Ann Dusenberry (born September 13, 1953[1][2]) is an American film, television, and stage actress. She appeared in about 50 film and television productions from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s. Among her best-known roles are those of Tina Wilcox in the horror film Jaws 2 (1978), Stevie in the drama film Heart Beat (1980) and Valerie in the thriller Cutter's Way (1981). After her retirement from the film industry in 1992, she remained active as an actress on stage, performing sporadically.
Biography
Early life and education
Ann Dusenberry was born in Tucson, Arizona as the daughter of Bruce and Katie Dusenberry.[3] Dusenberry studied theater arts for four years, first at the University of Arizona, then Occidental College,[3][4] where she earned her degree.[5] She got her first role by circulating her resume and photograph within the Universal Studios offices using internal envelopes obtained by her boyfriend, a truck driver for Universal. She then signed a seven-year contract with Universal.[4]
Acting career
Dusenberry made her acting debut in 1975 with a small role as a barmaid in the film White Line Fever. She gained attention in 1978 for the role of Tina Wilcox in the horror film Jaws 2, the sequel to Steven Spielberg's 1975 classic.[3] Dusenberry was hired as a contract actress by Universal for the role. Due to the long shooting time away from her home in Los Angeles, she actually had no interest in playing the role. While the film originally directed by John D. Hancock, he was fired after a short time of shooting and replaced by Jeannot Szwarc. This also resulted in the dismissal of many actors who had already signed on. Dusenberry's role, however, was still expanded during script changes and she received co-starring credit.[6] She had another success in 1978 with the role of Amy March in the miniseries Little Women, an adaptation of the novel of the same name. She also took on the role in the short-lived 1979 television series based on it, which failed to match the miniseries' success and was canceled after 4 episodes.[7]
After co-starring in the 1992 thriller Play Nice and a guest appearance in the series The Commish (1992), she retired from acting in front of the camera in the early 1990s. However, Dusenberry continues to be active as a stage actress. Among other roles, she played Mrs. Gibbs in the play Our Town (1998). Other plays have included 2014's Noises Off and 2021's Ripcord.
Personal life
She is married to composer Brad Fiedel,[10] with whom she lives in Santa Barbara, California. They have two daughters named Alixandra and Zoe. She received an MA degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, and works as Artistic Director of the Actors' Conservatory Theatre in Santa Barbara.[11]
