Sherilyn Fenn

Sherilyn Fenn (born Sheryl Ann Fenn; February 1, 1965) is an American actress. She played Audrey Horne on the television series Twin Peaks (1990–1991, 2017) for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award.

She also had film roles in Wild at Heart (1990), Of Mice and Men (1992), Boxing Helena (1993) and The United States of Leland (2003) and appeared in the television series Rude Awakening (1998–2001), Shameless (2016), and Shining Vale (2022).

Early life Fenn was born Sheryl Ann Fenn on February 1, 1965, in Detroit, Michigan. She comes from a family of musicians: her mother is keyboard player Arlene Quatro, her aunt is singer Suzi Quatro, and her grandfather, Art Quatro, was a jazz musician. Her father, Leo Fenn, managed rock bands including Suzi Quatro's The Pleasure Seekers, Alice Cooper, and The Billion Dollar Babies. Fenn is of Italian and Hungarian descent on her mother's side, and Irish and French descent on her father's. She was raised Catholic.

Fenn frequently traveled with her mother and two older brothers before the family settled in Los Angeles when she was 17. Not wanting to start with a new school again, Fenn dropped out after her junior year and decided to pursue acting, enrolling at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. In 1987, she joined Depp in a season-one episode of 21 Jump Street called "Blindsided".

Fenn has described many of these early films as sexploitation films "where directors tried to convince [her] to appear naked after the contract was signed." In a February 1993 interview she explained:

Fenn landed her first starring role, as an engaged heiress to an old Southern family who falls for carnival worker Richard Tyson, in Zalman King's erotic drama film Two Moon Junction, after which she wanted to hide for a year: Two Moon Junction was meant to be Fenn's big break, but the film turned into another sexploitation film. A lot of people said some really bad things about me for doing such a sexy movie. But I decided to do it because I wasn't comfortable with the material. I didn't want to make choices that would always put me in a place that was comfortable and secure. I thought interesting things would happen and I would grow. Interesting things did happen. I cried at the end of all my love scenes. "With Sherilyn Fenn, Twin Peaks came on and effortlessly destroyed every other show's sexuality", said James Marshall, one of her cast-mates. Speaking in September 1990, Fenn pointed out: "Audrey is a woman-child who dresses like the girls in the '50s and shows her body. But she's daddy's little girl at the same time." "I just pictured her being able to do this," said Lynch of her scene, "she's like a broken China doll." David Lynch, who once described Sherilyn Fenn as "five feet of heaven in a ponytail" (quoting from a July 1959 record called "What is Love" by The Playmates), said to Banner, who used that description as the title of his article, "She's a mysterious girl and I think that actresses like her who have a mystery – where there's something hiding beneath the surface – are the really interesting ones." Also during this period, Fenn appeared on the cover and in a nude pictorial in the December 1990 edition of Playboy magazine.

She portrayed John Dillinger's girlfriend Billie Frechette in ABC's 1991 gangster TV movie Dillinger opposite Mark Harmon, and shot the neo-noir black comedy Desire and Hell at Sunset Motel in which she played a sultry, seductive femme fatale.

After Twin Peaks, Fenn chose to focus on widening her range of roles and was determined to avoid typecasting. She stated, "They've offered me every variation on Audrey Horne, none of which were as good or as much fun.

Post-Twin Peaks roles (1992–1995) After two nominations (Emmy and Golden Globe) for Twin Peaks, and the pictorial in Playboy, Fenn was propelled to stardom and became a major sex symbol, with her Old Hollywood looks. In October 1990, while promoting Twin Peaks, Fenn made the cover of Rolling Stone magazine along with Mädchen Amick and Lara Flynn Boyle. In 1990 Us Magazine chose her as one of the "10 Most Beautiful Women in the World" and in 1991 People magazine chose her as one of the "50 Most Beautiful Women in the World". She posed for photographer Steven Meisel for the autumn-winter 1991–1992 Dolce & Gabbana campaign, for which he photographed her as a classical Hollywood femme fatale. In 1992, photographer George Hurrell took a series of photographs of Sherilyn Fenn, Julian Sands, Raquel Welch, Eric Roberts and Sean Young. In these portraits, he recreated his style of the 1930s, with Fenn posing in costumes, hairstyle, and makeup of the period.

