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Amy Steel

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For the netballer, see Amy Steel (netballer).
Amy Steel
Born
Alice Amy Steel

(1960-05-03) May 3, 1960 (age 64)
Pennsylvania, United States
Other namesAmy Steel Pulitzer
Occupation(s)Actress, writer
Years active1980–2004; 2009–present

Amy Steel Pulitzer (born Alice Amy Steel; May 3, 1960)[1] is an American actress and psychologist. She began her career with guest appearances on a variety of television soap operas. Transitioning into feature films, Steel rose to prominence when she was chosen to play the role of Ginny Field in Steve Miner's slasher-horror film Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981). A commercial hit, Steel was asked by Miner to reprise her role as Ginny in the 1982 3D film Friday the 13th Part III but declined the offer as she feared being typecast.

After her involvement in the Friday the 13th franchise, she was cast as a prominent supporting character in Fred Walton's mystery film April Fool's Day (1986). Subsequently, Steel had supporting roles in Melvin Frank's comedy film Walk Like a Man (1987), David Greene's remake What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1991), and the Bart Mastronardi and Alan Rowe Kelly directed anthology horror film Tales of Poe (2014).

In addition to film, Steel has an extensive television career, starring on the NBC series The Powers of Matthew Star (1982–83), followed by guest appearances on shows such as Family Ties (1982), The A-Team (1983), Quantum Leap (1990), and China Beach (1991).[2] In the early 2000s, she retired from acting and launched a career as a psychologist.

Career

Steel began her career with guest roles on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light as Trudy Wilson from 1980–1981, and as Peggy Warner on All My Children in 1980. In 1981, Amy made her film debut in the comedy film Fat Chance before being cast as Ginny Field in the horror film Friday the 13th Part 2. She won the role through an audition and it went on to become one of her most recognizable performances.[3] The film earned over $21 million at the box office.[4] She was offered the chance to reprise the role for the third film in the long-running series, but was hesitant because she feared being typecast and was persuaded to turn it down by her agent at the time.[5] However, she does make a brief cameo appearance on a news report shown in the film. Steel described filming the window scene in Part 2 as a stressful experience. In a March 2010 interview, she stated:

"I was thinking this is the worst moment of my life, and they had to do a lot of re-sets because they had to put the window back together. So it would be an hour, hour and a half between takes. I think we did it at least three times. When the director came back a week later and told me we had to do it again, I was so upset."

In 1982, Steel had guest roles on the television series Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1982) as Allison Freleng, Family Ties (1982) as Stephanie Brooks, CHiPs as Kelly Monahan, The A-Team (1983) as Kathy Ludlam, before being cast as Pam Elliott in the sci-fi series The Powers of Matthew Star alongside Peter Barton, who went on to appear in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter. The series lasted until 1983. The same year, Steel had a cameo role as a party guest in the drama film Exposed (1983). She was subsequently cast in the television films Women of San Quentin (1983) as Liz Larson and First Steps (1985) as Nan Davis. From 1983–1984, Steel portrayed Sharon on the short lived television series For Love and Honor.

In 1985, she had a guest appearance in Stir Crazy as Lisa Grant before being cast as Kit Graham in the horror film April Fool's Day (1986). The latter earned nearly $13 million against an estimated budget of $5 million.[6][7] The following year, she portrayed Penny in the comedy film Walk Like a Man (1987). The following year, Steel was cast in the television thriller film The Red Spider. In 1987, and again in 1989, Steel a guest roles in Jake and the Fatman. In 1990, Steel guest starred on Father Dowling Mysteries and Quantum Leap before being cast as Connie in the television film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, a remake of the 1962 film of the same name. The same year, she guest starred on China Beach and Walter & Emily. In 1992, Steel was cast in the television film Perry Mason: The Case of the Reckless Romeo. The same year, she was cast in the horror film Play Nice.

I think it would be really cool to come back as Ginny again. The funny thing is that I’ve never been asked since Part 3. But I think it’s time to see Ginny again in a Friday the 13th movie. She has some unfinished business.

—Steel on the possibility of returning to the Friday the 13th series[8]

In 1994, Steel guest starred on Viper, Home Improvement and Diagnosis: Murder before being cast in the television films Ray Alexander: A Taste for Justice and The Innocent. In 1995, she was cast in the television series The Commish and the television film Damaged and Deceived. In 1996, she guest starred on American Gothic and Chicago Hope. The following year, she portrayed Dr. Liz Michaels in an episode of Millennium. In 1999, Steel was cast in the films Valerie Flake and Tycus. The following year, she portrayed Commander Samantha Woodling in a guest appearance on JAG.

