Virginia Madsen: Her Films, Her Career

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PIZZA WARRIOR
Iwould like to discuss the career of actress Virginia Madsen, an underappreciated talent who may win a n Oscar for her role in the movie "Sideways"

PIZZA WARRIOR
big grin

Morning_Glory
I was about to say... Ive never heard of her.... but I saw Sideways

decent movie...she was pretty in that film...smile

PIZZA WARRIOR
There are reasons you may have never heard of her, which is the reason for this topic.

She was one of those hot, rising stars in the 1980's, whose career took the wrong turn, and after been lost in her self-imposed exile, was offered what turned out to be a career-making perfromance in "Sideways"

Thank you for your kind comments.

PIZZA WARRIOR
Since I cannot edit the opening post as I hoped, I will add additional information to this topic periodically, provided there is sufficient interest that would justify my doing so.

This is much to appreciate about this lady, beyond her mesmurizing beauty, which is remarkable now that she is past 40 years of age (She's 41 or 43 now).

She has quite a caree still ahead of her, if her new film, "The Wrong Element" with Harrison Ford, proves to be successful.

STAY TUNED !!!!!

Morning_Glory
what wrong turn happened in the 80s for her???

PIZZA WARRIOR
Hello, Morning Glory.

Thanks for coming back.

Before I begin, you all should know that Virginia Madsen just won a Spirit award, at the Independent Film Awards earlier this evening, for her fine performance in "Sideways".

The movie also won for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay, as well as Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for Virginia's costars.

In answering your question, I should mention that I am offering a personal opinion here, as to why her career took that 'wrong turn', but it is also based on information that was disclosed in many of Ms Madsen's interviews that she has given since the premiere of this movie.

By the way, her nickname is 'Gina'.

Gina's career started promisingly, after appearing in the David Lynch version of 'Dune' in 1984, starring in 'Electric Dreams' and 'Creator'.

Then in the mid 1980's, she was talked into doing several 'femme-fatale' roles, which were impressive, but clearly she was very uncomfortable.

Also, she did a great deal of nudity, which also typecast her in a bad light.

In 1990, she married director Danny Huston, a union that would be troubled and ended in divorce.

After making 'Candymay' in 1992, she disappeared from the screen, then began making independent films and TV guest shots to pay the bills.

She lived briefly in New Mexico with boy friend Antonio Sabato, jr, who is the father of her son, Jack, who is now 10 years old.

Lately, she had some financil troubles, nearly losing her house TWICE, before getting her role in "Sideways" and her Oscar nomination.

PIZZA WARRIOR
Virginia Madsen lost out to Cate Blanchett for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars last night, though she did win the Indie Spirit Award Saturday, with "Sideways" sweeping all six nominations they were up for.

PIZZA WARRIOR
Virginia Madsen, in spite being dazzling in a navy blue dress at the Oscars, was voted among the 'Worst Dressed', according to the 3/11 issue of Entertainment Weekly.

UNFAIR !!!

PIZZA WARRIOR
Here is her picture:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v702/PIZZA-WARRIOR/Picture579.jpg

Emma718
ok

PIZZA WARRIOR
Virginia's next movie, "Firewall" is due out Feburary 10, 2006.

botankus
Anyone remember Slam Dance from the '80's? That was one of those "typecasting" roles mentioned above.

PIZZA WARRIOR
To be honest, she wasn't in "Slamdance" long enough for her to define her image as a 'femme-fatale'.

I consider her later work in films such as "Gotham" and "The Hot Spot" to have done that.

botankus
OK, but I've never heard of the last 2 movies, and have known about SlamDance since I was 12.

PIZZA WARRIOR
As for "Gotham", that was a made-for-cable movie on Showtime in 1988.

It was a good film in which she really showed a great deal of range as an actress, and was even nominated for an ACE award for Best Actress.

Tommy Lee Jones played a PI, who was ordered to follow her and keep her away from her ex-husband, and as a result falls in love with.

It turns out that the sultry woman is a ghost !!!!

As for "The Hot Spot", this was a classic film-noir movie made in 1990, directed by actor Dennis Hopper; where Don Johnson plays a drifter who plots a bank robbery in a small Texas town, while romancing two sexy women; one of them being Virginia Madsen.

While I have over time tempered my opinion about these films, she was still portrayed as the overly aggressive type, sexually.

In fact, it was this and the nudity that people remember most about them, as well as others she has done.

While "Gotham" hasn't been seen on cable that often, it is available on video, and "The Hot Spot" has been on Encore at least once this month already.

CHECK IT OUT !!!

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