In 1991, Hollywood acting coach Roy London chose her to star in his directorial debut Diary of a Hitman, in which she plays a young mother determined to protect her child from hitman Forest Whitaker. According to Fenn, the turning point in her career was when she met London in 1990. She credits him with instilling confidence and newfound enthusiasm. She learned from her beloved teacher "to find the roles that you're passionate about, that speak to you on some level and which will help you grow on some level," which has then become her line of conduct. "A lot of the sentiment that acting should be about an art form rather than mass entertainment and celebrity is at the core of Fenn's attitude to the business," wrote Jessica Sully in Australian magazine Movie. As Mike Bygrave wrote in Sky Magazine: "One of the keys to understanding Fenn is that when she talks about the characters she plays she's really talking about herself." Fenn was eager to play varied parts that could eclipse her sex-symbol image. "People who think they know me would be surprised that my whole life doesn't revolve around sex," she said. "She's like a terribly sad angel in this film. Sherilyn plays against just being a sexy and beautiful girl," he added.

In 1993, she starred in the romantic comedy Three of Hearts as Kelly Lynch and William Baldwin's love interest. During the shooting, the relationship between Fenn and director Yurek Bogayevicz became strained as she refused to appear nude in the film. Both Lynch and Fenn were proud of their work in it, but the film was ultimately a critical and commercial failure. However, both women enjoyed their collaboration. "Sherilyn is an amazing actress, a total bundle of energy and a real powerhouse and I think people will see a side of her that we have never seen of Sherilyn anywhere else before," said Lynch of the actress. "Jennifer's one of the brightest person I know,"

Fenn afterward portrayed Potiphar's wife Zulaikha in Showtime's 1995 Biblical TV movie Slave of Dreams opposite Adrian Pasdar and Edward James Olmos.

In 1995, she starred in an episode of Tales from the Crypt directed by Robert Zemeckis, alongside Isabella Rossellini and John Lithgow, in which she played the lover of Humphrey Bogart, who appeared in the episode via CGI special effects. When she accepted the part, Fenn was unaware that Taylor was embroiled in a lawsuit intended to stop both the broadcast of the film and the unauthorized biography that it was based on. Fenn stated about the controversy, "I am somebody who doesn't make choices lightly at this point of my life. I'm not somebody who wants to exploit another's woman story or life in any way." Fenn felt a kinship with Taylor, stating, "There are stereotypes of what a beautiful woman is. She struggled with that. A certain part of her life she went on that calling card. I certainly know I've come into contact with that. 'You are too pretty,' I'm told." she said. "Not that I necessarily want to do them anyway. Because there's very few that are big budget that have any substance or any depth or any integrity." Also, she has attributed her failure to adapt to the Hollywood system to her frankness and her dislike for the "Hollywood game." 1=I was told once that I didn't play the Hollywood game, and that's why I wasn't a big star. What they meant when they said that was that I don't go to parties, and when I go to an audition and I don't like the script, they know it. I don't flirt and I don't play the people that I'm meeting with. In the next breath, this person said to me, 'When you're passionate about a role, there's nobody that can touch you, but you have to learn to do this also...' But I don't know how to sit there and pretend I love something when I don't! She also played a manipulative woman in a season-four episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit versus both Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay, and appeared in Watching Ellie.

Fenn played a crime boss in the 2002 film Swindle alongside Tom Sizemore. She had a small role in the film The United States of Leland alongside Ryan Gosling, in which she played a mother who captivates a troubled teenage boy.

In 2003, Fenn appeared on The WB's Gilmore Girls as Sasha, the girlfriend of Jess Mariano's estranged father (played by Rob Estes) in the season-three episode "Here Comes the Son", which was the back-door pilot for a California-set spin-off titled Windward Circle that was to have starred Milo Ventimiglia, Estes, and Fenn. But the network dropped the project, citing cost issues due to filming on location in Venice, California.

She played the recurring part of Violet Montgomery on Fox's Boston Public (2003–2004), and appeared in Showtime's Cavedweller (2004) opposite Kyra Sedgwick. In 2004, Fenn joined former co-star Mark Harmon in an episode of NCIS, as an amnesiac woman. She was afterwards cast for the 2004 remake of Mister Ed, planned for the Fox network—but after the pilot was shot, the show's writer/producer, Drake Sather, committed suicide, and the pilot was not aired.

In 2004, Fenn co-starred opposite Traci Lords and Paul Johansson in Emily Skopov's Novel Romance, released in 2006, in which she played a pregnancy shop owner who herself cannot have children. She then appeared in the martial arts film Lesser of Three Evils alongside Ho Sung Pak, Peter Greene, and Roger Guenveur Smith, as the unbalanced and alcoholic wife of a corrupt detective. The film was released in 2009 under the title Fist of the Warrior.

In 2005, Fenn made an appearance on The 4400, playing Jean DeLynn Baker, a 4400 who has the ability to grow toxin-emitting spores on her hands. She also guest-starred on the final episode of Judging Amy.

After finishing the Russia-set action film Treasure Raiders with David Carradine, Fenn starred in the Canadian psychological thriller Presumed Dead, alongside Duncan Regehr, as a detective working on a missing-person case who has to outwit a crime novelist.

