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Quick Facts
Biography
Deanna "Dee" Wallace (née Bowers; born December 14, 1948), also known as Dee Wallace Stone, is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Mary, the mother, in the 1982 blockbuster film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. She is also known for her starring roles in several horror films including The Hills Have Eyes (1977), The Howling (1981), Cujo (1983) and Critters (1986), which earned her the title of "scream queen".
Personal life
Wallace was born in Kansas City, Kansas, the daughter of Maxine (née Nichols) and Robert Stanley Bowers. She attended Wyandotte High School, before attending the University of Kansas and obtaining an education degree. She briefly taught high school drama at Washington High School in her native Kansas City in the early 1970s.
She was briefly married first to Barry Wallace and still uses his last name in her career. Their marriage ended in divorce. She married Christopher Stone in 1980, who died suddenly in 1995. They have one daughter, Gabrielle Stone.
Wallace is a public speaker and self-help author, having written three books, and has her own call-in radio show where she talks exclusively about the creation of "self". She often speaks about how you can get through tough times with determination and love. She has also written a book called Bright Light about her life lessons from an acting career.
In 2018, she gave her first TED talk at TEDx Cape May, entitled "The Common Ground of Self".
Career
Wallace began her career on television appearing in episodes of The Streets of San Francisco, Starsky and Hutch and Police Woman, before appearing in the box-office horror hit film The Hills Have Eyes (1977). In 1981, she played a leading role in the another horror film, The Howling opposite her husband Christopher Stone. They later starred together in Cujo (1983) based on Stephen King's 1981 novel of the same name.
In 1982, Wallace went to star in Steven Spielberg's science fiction film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). The film became the highest-grossing film of all time—a record held for eleven years until Jurassic Park, another Spielberg-directed film, surpassed it in 1993. Wallace received Saturn Award nomination for her performance. Wallace also starred in a number of comedy movies, include 10 (1979), Jimmy the Kid (1982) and Secret Admirer (1985). In 1986, she starred in the horror comedy film Critters (and its sequel Critters Attack! in 2019) and later starred in many horror films, most notable Peter Jackson's The Frighteners (1996).
On television, Wallace played a leading role in the CBS sitcom Together We Stand from 1986 to 1987) and the family drama The New Lassie (1989–1992). She guest starred in episodes of the number of shows, include The Twilight Zone, Hotel, Murder, She Wrote, Touched by an Angel, Bones, Grey's Anatomy, My Name Is Earl, Criminal Minds, and The Office. In 2015, Wallace was cast on the ABC soap opera series General Hospital, as Patricia Spencer, the unseen, long-lost older sister of Luke and Bobbie Spencer. Wallace also appeared in the show Supernatural, in the episode titled “Into the Mystic (01/27/2016). She was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Guest Performer in a Drama Series.
Selected filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1975 | The Stepford Wives | Nettie the Maid | |
1977 | The Hills Have Eyes | Lynne Wood | |
1979 | 10 | Mary Lewis | |
1981 | The Howling | Karen White | |
1982 | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | Mary | |
1982 | Jimmy the Kid | May | |
1983 | Cujo | Donna Trenton | |
1985 | Secret Admirer | Connie Ryan | |
1986 | Critters | Helen Brown | |
