Alicia Roanne Witt (born August 21, 1975) is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and a Boston University-trained pianist. Witt first came to fame as a child actress after being discovered by David Lynch, who cast her as Alia Atreides in his film Dune (1984) and in a guest role in his television series Twin Peaks (1990).Witt later had a critically acclaimed role as a disturbed teenager in Fun (1994), and appeared as a music student in Mr. Holland's Opus (1995), and as a college coed in the horror film Urban Legend (1998). She then appeared in Cameron Crowe's Vanilla Sky (2001), Last Holiday (2006), and the thriller 88 Minutes (2007). Witt has made television appearances in Friday Night Lights and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and had continuing starring roles in the sitcom Cybill and the Southern crime drama Justified. In addition to acting, Witt has been described as a musical prodigy, and is an accomplished pianist, singer, and song-writer, releasing a self-titled debut album in 2009.
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance
Movies
Two Weeks Notice, 88 Minutes, Mr. Holland's Opus, Dune, Urban Legend, Last Holiday, The Upside of Anger, Vanilla Sky, Cecil B. Demented, A Very Merry Mix-Up, Four Rooms, Playing Mona Lisa, A Madea Christmas, Bongwater, Cowgirls n' Angels, Bodies, Rest & Motion, Peep World, Dark Kingdom: The Dragon K...
TV Shows
Justified, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Cybill
Star Sign
Leo
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Trademark
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Has often played the prodigy or gifted child and had her skills as a pianist incorporated into her roles
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Quote
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All of those art-based fields are similar in that they're all hard to make a living in and they all require an intense amount of training and discipline.
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On-screen relationships are the best because you don't have to worry about saying the wrong things. And if the guy's got a girlfriend, or I'm not attracted to him, it's even better. It's just my character kissing his character.
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John Waters has certainly gotten to a place in his life where he doesn't do anything he doesn't want to do. He's always been that way, but at this point, he's greatly respected for it.
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My goal is to just keep playing roles that are different from the roles I've played before.
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You have to really concentrate on piano or acting. You can't do both.
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I wanted to do a movie about being really good at something, yet being socially awkward and not as advanced in your personal life as you are in your creative life.
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In my fantasy I was always the savior. I would come to Peanuts land and save everybody. Charlie Brown would fall madly in love with me. Peppermint Patty was so jealous.
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I'd never been to a prom, I had never had the whole high school experience. I think I was kind of an anomaly. I don't think they knew where to put me.
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I went to national piano competitions and did that whole circuit. Then I played professionally to support myself when I moved out to LA.
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I was so happy that it filmed in New York not only because it's an amazing city, but also because a lot of people across the world somehow started to think about New York as a dangerous place to be and envisioned it as some war zone after that happened.
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Acting is magical. Change your look and your attitude, and you can be anyone.
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Pianos tend to get better as they age, the more you play them. They grow into their sound.
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When I was a kid, my dream was to be a farmer and marry Charlie Brown. I wanted to rescue him and make him happy. Besides, he was always lusting after the little redhead girl.
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Redheads get so stereotyped. You're either exotic and wild or totally Victorian.
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It occurred to me the other day that I've made out with more people on camera than I have in real life!
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In my fantasy I was always the savior. I would come to 'Peanuts' land and save everybody. Charlie Brown would fall madly in love with me. Peppermint Patty was so jealous.
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I like to play any character that allows me the freedom to explore it and teach the audience something they didn't know, and show them a journey they identify with...or be inspired, or moved. Anything that touches someone's heart is important for me.
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Fact
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Her paternal great-grandfather, who had changed his surname from "Witcoski" to "Witt", was of Polish descent. Her other ancestry includes Irish, French-Canadian, Italian, and English.
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Is also a singer/songwriter who has played shows at venues including Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles and Joe's Pub in New York City.
Her mother is Diane Witt, who was in the Guinness Book of World Records from 1988 to 1996 for having the world's longest hair.
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In June 2004, she modeled what is claimed to be the most expensive hat ever made, the US$2,700,000 Chapeau d'Amour by celebrity couture hat designer Louis Mariette, at Christie's in London.
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Is a classically trained pianist.
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Was home schooled and received her high school diploma at age 14.
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Her father Robert is a science teacher and photographer. Her mother Diane is a junior high school reading teacher.
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Appeared on That's Incredible! (1980) at the age of four because of her amazing reading skills. She also performed the balcony scene of Romeo and Juliet with the host.
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Used to play the piano at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
$3 Million
