Virginia Madsen
Virginia Madsen is an acclaimed American actress recognized for her diverse roles in film and television. She gained significant attention for her performance as Maya in the critically acclaimed film *Sideways* (2004), which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Madsen comes from a creative family, with her mother being an Emmy Award-winning poet and playwright. She began her acting career in the 1980s, with early notable roles in *Dune* (1984) and *Candyman* (1992), and has since appeared in a variety of films, including *The Astronaut Farmer* (2007) and *The Number 23* (2007).
In addition to her film work, Madsen has ventured into television, taking on roles in popular series such as *CSI: Miami*, *Monk*, and *Designated Survivor*. In 2008, she co-founded a production company, Title IX Productions, aimed at creating independent films, reflecting her commitment to increasing representation for women in the industry. Throughout her career, Madsen has also been vocal about the challenges women face in Hollywood, particularly regarding age and role opportunities. Balancing her professional and personal life, Madsen has been married twice and has a son. Her ongoing projects continue to demonstrate her versatility and dedication to her craft.
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Subject Terms
Virginia Madsen
Actor
- Born: September 11, 1961
- Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois
Contribution: Virginia Madsen is an award-winning actor best known for her Academy Award–nominated performance in Sideways (2004) and work in films such as The Astronaut Farmer (2007), The Number 23 (2007), and Candyman (2021).
Background
Virginia Madsen was born in Chicago, Illinois, the youngest child of fireman Calvin Madsen and Elaine Melson Madsen, a corporate businesswoman turned Emmy Award–winning poet and playwright, who has a long history of writing for PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) television programs. Both Virginia and her brother, Michael, took an early interest in performance and acting. She graduated from New Trier High School and later had the opportunity to study at the Ted Liss Acting Studio in Chicago, which she has described in interviews as a tremendous aid in her development.
Career
Madsen’s first appearance in a major film was a role as Princess Irulan in the David Lynch film adaptation of the novel Dune in 1984. Some of Madsen’s scenes were cut from the film but were featured in later director’s editions. In 1988, she played in future husband Danny Huston’s first major directorial effort, Mr. North, which was a critical failure.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Madsen appeared in dozens of films and television series, though generally in minor parts and supporting roles. She had costarring roles in a number of successful films such as Candyman (1992), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), and The Haunting (1999), as well as numerous appearances on television series including Moonlighting (1989), Star Trek: Voyager (1998), Frasier (1999), The Practice (2001), CSI-Miami (2003), and Dawson’s Creek (2003).
Though Madsen was a well-recognized and respected actor, none of her roles into the early 2000s garnered her significant attention as a leading actor. In 2004, Madsen starred as Maya in the hit film Sideways with Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church, garnering nominations for an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award in the best supporting actress category and a significant boost to her marketability for emerging projects. She collected a Screen Actors Guild award for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture.
Following the success of Sideways, Madsen starred alongside Harrison Ford in the 2006 film Firewall, in which she performed many of her own stunts. Madsen also appeared alongside Billy Bob Thornton in the hit 2007 film The Astronaut Farmer and costarred in the suspense horror film The Number 23 with Jim Carrey in 2007.
In 2008, Madsen entered into business with partner Karly Meola to form a production company, Title IX Productions, focused on producing independent film and other media projects. The company’s first production was a documentary directed by Madsen’s mother, Elaine Madsen, entitled I Know a Woman Like That (2009), about extraordinary women aged sixty-four to ninety-four.
Madsen returned to television in 2009, appearing in three episodes of the popular television series Monk and starring in the 2010 ABC series Scoundrels about a family of professional criminals. Over the course of her career, Madsen has also been asked on a number of occasions to act in voice-over roles, including playing multiple characters in the animated series Justice League from 2002 to 2006.
Madsen starred in the 2012 Rob Reiner film The Magic of Belle Isle alongside Academy Award–winning actor Morgan Freeman. In interviews, Madsen said that she was the first actress to be portrayed in a romantic relationship with Freeman. Media coverage also suggested that Madsen was the first to kiss Freeman onscreen.
