Valerie Landsburg
Encyclopedia
Valerie Landsburg is an American
actress, television
and film director
, screenwriter
, and singer-songwriter
. She is best known for her role as Doris Schwartz in the 1982 series Fame
, interpreting, for television, the role that Maureen Teefy
had originated in the film. She was also the lead singer on the UK top five hit "Hi Fidelity". Producer Alan Landsburg
is her father, and she appeared in at least one installment of True Confessions, an anthology series program he produced.
, Landsburg made her acting debut in 1978 disco
movie Thank God It's Friday
. In 1982, she appeared in the NBC
television series Fame (TV series). During the series run, Landsburg wrote and directed one episode of the series. Shortly after Landsburg left the show in 1987, she co-starred in two different comedy TV-series, which practically ran at the same time. The first, You Again?
, starred Jack Klugman
, and lasted for one season. The second series was All Is Forgiven, but the show was cancelled after just nine episodes.
Outside of doing recurring roles in Hotel
and Dream On
she did not star in another TV-series. She appeared in about a dozen made-for-TV movies and guest appearances on other TV-series including Murder, She Wrote
, Beverly Hills, 90210
, Empty Nest, Nip/Tuck
and The Unit
among others. In between TV and film projects she has appeared on stage plays. In addition to acting, Landsburg has also directed several feature films and episodic television shows.
In 2001 she released an album of mostly her own compositions, called Grownup. Among the tracks was a re-recording of "Hi Fidelity".
She is the life member of Asian Academy of Film & Television
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, television
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, and singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. She is best known for her role as Doris Schwartz in the 1982 series Fame
Fame (1982 TV series)
Fame is an American television series originally produced between 1982 and 1987. The show was based on the 1980 motion picture of the same name. Using a mixture of drama and music, it followed the lives of the students and faculty at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. Although...
, interpreting, for television, the role that Maureen Teefy
Maureen Teefy
Maureen Jane Teefy is an American actress. Her films include Fame , Grease 2 and Supergirl .-Life and career:...
had originated in the film. She was also the lead singer on the UK top five hit "Hi Fidelity". Producer Alan Landsburg
Alan Landsburg
Alan William Landsburg is an American television writer, producer, and director. He is founder and CEO of the Landsburg Company and has been involved in producing over 50 movies of the week. He has over 2000 hours of television production experience.- Career :Landsburg graduated from New York...
is her father, and she appeared in at least one installment of True Confessions, an anthology series program he produced.
Biography
Born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Landsburg made her acting debut in 1978 disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
movie Thank God It's Friday
Thank God It's Friday
The triple album was, unlike the movie, a commercial success. It contained contributions from some of the biggest names in disco at the time, including Donna Summer, Diana Ross, Thelma Houston, The Commodores, and many others....
. In 1982, she appeared in the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television series Fame (TV series). During the series run, Landsburg wrote and directed one episode of the series. Shortly after Landsburg left the show in 1987, she co-starred in two different comedy TV-series, which practically ran at the same time. The first, You Again?
You Again?
You Again? is an American situation comedy that was broadcast by NBC from February 27, 1986 to March 30, 1987 for two seasons.-Plot:You Again? stars Jack Klugman as Henry Willows, a man still embittered from his divorce ten years earlier, who had made no effort to see his son Matt during that time...
, starred Jack Klugman
Jack Klugman
Jacob Joachim "Jack" Klugman is an American stage, film and television actor known for his roles in sitcoms, movies, and television and on Broadway...
, and lasted for one season. The second series was All Is Forgiven, but the show was cancelled after just nine episodes.
Outside of doing recurring roles in Hotel
Hotel (TV series)
Hotel is an American prime time drama series which aired on ABC from September 21, 1983 to May 5, 1988 in the timeslot following Dynasty....
and Dream On
Dream On (TV series)
Dream On is an American adult-themed situation comedy about single New Yorker, Martin Tupper. The show used a gimmick where old black and white clips were used to punctuate the main character's feelings or thoughts...
she did not star in another TV-series. She appeared in about a dozen made-for-TV movies and guest appearances on other TV-series including Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
, Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
, Empty Nest, Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
and The Unit
The Unit
The Unit is an American action-drama television series that focuses on a top-secret military unit modeled after the real-life U.S. Army special operations unit commonly known as Delta Force...
among others. In between TV and film projects she has appeared on stage plays. In addition to acting, Landsburg has also directed several feature films and episodic television shows.
