalance in the Santa Monica Mountains in California. She also has a private practice in Calabasas, California specializing in adolescent and mid-life transitions.[11]

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
1981Fat ChanceAlison
1981Friday the 13th Part 2Ginny Field
1982Friday the 13th Part IIIGinny FieldCameo
1983ExposedParty GuestCameo
1983Women of San QuentinLiz LarsonTelevision film
1984Friday the 13th: The Final ChapterGinny FieldArchive footage
1984Terror in the AislesGinny FieldArchive footage
1985First StepsNan DavisTelevision film
1986April Fool's DayKit Graham
1987Walk Like a ManPenny
1987Home FiresCathy AshTelevision film
1987The Red SpiderKate O'DayTelevision film
1991What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?Connie TrotterTelevision film
1992Perry Mason: The Case of the Reckless RomeoRoxanne ShieldsTelevision film
1992Play NiceNancy
1994Ray Alexander: A Taste for JusticeDr. Gail BakerTelevision film
1994The InnocentMollyTelevision film
1995Abandoned and DeceivedTelevision film
1999Valerie FlakeDenise
1999TycusLittle Girl's MotherDirect-to-video film
2003A Time to RememberClaire Goodman IsenbergTelevision film
2004Crystal Lake Victims Tell AllHerselfDocumentary
2010Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street LegacyHerselfArchive footage, uncredited
2013Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13thHerselfDocumentary
2014Tales of PoeMother of Dreams / Poetic Narrator
2019Friday the 13thGinny FieldShort, writer

Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1980All My ChildrenPeggy WarnerRecurring role
1980–81Guiding LightTrudy WilsonRecurring role
1982Seven Brides for Seven BrothersAllison Frelang1 episode
1982–83The Powers of Matthew StarPam ElliottRegular; 14 episodes
1982Family TiesStephanie Brooks1 episode
1983CHiPsKelly Monahan1 episode
1983The A-TeamKathy Ludlam1 episode
1983–84For Love and HonorSharon12 episodes
1985Stir CrazyLisa Grant1 episode
1987–89Jake and the FatmanSamantha Shay / Mia Delaine2 episodes
1990Father Dowling MysteriesMurphy1 episode
1990Quantum LeapMaggie Spontini1 episode
1991China BeachMaria Koloski1 episode
1991Walter & EmilyGinny1 episode
1993Space RangersSarah Boon1 episode
1993Time TraxLaura Darrow1 episode
1994ViperLisa Hinkle1 episode
1994Home ImprovementEve1 episode
1994Diagnosis: MurderJenny Morley1 episode
1995The CommishRhonda Shonick1 episode
1996American GothicChristie1 episode
1996Chicago HopeLisa Erickson1 episode
1997MillenniumDr. Liz Michaels1 episode
2000JAGCommander Samantha Woodling1 episode
2009His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13thHerselfTelevision documentary

References
  1. "Amy Steel". AllMovie. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  2. "Where in the Horror are they now? Amy Steel!". JoBlo Movie Network. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  3. Wixson, Heather (March 5, 2010). "Dread Central's Final Girls: Amy Steel". Dread Central. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  4. "Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)". The Numbers. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  5. "The Girl That Got Away from Jason: An Interview with Amy Steel from Friday the 13th Part 2".
  6. "April Fool's Day (1986)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
  7. Dread Central's Final Girls: Amy Steel
  8. "Dread Central's Final Girls: Amy Steel". Dread Central. US. March 5, 2010.
  9. Hill, Michael (March 17, 1985). "AMY STEEL'First Steps,' a Film That 'Meant Something to Me' BY MICHAEL E. HILL". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.