Veronica Cartwright
Birthdate: Apr 20, 1949
Birthplace: Bristol, England, UK
Veronica Cartwright (birthname: Veronica Anne Cartwright) is one of the few living Anglo-Saxon actors who has acting credits spanning eight decades, from the 1950s to the present, and while becoming an iconic actor associated with horror movies, Cartwright has acted with three generations of stellar directors, including William Wyler, Alfred Hitchcock, Jack Nicholson, Robert Altman, Philip Kaufman, Mike Nichols, Bob Rafelson, Bill Condon and Todd Field.
Cartwright was a very successful child and teen actor in the movies and TV, starting on the big screen under the direction of Hollywood master William Wyler in The Children’s Hour (1961), adapted from Lillian Hellman’s play and starring Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine and James Garner, and then under the direction of Alfred Hitchcock in one of his crowning masterpieces, The Birds (1963), starring Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette and Tippi Hedren, and which was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
Cartwright worked as a young actor with another screen legend--Henry Fonda--in Spencer’s Mountain (1963), co-starring Maureen O’Hara, James MacArthur, Victor French, Donald Crisp and Wally Cox under the helming of director/writer Delmer Daves, and which was the inspiration for CBS’ hit series, The Waltons (1972-1981).
Veronica Cartwright’s first adult big-screen role was as a co-star in director/writer John Bynum’s sex comedy-drama, Inserts (1974), co-starring Richard Dreyfuss, Jessica Harper, and Bob Hoskins, released by United Artists, and in which Cartwright appeared fully frontal nude in a movie rated X by the MPAA. Cartwright was cast in a major supporting role by director/star Jack Nicholson for his Western comedy, Goin’ South (1978), co-starring Mary Steenburgen, Christopher Lloyd, John Belushi, Danny DeVito, and Ed Begley Jr., and released by Paramount Pictures for a $7.4 million gross.
Cartwright co-starred with Donald Sutherland and Brooke Adams in director Philip Kaufman’s brilliant remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), written by W.D. Richter and with Leonard Nimoy and Jeff Goldblum, and earning $25 million for United Artists. Cartwright earned horror movie icon status with her memorable supporting role in Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979), starring Sigourney Weaver (replacing Cartwright at the last minute in the Ripley lead role), Tom Skerritt, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto, grossing a spectacular $188 million (against an estimated $8-14 million budget) for 20th Century Fox.
Veronica Cartwright starred in the segment, “Night of the Rat,” of director Joseph Sargent’s anthology horror movie for Universal Pictures, Nightmares (1983), co-starring Emilio Estevez, Cristina Raines, Lance Henriksen and Richard Masur, and then Cartwright reunited with director Philip Kaufman for his magnificent epic about the 1960s Space Race based on Tom Wolfe’s book, The Right Stuff (1983), in which she played astronaut Gus Grissom’s wife Betty opposite co-star Fred Ward (as Grissom), with the stellar cast of Sam Shepard, Dennis Quaid, Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, Henriksen, Scott Paulin, Barbara Hershey, Levon Helm, Jeff Goldblum and Harry Shearer, and release by Warner Bros.
Cartwright co-starred in the Disney-distributed (though not produced) alien abduction adventure movie, Flight of the Navigator (1986), with Joey Cramer, Cliff DeYoung, Sarah Jessica Parker, Howard Hesseman, and Paul Reubens under Randal Kleiser’s direction, and one of the first movies to use CGI special visual effects. Cartwright was cast in a co-starring role by star/director/writer Emilio Estevez for his poorly received feature filmmaking debut, Wisdom (1986), co-starring Demi Moore and Tom Skerritt, and released by 20th Century Fox (U.S.)/Cannon Films (international).
