Karen Jane Allen (born October 5, 1951)[1] is an American film and stage actress. She made her film debut in the comedy film Animal House (1978), which was soon followed by a small role in Woody Allen's romantic comedy-drama Manhattan (1979) and a co-lead role in Philip Kaufman's coming-of-age film The Wanderers (1979), before co-starring opposite Al Pacino in William Friedkin's crime thriller Cruising (1980).
Karen Allen | |
|---|---|
 Allen in 2017 | |
| Born | Karen Jane Allen October 5, 1951 Carrollton, Illinois, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Fashion Institute of Technology George Washington University Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Known for | Role of Marion Ravenwood in the Indiana Jones movies Raiders of the Lost Ark Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Dial of Destiny |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | karenallen-actor-director |
Her critical and commercial breakthrough came when she portrayed Marion Ravenwood opposite Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), for which she won the Saturn Award for Best Actress. She later co-starred in Shoot the Moon (1982), Starman (1984), for which she was again nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Actress, and Scrooged (1988). She has also received recognition for her work in The Glass Menagerie (1987), Year by the Sea (2016), and Colewell (2019). She reprised her role as Marion Ravenwood in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023).
Early life
editAllen was born on October 5, 1951, in Carrollton, Illinois,[2] to Ruth Patricia (née Howell) (1927–2020), a university professor, and Carroll Thompson Allen (1925–2015), an FBI agent.[3] She is of English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh descent.[4] Her father's job forced the family to move often. "I grew up moving almost every year and so I was always the new kid in school and always, in a way, was deprived of ever really having any lasting friendships", Allen said in 1987.[5] Although Allen says her father was very much involved in the family, she felt that she and her two sisters grew up in a very female-dominated household.[6]
After she graduated from DuVal High School, in Lanham, Maryland, at 17, she moved to New York City to study art and design at Fashion Institute of Technology for two years.[7] Allen later ran a boutique on the University of Maryland campus[8] and spent time traveling through South and Central Asia.[4] She attended George Washington University and began to study and perform with the experimental company, the Washington Theatre Laboratory, in Washington, D.C.[7] In 1974, Allen joined Shakespeare & Company in Massachusetts.[9] Three years later, she moved back to New York City and studied at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute.[4]
Career
editAllen made her major film debut in 1978 in National Lampoon's Animal House.[10] Her next two film appearances were in The Wanderers, in 1979,[10] and A Small Circle of Friends in 1980, where she played one of three radical college students during the 1960s. She also appeared (as a guest star) in the 1979 pilot episode of the long-running CBS series Knots Landing.[10] She had a small role as a television actor in Woody Allen's film Manhattan (1979), before being cast as the love interest of Al Pacino in William Friedkin's controversial film Cruising (1980).
Her career-changing role came with the blockbuster movie Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), directed by Steven Spielberg, in which she played Marion Ravenwood, the love interest of Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford). Allen won the Saturn Award for Best Actress for her performance.[11] After a few minor films, including leading roles in the dramatic thriller Split Image (1982),[10] directed by Ted Kotcheff, and the Paris-set romantic drama Until September (1984), directed by Richard Marquand, as well as other stage appearances, she co-starred with Jeff Bridges in John Carpenter's science-fiction film Starman (1984).[10] The film was a critical success, and later spawned the short-lived Starman television series in 1986. Allen's performance in the film earned her another nomination for the Saturn Award for Best Actress.
