Alison Lohman

Alison Marion Lohman (born September 18, 1979) is an American retired actress. She began her career with small roles in short and independent films, and starred in the sitcom '' Tucker'' (2000–01) and the soap opera '' Pasadena'' (2001). She received critical attention for the drama film '' White Oleander'' (2002), the fantasy film '' Big Fish'' and the dark comedy film '' Matchstick Men'' (both 2003), winning accolades at the Hollywood Film and Young Hollywood Awards. She also lent her voice to the 2005 redub of the animated film '' Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind''. After appearing in the action film ''Beowulf'' and the drama film ''Things We Lost in the Fire'' (both 2007), her highest-grossing release came with the horror film '' Drag Me to Hell'' (2009), which earned her nominations at the Detroit Film Critics Society, MTV Movie and Saturn Awards.

In 2009, Lohman retired from acting after marrying filmmaker Mark Neveldine, choosing to focus on her personal life; she has since worked as an acting coach. Though she no longer professionally acts, she appeared in three of Neveldine's films: '' The Vatican Tapes'' (2015), '' Urge'' and '' Officer Downe'' (both 2016).

Early life

Alison Marion Lohman was born in Palm Springs, California, on September 18, 1979. She has a younger brother named Robert. She excelled in high school, obtaining top grades in all subjects except drama because she suffered from shyness. During her senior year, she won an award from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. She was offered a full scholarship to attend New York University but declined, opting instead to directly pursue an acting career.

Career

At age nine, Lohman played Gretl in ''The Sound of Music'' at the Palm Desert's McCallum Theater. Two years later, she won the Desert Theater League's award for Most Outstanding Actress in a Musical for the title role in '' Annie''. She went on to perform locally as a child singer, which included alongside Frank Sinatra at a benefit event in Palm Springs. She moved to Los Angeles in 1997 to pursue an acting career, beginning with minor roles in independent films and B movies. She was set to play a cancer patient in Tom Shadyac's 2002 film ''Dragonfly'', for which Lohman shaved her hair. Her scenes were later removed.

Lohman was subsequently cast in '' White Oleander'', an adaptation of Janet Fitch's novel, directed by Peter Kosminsky. Due to her previous haircut, she had to wear a wig during filming. Released in 2002, ''White Oleander'' earned positive reviews, and Lohman's performance was met with widespread acclaim. It was described as her "breakthrough role" by media sources, with the ''New York Times'' describing her work as "the year's most auspicious screen acting début". She additionally earned praise for her roles in '' Matchstick Men'', released in 2003, and '' Big Fish'', also released in 2003. ''Matchstick Men'' earned Lohman's performance as an adolescent con-artist acclaim over her co-star Nicolas Cage, while ''Big Fish'' saw her playing the younger version of Jessica Lange's character, for which ''USA Today'' wrote that "equally delightful is the Alison Lohman character's evolution into an older woman. It's a metamorphosis to equal any in screen history."

In 2005, Lohman appeared in Atom Egoyan's '' Where the Truth Lies'' which originally received an NC-17 rating for its graphic sexual content, and emerged as a critical and commercial failure. Some critics felt that Lohman was miscast; however, Roger Ebert spoke positively of her performance. Her next feature of that year, '' The Big White'', was also panned by critics. Better received was the English language dubbing of '' Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind'', also released in 2005, in which she voiced the titular character. Lohman beat out actress Natalie Portman for the role. The film was lauded by critics and audiences alike, and had a considerable impact on popular culture.

Lohman's next film was the drama '' Flicka'', released in 2006. At the age of 25, she played a 16-year-old girl who befriends a wild mustang in the film. She had trained rigorously in horse-riding for the role, stating she was "constantly thrown emotionally and physically" while working with the horses for this role. She next played a recovering heroin addict in '' Things We Lost in the Fire'', released in 2007 to mostly positive reviews.

Lohman starred in Sam Raimi's 2009 horror film '' Drag Me to Hell'', taking the role after Elliot Page dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Lohman enjoyed her stunts during filming, despite not being particularly fond of horror films. The film grossed $90 million worldwide, becoming her highest-grossing role and garnering praise for her performance. In his review of the film, Roger Ebert wrote that she "greatly assisted" in the film's success and labeled her a scream queen: "It is essential that the heroine be a good screamer, and man, can that Alison Lohman scream. Stanley Kubrick would have needed only a day with her on ''The Shining''." She received nominations for the Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress, the Saturn Award for Best Actress and the MTV Movie Award for Best Scared-As-Shit Performance.

Also in 2009, Lohman had a role in the film ''Gamer'', which was panned by critics. After the release of ''Gamer'', Lohman retired from acting to focus on her marriage to filmmaker Mark Neveldine and her desire to focus on raising their three children. She has since taught online acting classes and had small roles in three of Neveldine's films released between 2015 and 2016.

Personal life

In 2009, Lohman married filmmaker Mark Neveldine at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Watertown, New York. They have three children. She endorsed Donald Trump in the 2024 United States presidential election.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lohman, Alison
1979 births
Living people
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
American acting coaches
Actresses from Palm Springs, California
Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
American child actresses
American film actresses
American stage actresses
American television actresses
American voice actresses