In 2013, Madsen starred alongside Darryl Hannah, Wanda Sykes, and Brooke Shields in the comedy The Hot Flashes, playing a group of middle-aged women who reunite their high school basketball team to compete against a much younger team and raise funds for charity. Madsen said in interviews that she enjoyed the opportunity to perform in a comedic role alongside such accomplished comedians as Sykes. In addition to film appearances, Madsen continued to dedicate time to a variety of projects, including acting in nine episodes of the YouTube series Jan in 2012 and appearing in the AMC series Hell on Wheels and FOX's Witches of East End.
Madsen returned to film with the 2013 television movie Hatfields and McCoys, starring as Eloise McCoy. In the mid-to-late 2010s, she turned toward smaller, independent films. She played a supporting role in 2015's All the Wilderness and, that same year, appeared alongside Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, and Isabella Rosselini in David O. Russell's intergenerational family saga Joy. She later went on to portray a religiously conservative mother in the well-received AIDS drama 1985 (2018). Madsen also appeared in the critically acclaimed drama Her Smell, starring Elisabeth Moss, and the comedic adventure Burn Your Maps, both released in 2019.
Madsen also continued to work in television during this period. In 2016 Madsen landed the recurring parts of Madeline Hawthorne on American Gothic and Kimble Hookstraten on the political drama Designated Survivor. She guest-starred as a love interest on Elementary in 2016 and 2019 as well. Madsen played Tamara Quinn in the 2018 miniseries The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair and Maria Sunderland in the DC horror show Swamp Thing in 2019.
In the third decade of the twenty-first century, she remained busy with roles in films including Operation Christmas Drop (2020), a voice role in the 2021 sequel Candyman, Give Me an A (2022), Prey for the Devil (2022), One Day as a Lion (2023), The Portrait (2023), and Lola James (2024). She found the role of Mona in the latter quite stressful because her character is an abusive mother. Madsen was slated to appear in Sheepdog, an indie film about a combat veteran struggling with mental illness.
Impact
Madsen has been in scores of television and film roles during her career, though few have garnered significant critical acclaim. In interviews, Madsen has criticized Hollywood’s treatment of women, especially mature women, stating that there is insufficient funding and representation for women of this demographic in films and popular television. In a 2013 interview, Madsen said she feels that women are more limited than in the past in terms of quality roles in film and television. Madsen has said that this was part of her motivation for starting her own production company in 2008.
Madsen has been a spokesperson for public awareness initiatives for various social causes, including marriage equality, acts of kindness, and women's sexual health issues.
Personal Life
Madsen was married to actor-director Danny Huston from 1989 to 1992. She later had a relationship with actor-model Antonio Sabato Jr., resulting in the birth of their son, Jack Sabato, in 1994. In 2020, she married actor and editor Nick Holmes.
Bibliography
Glaister, Dan. “I’m Too Old to Run Away and Join the Circus.” Observer 12 Feb. 2005: 3. Print.
Grobar, Matt. "Virginia Madsen, Vondie Curtis-Hall & Others Set for Steven Grayhm Indie 'Sheepdog.'" Deadline, 22 Feb. 2023, deadline.com/2023/02/virginia-madsen-vondie-curtis-hall-others-set-for-sheepdog-indie-1235266440/. Accessed 25 Sept. 2024.
Juneau, Jen. "Nicola Peltz Beckham Makes Her Directorial Debut with Lola—Watch the Trailer." People, 11 Jan. 2024, people.com/lola-trailer-nicola-peltz-beckham-directorial-debut-8425442. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Madsen, Virginia. “A Conversation with Virginia Madsen.” Interview by Victoria Price. Women’s Health. Rodale Inc., 7 Mar. 2010. Web. 23 July 2013.
Madsen, Virginia. “Interview with Virginia Madsen of New Middle-Aged Women Basketball Comedy ‘The Hot Flashes.’” Interview by Anne McCarthy. Bitch Magazine. Bitch Media, 15 July 2013 Web. 23 July 2013.
Madsen, Virginia. “Virginia Madsen: Interview.” Interview by Novid Parsi. Time Out Chicago. Time Out Chicago Partners,16 June 2010. Web. 23 July 2013.
Simmons, Leslie. “Madsen Is Backer of Title IX.” Hollywood Reporter. 19 Mar. 2008. Web. 23 July 2013.
"Virginia Madsen." IMDb, 2024, www.imdb.com/name/nm0000515/. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
“Virginia Madsen: ‘In Your 40s You’re Free . . . In Your 50s You Fly.’” POST 50. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 28 June 2012. Web. 23 July 2013.