Heather Langenkamp

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Heather Langenkamp
Langenkamp at the Fan Expo Canada in 2014
Born
Heather Elizabeth Langenkamp[1]

(1964-07-17) July 17, 1964 (age 59)[2]
Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Other namesHeather Langenkamp Anderson
Heather L. Anderson
Heather Anderson
Occupations
  • Actress
  • makeup coordinator
Years active1983–present
Known forNancy Thompson in A Nightmare on Elm Street
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1984; div. 1987)​
​
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(m. 1989)​
Children2
Signature

Heather Elizabeth Langenkamp (born July 17, 1964) is an American actress, writer, director, disc jockey, and producer. Although she has acted in many film genres, she is primarily known for her work in horror films, in addition to her work on television sitcoms. Langenkamp has been referred to as a scream queen and was inducted into the Fangoria Chainsaw Hall of Fame in 1995.

Born and raised in

narrating Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010), which focuses on the making of all of the Nightmare films; and starring in and producing I Am Nancy
(2011), which centers on the legacy of Nancy.

Langenkamp has also appeared in the films The Butterfly Room (2012), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), and My Little Pony: A New Generation (2021). On television, she has appeared in Growing Pains (1988-1990), Just the Ten of Us (1988-1990), Perversions of Science (1997), and the Mike Flanagan Netflix series The Midnight Club (2022). Since the 2010s, Langenkamp has worked as a disc jockey for the Malibu radio station KBUU-LP, going under the pseudonym Sandy Bottoms.[3] She wrote and directed the short film Washed Away (2019).

Langenkamp's second husband is award-winning makeup artist David LeRoy Anderson. Together they run AFX Studio, where she has worked as a special make-up effects coordinator for films such as Dawn of the Dead (2004), Cinderella Man (2005), Evan Almighty (2007), and The Cabin in the Woods (2012).[4]

Early life

Heather Elizabeth Langenkamp was born in

Carter Administration, where he was partially responsible for realizing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.[6] He worked 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

1983: Early work

At age eighteen, Langenkamp worked for the

Polaroid of her; Langenkamp got a call back to appear in a high school scene, in which she had to wear attire based on 1950s fashion.[7]

Coppola was shooting another film in Tulsa the same summer, Rumble Fish, after The Outsiders; Langenkamp's friend got a phone call to appear in a street scene, and her friend's mother felt more comfortable with Langenkamp going with her to the set at night.[7] The casting director allowed her to join and gave dialogue to Langenkamp—in which she did several takes of her saying dialogue to Matt Dillon's character; The Outsiders and Rumble Fish did not include her scenes but helped her get into the Screen Actors Guild.[7] These positive experiences made Langenkamp feel like she should attempt to pursue an acting career in Hollywood.[8]

While studying at Stanford University, she would travel to Los Angeles on the weekends to pursue auditions, where she had her first official Hollywood audition for Drew Denbaum's independent drama film Nickel Mountain (1984).[8] While auditioning, her rented car got hit by a runaway truck on Cahuenga Boulevard.[8] Denbaum and the casting director helped Langenkamp during the ordeal.[8] 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 while filming—as she was an up-and-coming actress.[9]

Her next role was Beth, the daughter of Joanne Woodward and Richard Crenna's characters in the CBS television film Passions (1984).[8] The direction towards her character received praise.[10] Langenkamp reflects, "It was a complex part. Richard plays a philandering husband who has a son with his mistress, so my character was acting like a bridge between these two families."[8]

1984–1994: Breakthrough with A Nightmare on Elm Street and television career

Langenkamp became aware of auditions for a horror film known as A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) at the end 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); the part ultimately went to Catherine Mary Stewart.[12] She auditioned for the highly sought after role of fifteen-year-old heroine Nancy.[12] 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 asked 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 in the winter of 1984, although filming didn't begin until June of that year.[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] and Empire magazine wrote that "Heather Langenkamp [is] an appealing high school lead."[14] Later that year, she starred in the music video for ZZ Top's "Sleeping Bag".[15]

In 1986, she guest-starred in

Hotel (both in 1987).[18] 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.[19][20]
That year, she and her castmates received nominations for the Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor/Actress Ensemble in a Television Comedy, Drama Series or Special.

