Megan Cavanagh

Megan Cavanagh (born November 8, 1960) is an American actress, who is best known for portraying Marla Hooch in A League of Their Own and the voice of Judy Neutron in Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius and The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius.

Megan Cavanagh
Born (1960-11-08) November 8, 1960
OccupationActress
Years active1984–present
Spouse
Anne Chamberlain
(m. 2008; div. 2020)
ChildrenBrendan Erickson

Early life and education

Cavanagh was born November 8, 1960, in Chicago, the daughter of Jim and Rita. Raised in River Forest along with her four siblings, Cavanagh went to Oak Park and River Forest High School, graduating at 16 in 1977. She attended Rosary College in River Forest (now Dominican University), graduating in January 1982.[1]

Career

Film

Cavanagh made her film debut in Penny Marshall's A League of Their Own starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, and Lori Petty. Film critic Vincent Canby of the New York Times praised the film writing "A League of Their Own is one of the year's most cheerful, most relaxed, most easily enjoyable comedies. It's a serious film that's lighter than air, a very funny movie that manages to score a few points for feminism in passing."[2] He went on to list Cavanagh as among "the excellent supporting players",[2] as did film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum of the Chicago Reader.[3]

Following her film debut, Cavanagh was cast in two Mel Brooks' comedies. The supporting roles were Broomhilde in Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993) and Essie in Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995). Other films include supporting roles in For Richer or Poorer (1997) starring Tim Allen, Kirstie Alley, and Jay O. Sanders, and Disney's That Darn Cat starring Christina Ricci and Doug E. Doug.

She voiced Judy Neutron and Sasha Vortex in the 2001 Oscar-nominated animated feature Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.

TV

Cavanagh was featured in the short-lived second season of Bob (1993) and played the recurring role of Trudy McHale, who married Al Borland in the series finale, on the sitcom Home Improvement starring Tim Allen, Patricia Richardson and Earl Hindman (1998–99).

Openly lesbian,[4] Cavanagh starred in Exes and Ohs, a lesbian comedy on Logo TV.

She reprised the role of Judy Neutron in The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius and several TV movies including The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour, Jimmy Neutron: Win, Lose and Kaboom, The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour 2: When Nerds Collide and The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour 3: The Jerkinators. She also voiced Slog in Tak and the Power of Juju and Hilary Higgenbottom in The Mighty B!.

She appears in one episode of the American sitcom Friends as Luisa the ex-classmate of Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) and Monica (Courteney Cox) who works for animal control.

Cavanagh makes an appearance in Season 3, episode 4 of Will & Grace entitled "Girl Trouble" playing Terry.

Stage

Cavanagh returned to the stage in 2004 as Earth Mother in Menopause: The Musical. Theater critic Patricia Reardon wrote, "...you won't find a funnier, more satisfying way to spend an evening than with the four rollicking ladies of Menopause The Musical."[5]

In 2009, Cavanagh performed the medium Madame Arcati in High Spirits, a musical with a book, lyrics, and music by Hugh Martin and Timothy Gray, based on the play Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward. 42nd Street Moon's production was staged at the Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson St in San Francisco, and was well received.[6] San Francisco theater critic Chad Jones writes, "On Broadway, [Angela] Lansbury is said to be divine in the role, but 42nd Street Moon has a real secret weapon here: Megan Cavanagh,...Cavanagh is hilarious and heartfelt."[7]

Chicago

Cavanagh was an original member (1984–1987) of the professional theatre troupe New Age Vaudeville (formerly the Comedy Cabaret) founded by Richard O'Donnell and Amy McKenzie. An Actor's Equity (AEA) theatre troupe, the Comedy Cabaret landed a summer residence at Peninsula Players in Fish Creek, Wisconsin, where it developed works for a predominantly tourist trade and then relocated to their winter home in Chicago at CrossCurrents. Throughout her tenure, Megan Cavanagh (who thus earned her Actors' Equity union card) starred in numerous productions including the cult-hits An Evening with Elmore & Gwendolyn Putts - The Neighbors Next Door and The TV Dinner Hour (the latter featured IO Theater founder Del Close). Rick Kogan of the Chicago Tribune hailed both productions as "Among the most polished and clever productions of the season, a pair of devilishly inventive and challenging shows that won over critics and audiences".[8]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Director Notes
1992 A League of Their Own Marla Hooch Penny Marshall
1993 Robin Hood: Men in Tights Broomhilde Mel Brooks
1994 Junior Willow Ivan Reitman
I Love Trouble Mrs. Delores Beekman Charles Shyer
1995 Dracula: Dead and Loving It Essie Mel Brooks
Ripple Gail Jonathan Segal Short
1997 That Darn Cat Lu Bob Spiers
For Richer or Poorer Levinia Yoder Bryan Spicer
1998 Meet the Deedles Mo Steve Boyum
The Thin Pink Line Mrs. Ledbetter Joe Dietl & Michael Irpino
Ted Girl Next Door Gary Ellenberg
Runaway Rocketboy! Judy Neutron/VOX (voices) John A. Davis Short
1999 A Walk in the Park Nurse Alan Berger
2000 Thumbtanic The Servant / Rich Woman / The Wife (voices) Todd Portugal Short
2001 Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Judy Neutron/VOX (voices) John A. Davis
Three Shots Megan Gene Wolande Short
2002 Bug Meter Maid Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi
The Ten Rules Chris One Lee Friedlander Short
The Blair Thumb Stressy Todd Portugal Short
The Godthumb Bea / Conceited / Old Italian Woman David Bourla Short
2003 Wasabi Tuna Megan Lee Friedlander
Give or Take an Inch Virginia Lee Friedlander Short
2004 Raising Genius Charlene Hobbs Linda Voorhees & Bess Wiley
2005 Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous Shirley John Pasquin
Getting to Know You Samantha Liz Lachman Short
2007 Big Stan Parole Board Rob Schneider
2008 The Last Page Crazy Jennifer Kevin Acevedo Short
2012 Scrooge & Marley Ghost of Christmas Present Richard Knight Jr. & Peter Neville
2014 Girltrash: All Night Long Officer Margie Alexandra Kondracke
2015 The Birthday Masked Woman #2 Brenna Malloy Short
2018 Freelancers Anonymous June Sonia Sebastián
2019 Thumb Wars Episode IX: The Thighs of Skywalker General Bunhead Steve Oedekerk
TBA The Adventures of Pinocchio Additional Voices Viktor Lakisov

