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Virginia Madsen

Highest Rated: 97% Sideways (2004)

Lowest Rated: 0% Hot to Trot (1988)

Birthday: Sep 11, 1961

Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Actress Virginia Madsen finally had the role of a lifetime with her subtle, touching portrayal of a waitress and wine connoisseur in Alexander Payne's critically acclaimed "Sideways" (2004). Nominated for her first Academy Award, Madsen earned a large degree of respectability that had previously been lacking despite a long and varied career in film and on television. Prior to "Sideways," she went back and forth between movies like "Zombie High" (1987) and "Hot to Trot" (1988) to more interesting small screen fare like "Third Degree Burn" (HBO, 1989) and "Blue Tiger" (HBO, 1994). A turn to series television in the late 1990s, including a co-hosting job on "Unsolved Mysteries" (CBS/NBC, 1988-1999), as well as recurring stints on "Frasier" (NBC, 1993-2004) and "The Practice" (ABC, 1997-2004), helped Madsen branch out and put her talents on full display. But after "Sideways," she found herself at the top of her game, starring opposing top leading men like Harrison Ford and Jim Carrey, and finally enjoying the successful career many felt the actress had long deserved.

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Highest rated movies

97% 79% Sideways Watchlist 96% 82% 1985 Watchlist 89% 64% Better Watch Out Watchlist 86% 41% The Portrait Watchlist
85% 78% Wonder Woman
Watchlist
83% 89% Give Me an A
Watchlist
81% 78% John Grisham's The Rainmaker Watchlist
81% 59% A Prairie Home Companion
Watchlist
79% 63% Candyman Watchlist
71% 49% The Hot Spot
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet 56% Lola Mona (Character) - 2024
86% 41% The Portrait Mags (Character) - 2023
60% 48% One Day as a Lion Valerie Brisky (Character) - 2023
83% 89% Give Me an A Coach Judy (Character) - 2022
15% 69% Prey for the Devil Dr. Peters (Character) $19.8M 2022
50% 44% Operation Christmas Drop Congresswoman Bradford (Character) - 2020
No Score Yet 50% Spare Room Nat (Character) - 2018
96% 82% 1985 Eileen (Character) - 2018
67% 73% Burn Your Maps Victoria (Character) - 2016
89% 64% Better Watch Out Deandra (Character) $20.3K 2016
No Score Yet 32% Lost Boy Laura Harris (Character) - 2015
No Score Yet 38% Burning Bodhi Naomi (Character) $3.3K 2015
61% 57% Joy Carrie (Character) $56.4M 2015
No Score Yet 32% Dead Rising: Watchtower Maggie (Character) - 2015
No Score Yet 77% An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success Karen Thomas (Character) - 2015
54% 48% Walter Karen (Character) - 2015
63% 43% All the Wilderness Abigail Charm (Character) - 2014
No Score Yet 45% The Last Keepers Abigail Carver (Character) - 2013
22% 36% Jake Squared Beth (Character) $1.7K 2013
39% 34% The Hot Flashes Clementine Winks (Character) - 2013
No Score Yet 21% Anna Nicole Virgie (Character) - 2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet Patricia Cornwell's Hornet's Nest Judy Hammer (Character) - 2012
No Score Yet 44% Crazy Kind of Love Augusta (Character) - 2012
31% 63% The Magic of Belle Isle Mrs. O'Neil (Character) $100.9K 2012
10% 39% Red Riding Hood Suzette (Character) $37.7M 2011
0% 28% Father of Invention Lorraine (Character) - 2010
No Score Yet No Score Yet I Know a Woman Like That Unknown (Character),
Producer
- 2009
85% 78% Wonder Woman Hippolyta (Voice) - 2009
19% 31% Amelia Dorothy Binney Putnam (Character) $14.2M 2009
17% 45% The Haunting in Connecticut Sara Campbell (Character) $55.3M 2009
34% 37% Diminished Capacity Charlotte (Character) $21.3K 2008
No Score Yet 80% Being Michael Madsen Self - 2007
29% No Score Yet Ripple Effect Sherry (Character),
Executive Producer
$13.8K 2007
7% 56% The Number 23 Agatha Sparrow/Fabrizia (Character) $35.1M 2007
59% 49% The Astronaut farmer Audie (Character) $11.0M 2007
81% 59% A Prairie Home Companion Dangerous Woman (Character) $20.3M 2006
19% 37% Firewall Beth Stanfield (Character) $48.7M 2006
No Score Yet 27% Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild The Beast (Voice) - 2005
No Score Yet 63% Scooby-Doo in Where's My Mummy? Cleopatra (Voice) - 2005
97% 79% Sideways Maya (Character) $71.5M 2004
No Score Yet 64% Brave New Girl Wanda Lovell (Character) - 2004
No Score Yet 39% Tempted Emma Burke (Character) - 2003
No Score Yet 20% Artworks Emma Becker (Character) - 2002
39% 41% American Gun Penny Tillman (Character) - 2002
No Score Yet 67% Just Ask My Children Brenda Kniffen (Character) - 2001
40% 78% Louis L'Amour's Crossfire Trail Anne Rodney (Character) - 2001
No Score Yet 14% Full Disclosure Brenda Hopkins (Character) - 2001
20% No Score Yet Almost Salinas Clare (Character) - 2001
No Score Yet 38% Lying in Wait Vera Miller (Character) - 2000
No Score Yet 9% After Sex Traci (Character) - 2000
No Score Yet No Score Yet Children of Fortune Ingrid Bast (Character) - 2000
No Score Yet 46% The Florentine Molly (Character) - 1999
17% 28% The Haunting Jane (Character) $91.2M 1999
No Score Yet No Score Yet Ballad of the Nightingale Unknown (Character) - 1999
No Score Yet 86% Ambushed Lucy Monroe (Character) - 1998
81% 78% John Grisham's The Rainmaker Jackie Lemanczyk (Character) $45.9M 1997
41% 62% Ghosts of Mississippi Dixie DeLaughter (Character) $13.1M 1996
No Score Yet No Score Yet Just Your Luck Kim (Character) - 1996
46% 64% The Prophecy Katherine (Character) $15.7M 1995
No Score Yet 54% Blue Tiger Gina Hayes (Character) - 1994
No Score Yet 40% Bitter Vengeance Annie Westford (Character) - 1994
No Score Yet 43% Caroline at Midnight Susan Prince (Character) - 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet Linda Linda Cowley (Character) - 1993
No Score Yet 43% A Murderous Affair: The Carolyn Warmus Story Carolyn Warmus (Character) - 1992
79% 63% Candyman Helen Lyle (Character) $23.5M 1992
No Score Yet No Score Yet Becoming Colette Polaire (Character) - 1992
0% 23% Highlander II: The Quickening Louise Marcus (Character) $13.7M 1991
No Score Yet No Score Yet Love Kills Rebecca Bishop (Character) - 1991
No Score Yet No Score Yet Ironclads Betty Stuart (Character) - 1991
No Score Yet 38% Victim of Love Carla Simmons (Character) - 1991
71% 49% The Hot Spot Dolly Harshaw (Character) $1.2M 1990
No Score Yet 25% Heart of Dixie Delia June Curry (Character) $691.7K 1989
No Score Yet 14% Third Degree Burn Anne Scholes (Character) - 1989
50% 38% Mr. North Sally Boffin (Character) $1.1M 1988
0% 40% Hot to Trot Allison Rowe (Character) $6.4M 1988
No Score Yet 38% Gotham Rachel Carlyle (Character) - 1988
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Dead Can't Lie Rachel Carlyle (Character) - 1988
17% 52% Slamdance Yolanda Caldwell (Character) $125.3K 1987
No Score Yet 7% Zombie High Andrea (Character) - 1987
No Score Yet 93% Long Gone Dixie Lee Boxx (Character) - 1987
No Score Yet 83% Fire With Fire Lisa (Character) $3.3M 1986
40% 63% Modern Girls Kelly (Character) $264.3K 1986
38% 75% Creator Barbara Spencer (Character) $4.6M 1985
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Hearst and Davies Affair Marion Davies (Character) - 1985
36% 65% Dune Princess Irulan (Character) - 1984
47% 71% Electric Dreams Madeline Robistat (Character) - 1984
29% 50% Class Lisa (Character) - 1983

