Erica Leerhsen
Encyclopedia
Erica Lei Leerhsen is an American actress. She is best known for her lead roles in the horror films Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 is the 2000 American horror film and the sequel to the film The Blair Witch Project, directed by Joe Berlinger...

, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003 film)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a 2003 remake of the 1974 horror film of the same name. The 2003 film was directed by Marcus Nispel and produced by Michael Bay...

, and Wrong Turn 2
Wrong Turn 2
Wrong Turn 2: Dead End is a 2007 American slasher film, directed by Joe Lynch, and starring Erica Leerhsen, Crystal Lowe, Henry Rollins and Texas Battle. It is a sequel to the 2003 horror film Wrong Turn, and has been available on DVD since October 9, 2007...

. She is often referred to as a modern day scream queen
Scream queen
A scream queen is an actress who has become associated with horror films, either through an appearance in a notable entry in the genre as a frequent victim or through constant appearances as the female protagonist...

. She is also known for her acting on television series, such as her lead role in The Guardian
The Guardian (TV series)
The Guardian is an American drama series which aired on CBS from September 25, 2001 to May 4, 2004. It is currently showing in re-runs on the Sleuth Channel in the US. The Guardian has also aired in the United Kingdom on the Hallmark Channel, ABC1 and more recently five USA and as of August...

and several guest appearances, including The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...

, Alias
Alias (TV series)
Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...

, and others.

Early life and education

Leerhsen was born in New York City, New York on Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...

, and raised in Ossining
Ossining (village), New York
Ossining is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 25,060 at the 2010 census. As a village, it is located in the Town of Ossining.-Geography:Ossining borders the eastern shores of the widest part of the Hudson River....

, Westchester County, New York
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...

, along with her two younger sisters, Debbie and Nora by their father Charles Leerhsen, a long time editor of celebrity publication Us Weekly
Us Weekly
Us Weekly is a celebrity gossip magazine, founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, who sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986. The publication covers topics ranging from celebrity relationships to the latest trends in fashion, beauty, and entertainment...

. She attended St. Augustine's School and Ossining High School
Ossining High School
Ossining High School is public high school, located in Ossining, New York, colloquially known as OHS. Its building is located within the boundaries of the Downtown Ossining Historic District, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989....

 and graduated from Boston University College of Fine Arts
Boston University College of Fine Arts
The Boston University College of Fine Arts is unit of Boston University. The College consists of the School of Music, the School of Theatre, and the School of Visual Arts. Each of the individual schools offer degrees in the performing and visual arts at the undergraduate and graduate level...

 in 1998. She earned BFA
Bachelor of Fine Arts
In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. In some countries such a degree is called a Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...

 in acting the same year.

Career progression, 2000–2002

Leerhsen made her film debut in the short film Junior Creative
Junior Creative
Junior Creative is a 2000 short film directed by Matt McIntosh which stars Erica Leerhsen in her debut role.-Plot:Junior Creative is about the corporate malevolence that can underlie the veneer of a self-consciously hip Advertising Agency...

(2000), as Sarah. The film received several good reviews. She appeared in the horror sequel Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 is the 2000 American horror film and the sequel to the film The Blair Witch Project, directed by Joe Berlinger...

, though she originally auditioned for the part that eventually went to Kim Director
Kim Director
-Biography:Director was born in Florida, graduated from Upper St. Clair High School, in Upper St. Clair Township, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in 1993 and attended Carnegie Mellon University where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting...

. The film was panned by film critics, but it debuted at number 2 with $13,000,000 in the United States, and finished with $26,421,314
Overall, internationally the film made $47,737,094. She was also voted #96 in 2001's Maxim Hot 100.

In 2001, Leerhsen appeared in an episode of the third season of The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...

, where she played a lesbian tennis instructor who falls for Drea de Matteo
Drea de Matteo
Drea de Matteo is an American television actress, perhaps best known for her roles Joey Tribbiani's sister Gina on the NBC sitcom Joey, as Angie Bolen on ABC's Desperate Housewives, and as Adriana La Cerva on the acclaimed HBO TV series The Sopranos, a role for which she won the Primetime Emmy...