1986 | Shadow Play | Morgan Hanna | |
1987 | Legend of the White Horse | Alta | |
1991 | Popcorn | Suzanne | |
1991 | Rock-a-Doodle | Dory (Edmond's Mother) | |
1991 | Alligator II: The Mutation | Christine Hodges | Direct-to-video film |
1992 | Rescue Me | Sarah Sweeney | |
1993 | Lightning in a Bottle | Jean Markley | |
1995 | Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back | Georgia | |
1995 | The Phoenix and the Carpet | Mother | |
1996 | The Frighteners | Patricia Ann Bradley | |
1997 | Invisible Mom | Laura Griffin | |
1997 | Nevada | Ruby | |
1999 | Pirates of the Plain | Glenna | |
2001 | A Month of Sundays | Sarah McCabe | |
2005 | Headspace | Dr. Denise Bell | |
2005 | Boo | Nurse Russell | |
2006 | Kalamazoo? | Susan | |
2006 | Abominable | Ethel Hoss | |
2006 | Expiration Date | Lucille | |
2006 | The Plague | Nora | |
2007 | J-ok'el | Helen Moret | |
2007 | Bone Dry | Joanne | |
2007 | Halloween | Cynthia Strode | |
2007 | The Blue Rose | Mrs. Garrison | |
2009 | The House of the Devil | Landlady | |
2009 | Stay Cool | Mrs. McCarthy | |
2009 | Babysitters Beware | Ms. Greene | |
2009 | The Mother of Invention | Nancy Dooly | |
2009 | The Haunted World of El Superbeasto | Trixie | Voice role |
2009 | Dark Fields | Jean Applebe | |
2010 | Extraordinary Measures | Sal | |
2010 | Bedrooms | Marnie | |
2010 | Pound of Flesh | Dean Jean Clark | |
2011 | Exodus Fall | Shirley Minor | |
2011 | Bad Actress | Herself | |
2011 | Walk a Mile in My Pradas | Mary | |
2012 | The Lords of Salem | Sonny | |
2012 | The Boarder | Elizabeth | |
2013 | Hansel & Gretel | Lilith | |
2014 | Ejecta | Ashley Winnington-Ball | |
2014 | Haunting of Cellblock 11 | Ms. Simon | |
2014 | Love & Mercy | Lilith | |
2017 | Red Christmas | Diane | |
2017 | Death House | Dr. Eileen Fletcher | |
2018 | Beyond the Sky | Lucille | |
2018 | Every Other Holiday | Mimi | |
2018 | Ouija House | Katherine | |
2019 | Dolls | Margaret | |
2019 | Sunrise in Heaven | Marion | |
2019 | In Search of Darkness | Herself | Documentary film |
2019 | Critters Attack! | Aunt Dee | |
2019 | 3 from Hell | Greta |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1974 | Lucas Tanner | Waitress | Episode: "Merry Gentlemen" |
1975 | The Streets of San Francisco | Joan Warren | Episode: "The Programming of Charlie Blake" |
1975 | Ellery Queen | Waitress / Mamie | Episode: "The Adventure of the Chinese Dog" |
1977 | Man from Atlantis | Hot Dog Stand Owner | Episode: "Melt Down" |
1977 | The San Pedro Beach Bums | Lisa | Episode: "Godfather's Five" |
1977 | Bigfoot and Wildboy | Deeda | Episode: "Amazon Contest" |
1977 | Starsky & Hutch | Carol Wade | Episode: "The Crying Child" |
1977 | Police Woman | Shana Fayette | Episode: "Did You Still Beat My Wife" |
1978 | Barnaby Jones | Amy Vickers | Episode: "Terror on a Quite Afternoon" |
1978 | Police Story | Sharon Shay | Episode: "A Chance to Live" |
1978 | Lou Grant | Patti | Episode: "Hooker" |
1978–1979 | CHiPs | Sheila / Angy | Episodes: "Return of the Turks" and "Death Watch" |
1979 | Hart to Hart | Connie | Episode: "Jonathan Hart Jr." |
1979 | Trapper John, M.D. | Dr. Valerie Tatum | Episode: "The Adventures of the Chinese Dog" |
1979 | Mrs. Columbo | Janet Rutledge | Episode: "Ladies of the Afternoon" |
1979 | Taxi | Joyce | Episode: "Alex Romance" |
1980 | Skag | Nora | Episodes: "The Working Girl: Part 1 and 2" |
1980 | Here's Boomer | Alice | Episode: "Molly" |
1981 | ABC Afterschool Special | Sue Jinkins | Episode: "Run, Don't Walk" |
1981 | Child Bride of Short Creek | Mary Jacobs | Movie |
1982/87 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Fran Welsh / Jan Fischer | Episodes: "Help Wanted" and "An Enemy Among Us" |
1983 | Wait till Your Mother Gets Home! | Pat Peters | Movie |
