Deborah Van Valkenburgh

Deborah Van Valkenburgh (born August 29, 1952) is an American actress best known for her screen debut as Mercy in the 1979 cult film The Warriors, and her role as Jackie Rush for five seasons (1980–1985) on the television situation comedy Too Close for Comfort. In 2012, she won the Best Supporting Actress in a Fantasy Film award at the PollyGrind Underground Film Festival for the film Road to Hell.

Education

Van Valkenburgh graduated from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, with a BFA in painting and drawing.

Career

She started her acting career on Broadway performing in "Hair". Van Valkenburgh also appeared in Off-Broadway plays, including Honeybee, The Tempest, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Hay Fever, When Did You last See Your Mother?, Iolanthe, It Ain't Aardvark, and Minutemen. Besides acting in many New York plays, she has acted in regional and touring company productions of Mooney's Kid Don't Cry, The Children's Hour, and A View From the Bridge. Van Valkenburgh has studied acting with William Esper and John Shea, ballet with Ballet Arts Carnegie Hall and modern dance with James Cunningham. She also studied puppet production with Jim Henson, voice with Kirk Nurock and Richard Green, and improvisation with Dan Richter.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1979 The Warriors Mercy 1981 King of the Mountain Tina 1984 Streets of Fire Reva Cody 1987 Rampage Kate Fraser 1988 Phantom of the Ritz Nancy Drawing 1989 One Man Out Liliana 1993 Brainsmasher... A Love Story Cammy Crain Direct-to-video 1997 Mean Guns Cam 1998 Sorcerers Mother 1999 Free Enterprise Marlena 2003 Venus Conspiracy Zoe Short film 2004 Criminal Woman In Elevator 2005 The Devil's Rejects Casey 2008 Road to Hell Reva Cody 2009 Broken Hart Gypsy Woman Short film 2013 Love's Routine Cynthia Short film 2013 The Trials of Cate McCall Justice Wender

Television Year Title Role Notes 1980–1985 Too Close for Comfort Jackie Rush 107 episodes 1984 Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour Herself With Cast of Too Close for Comfort 1985 A Bunny's Tale Pearl Television film 1985 Going for the Gold: The Bill Johnson Story Kimberly Television film 1985 Hotel Camila Palandrini Episode: "Resolutions" 1985 Glitter Billie Episode: "Rock 'n Roll Heaven" 1986 New Love, American Style Unknown Episode: "Love and the Pot Luck Dinner" 1987 Houston Knights Louise Smoke Episode: "Lady Smoke" 1987 Crime Story Luca's Attorney Episode: "Shockwaves" 1988 Cagney & Lacey Valerie Bailey Episode: "Button, Button" 1988 C.A.T. Squad: Python Wolf Nikki Pappas Television film 1989 HeartBeat Lorraine Episode: "Prison" 1990 MacGyver Sandra Masters Episode: "Rush to Judgement" 1990 Monsters Deborah Levitt Episode: "Household Gods" 1992 Bodies of Evidence Donna Flint Episode: "Echoes in the Dark" 1992 Picket Fences Myra Marino Episode: "Pilot" 1993 Quantum Leap Diana St. Cloud Episode: "Liberation - October 16, 1968" 1995 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Detective Preston Episode: "Past Tense: Part II" 1995 The Marshal Unknown Episode: "Grab the Money and Run" 1998 Chicago Hope Robin Kleiman Episode: "Sarindipity" 2001 The Huntress 911 Operator #4 Episode: "Black Widow" 2001 Chasing Destiny Suzy Aquado Television film 2002 Firestarter: Rekindled Mary Conant Television miniseries 2002 Once and Again Ms. Gonzalez Episode: "The Gay-Straight Alliance" 2004 ER Louise Garvin Episode: "White Guy, Dark Hair" 2005 Mystery Woman: Mystery Weekend Beth Television film 2005 The Shield Gail Episode: "Bang" 2005 Cold Case Geraldine Episode: "Start-Up" 2006 Our House Ms. Thomas Television film 2006 Standoff Goldstein Episode: "Life Support" 2006 Criminal Minds Betty Episode: "The Last Word" 2008 Backwoods Mother Ruth Television film 2008 The Governor's Wife Vera Television film 2009 The Unit Madam Episode: "Unknown Soldier" 2009 Without a Trace Margot Episode: "True" 2009 The Ex List Arlene Dubinski Episode: "Momma's Boy" 2010 Ghost Whisperer Madame Greta Hanson Episode: "Old Sins Cast Long Shadows" 2010 Healing Hands Leah Gardner Television film 2010 Days of Our Lives Rae 2 episodes 2010 Law & Order: LA Liz Knight Episode: "Harbor City" 2010–2011 The Event Candice Larson 3 episodes 2011 Castle Ruth Spurloch Episode: "Cuffed" 2012 Touch Dee Dee Episode: "Music of the Spheres" 2014 Chop Shop Mrs. Grabowsky Episode: #1.3 2014 Stalker Eleanor Episode: "Skin" 2015 The Messengers Gladys Cowan Episode: "Why We Fight" 2019 Hidden in Plain Sight Evelyn Television film 2020 Helstrom Esther Smith Recurring

Broadway 1977 Broadway revival of Hair, original cast

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2005 The Warriors Mercy

Awards and nominations

+Awards Year Award Category Production Result 2012 PollyGrind Film Festival Award Supporting Actress in a Fantasy Film Road to Hell