Allen debuted on Broadway in the 1982 production The Monday After The Miracle.[12] In 1983, she played the lead in the off-Broadway play Extremities, a physically demanding role about a woman who turns the tables on a would-be rapist who attacks her.[12] She often took breaks from movie roles to concentrate on stage acting; Allen appeared as Laura in the Paul Newman–directed film version of the Tennessee Williams play The Glass Menagerie, with John Malkovich and Joanne Woodward, in 1987.[13]
In 1988, Allen returned to the big screen as Bill Murray's long-lost love, Claire, in the Christmas comedy Scrooged.[10] While the film initially earned a mixed response from critics upon its release, it was a major box office success. The film has since earned a cult following and is regarded as a Christmas classic.[14] In 1990, she portrayed the doomed crew member Christa McAuliffe in the television movie Challenger,[10] based on the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Subsequently, she appeared in Spike Lee's Malcolm X (1992),[10] in a small supporting role in The Perfect Storm (2000) and In the Bedroom (2001). She made guest appearances on Law & Order (1996) and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2001).[10] She also starred in the short-lived series The Road Home (1994),[10] and portrayed Dr. Clare Burton in the video game Ripper (1996).[10] In 2014 she played the role of Betty Lowe in "Unfinished Business",[10] the 13th episode of the 4th season of the CBS police procedural drama Blue Bloods.[10]
Allen reprised her best-known role as Marion Ravenwood for the 2008 sequel Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,[10] in which she renews her relationship with Indiana Jones and reveals to him that they have a son named Henry Jones III, who named himself Mutt Williams, played by Shia LaBeouf. The film was a critical and commercial success.[15][16]
Allen starred in the American premiere of Jon Fosse's A Summer Day at the Cherry Lane Theater in New York City, which opened in October 2012.[17]
Allen has a long-standing relationship with the Berkshire Theater Group. It began in 1981, when she appeared in the play Two for the Seesaw at the Berkshire Theater Festival in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. She has also appeared in summer production of the nearby Williamstown Theater Festival. In August 2015, Allen directed Terrence McNally's Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune for the Berkshire Theater Group.[18] In 2016, Allen made her movie directing debut with the short film, A Tree. A Rock. A Cloud., based on the short story by Carson McCullers.[19] It won the Best International Short at the Manchester Film Festival in March 2017.[20] Allen played the lead role in 2017's Year by the Sea, a film based on The New York Times bestselling memoir by Joan Anderson.[21]
Allen reprised her role as Marion Ravenwood one last time in 2023's Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.[22][10]
In 2024, she starred in Unsinkable: Titanic Untold as Nancy Smith, the wife of U.S. Senator William Alden Smith.
Personal life
edit
In 1988, Allen married actor Kale Browne and had a son, Nicholas, in 1990. The couple divorced in 1998.[23] Following the birth of her son, Allen accepted smaller roles in TV and films to concentrate on raising Nicholas.[17] Nicholas went on to become a personal chef and win a Chopped competition on the Food Network, aired December 22, 2016.[24][25][26]
In 2003 Allen started her own textile company, Karen Allen Fiber Arts, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. The company has a store in Great Barrington that sells items Allen knits with a Japanese-made knitting machine[18] as well as products made by other designers. For her work in the textile arts, she was awarded an honorary master's degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 2009.[27] Allen also teaches acting at Bard College at Simon's Rock, located in Great Barrington.[28]
As of July 2015[update], Allen lives in Massachusetts.[18] She also works as a stage director.[17]
Filmography
edit| Film | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role |
| 1978 | National Lampoon's Animal House | Katy |
| 1979 | Manhattan | Television Actor No. 2 |
| The Wanderers | Nina | |
| 1980 | Cruising | Nancy Gates |
| A Small Circle of Friends | Jessica Bloom | |
| 1981 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Marion Ravenwood |
| 1982 | Shoot the Moon | Sandy |
| Split Image | Rebecca/Amy | |
| 1984 | Until September | Mo Alexander |
| Starman | Jenny Hayden | |
| 1987 | Terminus | Gus |