's character. That same year, She was part of cast of the well-acclaimed TV show The Guardian
The Guardian (TV series)
The Guardian is an American drama series which aired on CBS from September 25, 2001 to May 4, 2004. It is currently showing in re-runs on the Sleuth Channel in the US. The Guardian has also aired in the United Kingdom on the Hallmark Channel, ABC1 and more recently five USA and as of August...

, she played as Amanda Bowles, an ambitious but caring associate, who leaves mid-way through season one. She played a supporting role in Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...

's Hollywood Ending
Hollywood Ending
Hollywood Ending is a 2002 American film written and directed by Woody Allen, who also plays the principal character. It tells the story of a once-famous film director who suffers hysterical blindness due to the intense pressure of directing.-Plot:...

. The film received mixed response by critics and at the box office making $14,569,744 at the end of its theatrical run. It was screened out of competition at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival
2002 Cannes Film Festival
The 2002 Cannes Film Festival started on 15 May and ran until 26 May. The Palme d'Or went to the Polish-French-German-British co-produced film The Pianist directed by Roman Polanski.-Jury:* David Lynch * Sharon Stone* Michelle Yeoh...

.

Worldwide success, 2003–2007

Leerhsen was honored with the title "Arrow in the Head's Mistress of the Year 2003". She starred alongside Jessica Biel
Jessica Biel
Jessica Claire Biel is an American actress, model, and occasional singer. Biel is known for her television role as Mary Camden in the long-running family-drama series 7th Heaven...

 in the horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...

 remake The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003 film)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a 2003 remake of the 1974 horror film of the same name. The 2003 film was directed by Marcus Nispel and produced by Michael Bay...

, in which Leerhsen had a lead role as one of the doomed teens. During her screen test for the film, her screams were so loud that people on other floors of the building called the police to report that a young woman was being attacked. The film received mixed reviews and was a box office success, scoring the number-one spot in its opening week and going on to earn more than $80 million in the U.S. She was a guest star in two episodes of the TV show Alias
Alias (TV series)
Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...

. She appeared in Woody Allen's romantic comedy film Anything Else
Anything Else
Anything Else is a 2003 romantic comedy film. The film was written and directed by Woody Allen, produced by his sister Letty Aronson, and stars Jason Biggs, Christina Ricci, Woody Allen, Stockard Channing, Danny DeVito, Jimmy Fallon and KaDee Strickland....

, opposite Jason Biggs
Jason Biggs
Jason Matthew Biggs is an American actor who is best known for his role as Jim Levenstein in the American Pie series of teen comedy films.-Personal life:...

, Christina Ricci
Christina Ricci
Christina Ricci is an American actress. Ricci received initial recognition and praise as a child star for her performance as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values , and her role as Kat Harvey in Casper...

, Stockard Channing
Stockard Channing
Stockard Channing is an American stage, film and television actress. She is known for her portrayal of First Lady Abbey Bartlet in the NBC television series The West Wing; for playing Betty Rizzo in the film Grease; and for her role as Ouisa Kittredge in the play Six Degrees of Separation and its...

, Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...

, Jimmy Fallon
Jimmy Fallon
James Thomas "Jimmy" Fallon, Jr. is an American actor, comedian, singer, musician and television host. He currently hosts Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, a late-night talk show that airs Monday through Friday on NBC...

, KaDee Strickland
KaDee Strickland
Katherine Dee "KaDee" Strickland is an American actress currently known for her role as Charlotte King on the ABC drama Private Practice....

, and Allen. The film was the opening–night selection at the 60th annual Venice International Film Festival.

Leerhsen starred in the 2004 independent
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...

 thriller film The Warrior Class
The Warrior Class
The Warrior Class is a 2004 film directed by Alan Hruska which stars Anson Mount and Erica Leerhsen. Even though it was finished in 2004, it was not released on DVD until February 6, 2007.-Plot:...

, where she played Anson Mount
Anson Mount
Anson Adams Mount IV is an American actor who has appeared in both movies and television shows. Mount has also played Jim Steele on the short-lived NBC series Conviction and appeared in the independent movie Tully with Julianne Nicholson, as the title character Tully Coates, a playboy whose ways...

