Who is Ally Sheedy? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Alexandra Elizabeth Sheedy

Age: 61 Years, 61 Year Old Females

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: David Lansbury (m. 1992–2009)

children: Rebecca Lansbury

Born Country: United States

Actresses American Women

Height: 5'5" (165 cm), 5'5" Females

Ancestry: Ukrainian American, Irish American

City: New York City

U.S. State: New Yorkers

More Facts

education: University Of Southern California

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Childhood & Early Life

Ally Sheedy was born as Alexandra Elizabeth Sheedy in New York City on June 13, 1962 to John J. Sheedy, advertising executive, and Charlotte, a writer and a press agent. Her mother used to be an activist as well, involved with women and civil rights. Her father is Irish Catholic while he mother is Jewish.

She is the eldest of three siblings. Her parents divorced in the year 1971, when Ally was only nine years of age.

Ally learned dancing from the early age of six. Though initially she had decided to take up dancing as a full time career, she later chose to turn to acting instead.

Also interested in reading and writing, she wrote a book at the age of 12. Called ‘She was Nice to Mice’, it was about a mythical encounter between Queen Elizabeth and a mouse. The book, which was published by the American publishing company McGraw Hill, soon became an instant hit and a best-seller.

Sheedy attended Columbia Grammar and Preparatory school. She graduated in 1980.

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Career

Ally Sheedy had started acting as a teenager. She first appeared in local stage programs. She later started doing small roles in TV shows, such as ‘Big City’ and ‘Hill Street Blues.’

In 1983, her career took a turn for the better when she appeared in the American crime movie ‘Bad Boss.’ The film gained mostly positive reviews. Her role as a humiliated girlfriend was appreciated as well.

Later, she appeared in other successful films such as ‘The Breakfast Club’ (1985), and ‘Maid to Order’ (1987), both of which were huge successes. Some of her popular movies in the 1990s include ‘Fear’ in 1990, and ‘Man’s Best Friend’ in 1993.

Meanwhile, she also continued to appear in television movies such as ‘Chantilly Lace’ (1993), ‘Ultimate Betrayal’ (1994), ‘Parallel Lives’ (1994), ‘The Haunting of Seacliff Inn’(1994), and ‘The Tin Soldier’ (1995).

Because of her talents, she continued to rise in fame and popularity. Some of her recent films include ‘Sins of Our Youth’ (2014), ‘Little Sister’ (2016), and ‘X-Men Apocalypse’ (2016).

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Major Works

’The Breakfast Club’, a 1985 American comedy drama film directed by John Hughes, can be considered the first significant film of Ally Sheedy’s career. Her role not only earned her much popularity, but also established her as a leading actress of the industry. The story focuses on a team of five high school teenagers, and their adventures and goals. The film was a huge commercial success as well, earning more than $50 million on a budget of just $1 million. It received mixed views from critics.

*‘Fear’ was a 1990 American thriller horror movie in which Sheedy plays the lead role of a psychic with telepathic abilities, who uses her powers to help the police force in nabbing criminals. Even though the film wasn’t a huge success, her role was quite appreciated.

Ally Sheedy appeared once again in a lead role in ‘Man’s Best Friend’, a 1993 American horror comedy film. The film was directed by John Lafia, and in addition to Sheedy, it also had actors such as Lance Henriksen, Robert Costanzo, and John Cassini. The movie was appreciated, though it wasn’t a huge commercial success.

She has appeared in several episodes of ‘Psych’, a popular American detective comedy TV series. The series is about a crime consultant with exceptional observational skills working for the Police Department. His detective instincts are so strong that people are convinced that he has psychic abilities.

The show ran from 2006 till 2014. It was a success and gained much popularity worldwide. It also won several awards such as ‘People’s Choice Award’ for ‘Best Cable TV Comedy.’ It also inspired author William Rabkin to publish five novels that are based on the series.

Ally Sheedy appears in ‘Sins of our Youth’ a thriller movie released in 2016. It focuses on the new generation of the US and the impact caused by violence in the media on their mentality. The show is about a team of four teenagers who shoot an innocent young boy while they were playing with firearms, and focuses on the ways they take to deal with this problem.

Her most recent role was in the 2016 superhero film ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ where she makes a cameo appearance. The film is directed by Bryan Singer and stars popular actors such as James McAboy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, and Nicholas Hoult.

The story is about a mutant who plans to destroy all civilization and the X-Men’s efforts to stop him from achieving his goals. It was premiered in London in May 2016. It was a huge commercial success grossing $543 million worldwide. It received mostly mixed reviews from critics.

Awards & Achievements

Ally Sheedy has won numerous awards for her amazing acting skills during her career. These include the Independent Spirit Awards for Best Female Lead for her work in the film ‘High Art’ in 1999, and MTV Movie Awards for Silver Bucket of Excellence Award (shared with other main cast members) in 2005 for her performance in the American movie ‘The Breakfast Club.’

Family & Personal Life

Ally Sheedy dated the guitarist Richie Sambora in the 1980s. However, the relationship had several problems, which according to her, even led to her drug abuse. So they parted ways in less than a year.

She got married to renowned actor David Lansbury in 1992. They had a daughter Rebecca who was born in 1994. However, in 2008, it was announced that they couple had filed for divorce. The divorce took place the next year.

Ally Sheedy Biography