In 2003, Steel was cast as Claire Goodman Isenberg in the television film A Time to Remember. After this role, Steel took an extensive break from acting and became a psychotherapist. In 2009, Steel appeared as herself in the television documentary His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th. In 2013, she appeared as herself in the documentary Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th. In 2014, Steel made her first acting appearance in 11 years in the anthology horror film Tales of Poe. She starred alongside Adrienne King and Caroline Williams. Steel is set to reprise her role as Ginny in a short Friday the 13th sequel set 40 years after the original film. She is co-writing the film with King.

Personal life

During the filming of the 1985 television film First Steps, Steel developed a friendship with Nan Davis. In an interview, Steel said:

"We have a good relationship, we don't fret if we don't talk for a month. The filming ended last May, and we've seen each other two or three times since then. We get on the phone and it's as if we've not been out of touch at all."[9]

In 1986 she married Peter Pulitzer.[10] She has two daughters. She serves as a marriage and family therapist intern at InBalance in the Santa Monica Mountains in California. She also has a private practice in Calabasas, California specializing in adolescent and mid-life transitions.[11]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1981 Fat Chance Alison
1981 Friday the 13th Part 2 Ginny Field
1982 Friday the 13th Part III Ginny Field Cameo
1983 Exposed Party Guest Cameo
1983 Women of San Quentin Liz Larson Television film
1984 Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter Ginny Field Archive footage
1984 Terror in the Aisles Ginny Field Archive footage
1985 First Steps Nan Davis Television film
1986 April Fool's Day Kit Graham
1987 Walk Like a Man Penny
1987 Home Fires Cathy Ash Television film
1987 The Red Spider Kate O'Day Television film
1991 What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Connie Trotter Television film
1992 Perry Mason: The Case of the Reckless Romeo Roxanne Shields Television film
1992 Play Nice Nancy
1994 Ray Alexander: A Taste for Justice Dr. Gail Baker Television film
1994 The Innocent Molly Television film
1995 Abandoned and Deceived Television film
1999 Valerie Flake Denise
1999 Tycus Little Girl's Mother Direct-to-video film
2003 A Time to Remember Claire Goodman Isenberg Television film
2004 Crystal Lake Victims Tell All Herself Documentary
2010 Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy Herself Archive footage, uncredited
2013 Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th Herself Documentary
2014 Tales of Poe Mother of Dreams / Poetic Narrator
2019 Friday the 13th Ginny Field Short, writer

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1980 All My Children Peggy Warner Recurring role
1980–81 Guiding Light Trudy Wilson Recurring role
1982 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Allison Frelang 1 episode
1982–83 The Powers of Matthew Star Pam Elliott Regular; 14 episodes
1982 Family Ties Stephanie Brooks 1 episode
1983 CHiPs Kelly Monahan 1 episode
1983 The A-Team Kathy Ludlam 1 episode
1983–84 For Love and Honor Sharon 12 episodes
1985 Stir Crazy Lisa Grant 1 episode
1987–89 Jake and the Fatman Samantha Shay / Mia Delaine 2 episodes
1990 Father Dowling Mysteries Murphy 1 episode
1990 Quantum Leap Maggie Spontini 1 episode
1991 China Beach Maria Koloski 1 episode
1991 Walter & Emily Ginny 1 episode
1993 Space Rangers Sarah Boon 1 episode
1993 Time Trax Laura Darrow 1 episode
1994 Viper Lisa Hinkle 1 episode
1994 Home Improvement Eve 1 episode
1994 Diagnosis: Murder Jenny Morley 1 episode
1995 The Commish Rhonda Shonick 1 episode
1996 American Gothic Christie 1 episode
1996 Chicago Hope Lisa Erickson 1 episode
1997 Millennium Dr. Liz Michaels 1 episode
2000 JAG Commander Samantha Woodling 1 episode
2009 His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th Herself Television documentary

References

  1. ^ "Amy Steel". AllMovie. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  2. ^ "Where in the Horror are they now? Amy Steel!". JoBlo Movie Network. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  3. ^ Wixson, Heather (March 5, 2010). "Dread Central's Final Girls: Amy Steel". Dread Central. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  4. ^ "Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)". The Numbers. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  5. ^ "The Girl That Got Away from Jason: An Interview with Amy Steel from Friday the 13th Part 2".
  6. ^ "April Fool's Day (1986)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
  7. ^ Dread Central's Final Girls: Amy Steel
  8. ^ "Dread Central's Final Girls: Amy Steel". Dread Central. US. March 5, 2010.
  9. ^ Hill, Michael (March 17, 1985). "AMY STEEL'First Steps,' a Film That 'Meant Something to Me' BY MICHAEL E. HILL". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  10. ^ [1]
  11. ^ [2]
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