's love interest. The film got released on DVD on February 6, 2007. Leerhsen starred opposite Michael Pena
Michael Peña
Michael Anthony Peña is an American film and television actor. He is probably best known for his roles in the films Crash, World Trade Center, Observe and Report, 30 Minutes or Less and Tower Heist...

 in the independent comedy drama film Little Athens
Little Athens
Little Athens is a 2005 American independent film directed by Tom Zuber, which stars John Patrick Amedori, Erica Leerhsen, DJ Qualls, Rachel Miner, Eric Szmanda, Michael Pena, and more...

. The film was released at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival
2005 Toronto International Film Festival
The 2005 Toronto International Film Festival ran from September 8–17 and screened 335 films from 52 countries - 109 of these films were world premieres, and 78 were North American premieres.- Awards:Awards presented during the film festival included:...

, and on DVD on November 21, 2006. She had a guest appearance in the TV show Ghost Whisperer
Ghost Whisperer
Ghost Whisperer is an American television supernatural drama, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005 to May 21, 2010.The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon , who has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts...

, and appeared as the character Bronwin in the romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...

 Mozart and the Whale
Mozart and the Whale
Mozart and the Whale is a 2005 romantic comedy-drama film starring Josh Hartnett and Radha Mitchell, and directed by Petter Næss.-Plot:...

, which was released in limited theaters on April 14, 2006. That same year, Leerhsen guest appeared as Brenda Sanders in the CBS series CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....

episode "The Score".

She starred in Wrong Turn 2
Wrong Turn 2
Wrong Turn 2: Dead End is a 2007 American slasher film, directed by Joe Lynch, and starring Erica Leerhsen, Crystal Lowe, Henry Rollins and Texas Battle. It is a sequel to the 2003 horror film Wrong Turn, and has been available on DVD since October 9, 2007...

, the 2007 sequel to the 2003 horror film Wrong Turn
Wrong Turn
Wrong Turn is a 2003 American slasher horror film, directed by Rob Schmidt, and written by Alan B. McElroy. The film was shot in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and stars Desmond Harrington and Eliza Dushku...

. The film was directed by Joe Lynch
Joe Lynch
Joseph Laurence 'Joe' Lynch was an Irish actor who enjoyed a long career in both serious drama and light comedy. He also did voice work for children's animated series, in particular Chorlton and the Wheelies for which he performed the theme tune. He had a fine singing voice and composed songs,...

 and co-starring Crystal Lowe
Crystal Lowe
Crystal Lowe is a Canadian-born actress best known for her scream queen roles in the horror films Final Destination 3, Black Christmas, and Wrong Turn 2: Dead End.-Early life:...

, Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, writer, comedian, publisher, actor, and radio DJ....

 and Texas Battle
Texas Battle
Texas Quency Battle is an American film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Marcus Forrester on the CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful.-Early life:...

. It got released on DVD on October 9, 2007 in the United States, was commercially successful and received a positive response from critics.

Recent work, 2008–present

She also had the lead role in the horror/thriller film Living Hell, where she played Carrie Freeborn, a hazmat specialist. The film, written and directed by Richard Jefferies
Richard Jefferies
John Richard Jefferies was an English nature writer, noted for his depiction of English rural life in essays, books of natural history, and novels. His childhood on a small Wiltshire farm had a great influence on him and provides the background to all his major works of fiction...

 premiered on the SCI FI Channel
Sci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...

 on February 23, 2008, and was released on DVD under the title Organizm on June 10 in the United States.

Leerhsen starred in the 2009 independent horror film Lonely Joe
Lonely Joe
Lonely Joe is an upcoming 2008 horror film which stars Erica Leerhsen. The film has been said to be a Supernatural Horror/Thriller "in the veins of Saw and The Sixth Sense",...

. The film's premise followed a reporter from New York City, Michele, who returns to her hometown to investigate and find out what actually happened, related with the mysterious murder of her brother. Then, she discovers bodies dating back more than fifty years, she finds herself feeling as if she is part of the story she is investigating. Filming began on October 15, 2007 and wrapped on November 6, 2007.