Langenkamp had a cameo role as the first victim of Horace Pinker in Wes Craven's horror film Shocker (1989).[21][22] In the film, she is on a news report being pulled away on a stretcher. Following this, she portrayed the figure skater Nancy Kerrigan in the NBC television film Tonya & Nancy: The Inside Story (also released in 1994), which focused on Tonya Harding's husband's attack.[23]

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[24]

Langenkamp returned to the Elm Street franchise with

magnum opus.[30] Review website Slasher Studios wrote that "The performances are pitch perfect, led by a tour-de-force performance by the amazing Langenkamp."[31] In a video ranking the Nightmare on Elm Street films, James A. Janisse, the host of the YouTube channel Dead Meat, stated that Langenkamp "is in top form and gives her best performance of the franchise here, likely a product of her age and greater life experience."[32] For her performance, she won the Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress
.

1995–2021: Career fluctuations and business endeavors

Langenkamp starred in Robert Kurtzman's low-budget superhero film The Demolitionist (1995).[33] 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.[34] Langenkamp played Janet Thompson in an episode of JAG (2002). After this, she took a break from acting to focus on her family.[35] 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.[36]

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 entitled I Am Nancy, which focused on her experience portraying Nancy in the A Nightmare on Elm Street films.[37] 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[38] 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.[39] 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.[40]

In 2015, Langenkamp was cast in the short film Intruder, portrayed Sharon Monroe in four episodes of the drama series

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.[44]

2022–present: The Midnight Club and acting comeback

She is confirmed to have the anchoring role in the Mike Flanagan written, directed, and executive produced Netflix series The Midnight Club (2022).[45] Langenkamp voices Dazzle Feather and Mayflower in My Little Pony: A New Generation (2021).

Personal life

Langenkamp's first husband was musician Alan Pasqua, from 1984 until 1987.[46] Her second husband is make-up artist David LeRoy Anderson, whom she met at a wrap party for the 1988 film The Serpent and the Rainbow.[5] The couple were introduced by casting director Jill Simpson, a good friend of Langenkamp from when they worked together on The Outsiders (1983); Simpson also worked on The Serpent and the Rainbow. Anderson proposed to Langenkamp on the set of Pet Sematary (1989) and they wed that year. Anderson and Langenkamp had two children: Daniel "Atticus" Anderson, who died in 2018 of brain tumor complications at age 26, and daughter Isabelle Anderson.[47]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes References
1983 The Outsiders [a] Scenes deleted [8]
Rumble Fish
1984 Nickel Mountain Callie Wells
A Nightmare on Elm Street Nancy Thompson [48]
1987 A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
1989 Shocker Victim Cameo
1994 Wes Craven's New Nightmare Herself / Nancy Thompson
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 [48]
2013 Star Trek Into Darkness Moto Cameo
2015 Intruder Sally Short film
2016 Home Heather
2017 The Sub Senora Babcock Short film
2017 Truth or Dare Donna Boone
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
2021 My Little Pony: A New Generation Dazzle Feather / Mayflower (voice)
2022 Glitch Emily's mother
TBA The Life of Chuck Post-production

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 Tupperware Housewife 2 episodes
2017 Truth or Dare Donna Boone Television film
2020 JJ Villard's Fairy Tales Charla (voice) Episode: "Boypunzel"
2022 The Midnight Club Dr. Stanton 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 [49]

