Anne-Marie Martin

Anne-Marie Martin
Martin in Prom Night (1980)
Born
Edmonda Benton

(1957-11-11) November 11, 1957 (age 67)[1]
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Other namesEddie Benton
Occupations
  • Actress
  • screenwriter
  • equestrian
Years active1976–2003
Known for
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1987; div. 2003)​
Children1

Anne-Marie Martin (born Edmonda Benton; November 11, 1957) is a Canadian screenwriter, equestrian, and former actress who is best known for playing Sgt. Dori Doreau in the American television comedy series Sledge Hammer! from 1986 to 1988, as well as her roles in several horror films, such as Prom Night (1980) and The Boogens (1981).

Early life

Martin was born Edmonda Benton[2] in Toronto, Ontario on November 11, 1957.[1] Prior to embarking on a screen acting career, she worked for theater director Hrant Alianak in Toronto, performing at the Theatre Passe Muraille.[3]

Career

Still of Martin as 'Wendy' in Prom Night

In her early career, Martin was credited under the name Eddie Benton, most notably in the unsuccessful series pilot/telefilm Dr. Strange (1978), for which she was paid $2,000 a week.[3] She subsequently appeared in the slasher film Prom Night (1980), Savage Harvest (1981), The Boogens (1981), and had a cameo in Halloween II (1981); as well as numerous TV series guest roles. Among these were Stella Breed, a woman with psychokinetic powers in the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century episode "Twiki is Missing", and an officer who faces an amputation after injury in the line of duty on T. J. Hooker.[4]

Prior to this, Martin appeared in The Shape of Things to Come (1979), a low-budget Canadian science fiction film that attempted to capitalize on the popularity of Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica.[5] Martin had previously auditioned for the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars.[6] She was also a regular on the short-lived 1977 series Rafferty opposite Patrick McGoohan and appeared in the equally short-lived Time Express in 1979.

In the early 1980s, she appeared in a Highway to Heaven episode in which she and Victor French traded bodies.[4] From 1982 to 1985, she appeared as attorney Gwen Davies on the soap opera Days of Our Lives.[7] Alan Spencer subsequently cast her in Sledge Hammer!, as Dori Doreau; he also wrote an episode of the series that allowed her to, if not exactly change bodies with Sledge Hammer, at least impersonate him. Martin appeared as Doreau on the series from 1986 until 1988.

Personal life

Martin married author Michael Crichton in 1987 (she had a small role in Crichton's film Runaway three years earlier), and following the cancellation of Sledge Hammer!, retired from TV and film acting. In 1989, they had a daughter, Taylor-Anne.[8] Martin co-wrote, with Crichton, the screenplay to the 1996 film Twister. The couple separated in 2001 and divorced in 2003.

Martin went on to pursue her love of horses and ride competitively. She rode for Team USA in the World Championship competition[when?] for Icelandic horses.[9]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1978 Dr. Strange Clea Lake As Eddie Benton
Television film 		[3]
1978 Deadman's Curve Nancy As Eddie Benton
1978 Killer's Delight First Victim – Girl with Dog As Eddie Benton
1979 The Shape of Things to Come Kim Smedley As Eddie Benton [5]
1980 Waikiki Penny As Eddie Benton
Television film 		[10]
1980 Prom Night Wendy As Eddie Benton [11]
1981 Savage Harvest Wendy
1981 The Boogens Jessica Esford [4]
1981 Halloween II Darcy Essmont Uncredited
1984 Runaway Hooker at Bar [11][4]
1996 Twister — Writer [4]

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1976 Wonder Woman June Episode: "Beauty on Parade" [11]
1977 The Streets of San Francisco Lisa Demming Episode: "Once a Con" [3]
1977 Rafferty Nurse Koscinski 3 episodes
1977 Magic Mongo Lola Episode: "Two Faces of Donald"
1978 Switch Jacy Young Episode: "Photo Finish"
1979 240-Robert Lauri Episode: "Earthquake"
1979 Time Express Laureen Cole Episode: "Rodeo/Cop"
1980 B. J. and the Bear Deirdre Episode: "BJ and the Witch" [12]
1980 Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Stella Breed Episode: "Twiki is Missing" [11]
1981 The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo Charlotte McGraw Episode: "Keep on Buckin'"
1983 The Powers of Matthew Star Roxanne Episode: "Brain Drain"
1983 T. J. Hooker Officer Karen Hall Episode: "Lady in Blue" [13]
1984 The Young Ones Victorian Principle Episode: "Time"
1984 St. Elsewhere Mrs. Dowd Episode: "The Children's Hour"
1982–1985 Days of Our Lives Gwen Davies Series regular [7]
1986 Highway to Heaven Linda Blackwell/Mark Gordon Episode: "Change of Life" [4]
1986–1988 Sledge Hammer! Dori Doreau Main cast [4]

Miscellaneous

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2003 Virtua Cop 3 Janet T. Marshall Video game [14]

References

  1. ^ a b "Anne-Marie Martin". AllMovie. Archived from the original on October 19, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  2. ^ Gould, Ed (1988). Entertaining Canadians: Canada's international stars, 1900–1988. Cappis Press. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-919-76318-0.
  3. ^ a b c d "Eddie Benton, actress". The Gazette. Montreal, Quebec. June 23, 1978. p. 10. Archived from the original on October 19, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Anne-Marie Martin". TV Guide. Archived from the original on October 19, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Fraser, Brian (May 3, 1979). "The Shape of Things to Come". The Ottawa Journal. Ottawa, Ontario. p. 68. Archived from the original on October 19, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Star Wars Audition − Anne-Marie Martin (Eddie Benton).avi". YouTube. Archived from the original on May 10, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  7. ^ a b McNeil, Alex (1984). Total Television: A Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present. Viking. p. 160. ISBN 978-0-140-07377-5.
  8. ^ "In appreciation of Michael Crichton". Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2008.
  9. ^ FEIF WorldRanking Results of Anne-Marie Martin
  10. ^ "The Suite Life". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Honolulu, Hawaii. December 3, 1979. p. A-4. Archived from the original on October 19, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b c d "Fate dealt Martin a winning hand" by Jean Howard Houghton, The Globe and Mail (9 June, 1984) Retrieved from ProQuest 386463119
  12. ^ "The Witch". Herald and Review. Decatur, Illinois. July 13, 1980. p. 69. Archived from the original on October 19, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Anne-Marie Martin: Other appearances". AllMovie. Archived from the original on October 19, 2019.
  14. ^ "Anne Marie Martin (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
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