Biography
One of the first celebrity offspring to be saddled with an outlandish name, actress and writer Moon Unit Zappa appeared in a string of TV shows and cult movies but remained best known for being the daughter of arguably America's strangest rock icon. Born in New York City in 1967 but raised in Los Angeles' Laurel Canyon, the eldest child of maverick musician Frank Zappa first tasted fame in 1982 when she satirized, and inadvertently helped to popularize, Valleyspeak on her father's first and only U.S. Top 40 hit, "Valley Girl." In the same year, she made her acting debut in an episode of crime drama "CHiPs" (NBC 1977-1983) and twelve months later ventured onto the big screen when she played Pamela in the horror anthology "Nightmares" (1983). Following a guest spot in "The Facts Of Life" (NBC 1979-1988), Zappa appeared as Rusty's Califonia Girl in "National Lampoon's European Vacation" (1985) and Nancy in Charlie Sheen's delinquents-on-the-rampage thriller "The Boys Next Door" (1985) before landing small parts in the short-lived "Fast Times At Ridgemont High" (1982) spin-off, "Fast Times" (CBS 1986), TV movie "Student Exchange" (1986) and college debate drama "Listen To Me" (1989). Zappa then starred alongside her brother Dweezil in the family sitcom "Normal Life" (CBS 1990), played an 'archetypal zodiac aficionado' in Roman Coppola's pop culture spoof "Spirit Of '76" (1990) and revisited the horror genre as museum curator Lenora Clayton in vampire film "Heartstopper" (1991). After adding to her filmography with supporting roles in gender-bending comedy "Little Sister" (1992) and erotic thriller "Dark Side Of Genius" (1994), Zappa returned to the small screen with several one-off parts in the likes of "Murder One" (ABC 1995-97), "Clueless" (UPN 1996-99) and "Roseanne" (ABC 1988-1997). Following performances in road movie "Love Always" (1996), action comedy "The Girl Gets Moe" (1997) and Troma production "Pterodactyl Woman From Beverly Hills" (1997), Zappa popped up in an episode of hit teen soap "Party Of Five" (Fox 1994-2000) and appeared as Kate in public access satire "Anarchy TV" (1998) and as Alex, one of nine friends forced to come to terms with the suicide of an old classmate, in high school reunion drama "The Giving Tree" (2000). Zappa then went behind-the-scenes when she wrote and directed the short film "Ugly" (2004) before guest starring as a niqab-clad Muslim in "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO 2000-), Ted's obnoxious cousin Stacy in "How I Met Your Mother" (CBS 2005-2014) and Jenny in medical soap "Private Practice" (ABC 2007-2013). After making a one-off appearance in the latter's parent show, "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC 2005-), Zappa landed her first film role in over a decade as Belinda DeNovi in the Tatum O'Neal vehicle "Last Will" (2011) and went onto voice Mrs Lamber in the anarchic animation "High School USA!" (Fox 2013).