In 2001 she released an album of mostly her own compositions, called Grownup. Among the tracks was a re-recording of "Hi Fidelity".
She is the life member of Asian Academy of Film & Television
Asian Academy of Film & Television
The Asian Academy of Film & Television is a film school located in India's Noida Film City in India's Capital region, NCR. It is affiliated with the International Film & Television Research Center and the Marwah Films & Video Studios....
.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1978 | Thank God It's Friday | Frannie | |
| 1990 | Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael is a 1990 American comedy-drama film starring Winona Ryder and Jeff Daniels.-Plot:The film's main character is a 15-year-old girl named Dinky Bossetti . Dinky was adopted as a baby. She appears to have little acceptance in her social circle, although it is not obvious... |
Miss Day Ashburn | Credited as Valerie Landsberg |
| 1997 | Drawn to the Flame | |
Director |
| Borrowed Life Stolen Love | |
Director | |
| Too Good to Be True | |
Producer | |
| 2001 | Rock Star Rock Star (2001 film) Rock Star is a 2001 American comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Herek and starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston. It tells the story of Chris "Izzy" Cole, a tribute band singer whose ascendance to the position of lead vocalist of his favorite band was inspired by the real-life story of Tim... |
Concert After-Party Guest | Uncredited |
| 2005 | Bound by Lies | |
Director |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1979 | The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal is a 1979 film about the March 25, 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, in which 146 garment workers died and which spurred the growth of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.... |
Loretta | Television movie |
| 1980 | Marathon | Annie | Television movie |
| 1982–1987 | Fame | Doris Rene Schwartz | 84 episodes |
| 1984 | 1st & Ten | Unknown episodes | |
| 1986 | You Again? | Pam | 8 episodes |
| All is Forgiven | Lorraine Elder | 9 episodes | |
| 1987–1988 | Hotel | Cheryl Dolan | 3 episodes |
| 1988 | Murder, She Wrote | Alice Brooke | 1 episode |
| 1989 | The Ryan White Story | Television movie | |
| 1990 | Unspeakable Acts | Maggie Rivera | Television movie |
| Babies | Andrea | Television movie | |
| Beverly Hills, 90210 | Cathy Gerson | 1 episode | |
| 1993 | Not in My Family | Television movie | |
| 1993–1994 | Dream On | Gina Pedalbee | 3 episodes |
| 1994 | Terror in the Night | Tina | Television movie |
| One of Her Own | Stacy Schoep | Television movie | |
| 1995 | Empty Nest | Valerie | 1 episode Director |
| 1997 | Women: Stories of Passion Women: Stories of Passion Women: Stories of Passion is a dramatic series that aired on the American cable television network Showtime and distributed by Playboy Entertainment overseas.The episodes were based on stories of love, and passion from a women's point of view.... |
|
4 episodes Director |
| 2000 | Bar Hopping | Agent #4 | Television movie |
| 2002 | The Best Sex Ever The Best Sex Ever The Best Sex Ever is an American erotic anthology series featured on Cinemax during their "After Dark" schedule. The series features simulated sex scenes, and thus can be categorized as "soft core" or "voyeur."... |
|
7 episodes Director |
| 2003 | Columbo: Columbo Likes the Nightlife | Television movie | |
| 2005 | American Dreams American Dreams American Dreams is an American television comedy-drama program broadcast on the NBC television network, produced by Once A Frog and Dick Clark Productions in association with Universal Network Television and NBC Studios... |
1 episode | |
| Nip/Tuck | Marian Berg | 1 episode | |
| 2006 | The Unit | Marge | 1 episode |
| Windfall | 1 episode | ||
| 2009 | Mrs. Washington Goes to Smith | Noreen | Television movie |