In 2006, Fenn reteamed with Amy Sherman-Palladino and reappeared in the sixth and seventh seasons of Gilmore Girls as Anna Nardini, the ex-girlfriend of Luke Danes (played by Scott Patterson) and protective mother to his daughter April. Since the failure of the 2003 Gilmore Girls spin-off project, Sherman-Palladino had continued to want to work with Fenn again, and she wrote the character of Anna with her in mind. When asked why she cast Fenn for two different roles on Gilmore Girls, Sherman-Palladino explained: However, after Sherman-Palladino left the show, the direction for the character changedthe producers decided to make her character a villain in a custody battle.

Fenn was cast as the female lead in ABC's 2006 comedy series Three Moons Over Milford, but she was ultimately replaced by Elizabeth McGovern. Fenn was slated for a recurring role on CBS's 2006 crime drama Smith, but the show was quickly canceled.

She appeared in the 2007 Dukes of Hazzard prequel, The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning as Lulu Hogg. "It's just a fun silly role," Fenn said. But having already worked with director Robert Berlinger on Rude Awakening, she wanted to do so again.

In July 2006, shortly after shooting The Dukes of Hazzard prequel, Fenn stepped behind the camera for the first time and directed in Pittsburgh a documentary film about child enrichment program CosmiKids and its founder, Judy Julin. She subsequently joined its executive team in 2007 as executive director of the film and television division. In February 2016, she joined the cast of the American version of Shameless.

In 2016, Fenn wrote and published a children's book titled No Man's Land, about a boy who has autism. She was inspired to write the book after her second son, Christian, was diagnosed with autism. whom she met on the set of Three of Hearts. The two were married between 1994 and 1997.

Fenn began practicing Transcendental Meditation in 2014.

Awards and nominations 1990: Nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series – Twin Peaks 1991: Nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV – Twin Peaks

Other recognition

Fenn made the cover of such magazines as New York, Rolling Stone (along with Mädchen Amick and Lara Flynn Boyle), Playboy, Entertainment Weekly, The Face, Details, Sky, and Harper's Bazaar. In 1990, Us Weekly chose her as one of the "10 Most Beautiful Women in the World". In 1991, People chose her as one of the "50 Most Beautiful Women in the World". Fenn posed for photographer Steven Meisel for the autumn–winter 1991–1992 Dolce & Gabbana campaign. Fenn inspired Norwegian hard rock band Audrey Horne, formed in 2002, named after her character in Twin Peaks. In 2006, Australian men's magazine Zoo Weekly chose her as one of the "Top 50 Hottest Babes Ever". In 2020, Fenn attended the inaugural Fayetteville Comic Show along with numerous actors from Twin Peaks (James Marshall, Ray Wise, etc.) In the Dutch graphic novel comedy series about their hero Gilles de Geus, which is set during the formation of the Netherlands during the 80-year war against Spain, creators Hanco Kolk and Peter de Wit modeled their femme fatale spy, 90-60-90, after Fenn.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1984 Penny Harlin Silence of the Heart Monica TV movie 1985 Out of Control Katie Just One of the Guys Sandy Dummies - Short 1986 Thrashin' Velvet Keri Johnson 1987 Zombie High Suzi 1988 Two Moon Junction April Delongpre Crime Zone Helen 1989 True Blood Jennifer Scott 1990 Meridian Catherine Bomarzini Video Wild at Heart Girl in Accident Backstreet Dreams Lucy 1991 Dillinger Billie Frechette TV movie Desire and Hell at Sunset Motel Bridget 'Bridey' DeSoto Diary of a Hitman Jain Zidzyck 1992 Ruby Sheryl Ann 'Candy Cane' DuJean Of Mice and Men Curley's wife 1993 Boxing Helena Helena Three of Hearts Ellen Armstrong Fatal Instinct Laura Lincolnberry 1994 Spring Awakening Margie TV movie 1995 Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story Elizabeth Taylor TV movie Slave of Dreams Zulaikha TV movie 1996 The Assassination File Lauren Jacobs TV movie 1997 Just Write Amanda Clark Lovelife Molly Isabella Leoni TV movie Dez Wilson 1998 Nightmare Street Joanna Burke/Sarah Randolph Outside Ozona Marcy Duggan Rice 1999 Darkness Falls Sally Driscoll 2000 Cement Lyndel Holt 2001 Off Season Patty Winslow TV movie 2002 Swindle Sophie Zenn Scent of Danger Brenna Shaw TV movie 2003 Angela Calderon Nightwaves Shelby Naylor TV movie Dream Warrior Sterling 2004 Cavedweller M.T. Pop Rocks Allison Harden TV movie 2005 Deadly Isolation Susan Mandaway TV movie Officer Down Detective Kathryn Shaunessy TV movie 2006 Presumed Dead Det. Mary Anne 'Coop' Cooper TV movie Novel Romance Liza Normane Stewart Whitepaddy Karen Greenly 2007 Lulu Hogg TV movie Treasure Raiders Lena 2009 Fist of the Warrior Katie Barnes A.D.A. Barbara Dietrichson 2012 Bigfoot Sheriff Becky Alvarez TV movie 2013 Raze Elizabeth Bump Mother Short 2014 The Brittany Murphy Story Sharon Murphy TV movie Rescuing Madison Bess TV movie 2015 Unnatural Dr. Hannah Lindval 2016 Casa Vita Marlene Lindstrom TV movie The Secrets of Emily Blair Linda Regan 2017 Fatal Defense Inspector Banks TV movie Wish Upon Mrs. Deluca 2019 The Killers Laura Short 2020 Shooting Heroin Hazel 2021 Something About Her Charlene Immortalist Laura Spersoni 2022 Losing Addison Sarah Jane McCubbin Enough Sleep Denise (voice) Short 2023 Silent Life: The Story of the Lady in Black Alla Nazimova Upon Waking Andrea