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Work Result
1985
Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival
 Best Performance A Nightmare on Elm Street Won
1985 Young Artist Awards Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical, Comedy, Adventure or Drama Nominated
1989 Young Artist Awards 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
Fangoria Horror Hall of Fame — Won
2010 Fright Night Film Fest Scream Queen of the Year — Won
2020 Atlanta Horror Film Festival Best Actress Cottonmouth Won
2021 Indie Fest Best Ensemble Cast The Bet 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". AllMovie. Archived from the original on December 18, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  3. ^ Tallal, Jimy (October 6, 2022). "Malibu's 'Spooky' couple put their talents to work on Netflix". The Malibu Times. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  4. ^ "AFX Studio". AFX Studio. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  5. ^ 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. ^
    Newspapers.com
    .
  7. ^ a b c d Hutson 2016, p. 106.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. ^ a b c d Hutson 2016, p. 112.
  12. ^ a b c 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. ^ "A Nightmare On Elm Street, Part 3: Dream Warriors". Empire. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  15. ^ Bartel, Jordan (November 8, 2015). "Flashback Friday: The top 10 songs this week in 1985". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved January 5, 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. ^ Therkelsen, Michael (July 13, 2012). "Where Are They Now? : Heather Langenkamp". Horror Society. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  19. ^ "JUST THE TEN OF US". Emmys.com. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  20. ^ "Growing Pains". Emmys.com. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  21. ISBN 9781476612065
    .
  22. ISBN 9780786419234
    .
  23. ^ Bianculli, David (April 30, 1994). "'Most Wanted' looks for 300th fugitive". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  24. ^ "Heather Langenkamp thinks there are more Elm Street stories to tell". JoBlo.com. US. March 3, 2017.
  25. ^ Maslin, Janet (October 14, 1994). "FILM REVIEW; Freddy Krueger Enters The Real World. Yikes!". The New York Times. p. 8. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  26. ^ Peitzman, Louis. "How "New Nightmare" Changed The Horror Game". BuzzFeed. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  27. ^ "New Nightmare based on factual events". Games.tcm.com. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  28. ^ "INTERVIEW: Heather Langenkamp Reminisces About Being Freddy's First Final Girl". nerdbastards.com. September 1, 2014. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  29. ^ "Wes Craven's New Nightmare Meta Message Cuts Deeper Than Ever". Collider. October 14, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  30. ^ "Wes Craven's New Nightmare Meta Message Cuts Deeper Than Ever". Collider. October 14, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  31. ^ "Meta Movie Magic: "Wes Craven's New Nightmare" Review". Slasher Studios. May 11, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  32. ^ Every A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET Movie RANKED!, retrieved April 8, 2022
  33. ^ "Heather Langenkamp". Flixster. Fandango. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  34. ^ Jones, Noa (December 11, 2001). "Trading Cards Are Added to Surfers' Turf". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  35. ^ "Interview: Heather Langenkamp". April 9, 2008. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  36. ^ Dietsch, Drew (September 14, 2016). "Movie of the Day: Cursed (2005)". CHUD.com.hk. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  37. ^ "Exclusive: Heather Langenkamp Discusses Her New Documentary I Am Nancy". Dread Central. May 5, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  38. ^ "Horror Convention Documentary Fantasm Arrives on DVD November 11th". Dread Central. November 4, 2014. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  39. ^ "Langenkamp In Star Trek Into Darkness". Trek Today. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
  40. ^ Squires, John (December 11, 2014). "Heather Langenkamp in American Horror Story: Freakshow". iHorror. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
  41. ^ "Intruder Short Review". Shock Ya Movies. March 31, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  42. ^ 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.
  43. ^ "Heather Langenkamp Narrated This Nancy Thompson Fan Film". iHorror.com. September 8, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  44. ^ McGrew, Shannon (October 5, 2017). "An innocent game turns deadly in SYFY's 'Truth or Dare'". 1428 Elm. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  45. ^ Scott, Ryan (February 3, 2021). "Netflix's The Midnight Club Cast Announced, Including Elm Street Icon Heather Langenkamp". MovieWeb. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  46. ^ Yu, Ting. "Beyond Freddy". People.com. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  47. ^ "Obituary: Daniel Atticus Anderson". The Malibu Times. The Malibu Times. Archived from the original on January 27, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  48. ^ a b Collis, Clark. "'Nightmare on Elm Street': Whatever happened to Nancy?". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  49. ^ "ZZ Top – Sleeping Bag (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)". Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2018 – via YouTube.

Sources

  • 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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