Marcia Karr (; born June 29, 1963) is an American former actress who appeared in several exploitation and

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

s in the 1980s, including ''

Chained Heat ''Chained Heat'' (alternate title: ''Das Frauenlager'' in West Germany) is a 1983 American-West German exploitation film in the women-in-prison genre. It was co-written and directed by Paul Nicholas (as Paul Nicolas) for Jensen Farley Pictures.< ...

'' (1983), '' Savage Streets'' (1984), '' Killer Workout'' (1987), and ''

Maniac Cop ''Maniac Cop'' is a 1988 American slasher film directed by William Lustig, written by Larry Cohen, and starring Tom Atkins, Bruce Campbell, Laurene Landon, Richard Roundtree, William Smith, Robert Z'Dar, and Sheree North. Z'Dar plays the titl ...

'' (1988).

Biography

Karr was born and raised in

Pennsauken Township, New Jersey Pennsauken Township is a township in Camden County, in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and it is located outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which it borders directly on the Delaware River. As of the 2 ...

. As a teenager, Karr ran away and relocated to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. She began her film career performing as a

body double In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes for another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...

for

Barbara Hershey Barbara Lynn Herzstein, better known as Barbara Hershey (born February 5, 1948), is an American actress. In a career spanning more than 50 years, she has played a variety of roles on television and in cinema in several genres, including Wester ...

in the 1981 horror film ''

The Entity ''The Entity'' is a 1982 American supernatural horror film directed by Sidney J. Furie, and starring Barbara Hershey, Ron Silver, David Labiosa, Maggie Blye, Jacqueline Brookes, and Alex Rocco. The film follows a single mother in Los Angel ...

''. Karr made her feature film debut in '' The Concrete Jungle'' (1982), and subsequently appeared opposite

Linda Blair Linda Denise Blair (born January 22, 1959) is an American actress and activist. Her portrayal of Regan MacNeil in the horror film ''The Exorcist'' (1973) established her in popular culture and as a scream queen, earning her a Golden Globe Award ...

in the women-in-prison film ''

'' (1983). The following year, she again co-starred with Blair in the exploitation

vigilante film The vigilante film is a film genre in which the protagonist or protagonists engage in vigilante behavior, taking the law into their own hands. Vigilante films are usually revenge films in which the legal system fails protagonists, leading them ...

'' Savage Streets'' (1984). She later had a lead role in the

slasher film A slasher film is a subgenre of horror films involving a killer or a group of killers stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed or sharp tools. Although the term "slasher" may occasionally be used informally as a generic ...

'' Killer Workout'' (1987), playing the proprietor of a fitness spa where a series of murders are occurring. She also had a supporting role in the slasher film ''

'' (1988). In 1988, she served as a casting director for the horror film '' Cheerleader Camp''. After retiring from acting in the early 1990s, Karr relocated to Arizona with her husband and worked for eight years as a corporate fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She has since worked for the non-profit charities ChildFund and

International Medical Corps International Medical Corps is a global, nonprofit, humanitarian aid organization that provides emergency medical services, healthcare training and capacity building to those affected by disaster, disease or conflict. It seeks to strengthen med ...

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Karr, Marcia 1963 births Actors from Camden County, New Jersey Actresses from New Jersey American casting directors American film actresses Charity fundraisers (people) Living people People from Pennsauken Township, New Jersey