Television Year Title Role Notes 1985 Cheers Gabrielle Episode: "The Groom Wore Clearasil" 1986 Heart of the City Lisa Harper Episode: "The Chemistry of Rage" 1987 21 Jump Street Diane Nelson Episode: "Blindsided" Tales from the Hollywood Hills Betty Episode: "A Table at Ciro's" 1988 ABC Afterschool Special Beth Episode: "A Family Again" 1989 TV 101 Robin Zimmer Episodes: "The Last Temptation of Checker Part: 1 & 2" 1990–91 Twin Peaks Audrey Horne Main Cast 1995 Tales from the Crypt Erika Episode: "You, Murderer" 1996 Kit Bradley Episodes: "Part: 1 & 2" 1997 Friends Ginger Episode: "The One with Phoebe's Ex-Partner" 1998 Cupid Helen Davis Episode: "Pick-Up Schticks" 1998–2001 Rude Awakening Billie Frank Main Cast 1999 Love, American Style Nancy Episode: "Love and the Jealous Lover" 2001 Nora Griffiths/Nora's clone Episode: "Replica" Night Visions Charlotte Episode: "Used Car" 2002 Watching Ellie Vanessa Recurring Cast: Season 1 Dawson's Creek Alexandra 'Alex' Pearl Recurring Cast: Season 5 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Gloria Stanfield Episode: "Deception" 2003 Gilmore Girls Sasha Episode: "Here Comes the Son" 2003–04 Boston Public Violet Montgomery Recurring Cast: Season 4 2004 NCIS Jane Doe/Suzzanne McNeil Episode: "Left for Dead" Century Cities Bree Clemens Episode: "The Face Was Familiar" 2005 Judging Amy Heather Reid Episode: "My Name Is Amy Gray..." Jean DeLynn Baker Episode: "Carrier" 2006 CSI: Miami Gwen Creighton Episode: "Open Water" 2006–07 Gilmore Girls Anna Nardini Recurring Cast: Season 6-7 2007 Smith Debbie Turkenson Episode: "Six" 2008 House M.D. Mrs. Soellner Episode: "Joy to the World" 2009 In Plain Sight Helen Trask/Helen Traylen Episode: "Let's Get It Ahn" 2010 Psych Maudette Hornsby Episode: "Dual Spires" 2013 Magic City Madame Renee Recurring Cast: Season 2 2014 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Madame Suzanne Episode: "Love For Sale" Ray Donovan Donna Cochran Recurring Cast: Season 2 2016 Shameless Queenie Slott Recurring Cast: Season 6 Major Crimes Marsha Walker Episode: "Off the Wagon" Criminal Minds Gloria Barker Episode: "Taboo" 2017 Confess Lydia Main Cast Twin Peaks Audrey Horne Recurring Cast 2017–21 S.W.A.T. Karen Street Recurring Cast: Season 1-2 & 4 2018 Robot Chicken Mummy Pig/Mama Dinosaur (voices) Episode: "He's Not Even Aiming at the Toilet" Titans Melissa Roth Episode: "Titans" 2019 The Magicians Etta Episode: "Lost, Found, Fucked" Goliath Bobbi Recurring Cast: Season 3 2020 Little America Laura Bush Episode: "The Manager" 2022–23 Shining Vale Robyn Court Recurring Cast 2027 Scooby-Doo: Origins Filming

Music video Bunbury – "Deseos de usar y tirar" (2020)