Deborah Van Valkenburgh

Deborah Van Valkenburgh (born August 29, 1952) is an American actress best known for her screen debut as Mercy in the 1979 cult film The Warriors,[2] and her role as Jackie Rush for five seasons (1980–1985) on the television situation comedy Too Close for Comfort.[3] In 2012, she won the Best Supporting Actress in a Fantasy Film award at the PollyGrind Underground Film Festival for the film Road to Hell.[4]

Deborah Van Valkenburgh
Van Valkenburgh at the Alamo Drafthouse screening of Streets of Fire (2008)
Born (1952-08-29) August 29, 1952[1]
EducationShaker High School
Alma materPratt Institute (BFA)
OccupationActress
Years active1973–present
Known forToo Close for Comfort
The Warriors
WebsiteOfficial Site

Early life

Van Valkenburgh graduated from Shaker High School in Latham, New York in June 1970. She graduated from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, with a BFA in Painting & Drawing.[5] She started her acting career on Broadway performing in "Hair". Van Valkenburgh also appeared in Off-Broadway plays, including Honeybee, The Tempest, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Hay Fever, When Did You last See Your Mother?, Iolanthe, It Ain't Aardvark, and Minutemen. Besides acting in many New York plays, she has acted in regional and touring company productions of Mooney's Kid Don't Cry, The Children's Hour, and A View From the Bridge. Van Valkenburgh has studied acting with William Esper and John Shea, ballet with Ballet Arts Carnegie Hall and modern dance with James Cunningham. She also studied puppet production with Jim Henson, voice with Kirk Nurock and Richard Green, and improvisation with Dan Richter.[6]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1979 The Warriors Mercy
1981 King of the Mountain Tina
1984 Streets of Fire Reva Cody
1987 Rampage Kate Fraser
1988 Phantom of the Ritz Nancy Drawing
1989 One Man Out Liliana
1993 Brainsmasher... A Love Story Cammy Crain Direct-to-video
1997 Mean Guns Cam
1998 Sorcerers Mother
1999 Free Enterprise Marlena
2003 Venus Conspiracy Zoe Short film
2004 Criminal Woman In Elevator
2005 The Devil's Rejects Casey
2008 Road to Hell Reva Cody
2009 Broken Hart Gypsy Woman Short film
2013 Love's Routine Cynthia Short film
2013 The Trials of Cate McCall Justice Wender

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1980–1985 Too Close for Comfort Jackie Rush 107 episodes
1984 Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour Herself With Cast of Too Close for Comfort
1985 A Bunny's Tale Pearl Television film
1985 Going for the Gold: The Bill Johnson Story Kimberly Television film
1985 Hotel Camila Palandrini Episode: "Resolutions"
1985 Glitter Billie Episode: "Rock 'n Roll Heaven"
1986 New Love, American Style Unknown Episode: "Love and the Pot Luck Dinner"
1987 Houston Knights Louise Smoke Episode: "Lady Smoke"
1987 Crime Story Luca's Attorney Episode: "Shockwaves"
1988 Cagney & Lacey Valerie Bailey Episode: "Button, Button"
1988 C.A.T. Squad: Python Wolf Nikki Pappas Television film
1989 HeartBeat Lorraine Episode: "Prison"
1990 MacGyver Sandra Masters Episode: "Rush to Judgement"
1990 Monsters Deborah Levitt Episode: "Household Gods"
1992 Bodies of Evidence Donna Flint Episode: "Echoes in the Dark"
1992 Picket Fences Myra Marino Episode: "Pilot"
1993 Quantum Leap Diana St. Cloud Episode: "Liberation - October 16, 1968"
1995 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Detective Preston Episode: "Past Tense: Part II"
1995 The Marshal Unknown Episode: "Grab the Money and Run"
1998 Chicago Hope Robin Kleiman Episode: "Sarindipity"
2001 The Huntress 911 Operator #4 Episode: "Black Widow"
2001 Chasing Destiny Suzy Aquado Television film
2002 Firestarter: Rekindled Mary Conant Television miniseries
2002 Once and Again Ms. Gonzalez Episode: "The Gay-Straight Alliance"
2004 ER Louise Garvin Episode: "White Guy, Dark Hair"
2005 Mystery Woman: Mystery Weekend Beth Television film
2005 The Shield Gail Episode: "Bang"
2005 Cold Case Geraldine Episode: "Start-Up"
2006 Our House Ms. Thomas Television film
2006 Standoff Goldstein Episode: "Life Support"
2006 Criminal Minds Betty Episode: "The Last Word"
2008 Backwoods Mother Ruth Television film
2008 The Governor's Wife Vera Television film
2009 The Unit Madam Episode: "Unknown Soldier"
2009 Without a Trace Margot Episode: "True"
2009 The Ex List Arlene Dubinski Episode: "Momma's Boy"
2010 Ghost Whisperer Madame Greta Hanson Episode: "Old Sins Cast Long Shadows"
2010 Healing Hands Leah Gardner Television film
2010 Days of Our Lives Rae 2 episodes
2010 Law & Order: LA Liz Knight Episode: "Harbor City"
2010–2011 The Event Candice Larson 3 episodes
2011 Castle Ruth Spurloch Episode: "Cuffed"
2012 Touch Dee Dee Episode: "Music of the Spheres"
2014 Chop Shop Mrs. Grabowsky Episode: #1.3
2014 Stalker Eleanor Episode: "Skin"
2015 The Messengers Gladys Cowan Episode: "Why We Fight"
2019 Hidden in Plain Sight Evelyn Television film
2020 Helstrom Esther Smith Recurring

Broadway
  • 1977 Broadway revival of Hair, original cast

Video games
Year Title Role Notes
2005 The Warriors Mercy

Awards and nominations
Awards
Year Award Category Production Result
2012 PollyGrind Film Festival Award Supporting Actress in a Fantasy Film Road to Hell Won

References
  1. Rose, Mike (August 29, 2022). "Today's famous birthdays list for August 29, 2022 includes celebrities Liam Payne, Lea Michele". The Plain Dealer. Associated Press. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  2. Maslin, Janet (February 10, 1979). "Movie: 'Warriors' Creates Visual Style That Is Stark:The Cast". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 5, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  3. "Too Close for Comfort: 1980-1985". People. June 26, 2000. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  4. Moore, Debi (October 22, 2012). "Road to Hell Wins Nine Awards at PollyGrind Film Festival 2012". Dread Central. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  5. "BIOGRAPHY". Deborah Van Valkenburgh Official Website. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  6. "Biography". The Official Deborah Van Valkenburgh Website. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
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