Alicia Witt

Alicia Roanne Witt (born August 21, 1975) is an American actress and musician. She first came to fame as a child actress after being discovered by David Lynch, who cast her in Dune as Alia and Twin Peaks (1990) as Gersten Hayward, a role she reprised in Twin Peaks: The Return (2017). Her 2026 album, Between Heaven and Earth, is a tribute to her relationship to Lynch and was described by the Times UK as ‘gorgeously sung… If this is what “directing from beyond” sounds like, it’s rather beautiful.” Witt was a regular on Cybill Shepherd's sitcom Cybill (1995–1998) for four seasons, playing the title character's daughter, Zoey Woodbine. She had a critically acclaimed role as a disturbed teenager in Fun (1994), appeared as a music student in Mr. Holland's Opus (1995) and as a terrorized college student in the horror film Urban Legend (1998). She appeared in Vanilla Sky (2001) as Libby, Two Weeks Notice (2002), Last Holiday (2006), 88 Minutes (2007) as Kim Cummings, I Care A Lot (2020) and Longlegs (2024). Witt has made television appearances in shows such as The Walking Dead, The Sopranos, Friday Night Lights as Cheryl, Twin Peaks: The Return as Gersten Hayward, CSI: Miami, Supernatural, Justified and Orange Is the New Black. She starred in five episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Detective Nola Falacci in Season 7, temporarily replacing actress Julianne Nicholson, who was on maternity leave.

In addition to her acting, Witt is an accomplished pianist, singer, and songwriter. Between 2013 and 2020 she starred in eight Hallmark Christmas films. Many of these include her original Christmas songs. In her Hallmark film Christmas Tree Lane (2020), she was also executive producer and storywriter, and contributed two original songs which her character sings on screen.

Early life and education Witt was born on August 21, 1975

Career Film and television Witt's discovery by Lynch led to her casting as the "flame-haired" child in Dune (1984), as Paul Atreides's sister Alia; she turned eight during filming. She worked with Lynch again when she appeared in an episode of Twin Peaks, Alexander Payne's Citizen Ruth,

Witt filmed Last Holiday (2006) opposite Queen Latifah, and the thriller 88 Minutes (2007) Witt appeared in the role of Amy in the film Peep World (2010). with New York Magazines David Edelstein proclaiming her turn one of the top performances of 2013. She appeared in four Christmas films in 2013: the feature film Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas, A Snow Globe Christmas for the Lifetime Channel and A Very Merry Mix-Up as an antique store owner, Alice Chapman for the Hallmark Channel and in 2014, the Hallmark Channel's Christmas at Cartwright's. Also in 2014, Witt appeared in a guest-starring role on the DirecTV series, Kingdom, which aired that October.

In 2014, in the fifth season of the FX series Justified she played Wendy Crowe, the brightest member of a Floridian crime family that gets entangled in the show's events in Kentucky. In April 2016, Witt appeared in two episodes of The Walking Dead; the same month, it was announced that she would also be reprising her role as Gersten Hayward in the 2017 Twin Peaks series. In 2016, Witt joined the cast of ABC's Nashville in a recurring capacity playing established country singer Autumn Chase. Witt performed several songs throughout season four. In 2019, she had a recurring role on the seventh season of Orange Is the New Black as Zelda. She also appeared opposite Rosamund Pike in the 2020 Netflix hit movie I Care A Lot.

In 2022, Witt appeared in the crime thriller Alice. In 2024, Witt starred in Oz Perkins's smash hit horror film Longlegs, opposite Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage; the movie became the most successful independent film of 2024, earning over $128M at the box office alone. and The Big Kill, opposite Skeet Ulrich, Pete Holmes, and Natasha Leggero, from Live Nation Studios and Emmy winning The Daily Show head writer Daniel Radosh, and indie fly fishing drama My Mayfly, from first time director Paula Kay Hornick.

Theater Witt made her stage debut in 2001, at Los Angeles' historic Tiffany Theater, in Robbie Fox's musical The Gift, in which she played a high-priced, albeit disease-carrying, stripper.

While in residence in the UK in 2004, she starred as Evelyn in a stage production of Neil LaBute's The Shape of Things at the New Ambassadors Theatre. In September 2006, Witt returned to the London stage at the Royal Court Theatre, in the critically well-received Piano/Forte, wherein she was "well-cast" in portraying the stammering, emotionally damaged pianist Abigail, sister to "unloved attention-seeker" Louise (Kelly Reilly).

Witt performed alongside Amber Tamblyn in Neil LaBute's play, Reasons to Be Pretty, at the Geffen Playhouse, which ran until August 31, 2014.

Music

In addition to acting, Witt is a professional singer-songwriter and pianist,

In 2009, Witt released her self-titled extended play album, followed by Live at Rockwood in 2012 and Revisionary History in 2015; the latter was produced by Ben Folds.

In August 2018, Witt released a five-song EP album titled 15,000 Days (a reference to the length of time she had been alive when she recorded the album) working with producer Jacquire King. She released her album The Conduit on September 24, 2021, which she co-produced with Jordan Lehning and Bill Reynolds.

In 2020, Witt released two new Christmas songs, as heard in her Hallmark Christmas film, Christmas Tree Lane. "Why Christmas" and "Christmas Will Never End" are performed on-screen by her character, music-store owner and songwriter Meg.

Alicia’s full length studio album, The Conduit, was released in 2021; it marked her debut as album producer, alongside Jordan Lehning and Bill Reynolds (Band of Horses). Her single from the album, Chasing Shadows, spent 5 weeks on the Billboard Top 30 radio chart.

Witt’s self-produced full length Christmas album, I Think I’m Spending Christmas With You, was released in November 2024; it was engineered by David Kalmusky and recorded in Nashville, TN, where she resides.

Other appearances In September 1990, Witt competed on Wheel of Fortune.

On October 5, 2021, Witt released a book called Small Changes: A Rules-Free Guide to Add More Plant-Based Foods, Peace & Power to Your Life. It was released through Harper Collins / Harper Horizon.

In 2023, Witt competed in season nine of The Masked Singer as "Dandelion". While having bested Dee Snider as "Doll" and Lou Diamond Phillips as "Mantis" (who was spared by Robin Thicke ringing the Ding Dong Keep It On Bell) on "WB Movie Night", she was eliminated in "Masked Singer in Space" alongside Melissa Joan Hart as "Lamp".

In June 2026, it was announced that her fifth album, Between Heaven and Earth, will be released in August through Thirty Tigers and is a tribute to her relationship to Lynch, who she has described as having "changed my life in every way a life could be changed".

Personal life On December 20, 2021, Witt's parents were found dead in their Worcester, Massachusetts, home. The cause was revealed on February 24, 2022, as "probable cardiac dysrhythmia" due to the cold of their neglected and improperly heated home. In a Facebook post, Witt revealed that her parents were fiercely independent and refused help with home repairs.

Witt battled breast cancer in 2021, and has been cancer-free since 2022 after undergoing chemotherapy and a mastectomy.

Liebestraum Girl in Dream

Bodies, Rest & Motion Elizabeth

Fun Bonnie

Four Rooms Kiva Segment: "The Missing Ingredient"

Mr. Holland's Opus Gertrude Lang

Twisted Rebecca Kezian

My Mayfly Ranger Kay

Shiver Post-production

Television

Discography Album Live at Rockwood (2012) Revisionary History (2015) The Conduit (2021)