Valerie Landsburg (born August 12, 1958) is an American actress, television and film director, screenwriter, and singer-songwriter.Hoey, Michael A. ''Inside Fame on Television: A Behind-The-Scenes History''. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2010. 39. Print. She is best known for her portrayal of Doris Schwartz in the 1982 series '' Fame,'' interpreting, for television, the role that Maureen Teefy had originated in the film. She was also the lead singer on the UK top five hit "Hi Fidelity". Producer

Alan Landsburg Alan William Landsburg (May 10, 1933 – August 13, 2014) was an American Screenwriter, television writer, Television producer, producer, and Television director, director. He was the founder and CEO of Alan Landsburg Productions and the Landsbu ...

was her father, and she appeared in at least one installment of ''True Confessions,'' an anthology series program he produced.

Biography

Born in New York City to Sally Landsburg, a psychologist and author, and Alan Landsburg. Landsburg made her acting debut in the 1978 movie '' Thank God It's Friday''. In 1980, she took over the role of Libby in Neil Simon's ''

I Ought to Be in Pictures ''I Ought to Be in Pictures'' is a comedy drama play written by Neil Simon, his 18th. The play opened on Broadway in 1980. It was subsequently made into a film, released in 1982. The play involves a film screenwriter who has abandoned his fami ...

''. In 1982, she appeared in the television series ''Fame''. During the series run, Landsburg wrote and directed one episode of the series. Shortly after Landsburg left the show in 1985, she co-starred in two different comedy TV series, which practically ran at the same time. The first, '' You Again?'', starred

Jack Klugman Jack Klugman (April 27, 1922 – December 24, 2012) was an American actor of stage, film, and television. He began his career in 1949 and started television and film work with roles in ''12 Angry Men (1957 film), 12 Angry Men'' (1957) and ...

, and lasted for one season. From the creators of ''

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'', next came the

Bess Armstrong Elizabeth Key "Bess" Armstrong (born December 11, 1953) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in the films '' The Four Seasons'' (1981), '' High Road to China'' (1983), ''Jaws 3-D'' (1983), and ''Nothing in Common'' (1986). Armstrong ...

series '' All Is Forgiven'', which NBC cancelled after nine episodes. Despite its limited engagement, the series was rebroadcast on the

A&E network A&E (an initialism of its original name, the Arts & Entertainment Network) is an American cable and satellite television network and the flagship property of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Walt Disney Company ...

through 1989, where it gained a broader audience. Outside of recurring roles in ''

Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

'' and ''Dream On'', she appeared in about a dozen TV movies and guest appearances on TV series, including ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'', ''

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'', ''

Empty Nest ''Empty Nest'' is an American television sitcom that aired for seven seasons on NBC from October 8, 1988, to June 17, 1995. The series, which was created as a spin-off of ''The Golden Girls'' by creator and producer Susan Harris, starred Richa ...

'', ''

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'' and ''

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''. In between TV and film projects, she has appeared in stage plays. In addition to acting, Landsburg has directed several feature films and episodic television shows. In 2001, she released an album of mostly her own compositions, titled ''Grownup''. Among the tracks was a re-recording of "Hi Fidelity". She is a life member of the

Asian Academy of Film & Television Noida Film City is a film city consisting a complex of studios and structures for filming located in Sector 16-A of Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. It houses the Asian Academy of Film, Television and Marwah Films and Video Studios along with prom ...

. Landsburg has been candid about her struggle with alcoholism. She began drinking as a teenager and her problem worsened while she was appearing on ''Fame'' although she managed to keep her habits from affecting her work. She got sober the year she left the series and has been sober ever since.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Landsburg, Valerie 1958 births American women singer-songwriters American film actresses Film directors from New York City American women pop singers American television actresses American television directors American women film directors American women television directors Jewish American musicians Living people American women television writers American women screenwriters American television writers 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American women