Television

Year Title Role Director Notes
1992 Condition: Critical Helene Jerrold Freedman TV movie
1993 Murder of Innocence Bonnie Stevens Tom McLoughlin TV movie
A League of Their Own Marla Hooch Ted Bessell, Tom Hanks 6 episodes
Bob Chris Szelinski Michael Zinberg 8 episodes
1994 Tales from the Crypt Sister Mary What's Her Name Roland Mesa Episode: "Operation Friendship"
1995 Friends Luisa Gianetti Peter Bonerz Episode: "The One Where the Monkey Gets Away"
Brotherly Love Lotus Terry Hughes Episode: "The Comic Con"
1996 Roseanne Party Guest Gail Mancuso Episode: "Becky Houser, M.D.
1996–1997 The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest Julia / Kelly (voices) Davis Doi 6 episodes
1997 ER Darlene Richard Thorpe Episode: "Obstruction of Justice"
Life's Work Officer Colleen McManus Michael Lessac Episode: "Ride Along"
1998 Maggie Yoli Michael Zinberg Episode: "Just Shoot Him"
1998–1999 Home Improvement Trudy McHale Andrew Tsao, Peter Bonerz 5 episodes
1999 Thumb Wars Fighter Pilot #2 (voice) Steve Oedekerk TV Short
Smart Guy Coach Frayda Joe Regalbuto Episode: "I Was a Teenage Sports Wife"
2000 Will & Grace Terry James Burrows Episode: "Girl Trouble"
The Expendables Prison Warden Janet Meyers TV movie
2000–2001 Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius shorts Judy Neutron/VOX (voices) John A. Davis 4 episodes
2002 The West Wing Voting Shortcut Lesli Linka Glatter Episode: "Election Night"
The Bold and the Beautiful Caller #2 Michael Stich 1 episode
Boston Public Arlene Sanford Episode: "Chapter Forty-Six"
2002–2006 The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius Judy Neutron/VOX (voices) John A. Davis, Keith Alcorn 43 episodes
2003 John Doe Madeline Bryan Spicer Episode: "Family Man"
Just Shoot Me! Marjorie Pamela Fryman Episode: "My Fair Finchy"
2004 Win, Lose and Kaboom Judy Neutron/Mrs. Vortex (voices) Mike Gasaway TV movie
2004–2006 The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour Judy Neutron (voice) Butch Hartman TV Mini-Series
2004 Attack of the Twonkies Judy Neutron (voice) Keith Alcorn TV movie
2007–2008 Tak and the Power of Juju Slog (voice) Jim Schumann, Heiko Von Drengenberg 6 episodes
2007–2011 Exes and Ohs Chris Gary Harvey, James Genn 14 episodes
2008–2010 The Mighty B! Hilary Higgenbottom (voice) Larry Leichliter, Erik Wiese 9 episodes
2009 Back at the Barnyard Brunhilda (voice) Todd Grimes & T.J. Sullivan Episode: "Pig Amok/Sun Cow"
2013–2014 Winx Club Queen Luna (voice) Iginio Straffi 6 episodes
2015 Harvard Court Juliet Alexis J. Estevez Episode: "The Keys"
2019 Drunk History Penny Marshall Derek Waters Episode: "Baseball"
2020 The Loud House Stern Fan/Hockey Fan (voices) Episode: "On Thin Ice/Room and Hoard"
2022 Cars on the Road Mae Pillar-Durev / Bella Cadavre (voices) 2 episodes

Video games

Year Title Role Director Notes
2001 Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Judy Neutron/VOX/Benny Mark Bradshaw
2002 Jimmy Neutron vs. Jimmy Negatron Judy Neutron/VOX Mark Bradshaw
2004 EverQuest II Feodra Iceslayer / Blacksmith Hegrenn / Gretta Steinbeard James D. Mortellaro
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius: Attack of the Twonkies Judy Neutron
2012 Hitman: Absolution Additional voices Tore Blystad & Peter Fleckenstein
2013 Star Trek Additional voices

References

  1. "'League's' memorable Marla continues to affect viewers". Chicago Tribune. July 4, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  2. Canby, Vincent (July 1, 1992). "For the Girls of Summer, Pop Flies and Charm School". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  3. Rosenbaum, Jonathan (July 1992). "A League of Their Own". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  4. Heidemann, Jason A. (October 11, 2007), "Ex and the city", Time Out Chicago, archived from the original on December 28, 2007
  5. Reardon, Patricia (21 August 2010). "Menopause The Musical - 'Smashing'". Stark Insider. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  6. Guthmann, Edward (March 17, 2009). "Stage work a refreshing role for Megan Cavanagh". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  7. Jones, Chad. "Spirits are blithe in Moon's 'High Spirits'". Theatre Dogs. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  8. Kogan, Rick (May 3, 1987), "Vaudeville Troupe Takes Leave of City", Chicago Tribune
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