| The Glass Menagerie | Laura Wingfield | |
| 1988 | Backfire | Mara McAndrew |
| Scrooged | Claire Phillips | |
| 1989 | Animal Behavior | Alex Bristow |
| 1991 | Sweet Talker | Julie Maguire |
| 1992 | The Turning | Glory Lawson |
| Malcolm X | Miss Dunne | |
| 1993 | The Sandlot | Mrs. Smalls |
| King of the Hill | Miss Mathey | |
| Ghost in the Machine | Terry Munroe | |
| 1996 | Ripper[note 1] | Dr. Claire Burton |
| 1997 | 'Til There Was You | Betty Dawkan |
| 1998 | Falling Sky | Resse Nicholson |
| 2000 | The Basket | Bessie Emery |
| Wind River | Martha | |
| The Perfect Storm | Melissa Brown | |
| 2001 | World Traveler | Delores |
| In the Bedroom | Marla Keyes | |
| 2003 | Briar Patch | Butcher Lee |
| 2004 | Poster Boy | Eunice Kray |
| When Will I Be Loved | Alexandra Barrie | |
| 2008 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | Marion Ravenwood |
| 2010 | White Irish Drinkers | Margaret |
| 2015 | Bad Hurt | Elaine Kendall |
| 2016 | Year by the Sea | Joan Anderson |
| 2019 | Colewell | Nora Pancowski |
| 2021 | Things Heard & Seen | Mare Laughton |
| 2022 | A Stage of Twilight | Cora |
| 2023 | Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny | Marion Ravenwood |
| 2024 | Unsinkable | Nancy Smith |
| Television | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1978 | Lovey: A Circle of Children, Part II | Elizabeth | Television film |
| 1979 | Knots Landing | Annie | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1981 | East of Eden | Abra | Episode: "Part Three" |
| 1986 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Jackie Foster | Episode: "The Creeper" |
| 1990 | Challenger | Christa McAuliffe | Television film |
| Secret Weapon | Ruth | Television film | |
| 1993 | Rapture | Georgianne Corcoran | Television film |
| Voyage | Catherine "Kit" Norvell | Television film | |
| 1994 | The Road Home | Alison Matson | 6 episodes |
| 1996 | Hostile Advances: The Kerry Ellison Story | Margaret | Television film |
| Law & Order | Judith Sandler | Episode: "Survivor" | |
| 1997 | All the Winters That Have Been | Helen Raven | Television film |
| 2001 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Paula Varney | Episode: "Scourge" |
| My Horrible Year! | Belinda Faulkner | Television film | |
| Shaka Zulu: The Citadel | Katherine Farewell | Television film | |
| 2009 | A Dog Year | Paula (voice) | Television film |
| 2010 | November Christmas | Claire | Television film |
| 2012 | The Tin Star | Eliza Flynn | Television film |
| 2014 | Blue Bloods | Betty Lowe | Episode: "Unfinished Business" |
| 2020 | 50 States of Fright | Sheriff Stallings | 3 episodes |
| 2022 | The Last Movie Stars | Frances Woodward (voice) | 3 episodes |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Awards | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Saturn Awards | Best Actress | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Won | [11][29] |
| 1983 | Theatre World Award | Outstanding New York City Stage Debut Performance | Monday After the Miracle | Won | [30][31] |
| 1984 | Saturn Awards | Best Actress | Starman | Nominated | [32][29] |
| 1988 | 3rd Independent Spirit Awards | Best Supporting Female | The Glass Menagerie | Nominated | [33][29] |
| 1990 | Sant Jordi Awards | Best Foreign Actress | Nominated | [31][29] | |
| 2009 | AARP Movies for Grownups Awards | Best Grownup Love Story (Over 50's) (Shared with Harrison Ford) | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | Nominated | [34][29] |
| 2016 | Hamilton International Film Festival | Best Actress | Year by the Sea | Won | [35][29] |
| 2020 | 35th Independent Spirit Awards | Best Female Lead | Colewell | Nominated | [33][29] |
| Chlotrudis Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | [36][29] | ||
| 2022 | Woods Hole Film Festival Awards | Best Performance in a Feature film (Adult): | A Stage of Twilight Shared with William Sadler | Won | [37][29] |
Explanatory notes
edit- ^ An interactive movie point-and-click adventure game
References
edit- ^ Lukanic, Steven A (1993). Film Actors Guide. Lone Eagle Publ. p. 37. ISBN 9780943728384.
- ^ "City of Carrollton, Illinois". Archived from the original on December 9, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- ^ [1][permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c Wloszczyna, Susan (September 15, 2010). "Allen and Riegert tend to the 'White Irish Drinkers'". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 3, 2012. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
- ^ Herman, Arthur. "Karen Allen Balances Tame, Sexy Roles". United Press International. May 22, 1987.
