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Erica Leerhsen Profile |
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Birth Date: February 14, 1976
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Birth Place: Ossining, New York, USA
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Birth Name: Erica Lei Leerhsen
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Height: 5'9"
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Biography |
Erica Leerhsen (born February 14, 1976) is an American
actress, perhaps best known for her lead roles in the
well-acclaimed The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Remake, and the
sequels Wrong Turn 2: Dead End and Book of Shadows: Blair
Witch 2. She is also well known for her acting on
television, such as her recurring roles in The Guardian and
Alias. She was also voted #96 in 2001's Maxim Hot 100.
Leerhsen was born in Ossining, New York on Valentine's Day,
where she was raised along with her two sisters, Nora and
Debbie, by their father Charles Leerhsen, a long time editor
of celebrity publication US Magazine (which became US Weekly
in March 2000). She attended St. Augustine's School and
Ossining High School (where she sang in the choir) and
graduated from Boston University College of Fine Arts in
1998. She earned B.F.A (summa cum laude) in acting the same
year.
After graduation, Leerhsen's first role was as Sarah in a
1999 short film Junior Creative, which received several good
reviews. During its production, she got the lead role of a
practicing witch in the controversial Horror sequel Book of
Shadows: Blair Witch 2, though she originally auditioned for
the part that eventually went to Kim Director. She went to
the audition with short blonde hair, and, as director Joe
Berlinger described it, "completely Gothed-out", but
ultimately was given the role of Erica. It was Berlinger who
decided to make her character a long-haired redhead.
Following Blair Witch 2, she appeared in the third season of
The Sopranos, where she played a lesbian tennis instructor
who falls for Drea de Matteo's character. She would also
have part in the well-acclaimed TV show The Guardian, where
her character got written out after several episodes. In the
same year she had a supporting role in Woody Allen's
Hollywood Ending.
Leerhsen was honored with the title "Arrow in the Head's
Mistress of the Year 2003". That year saw the release of the
very successful Horror remake The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,
in which Leerhsen had a prominent role as one of the doomed
teens. During her screen test for the film, her screams were
so loud that people on other floors of the building called
the police to report that a young woman was being attacked.
The same year she returned to acting on television with a
guest appearance on Alias, and then reunited with Woody
Allen in his new film, Anything Else.
In 2004, Leerhsen starred in an independent Thriller The
Warrior Class, where she played Anson Mount's love interest.
The film got released on DVD on February 6, 2007. Months
later, she started acting in theaters, and appeared in Woody
Allen's A Second Hand Memory, which attracted attention from
a wider adult audience and received good reviews.
A year later, Leerhsen starred along Michael Pena in an
independently-made Toronto Film Festival-smash Little
Athens, which got released on DVD on November 21, 2005. The
same year she had a guest appearance on Jennifer Love
Hewitt's television show Ghost Whisperer, and starred in
Mozart and the Whale, which was released in limited theaters
on April 14, 2006.
The year 2006 opened with Leerhsen's guest appearance on
CSI: Miami. Shortly after she was landed a starring role in
Wrong Turn 2: Dead End, the well-acclaimed 2007 sequel to
the 2003 horror film Wrong Turn, where she did a lot of her
own stunts. The sequel got released on DVD on October 9,
2007 in USA, and January 8, 2008 in UK.
Before filming Wrong Turn 2: Dead End, Leerhsen shot a
Horror/Thriller Organizm, where she plays a hazmat
specialist. The film will premiere on the Sci-Fi Channel on
February 23, 2008.
In 2007, Leerhsen starred in an indie film Lonely Joe, which
has been said to be a Supernatural Horror/Thriller "in the
veins of Saw and The Sixth Sense", and has been slated for
an unknown 2008 release. Her most recent projects have been
a horror film Slaughter, which has finished shooting in
January of 2008 and is expected to be released sometime in
late 2008, and Shiver, a Thriller directed by Lucky McKee
which is currently being shot.
Leerhsen enjoys running, playing basketball and Yoga. She
currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, and is good
friends with actress Emily Deschanel, with whom she went to
the same college.
Commenting on the characters she often plays, Leerhsen has
said: "It's weird because I always seem to be dead. I'm
gonna have to change that because I wouldn't want to be
typecast." |
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Other
Information |
Attended St. Augustine's School in Ossining, NY.
Graduated from Boston University's School of Fine Arts,
1998.
Attended Ossining High School in Ossining, New York.
Sang in choir in high school.
Has 2 sisters, Nora and Debbie.
Her father, Charles Leerhsen, was the longtime editor of
celebrity publication US Magazine (which became US Weekly in
March 2000), until he quit in 2002 after never being
promoted to editor-in-chief.
Enjoys running, playing Basketball and Yoga.
Found out that she had won the role of "Erica" in Book of
Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000) on her birthday (which is
coincidentally Valentine's Day).
Originally auditioned for Kim Director's role in Book of
Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000). She went to the audition with
short blonde hair and as director Joe Berlinger described
"completely Gothed-out", but ultimately was given the
supporting role of "Erica". It was Joe Berlinger who decided
to make her a longhaired redhead.
There's a scene in Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000) in
which Erica's character (a practicing witch) is chanting an
actual witchcraft chant, which was given to her by director
Joe Berlinger, who learned it from his friend (an actual
witch). Erica was so overwhelmed by the chant that she
collapsed after the scene. Later Berlinger told his friend
what happened to Erica and she informed him that Erica was
calling up the 'god of the underworld' in that chant.
Was honored with the title "Arrow in the Head's Mistress of
the Year 2003".
During her screen test for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
(2003), her screams were so loud that people on other floors
of the building called the police to report that a woman was
being attacked.
Earned B.F.A (summa cum laude) in acting in 1998.
Born on Valentine's day.
Was voted #96 in 2001's Maxim Hot 100.
Is good friends with actress Emily Deschanel. They both went
to the same college.
Did a lot of her own stunts in Wrong Turn 2: Dead End
(2007).
Was nearly hit by a trail while filming Lonely Joe (2008).
Her scene was shot with her only 12 inches from the side of
the train as it passed by at 30 miles per hour. Unshaken,
she insisted on shooting the scene again. |
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since February 22, 2008