Veronica Cartwright worked with another world-class director, George Miller, for his comedy, The Witches of Eastwick (1987), based on John Updike’s 1984 novel, reuniting with star Jack Nicholson, and with Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer, and grossing a robust $103 million for Warner Bros. Cartwright joined up with Nicholson for their third movie together, the Bob Rafelson-directed and Carole Eastman-written romantic comedy, Man Trouble (1992)—what turned out to be a disastrous reunion of the key artists behind Five Easy Pieces (1970)--co-starring Ellen Barkin, Harry Dean Stanton, Beverly D’Angelo, Michael McKean and Saul Rubinek, and earning a mere $4 million against $30 million costs for 20th Century Fox.
Cartwright returned to the horror genre with acclaimed director Bill Condon for the widely criticized Candyman sequel, Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995), starring Tony Todd, Kelly Rowan, and Timothy Carhart, with music by Philip Glass, and released by Gramercy Pictures. Cartwright then joined the team of director Brett Ratner and comic star Chris Tucker for the comedy vehicle, Money Talks (1997), co-starring Charlie Sheen, Heather Locklear, and Paul Sorvino, grossing over $48 million for New Line Cinema.
Veronica Cartwright followed these by appearing in two fine American indie dramas—first, in director/writer Toni Kalem’s film version of Anne Tyler’s A Slipping-Down Life (1999), starring Lili Taylor, Guy Pearce, Irma P. Hall and John Hawkes and premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, and then in Todd Field’s rich drama, In the Bedroom (2001), adapted from Andre Dubus’s story, “Killings,” co-starring Sissy Spacek, Tom Wilkinson, Nick Stahl and Marisa Tomei, amassing five Oscar nominations and earning a fabulous $45 million (against $1.7 million costs) for Miramax Films. Cartwright once again showed her stuff in the horror genre, with a comic twist, in the Wayans Brothers’ spoof sequel, Scary Movie 2 (2001), with Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Shawn and Marlon Wayans, Tim Curry, Tori Spelling, David Cross and James Woods, and grossing a solid $141 million for Dimension Films.
Cartwright reunited with director/writer Bill Condon for the well-received biopic, Kinsey (2004), starring Liam Neeson, Oscar-nominated Laura Linney, Chris O’Donnell, Peter Sarsgaard, Timothy Hutton, John Lithgow, Tim Curry, Oliver Platt, and Dylan Baker, and which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and grossed $17 million for Fox Searchlight Pictures. Cartwright then delivered a supporting comic turn in director/writer Richard Day’s film version of his queer-themed play, Straight-Jacket (2004), co-starring Matt Letscher, Carrie Preston, and Michael Emerson, and released by Strand Releasing/Regent Releasing/here! Films.
Veronica Cartwright became one of the few actors to ever appear in two distinct remakes with her supporting role in the troubled fourth movie version of Jack Finney’s 1955 story collection, The Body Snatchers, titled The Invasion (2007), starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig under Oliver Hirschbiegel’s direction and released by Warner Bros. to poor reviews and box office. Cartwright appeared in several unremarkable movies from this point on, typified by the slasher remake produced by Jason Blum and Ryan Murphy and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014), with Addison Timlin, Travis Tope, Spencer Treat Clark, Gary Cole, Anthony Anderson and Edward Herrmann, and released to little theatrical business by Orion Pictures.
Cartwright later appeared in director/writer/producer Mike Mosallam’s LGBTQ+ rom-com, Breaking Fast (2020), with Haaz Sleiman, Michael Cassidy, and Patrick Sabongui, and released by Vertical Entertainment. Cartwright then had her first significant starring movie role in several years in director/writer Stevan Mena’s ghost tale, The Ruse (2025), starring Veronica Cartwright, Madelyn Dundon, Michael Steger, Michael Bakkensen and T.C. Carter, and released by Seismic Releasing and Mena Films after premiering at the Toronto Film Festival.
Veronica Cartwright went on a run of starring roles, next in the British comedy-mystery, The Vicar’s Wife (date to be announced), co-starring Christopher Lambert and Graham McTavish under Colin McIvor’s direction, and then in director/co-writer Quentin Lee’s mystery-thriller, How to Talk with Spirits (date to be announced), co-starring Julia Nickson, Michael Copon, Angelina Liu and Jennifer Field, and produced by Margin Films.
