Deborah Foreman
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Deborah Lynn Foreman (born October 12, 1962) is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her starring role in the 1983 movie Valley Girl.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Foreman was born in Montebello, California to Clyde Foreman, a Marine Corps pilot, and Lynette. She was raised in Arizona and Texas. When she was thirteen, her parents enrolled her at the Barbizon School of Modeling in Houston to help her overcome shyness, where she received a trophy after completing the courses. In high school, Foreman received high marks and was a cheerleader. While she was still a student, a local photographer hired her for newspaper and catalog ads. A chance meeting with a representative of Wilhelmina Models led to her signing with their California office and modeling assignments for Maybelline cosmetics.
[edit] Career
Four weeks after arriving in Los Angeles, Foreman earned her SAG card after appearing in a McDonald's of England commercial. Resolving to become a serious actress, she took acting lessons from a variety of teachers. Her first acting job was in a comedy pilot for NBC's The Grady Nutt Show. More TV work and two supporting film roles soon followed. After a 1983 appearance on the popular sitcom Family Ties, her first starring role in a feature film was Valley Girl (1983) with Nicholas Cage, which brought her national fame.
In 1985, Foreman had a small role in the film Real Genius. In 1986, she was named Most Promising New Star by ShoWest, the largest and most notable film convention in the world. Foreman's Hollywood career may have stalled at least in part because she was subsequently cast in a string of weakly-scripted and directed comedies. She had a starring role in the 1986 comedy My Chauffeur, in which she played a somewhat Madonna-influenced character who gets a job as a driver for a stuffy Brentwood limousine service. However, unlike Valley Girl, the film did not feature elements of dramatic teen angst. My Chauffeur was widely publicised, but connected only modestly with teen audiences and critics.
That same year, Foreman played dual roles in the offbeat dark comedy and preppy murder mystery April Fool's Day. Although her performance was praised by reviewers, the film's plot and surprise ending were widely panned, with critic Vincent Canby commenting for the New York Times, "... the dialogue is mostly composed of rude variations on eek, ugh and I'd like to sleep with you this evening."
During the five years following, Foreman appeared in over half a dozen low budget horror movies and independent films.
[edit] Cult following
In the early 2000s, Foreman starred in two independent films and appeared in commercials for Chevrolet. She enthusiastically participated in retrospective screenings of Valley Girl and in 2005 taped interviews for nostalgia segments on VH-1, which led to rekindled cult interest in her as the "quintessential 1980s stereotypical female" and new critical appreciation for her acting abilities. Many of her films had already been issued on DVD. Currently, Foreman owns and operates DF Graphics, an online graphics house.
Foreman enjoys hand painting furniture and practices yoga. She has consistently named My Chauffeur as her favourite film project, citing that she enjoyed working with the people involved.
[edit] Quotes
- When asked by SportsHollywood "What is valley girl Julie Richman doing today?"
- "Julie won a scholarship to Harvard. Graduated with honors and received another scholarship to Boston University Medical School. Julie became a medical doctor, alas, losing her medical license to a terrible addiction to heroin. As an ex-addict, she now manages Autoworld Go Carts in West Covina, California. She has the highest score on PacMan... Go Julie!!!"
- "Life is good."
[edit] Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | The Experts | Jill | |
| 1988 | Destroyer | Susan Malone | |
| Waxwork | Sarah Brightman | ||
| 1986 | April Fool's Day | Muffy/Buffy St. John | |
| My Chauffeur | Casey Meadows | ||
| 1985 | Real Genius | Susan Decker | |
| 1983 | Valley Girl | Julie Richman | |
| 1982 | I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can | Cindy |
