Madeleine Stowe is a well-known American film and television actress most recognized for playing “Kathryn Railly” in “12 Monkeys.” She attended the “University of Southern California” where she studied journalism and film, but she began performing before finishing her degree.
One of the best performances of her early career was her role as “Cora Munro” in “The Last of the Mohicans.” She then had an appearance in the multiple-award-winning film “Short Cuts.”
She featured 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 two of her other outstanding works.
She has received both an Imagen Honor and an American Veterans Center award. She has a daughter called May who she raised 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,” which tackles the problem of poverty.
The Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California presented her with a “Humanitarian Award” in recognition of her efforts.
Madeleine Stowe’s Date of Birth and Parents
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 Central American family, while her father was a County 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 adolescent 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.
Madeleine Stowe’s Education
She attended the “University of Southern California” to study journalism and film, 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 has made a few appearances on television. She played Mary, the main character, in the television film “The Nativity” that same year.
Madeleine Stowe’s Husband
Stowe has a daughter called 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 resided on a ranch close to Johnson City, Texas, and this allowed her to spend time with her husband and raise 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.
Madeleine Stowe’s Career
Despite making many movie appearances in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Stowe did not have a significant impression. 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 independent film “Closet Land” in 1991. She won support for her work in the 1992 crime film “Unlawful Entry,” which starred Kurt Russell.
Later the same year, she won critical support for her portrayal 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 just after that.
She showed her ability as an actress 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 had appearances in the science fiction film “12 Monkeys” and the neo-noir thriller “China Moon.” In 1993, she was recognized with a “Saturn Award” for her work in “12 Monkeys.”
She focused on movies after the birth of her daughter. She starred with 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 before performing, however, 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.”