Veronica Cartwright

Veronica Cartwright (born 20 April 1949) is an English actress based in Los Angeles, California. She appeared in science fiction and horror films, and has three Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Her younger sister is actress Angela Cartwright.

As a child actress, Cartwright appeared in supporting roles in The Children's Hour and The Birds, the latter of which was her first commercial success. She made her transition into mainstream, mature roles with 1978's Invasion of the Body Snatchers. She played Lambert in the science-fiction horror film Alien, which earned her recognition and a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress, and additionally appeared in the films The Right Stuff and The Witches of Eastwick which earned her praise. In the 1990s, she received three nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, one of which was for her role on ER and two of which were for her role in The X-Files.

Early life Veronica Cartwright was born on 20 April 1949 in Bristol, England. When she was a young child, she emigrated to the United States with her parents and younger sister, Angela, Cartwright is a Catholic and has attended Mass at St. Charles Borromeo with her sister Angela.

Career

In 1958, her career as a child actress began with a role in In Love and War. Among her early appearances were repeated roles in the television series Leave It to Beaver (as Beaver's classmates Violet Rutherford and, later, Peggy MacIntosh) and episodes of One Step Beyond ("The Haunting") and The Twilight Zone ("I Sing the Body Electric"). In 1963, she guest starred twice in NBC's medical drama about psychiatry, The Eleventh Hour, in the episodes "The Silence of Good Men" and "My Name is Judith, I'm Lost, You See".

Cartwright appeared in the films The Children's Hour (1961) and Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963), which were both highly successful. In The Birds, she was cast along with her television father from Leave It to Beaver, Richard Deacon, although the two were not on screen together. She appeared in Spencer's Mountain (1963) with Henry Fonda and Kym Karath. She played daughter Jemima Boone in the first two seasons of NBC's Daniel Boone from 1964 until 1966, with co-stars Fess Parker, Patricia Blair, Darby Hinton, Ed Ames and Dallas McKennon. She won a regional Emmy Award for the television movie Tell Me Not in Mournful Numbers (1964). She achieved adult success with film roles in Inserts (1974), Goin' South (1978) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978).

Cartwright's breakout feature was the science-fiction horror film Alien (1979), for which she was originally cast as Aliens heroine Ellen Ripley, but director Ridley Scott instead set her to play Lambert prior to shooting. The infamous chestburster scene in the film featured a genuine reaction from Cartwright, who had not been informed beforehand that blood would be involved; co-star Tom Skerritt confirmed this by saying, "What you saw on camera was the real response. She had no idea what the hell happened. All of a sudden this thing just came up." She won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.

Her subsequent film roles include The Right Stuff (1983), Flight of the Navigator (1986), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Money Talks (1997), Scary Movie 2 (2001), Kinsey (2004) and Straight-Jacket (2004). She was nominated again for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for The Witches of Eastwick.

A frequent performer in television, she has played guest roles in Route 66, Leave It to Beaver, The Mod Squad, Miami Vice, Baywatch, L.A. Law, ER, The X-Files, Chicago Hope, Will & Grace, Touched by an Angel, Judging Amy, Six Feet Under, The Closer, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Cartwright has received three Emmy Award nominations, one for her work in ER in 1997, and two for her work on The X-Files in 1998 and 1999. Cartwright also starred as Mrs. Olive Osmond in the made-for-TV film Inside the Osmonds.

She co-starred in the fourth version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Invasion (2007). She appears on the cover art for the Scissor Sisters' 2006 single "Don't Stop Believin" and on their second album Ta-Dah. In 2014, Cartwright reprised her role as Joan Lambert for DLC episodes in Alien: Isolation based on the original film, and appeared in the remake of The Town That Dreaded Sundown. She played the role of Sibley Gamble, a psychic on General Hospital, between 8 July 2019, and 16 July 2019.

