Biography
Living in the spotlight after being pigeon-holed with an unfair label was no easy task for any actress, yet Gen-X favorite Ally Sheedy succeeded in breaking away from the pack. She first rose to fame as the mischievous teen who, along with computer nerd Matthew Broderick, almost starts WWIII in "WarGames" (1983) and as the misfit weirdo spending a day in detention in the John Hughes classic, "The Breakfast Club" (1985). Her next blockbuster vehicle was the post-college drama "St. Elmo's Fire" (1985), where she played a headstrong Gen-Xer who wants to live life to the fullest before settling into married life. All three films provided Sheedy with both instant fame and a membership in the so-called "Brat Pack," an exclusive clique of young, rich, and famous actors in the 1980s that included Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson and Rob Lowe, among many others. Apart from appearing together movies, they led lives of excess that epitomized the decade. Never comfortable with the label or lifestyle, Sheedy's career peaked in the '80s and she soon found herself mired in a dearth of second-rate movies and TV shows for much of the following decade. After many years of unforgettable roles, Sheedy came back strong with her award-winning portrayal of heroin-addict and photographer, Lucy Berliner, in the independent film "High Art" (1998). The role propelled Sheedy back into the limelight, earned her critical reviews, and eradicated any doubts about her abilities as a serious actress.
