Madeleine Stowe is a well-known American film and television actor most recognized for playing “Kathryn Railly” in “12 Monkeys.” She attended the “University of Southern California” where she studied journalism and cinema, but she began performing before finishing her degree. One of the best performances of her early career was her portrayal of “Cora Munro” in “The Last of the Mohicans.” She then made an appearance in the multiple-award winning film “Short Cuts.” She portrayed a blind musician in the suspenseful film “Blink,” as well as a prostitute in the Western “Bad Girls.” ‘We Were Soldiers’ and ‘Saving Milly’ are only a couple of her other noteworthy works. She has received both an Imagen honor and an American Veterans Center honor. She has a daughter named May who she reared at the family ranch in Texas. She is married to actor Brian Benben. She actively participates on the board of the foundation ‘Artists for Peace and Justice’ that fights against poverty. The Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California presented her with a “Humanitarian Award” in recognition of her contributions.
Early Childhood & Life
Mireya and Robert Stowe welcomed Madeleine Marie Stowe Mora into the world on August 18, 1958 in Los Angeles, California, the US. Her mother came from a well-known Costa Rican family, while her father was an Oregon-based civil engineer. She is the oldest of her family’s three siblings. She was raised in Los Angeles’ Eagle Rock district.
Multiple sclerosis affected her father. She was impacted by this and became more reserved. In her teen years, Sergei Tarnowsky taught her how to play the piano. In 1976, she made the decision to start interacting with others after the death of her piano instructor.
She attended the “University of Southern California” to study journalism and cinema, but before she could finish her studies, she made a few performances at the “Solaris,” a theater in Beverly Hills. From there, agencies hired her for acting jobs.
In 1978, she made her acting debut in the detective show “Baretta.” She also made a few cameos on television. She portrayed Mary, the main character, in the television film “The Nativity” that same year.
Career of Madeleine Stowe
Stowe made a few cinematic appearances in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but she had little of an impact. The part of “Maria McGuire” in the crime comedy “Stakeout” became her first big break. In 1987, the movie was a box office smash.
She established herself by collaborating with Mark Harmon in the comedy film “Worth Winning” and starring in the indie film “Closet Land” in 1991. She received praise for her work in the 1992 crime film “Unlawful Entry,” which starred Kurt Russell.
Later same year, she won critical praise for her depiction of “Cora Munro” in “The Last of the Mohicans,” which went on to rank among her best ever performances. Her award-winning performance in the film “Short Cuts” came right after that.
She demonstrated her versatility as an actor by taking on several parts. In the suspense film “Blink,” she played a blind pianist, and in the crime drama “Bad Girls,” she played a prostitute. She also made appearances in the science fiction film “12 Monkeys” and the neo-noir thriller “China Moon.” In 1993, she was nominated for a “Saturn Award” for her work in “12 Monkeys.”
She focused on movies after the birth of her daughter. She starred alongside Mel Gibson in “We Were Soldiers,” John Travolta in “The General’s Daughter,” and Sylvester Stallone in “Avenging Angelo” from 1998 to 2002.
She made a comeback to television in 2002 with “The Magnificent Ambersons.” She also began prioritizing her family over performing, though, and began spending more time with them.
From 2011 to 2015, she appeared as “Victoria Grayson” in the serial “Revenge,” and in 2016, she played “Lillian” in the television series “12 Monkeys.”
Bigger Works of Madeleine Stowe
Gangster Wars (1981), Worth Winning (1989), The Last of the Mohicans (1992), Short Cuts (1993), 12 Monkeys (1995), The General’s Daughter (1999), We Were Soldiers (2002), and Octane (2003) are a few of her well-known films.
‘Baretta’ (1978), ‘Little House on the Prairie’ (1980), ‘Blood & Orchids’ (1986), ‘Saving Milly’ (2005), ‘The Christmas Hope’ (2009), ‘Revenge’ (2011-2015), and ’12 Monkeys’ (2016) are a few of her notable TV ventures.
Recognition & Achievements
She and the ensemble of “Short Cuts” won the Volpi Cup and the Golden Globe Awards for the “Best Ensemble Cast” in 1993 and 1994, respectively, at the Venice Film Festival. For the same performance, she also took home the “Best Supporting Actress” prize at the 1994 National Society of Film Critics gala. She received the “Best Actress in a Genre Motion Picture” award from Sci-Fi Universe magazine in 1996 for her performance in “12 Monkeys.”
For her work in “We Were Soldiers,” she received the “Best Actress Award” from the American Veterans Center in 2003. Her work in “Saving Milly” earned her the 2005 “Imagen Award” for “Best Actress.”
In 2014, the ‘Keck School of Medicine’ of the ‘University of Southern California’ presented her with a ‘Humanitarian Award’ in her honor.
Individual Life of Madeleine Stowe
Stowe had a daughter named May Theodora Benben in 1996 after her marriage to actor Brian Benben in 1982. From 1996 until 1998, she took a vacation from acting. She and her daughter lived in a ranch close to Johnson City, Texas, and this allowed her to spend time with her husband and nurture her.
She has taken an active role on the foundation’s board of directors, “Artists for Peace and Justice.” The foundation deals with the problem of poverty in localities all around the world. In 2008, she went to Haiti to support the cause.
Net worth of Madeleine Stowe
The estimated net worth of Madeleine Stowe is about $1 million.
Trivia
In 1994, “People” magazine named her one of the “50 Most Beautiful People in the World.” The following year, the publication “Empire” named her one of the “100 Sexiest Stars in Film History.”
The TV series with the same name and her movie, “Revenge,” are unrelated.
She once went as a reporter to meet John Travolta, whom she idolizes.