1984–87 | Hotel | Helen Johnson / Lisa Mason / Pamela | 3 episodes |
1985 | Finder of Lost Loves | Gail Aames | Episode: "Mister Wonderful" |
1985 | Simon & Simon | Carol Brooks | Episode: "Love and/or Marriage" |
1985 | The Twilight Zone | Janice Hammond | Segment: "Wish Bank" |
1986–87 | Together We Stand | Lori Randall | 19 episodes |
1987 | Bushfire Moon | Elizabeth O'Day | Movie |
1988 | Stranger on My Land | Annie Winters | Movie |
1989/91 | Murder, She Wrote | Ellen Wicker / Mildred Terhune | Episodes: "Fire Burn, Cauldron Bubble" and "Tainted Lady" |
1989–92 | The New Lassie | Dee McCullough | 35 episodes |
1990 | I'm Dangerous Tonight | Wanda Thatcher | Movie |
1991 | P.S. I Luv U | Mitzi Packer | Episode: "Pilot" |
1992 | FBI: The Untold Stories | Darlene | Episode: "Mommie Dearest" |
1992 | L.A. Law | Eliane Weston | Episode: "Wine Knot" |
1994 | Witness to the Execution | Emily Dawson | Movie |
1994 | Moment of Truth: Cradle of Conspiracy | Suzanne Guthrie | Movie |
1994 | Vanishing Son IV | Megan | Movie |
1994 | Rebel Highway | Mrs. Gordon | Episode: "Runaway Daughters" |
1997 | Love's Deadly Triangle: The Texas Cadet Murder | Linda Jones | Movie |
1997 | JAG | Congresswoman Adele DeLong | Episode: "Crossing the Line" |
1997 | Touched by an Angel | Sandra Browner | Episode: "A Delicate Balance" |
1998 | Bad As I Wanna Be: The Dennis Rodman Story | Pat Rich | Television film |
1999 | Nash Bridges | Susan Martin | Episode: "Resurrection" |
1999 | Ally McBeal | Gail Clarkson | Episode: "Buried Pleasures" |
2001 | She's No Angel | Shawnessy | Movie |
2001 | Felicity | Allison Covington | 2 episodes |
2002 | The Division | Paula Meeks | Episode: "Beyond the Grave" |
2002 | She Spies | Daphne | Episode: "First Episode" |
2003 | The Agency | Doris, Quinn's Sister | Episode: "Our Man in Korea" |
2004 | The Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson Story | Sharon Rocha | Movie |
2005 | Voodoo Moon | Mary-Ann | Movie |
2005 | Cold Case | Charlotte Jones | Episode: "Strange Fruit" |
2005 | Crossing Jordan | Lorraine Heeley | Episode: "Total Recall" |
2006 | Bones | Special Agent Callie Warner | Episode: "The Woman in Limbo" |
2006 | Voodoo Moon | Mary-Ann | Movie |
2006 | The Eden Formula | Rhonda Sharpton | Movie |
2006 | Without a Trace | Lara Duncan | Episode: "All the Sinners, Saints" |
2006 | Close to Home | Joan Monroe | Episode: "There's Something About Martha" |
2006–07 | Sons & Daughters | Colleen Halbert | 11 episodes |
2007 | Grey's Anatomy | Joan Waring | Episode: "Time After Time" |
2007 | My Name Is Earl | The Governor / The Warden's Wife / Katherine Hazelwood | 3 episodes |
2007 | Ghost Whisperer | Claire Taylor | Episode: "Holiday Spirit" |
2008 | Saving Grace | Janice Shapiro | Episode: "A Survivor Lives Here" |
2008 | Criminal Minds | Dr. Jan Mohikian | Episode: "Memoriam" |
2009 | The Magic 7 | Sean's Mom (voice) | Movie |
2010 | Happy Town | Alice Conroy | Episode: "Blame It on Rio Bravo" |
2010 | Law & Order: LA | Ellen Powell | Episode: "Sylmar" |
2010 | Detroit 1-8-7 | Marni Eckhart | Episode: "Home Invasion/Drive-By" |
2011 | The Office | Ellen Bernard | Episode: "Garden Party" |
2012 | Switched at Birth | Lorena McGowen | 2 episodes |
2012 | Warehouse 13 | Ellen Powell | Episode: Sylmar |
2014 | Grimm | Alice | 3 episodes |
2015 | General Hospital | Patricia Spencer | 3 episodes |
2015 | The Whispers | Willie Starling | 4 episodes |
2015–present | Just Add Magic | Grandma Becky Quinn | 47 episodes |
2016 | Supernatural | Mildred Baker | Episode: "Into the Mystic" |
2017 | You're the Worst | Gail | Episode: "It's Been" |
2018 | NCIS | Claire Hall | Episode: "Fragments" |
2018 | Shooter (TV series) | Katherine Mayfield | Episode: "Swing Vote" |