Personal life
Veronica Cartwright was born in Bristol, England, and raised in Bristol and Los Angeles, California, where she immigrated in 1953 with her parents, Rosemarie and Frank Christie, and her sister, and actor Angela. Graduated from in School. Cartwright has been married to actor Richard Gates from 1968 to 1972; Cartwright was then married to Stanley Goldstein from 1976 to 1980; Cartwright was married to director/writer Richard Compton from 1982 until he died in 2007; the couple has one child, Dakota. Cartwright’s height is 5’ 4”. Cartwright’s estimated net worth is $2 million.
Known For
Veronica Cartwright Movies
actor
Previous (42)
- 2025 |
- 2024 |
- 2022 | The Phantoms
- 2021 |
Insight
Jian (Ken Zheng) is a counter terrorism agent who blends his skills as a martial artist and clairvoyant to bring the world's most nefarious individuals to justice. This lone wolf is is forced to make an unexpected detour to Los Angeles upon receipt of the devastating news of a cover up surrounding his brother's alleged suicide. With the reluctant help of LAPD detectives, Abby (Madeline Zima), Carl (Tony Todd), and Captain Duke (Keith David), the unlikely group become involved in the investigation. Jian and Abby fight against a high-tech criminal (Sean Patrick Flanery) looking to exploit the brothers' gifts in his own quest to power.
- 2020 | Breaking Fast
- 2020 | Life After the Navigator
- 2019 | The Field
- 2017 |
The Dark Below
asTess
A woman struggles for survival beneath a frozen lake while a serial killer stalks her from the surface.
- 2016 | Rod Taylor: Pulling No Punches
- 2015 | Earl Hamner Storyteller
- 2014 | Alien Encounters: Superior Fan Power Since 1979
- 2014 | The Town That Dreaded Sundown
- 2013 | The Odd Way Home
- 2012 | The Misadventures of the Dunderheads
- 2012 | The Yellow Wallpaper
- 2010 | Neowolf
- 2008 | On the Edge of Black and White
- 2007 |
The Invasion
asWendy Lenk
As a Washington, D.C. psychiatrist unearths the origin of an alien epidemic, she also discovers her son might be the only way it can be stopped.
- 2005 | Barry Dingle
- 2004 | Straight-Jacket
- 1999 | A Slipping-Down Life
- 1999 | Trash
- 1997 | Sparkler
- 1998 | My Engagement Party
- 1996 | Shoot the Moon
- 1994 | Mirror Mirror 2: Raven Dance
- 1992 | Man Trouble
- 1990 | False Identity
- 1989 | Valentino Returns
- 1987 | The Witches of Eastwick
- 1986 | Wisdom
- 1986 | Flight of the Navigator
- 1985 | My Man Adam
- 1983 | The Right Stuff
- 1979 |
- 1978 | The Kid from Not-So-Big
- 1978 | Invasion of the Body Snatchers
- 1978 | Goin' South
- 1975 | Inserts
- 1964 | One Man's Way
- 1963 |
- 1961 | The Children's Hour
Facts About Veronica Cartwright
Body Snatchers, Again: Veronica Cartwright appeared in no less than two different remakes of Don Siegel’s 1956 original, Invasion of the Body Snatchers: director Philip Kaufman’s acclaimed 1978 remake and The Invasion, released in 2007.
Stage Life: Cartwright has amassed a distinguished stage career, such as her award-winning performance in Mark Medoff’s drama, The Hands of Its Enemy, at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.
Durability: Veronica Cartwright has over 160 screen and television credits across eight decades.
Acting is Reacting: Cartwright’s memorable reaction to the first burst of the baby alien in Alien was an unprepared response, since she hadn’t been informed by director Ridley Scott of the action. Cartwright had originally been cast as hero Ellen Ripley, but was replaced last minute by Sigourney Weaver.
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