Nancy Allen is an American actress. The most famous for cooperation with the famous director Brian De Palma. Appeared in his popular paintings "Carrie", "Razor" and "Puncture". Also known for her roles in the movie "Robocop" and its sequels. Nominated for the prestigious Saturn and Golden Globe awards.
Childhood and youth
Nancy Allen was born on June 24, 1950 in New York. She grew up in the Yonkers district, where the actress's father worked in the police. At the age of four, she began dancing. I attended a special school, where, in addition to the usual lessons, I attended dance classes.
Nancy later attended Jose Quintano's school for future professional dancers. However, soon the girl decided to devote herself to an acting career.
Carier start
The first role for Nancy Allen was the drama "The Last Outfit", where she appeared on the screen with Jack Nicholson. After that, she decided to move to Los Angeles and take up the actress’s career seriously.
In 1976, Allen auditioned for a major role in the horror film "Carrie." Sissy Spacek claimed the party of a brutal popular girl who lifts Carrie. Director Brian De Palma decided that Allen should get a negative role. And Spacek is better suited as the main character. The film was a box office hit and made starring rising stars.
Two years later, Nancy Allen starred in Robert Zemeckis' musical comedy "I Want to Hold Your Hand." The film, the soundtrack of which consisted entirely of the songs of the world famous Beatles group, unsuccessfully showed itself at the box office. It was not possible to return even the two and a half million dollars spent on its production.
The producer of the picture was Steven Spielberg, who was impressed by the actress and invited Nancy Allen to the film "1941". The satirical military comedy was the next project of the young director after the success of the films "Jaws" and "Close Encounters of the Third Degree". The picture received negative reviews from critics and failed at the box office.
Collaboration with De Palma
In subsequent years, the actress worked only with her then husband, Brian De Palma. In 1980, Nancy starred in the independent low-budget film directed by Home Films, along with Kirk Douglas.
In the same year, she appeared in the lead role in the erotic thriller "Razor", which perfectly showed itself at the box office. He collected more than thirty million dollars and received positive reviews from critics. Nancy Allen received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award in the category "Best Rising Star Among Women" for her work in the film.
The next joint film by Brian De Palma and the actress was the political thriller "Puncture". The main role in the film was played by John Travolta, who was at the peak of popularity after roles in the films "Briolin" and "Saturday Night Fever." Despite this, the thriller failed at the box office. Later, the picture received a cult status, largely due to the appearance of Quentin Tarantino in the list of favorite films.
A new wave of popularity
In 1984, Nancy and Brian divorced, after which they did not work together. In subsequent years, the actress appeared in several comedy films and television films, however, none of these projects was as successful as the previous work of the actress.
In 1987, one of the most notable films with Nancy Allen was released. She appeared in the main female role in the sci-fi action movie "Robocop". Hollywood debut of the Dutch director Paul Verhoeven showed himself at the box office and laid the foundation for a series of films. Robocop performer Peter Weller appeared in the sequel, but was disappointed with the script and the new director. He refused to appear in the third part. Allen played in all three films, receiving positive reviews from critics for her work and several nominations for prestigious awards.
Later projects
In the mid-nineties, the career of the actress somewhat stalled. She began to act much less often, and projects with her participation often did not receive the attention of the general public. The most notable work of this period for Nancy was Steven Soderberg's crime melodrama Out of Sight and one of the sequels to the popular horror film Children of the Corn.
Now Allen often appears in documentaries about the creation of paintings with her participation. The last time the actress appeared on the screen in 2008 in the movie "My Apocalypse."
Personal life
The personal life of Nancy Allen was actively discussed in the media. Especially when she was married to Brian De Palma, one of the most popular directors of the time. The wedding took place in 1979, the couple divorced five years later.
The second marriage - with actor Craig Shoemaker, was concluded in 1992 and lasted only two years. The third time the actress married Randy Bailey in 1998, in 2007 they divorced. Nancy has no children.
Allen is actively involved in charity work, supports cancer control organizations, and appears at various fundraising events.