- ^ Labrecque, Jeff. "Karen Allen in 'Indiana Jones': The Girl Who Almost Got Away". Entertainment Weekly. September 18, 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
- ^ a b "About – Karen Allen". karenallen-actor-director.com. Karen Allen. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
- ^ "Karen Allen: The Girl Next Door". The Telegraph. July 22, 1981. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
- ^ Eaker, Sherry. The Back Stage Handbook for Performing Artists. New York: Back Stage Books, 1995, p. 78.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Karen Allen Credits". TV Guide. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- ^ a b "List of Best Actress Saturn Award winners". Archived from the original on December 19, 2008.
- ^ a b Barton, Chris (August 21, 2012). "'Indiana Jones' Star Karen Allen Heads for the Stage". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
- ^ Hetrick, Adam; Jones, Kenneth (October 10, 2012). "Karen Allen and Samantha Soule Share 'A Summer Day' Off-Broadway Beginning Oct. 10". Playbill. New York City: Playbill, Inc.
- ^ Harvilla, Rob (November 23, 2018). "'Scrooged' Is Still the Perfect Christmas Movie 30 Years Later". The Ringer. Archived from the original on November 24, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- ^ "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on February 1, 2009. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
- ^ "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on April 14, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ a b c Kozinn, Allan (October 22, 2012). "Karen Allen Returns in 'Summer Day' at Cherry Lane Theater". The New York Times. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
- ^ a b c Shaw, Dan (July 31, 2015). "Karen Allen at Home in the Berkshires". The New York Times. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
- ^ Shanahan, Mark (July 28, 2017). "'Raiders' actress Karen Allen brings directorial debut to Woods Hole Film Fest". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on April 18, 2019. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
- ^ Monsky, Ronni (May 31, 2017). "The Berkshire International Film Festival opens this week: 80 films from 23 countries in 4 days". The Berkshire Edge. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
- ^ Burr, Ty (September 21, 2017). "Karen Allen is the one true thing in 'Year by the Sea'". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on April 18, 2019. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
- ^ "Karen Allen Picture, Profile, Gossip, and News". CelebrityWonder.com. Archived from the original on November 29, 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ Brownfield, Paul. "Hello, Karen? It's Steven..." Los Angeles Times. May 18, 2008.
- ^ "Nicholas Browne, Chef". Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2019 – via Facebook.
- ^ ""Chopped" Winner Seeks Funding for Massachusetts Cidery". Cider Culture. January 3, 2017. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
- ^ "Can you afford a personal celebrity chef? You might be surprised". TownVibe. April 30, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
- ^ "Annie Leibovitz to Give Keynote Address". Fashion Institute of Technology. May 14, 2009. Archived from the original on October 16, 2012. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
- ^ "Karen Allen. Expertise: Performing Arts." Archived June 3, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Media Toolkit. Bard College at Simon's Rock. 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Karen Allen Awards". imdb.com (Index source only). Retrieved December 16, 2021.
- ^ "Theatre World Award Past Recipients". theatreworldawards.org. October 17, 2006.
- ^ a b "Karen Allen, "Marion Ravenwood"". abc7chicago.com. September 25, 2009.
- ^ "Past Winners Database – 1984 12th Saturn Awards Awards". Los Angeles Times. October 17, 2006. Archived from the original on October 17, 2006.
- ^ a b "Film Independent Spirit Awards 36 Years of Nominees and Winners" (PDF). filmindependent.org. 2021.
- ^ "Movies for Grownups Awards 2009". aarp.org. 2009.
- ^ "Hamilton International Film Festival Awards Archive". hamiltonfilmfestival.com. 2017. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021.
- ^ "2020, 26th Annual Chlotrudis Awards". chlotrudis.org. 2020.
- ^ "Woods Hole Film Festival 32 – 2022 Festival Audience and Director's Choice Awards". woodsholefilmfestival.org. 2022.
External links
edit
- Official website
- Karen Allen at IMDb
- Karen Allen at the Internet Broadway Database
- Karen Allen at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Karen Allen at AllMovie
- New York Times: A Night Out With | Karen Allen, Only for You, Dr. Jones
- Artist Direct Interview by Drew Tewksbury October 17, 2008
- Karen Allen on The Graham Norton Show, BBC Television, UK, November 2008 on YouTube
