Virginia G. Madsen was born on 11 September 1961, in Chicago, Illinois USA, to father Calvin Madsen, a firefighter, and mother Elaine Madsen, an Emmy Award-winning poet, producer and playwright. She is an actress and producer, probably best known for her roles in the films “Candyman” and “Sideways”.
A famous actress, how rich is Virginia Madsen at present? According to sources, Madsen’s net worth reaches $8 million, as of mid-2016. Her fortune has been established during her acting career.
Virginia Madsen Net Worth $8 Million
Madsen grew up in Chicago, along with her two siblings; her brother is actor Michael Madsen. Her parents divorced when she was a small girl. After matriculating from New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, she enrolled at the Ted Liss Acting Studio in Chicago, and then the Harand Camp Adult Theater Seminar in Wisconsin.
Madsen made her film debut in 1983, taking a small part as Lisa in the teen romantic comedy/drama “Class”. The following year she played a cellist Madeline Robistat in the romantic comedy film “Electric Dreams”, and was cast as Princess Irulan in the sci-fi epic – “Dune”. In 1985 she starred as Barbara Spencer in the film “Creator”.
Madsen catapulted into the national spotlight with the role of Catholic schoolgirl Lisa falling for a bad boy in the 1986 romantic drama film “Fire with Fire”. The rest of the decade saw her taking supporting roles in the films “Slam Dance”, “Long Gone”, “Hot to Trot”, and others. She also had a recurring role in the television series “Moonlighting”. Her net worth started to rise.
In 1992 Madsen took a starring role as Helen Lyle in the horror “Candyman”, and went on to appear in the high-profile films “Ghosts of Mississippi” and “The Rainmaker”. Aside from taking supporting roles in several features and made-for-television films during the ’90s, she had a recurring role in NBC’s television series “Frasier”.
After appearing in the television series “The Practice”, “Justice League” and “American Dreams” in the early 2000s, Madsen took a major role as a divorcée, Maya in the 2004 film “Sideways”, which brought her critical acclaim and shot her to fame. It earned her Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress, and considerably added to her net worth. After “Sideways”, Madsen went on to capture successful roles in the 2000s films “Firewall”, “A Prairie Home Companion”, “The Number 23” and “The Astronaut Farmer”. She also appeared in numerous series, such as “Smith”, “Monk”, “Scoundrels”, “The Event”, “Hell on Wheels” and “Witches of East End”; all added to her wealth.
Aside from acting, Madsen has also been involved in film making. In 2008 she formed her own production company with partner Karly Meola, called Title IX Productions. The following year saw the release of her first project, a documentary about the lives of older women “I Know a Woman Like That”, which was directed by Madsen’s mother. Her other project is the 2010 documentary about women ski jumpers’ battle for recognition and the right to compete in the Winter Olympics “Fighting Gravity”.
Madsen currently stars as Madeline Hawthorne in the mystery drama series “American Gothic”, and is filming the adventure comedy-drama film “Burn Your Maps”, announced to be released in autumn 2016.
When speaking about her personal live, in 1989 Madsen married actor and director Danny Huston. After the couple’s divorce in 1992, she began a long term relationship with actor and model Antonio Sabàto, Jr., with whom she has a child.
Saturn Award for Best Actress, Satellite Award for Best Cast, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance, San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award,Critics' Choice Movie Awards (2004, "Candyman")
Record Labels
Title IX Productions- Film production company (2008-)
Nominations
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress
"Unsolved Mysteries" (1999), Smith" (2006), "Monk" (2009), "Hell on Wheels"(2012), "Witches of East End" (2013-2014), "American Gothic" (2016), "I Know a Woman Like That", "Fighting Gravity"
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Playing "Lisa" in Fire with Fire (1986) is a perfect example of how I am, intense, impulsive, full of love and ready to risk it all if I have to. Playing her was incredibly easy, as everything was just so natural.
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I laugh when I hear someone talking about an actress "making such good choices." Yeah, well, she was probably broke! Or she's being supported and doesn't have to worry about it. And I hope that people keep that in mind when an actor suddenly does a movie for the Sci Fi Channel that is maybe not "important." We've got to make a living. People are going to do the "pay the rent" movie once in a while. The important movies don't pay well. They're for scale, or even worse, something they invented called "independent scale," in which case it's like it's costing me money to make the movie. You're getting $500 per week, before taxes and American Express is calling. So it is our job. It's how we make our living, and you don't always have the luxury of making a movie like Sideways (2004). I even got paid well to do that! Especially for me, at the time. [interviewed by Russ Fischer, CHUD.com, February 2007]
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When you say no a lot as an actor, you're going to go broke, and that's been the hardest thing to go through in the last 10 years. Being a single mother and having financial problems is a nightmare.
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Fact
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Counts Network (1976) and its director Sidney Lumet among her favorite films and directors.
(October 7, 2006) Attended the Malibu Celebration of Film Gala Honoring Robert Altman.
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Studied at Ted Liss Acting Studio in Chicago and at Harand Camp Adult Theater Seminar in Wisconsin.
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Alumnus of New Trier High School East, Winnetka, Illinois.
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She has an older sister named Cheryl Madsen, who is the owner of a restaurant in Wisconsin.
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Claims that she was hypnotized for some of the scenes in Candyman (1992).
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In an interview, she admitted that she was sobbing so hard at the end of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) when Spock died, that she had to go home as soon as the movie was over.
Was once engaged to actor Billy Campbell. They went to Hollywood together to pursue acting careers and lived in Pacific Palisades. Virginia graduated from New Trier East High School in 1979, a year before Rusty Schwimmer. She was known as "Gina" at NTE and was very active in the school's theater department. Other New Trier graduates include Ralph Bellamy, Charlton Heston, Rock Hudson, Hugh O'Brian, Ann-Margret, Bruce Dern, Penelope Milford, Liz Phair. Attended the Ted Liss Acting Studio in Chicago and Harand Camp Adult Theater Seminar in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
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Daughter of Cal Madsen (a firefighter) and Elaine Madsen (a poet). They got divorced in 1968.