She lit up the 1980s with her groundbreaking talent, skyrocketing from model to Oscar-winning actress almost overnight.
But behind the glitz and fame lay a hidden struggle — and a childhood brush with death at just 8 years old.
Amish-like upbringing
Few actors of the ’90s captured hearts and critical acclaim quite like this star. With her signature dimples and magnetic presence, she was Hollywood magic, turning every role into a showcase of raw talent from the very start of her acting journey.
Born on January 21, 1958, in Wareham, Massachusetts, she discovered early on that performing was her true calling.
“I was three years old, and how I even knew it was a job, I have no idea, because we were only allowed to watch Disney movies, which were animated.”
Her parents, Bill and Lucille, were practical, old-fashioned people — so much so that she has joked they “would have been Amish had they heard of being Amish.”
She and her older brother, Dan, were raised with a strong emphasis on politeness and proper behavior.
Looking back on her New England upbringing, she reflected, “My parents are both from Vermont, very old-fashioned New England. We heated our house with wood my father chopped. My mom grew all of our food. We were very underexposed to everything.”