TV

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Unsolved Mysteries Host 1990 1999 2001 2023
92% 73% Swamp Thing Maria Sunderland (Character) 2019
95% 89% Elementary Paige (Guest Star) 2016 2019
No Score Yet 78% The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair Tamara Quinn (Character) 2018
71% 53% Designated Survivor Kimble Hookstraten (Guest Star) 2016-2017
58% 77% American Gothic Madeline Hawthorne (Character) 2016
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Talk Guest 2011 2013 2016
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dog Whisperer With Cesar Millan: Family Edition Guest 2016
78% 83% Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Beth Anne Rollins (Guest Star) 2015
65% 86% Witches of East End Penelope Gardiner (Character) 2013
73% 90% Hell on Wheels Unknown (Guest Star) 2012
67% 49% The Event Unknown (Guest Star) 2011
33% No Score Yet Scoundrels Cheryl West (Character) 2010
89% 88% Monk T.K. Jensen (Guest Star) 2009
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Bonnie Hunt Show Guest 2009
50% No Score Yet Smith Hope Stevens (Character) 2006-2007
96% No Score Yet Boomtown Unknown (Guest Star) 2003
85% No Score Yet American Dreams Unknown (Character),
Unknown (Guest Star)
2002-2003
No Score Yet 65% CSI: Miami Unknown (Guest Star) 2003
No Score Yet 77% Dawson's Creek Unknown (Guest Star) 2003
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Practice Unknown (Guest Star) 2001
95% 95% Frasier Cassandra Stone (Guest Star) 1999
76% 80% Star Trek: Voyager Kellin (Guest Star) 1998
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Hitchhiker Unknown (Character) 1987