Leerhsen also stars in The Message, a supernatural thriller film about a young women who is forced to come to terms with her personality flaws. She is visited by a group of angels who attempt to guide her on a path away from her darker side. In 2010, she landed the lead role in the horror film The Butterfly Room, which is an Italian/American production, produced by Ethan Wiley for Wiseacre Films and directed by Jonathan Zarantonello.

Personal life

Leerhsen currently lives in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

. She married profissional cyclist Antony Galvan in February 2007, but the couple divorced in 2008.

She enjoys running, playing basketball and yoga.

Filmography

Film
Year title Role Notes
2000 Junior Creative
Junior Creative
Junior Creative is a 2000 short film directed by Matt McIntosh which stars Erica Leerhsen in her debut role.-Plot:Junior Creative is about the corporate malevolence that can underlie the veneer of a self-consciously hip Advertising Agency...

Sarah Short film
2000 Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 is the 2000 American horror film and the sequel to the film The Blair Witch Project, directed by Joe Berlinger...

Erica Geerson
2002 Hollywood Ending
Hollywood Ending
Hollywood Ending is a 2002 American film written and directed by Woody Allen, who also plays the principal character. It tells the story of a once-famous film director who suffers hysterical blindness due to the intense pressure of directing.-Plot:...

Actress
2003 Anything Else
Anything Else
Anything Else is a 2003 romantic comedy film. The film was written and directed by Woody Allen, produced by his sister Letty Aronson, and stars Jason Biggs, Christina Ricci, Woody Allen, Stockard Channing, Danny DeVito, Jimmy Fallon and KaDee Strickland....

Connie
2003 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003 film)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a 2003 remake of the 1974 horror film of the same name. The 2003 film was directed by Marcus Nispel and produced by Michael Bay...

Pepper Harrington
2004 The Warrior Class
The Warrior Class
The Warrior Class is a 2004 film directed by Alan Hruska which stars Anson Mount and Erica Leerhsen. Even though it was finished in 2004, it was not released on DVD until February 6, 2007.-Plot:...

Annie Sullivan
2005 Little Athens
Little Athens
Little Athens is a 2005 American independent film directed by Tom Zuber, which stars John Patrick Amedori, Erica Leerhsen, DJ Qualls, Rachel Miner, Eric Szmanda, Michael Pena, and more...

Heather
2006 Mozart and the Whale
Mozart and the Whale
Mozart and the Whale is a 2005 romantic comedy-drama film starring Josh Hartnett and Radha Mitchell, and directed by Petter Næss.-Plot:...

Bronwin
2007 Wrong Turn 2
Wrong Turn 2
Wrong Turn 2: Dead End is a 2007 American slasher film, directed by Joe Lynch, and starring Erica Leerhsen, Crystal Lowe, Henry Rollins and Texas Battle. It is a sequel to the 2003 horror film Wrong Turn, and has been available on DVD since October 9, 2007...

Nina Papas
2009 Lonely Joe
Lonely Joe
Lonely Joe is an upcoming 2008 horror film which stars Erica Leerhsen. The film has been said to be a Supernatural Horror/Thriller "in the veins of Saw and The Sixth Sense",...

Michele Connelly
2010 The Message Anna Completed
2010 The Butterfly Room Claudia Post-production

Television
Year title Role Notes
2001–2002 The Guardian
The Guardian (TV series)
The Guardian is an American drama series which aired on CBS from September 25, 2001 to May 4, 2004. It is currently showing in re-runs on the Sleuth Channel in the US. The Guardian has also aired in the United Kingdom on the Hallmark Channel, ABC1 and more recently five USA and as of August...

Amanda Bowles 22 episodes
2001 The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...

Birgit Olafsdottir Episode "Mr. Ruggerio's Neighborhood"
2003 Alias
Alias (TV series)
Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...

Kaya Episode "Conscious"
2005 Ghost Whisperer
Ghost Whisperer
Ghost Whisperer is an American television supernatural drama, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005 to May 21, 2010.The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon , who has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts...

Hope Paulson Episode "Hope and Mercy"
2006 CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....

Brenda Sanders Episode "The Score"
2008 Living Hell Carrie Freeborn TV movie

External links

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