Nancy Anne Allen (born June 24, 1950) is a Golden Globe-nominated American actress and cancer activist best known for her roles in the films Carrie (1976), RoboCop (1987), and Dressed to Kill (1980).Allen began an acting and modelling career as a child, and from the mid-1970s appeared in small film roles, most notably the anchor of Robert Zemeckis's ensemble comedy I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978). A pivotal supporting role in Carrie (1976) brought her recognition, and after marrying the director Brian De Palma, she appeared in several of his films, including Dressed to Kill (1980) and Blow Out (1981). Her subsequent films include Strange Invaders (1983), The Philadelphia Experiment (1984), Poltergeist III (1988), Limit Up (1990), Out of Sight (1998), and the RoboCop trilogy.
Randy Bailey (m. 1998–2007), Craig Shoemaker (m. 1992–1993), Brian De Palma (m. 1979–1984)
Parents
Eugene Allen, Florence Allen
Nominations
Golden Globe Award for Best New Star of the Year – Actress
Movies
RoboCop, Carrie, Dressed to Kill, Blow Out, RoboCop 2, RoboCop 3, 1941, Poltergeist III, Out of Sight, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, The Philadelphia Experiment, The Last Detail, Home Movies, Strange Invaders, Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's Return, Acting on Impulse, Limit Up, Kiss Toledo Goodbye, The ...
[on being used often by husband Brian De Palma] If other people want to put me down, my work has to stand on its own. He can cast me in a film, and if I'm going to be bad, I'm going to be bad because of me, not because of him. If I'm going to be good because of me, not because of him. It is frustrating.
2
[on women's roles currently] I argue with Brian constantly about this. I don't think it's only him. I think he employs women much more than most directors do, but I am constantly frustrated and angry by the kind of parts and the lack of material that's written for women. I applauded Vincent Cannby's piece in the 'Times' when he talked about how women are either the helpless victim or they are the pretty prop on the side of the man. They are never real people. They are never fully flushed out characters. Briann and I had a knock-down-drag-out fight about this. I kept saying what about those great movies of the Forties? People love those films; they had wonderful women characters.
3
[on not having acted for ten years] I haven't quit but I'm not going to do anything unless something comes along and I get excited about it. I hope it does. I miss acting. I love acting. I was recently at Universal, doing a fundraiser, and it reminded me of the first time walking onto a soundstage, going, "Oh! This is where I belong."
4
When I was 22 - my brother and his partner and another friend of ours, we all took acid and went to three different parties. All I could see were people trying desperately to have a good time. I said, "Get me home. I can't look at this!" So maybe I was traumatized early on and it stayed with me.
5
I feel very, very blessed. It's like a guardian angel guided me into all the right streets, all the right turns. I'm very happy with my career and I want to make more movies!
6
[on hearing there was an animated Robocop series]: "I didn't know that there were a animated series until my maid told me. "Oh, my kids watch RoboCop," and I asked: Really? Where? and she turned on the TV. The series are great I think, just to see Lewis running from one side to another, was awesome."
7
[Talking about making RoboCop 2 (1990)]: "I didn't have the best experience on the second film, it's a personal thing, too, wanting to work things out. I felt so good about our work in the first one, and something happened on the second one-it just wasn't good chemistry for me. To me, the character didn't even resemble Lewis from the first film."
8
[Further talking about RoboCop 2 (1990)]: "In my opinion I don't think anything is missing from the film. Movies has to be brought in on a certain time limit and generally in a action film character will suffer."
9
[on her reaction to hearing about RoboCop 2 (1990)]: "I suppose this was the first thing that made me think about making a sequel, because they used to say "well, she is going to return as a robot..." I never thought that as a real possibility, because everybody expected it, if you're going to make a sequel, you cannot stay with the predictable. I think I wouldn't like to play a robot, I don't know how Peter manages it, I suffer from claustrophobia! If I have to tell the truth I never thought to make a sequel, when people used to talk about it I thought that was ridiculous. The first time that I seriously thought about it was when Jon Davidson (the producer) called. "You know it, right? RoboCop2?" then I thought: "oh, that's interesting"
10
"There's nothing more uncomfortable than wearing black lingerie." - Talking about the climax of Dressed to Kill (1980).
11
"Because of how good he is at this job, that made it really easy for me" - talking about co-star Peter Weller in 1988.
12
"He brought heart and soul to it and a warmth that didn't exist on the page." - about her co-star John Travolta's performance in Blow Out (1981).
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Fact
1
Appeared with Bob Gale at a weSpark benefit double feature of "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" & "1941" at the New Beverly Cinema in Hollywood California [October 2008]
2
She was at "weSPARKLE NIGHT - Take ll" which was a benefit for weSPARK Cancer Support Center in Sherman Oaks founded by Wendie Jo Sperber. It was hosted by John Ritter & Katey Sagal and took place at the El Portal Theatre in California, USA. [April 2003]
3
Appeared with P.J. Soles at a Carrie (1976) screening on Hollywood Blvd. [August 2002]
4
Was a last minute replacement for the role of Anne Lewis in RoboCop (1987) as Stephanie Zimbalist who was previously cast in this role was under contract with MGM and was call back to reprise her role as Laura Holt in Remington Steele (1982) for the 5th season.
Originally auditioned for the role of Carrie White in Carrie (1976), while Sissy Spacek read for the role of high school bitch Chris Hargensen, but director Brian De Palma decided to have them swap roles.
7
While filming 1941 (1979) she took part in a betting pool on when the house would collapse in the final scene of the film. Dan Akyroyd eventually won that bet.
8
Her then-husband Brian De Palma specifically wrote the role of the hooker in Dressed to Kill (1980) with her in mind.
$16 Million