Cartwright's theatre credits include Electra, Talley's Folly, The Bat and The Master Builder, for which she received brilliant reviews. Her performances in The Hands of its Enemy, The Triplet Collection and Homesteaders brought her Drama-Logue Awards for Best Actress.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1958 In Love and War Allie O'Neill Uncredited 1961 The Children's Hour Rosalie Wells 1963 The Birds Cathy Brenner Spencer's Mountain Becky Spencer Uncredited 1964 One Man's Way Mary 1975 Inserts Harlene 1978 Goin' South Hermine Invasion of the Body Snatchers Nancy Bellicec The Kid from Not-So-Big Corinne 1979 Alien Joan Lambert 1983 Nightmares Claire Houston Segment: "Night of the Rat" The Right Stuff Betty Grissom 1985 My Man Adam Elaine Swit 1986 Flight of the Navigator Helen Freeman 1987 Wisdom Samantha Wisdom The Witches of Eastwick Felicia Alden 1989 Valentino Returns Patricia "Pat" Gibbs 1990 False Identity Vera Errickson 1991 Walking the Dog Unknown Short film 1992 Man Trouble Helen Dextra 1994 Mirror, Mirror 2: Raven Dance Sister Aja On Hope Woman In Grocery Short film Two Over Easy Molly Short film 1995 Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh Octavia Tarrant 1996 Shoot the Moon Mrs. Thomas 1997 Money Talks Connie Cipriani Sparkler Dottie Delgato 1998 My Engagement Party Sarah Salsburg 1999 A Slipping-Down Life Mrs. Casey Trash Principal Evans 2001 In the Bedroom Minister Critic's Choice Watkins Short film Scary Movie 2 Mrs. Voorhees 2002 Mackenheim Eleanor Short film 2003 Just Married Mrs. "Pussy" McNerney Uncredited 2004 Twisted Landlady Straight-Jacket Jerry Albrecht Kinsey Sara Kinsey 2005 Barry Dingle Eleanor Dingle 2007 Mommy's House Mommy Short film The Invasion Wendy Lenk 2009 Call of the Wild Sheriff Taylor 2010 Neowolf Mrs. Belakov 2011 InSight Patricia Montana Amazon Margaret 2012 The Yellow Wallpaper Catherine Sayer 2013 The Odd Way Home Francine 2014 The Town That Dreaded Sundown Lillian Lerner 2015 The Dark Below Tess 2019 Limbo Louise The Field Edith 2020 Breaking Fast Judy 2022 The Phantoms Miss Sayer 2024 The Ruse Olivia Stone2025A Kill for a KillJanice

Television Year Title Role Notes 1959 Zane Grey Theater Sarah Butler Episode: "The Lone Woman"1959–1961 Make Room for Daddy Girl in Play / Veronica 2 episodes1959–1963 Leave It to Beaver Violet Rutherford / Peggy MacIntosh 4 episodes1960 Alcoa Presents One Step Beyond Gillian Episode: "The Haunting" The Betty Hutton Show Fake Foster Child Uncredited, Episode: "Gullible Goldie" 1960–1961 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Viola Wellington / Judy Davidson / Lettie / Lauretta Bishop 2 episodes 1962 Route 66 Miriam - age 9 Episode: "Love Is a Skinny Kid" The Twilight Zone Anne Rogers - age 11 Episode: "I Sing the Body Electric" 1963 The Dick Powell Theatre Unknown Episode: "The Third Side of a Coin" The Eleventh Hour Judith Cameron / Jan Ellendale 2 episodes 1964 Tell Me Not in Mournful Numbers Unknown Television film 1964–1966 Daniel Boone Jemima Boone 37 episodes 1965 Dr. Kildare Nancy Hiller Episode: "Take Care of My Little Girl" Who Has Seen the Wind? Kiri Radek Television film 1968 Lost in Space Princess Alpha Episode: "Princess of Space" Mannix Mrs. Goldberg Uncredited, Episode: "Edge of the Knife" The Name of the Game Nancy Robins Episode: "High on a Rainbow" 1969 Family Affair Jo-Ann Episode: "Flower Power" Dragnet 1970 Melissa Stevens Episode: "Personnel: The Shooting" Mod Squad Gail Whitney Episode: "The Girl in Chair Nine" 1970 Death Valley Days Carrie Dalton Episode: "Simple Question of Justice" The Bold Ones: The Lawyers Mary Episode: "Point of Honor" Then Came Bronson Petey Traine Episode: "Still Waters" My Three Sons Ruth Fletcher Episode: "The Honeymoon" 1973 Here We Go Again Nancy Episode: "Sunday, Soggy Sunday" 1976 Bernice Bobs Her Hair Marjorie Television film Serpico Lucy Episode: "Dawn of the Furies" 1980 Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones Marceline "Marcy" Jones Miniseries 1981 The Big Black Pill Sister Theresa Television film 1982 Prime Suspect Janice Staplin 1985 The New Leave It to Beaver Violet Rutherford Episode: "Violet Rutherford Returns" Robert Kennedy & His Times Ethel Skakel Kennedy Miniseries 1986 Intimate Encounters Emily Television film 1987 Miami Vice Society Dame Episode: "By Hooker by Crook" 1988 Tanner '88 Molly Hark 10 episodes 1989 Desperate for Love Betty Petrie Television film Baywatch Mrs. Harris Uncredited, Episode: "Panic at Malibu Pier" 1989–1992 L.A. Law Margaret Flanagan9 episodes 1990 A Son's Promise Dorothy Donaldson Television film Hitler's Daughter Patricia Benedict 1991 CBS Schoolbreak Special Caroline Morris Episode: "Abby, My Love" Dead in the Water Victoria Haines Television film1992 Lincoln and the War Within Charlotte Cushman 1993 It's Nothing Personal Barbara Triumph Over Disaster: The Hurricane Andrew Story Carla Hulin 1994 Dead Air The Caller 1995 My Brother's Keeper Pat 1996 American Gothic Angela Episode: "Dr. Death Takes a Holiday" The Lottery Maggie Dunbar Television film Sliders The Flame Voice, Episode: "The Fire Within" 1997 ER Norma Houston 2 episodes Boston Common Betty Episode: "Here's to You, Mrs. Byrnes" Quicksilver Highway Myra Television film 1997–1998 George & Leo Anna 2 episodes 1998 The Rat Pack Rocky Cooper Television film 1998–2018 The X-Files Cassandra Spender 4 episodes 1999 The Last Man on Planet Earth Director Elizabeth Riggs Television film Chicago Hope Karen Flanders Episode: "Team Play" Will & Grace Judith McFarland Episode: "Homo for the Holidays" 2001 Inside the Osmonds Olive Osmond Television film Touched by an Angel Shirlee Gibbons Episode: "Famous Last Words" 2002 Family Law Norma Benson Episode: "Arlene's Choice" Judging Amy Dorothea Mitchell Episode: "A Pretty Good Day" 2003 Without a Trace Mrs. Beckworth Episode: "There Goes the Bride" 2004 Dr. Vegas Evelyn Episode: "All In" 2004–2005 Six Feet Under Peg Kimmel3 episodes 2005 The Closer Vera Mathers Episode: "Good Housekeeping" Without a Trace Susan Episode: "John Michaels" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Virginia Kennison Episode: "Starved" Nip/Tuck Mother Mary Claire Episode: "Quentin Costa" 2005–2006 Invasion Valerie Shenkman5 episodes 2006 Boston Legal Judge Peggy Zeder Episode: "Helping Hands" Cold Case Mary Ryan Episode: "Dog Day Afternoons" CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Diane Chase Episode: "Rashomama" 7th Heaven Ms. Fitzhenry Episode: "A Pain in the Neck" 2006–2007 The Nine Barbara Dalton 3 episodes 2007 October Road Lynn Farmer Episode: "Deck the Howls" 2008 The Mr. Men Show Little Miss Elderly / Little Miss Jotünheim / Little Miss Scarlett Voice 2009–2010 Eastwick Bun Waverly 11 episodes 2010 Drop Dead Diva Marian Porter Episode: "Back from the Dead" Memphis Beat Miranda Episode: "I Shall Not Be Moved" 2010–2012 Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil Ms. DominicVoice, 3 episodes 2012 Revenge Judge Elizabeth Blackwell 2 episodes 2013 Non-Stop Rose Television film 2014 Resurrection Helen Edgerton5 episodes 2015 Bosch Irène Saxon 4 episodes 2016 The Loud House Sue Voice, episode: "The Old and the Restless" Criminal Minds Flora Martin Episode: "The Bond" 2017 Mommy, I Didn't Do It Judge Tannin Television film 2018 Supernatural Lily Sunder Episode: "Byzantium" 2019 Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Mrs. McGarvey Episode: "Doctor Cerberus’s House of Horror" General Hospital Sibley Gamble 3 episodes 2021 The Good Doctor Maxine Stanley Episode: "Dr. Ted" The Resident Celeste Crisforth Episode: "Old Dogs, New Tricks" 2023 The Rookie Beatrice O'Malley Episode: "Daddy Cop" Gotham Knights Eunice Harmon 2 episodes 2024 A Man on the Inside Beverley Bankl 5 episodes

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2014 Alien: Isolation Joan Lambert Voice; Nostromo Edition 2015 Fallout 4 Trashcan Carla, Doc Anderson, Jackie Hudson, Bartender, Settlers, Vault 81 Residents

Awards and nominations