Madeleine Stowe is an American actress best known for her work in movies like The Last of the Mohicans, 12 Monkeys and the television show Revenge.
Background
Stowe was born on August 18, 1958, at Queen of Angels Hospital in Los Angeles, California. She is the oldest of 3 children born to Robert Stowe, a civil engineer from Oregon, and Mireya Mora Steinvorth, of Costa Rica.
Her mother’s Costa Rican family was quite prominent, boasting multiple politicians, including presidents.
Before becoming a Hollywood legend, Stowe was trained as a classical pianist. From age 10-18, she worked alongside her Russian-born music teacher Sergei Tarnowsky who believed strongly in her ability, even teaching her from his deathbed.
However, once he passed away at age 92, Stowe quit playing.Stowe was not interested in taking college classes and instead volunteered to perform at a theater in Beverly Hills.
It was at one of her performances that a movie agent saw her. The agent would help Stowe secure minor roles in television and film productions, including her debut appearance in an episode of the drama series Baretta.
Later, she would appear in The Amazing Spider-Man, Barbary Jones, and Little House on the Prairie.
Stowe played Mary in the television movie The Nativity in 1978 before starring in two NBC miniseries: Beulah Land (1980) and The Gangster Chronicles (1981), where Stowe would meet her future husband, Brain Benben.
Acting Career
Stowe’s early acting career would set the stage for her to rise into Hollywood stardom.
She landed her first breakthrough role in the movie Stakeout (1987) starring Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez, which debuted at number one at the box office.
Soon after, she played alongside David Carradine in the 1988 film Tropical Snow before co-starring with Mark Harmon in Worth Winning (1988).
In the 1989 thriller Revenge, she starred with Kevin Costner, and later she worked alongside Jack Nicholson in The Two Jakes (1990).
Perhaps one of her most infamous years was 1992, in which she starred with Kurt Russell in Unlawful Entry and with Daniel Day-Lewis in The Last of the Mohicans, which garnered critical acclaim and skyrocketed her to an A-list movie star.
In 1993, Stowe was part of an award-winning cast in the film Short Cuts.
She would win the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe Award, and a Volvo Cup for Best Ensemble Cast for her portrayal of the wife of a lying and adulterous police officer.
Stowe starred in Blink, China Moon, and Bad Girls the following year before receiving a Saturn Awards nomination for her role in 12 Monkeys (1995).
People magazine named Stowe as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World” in 1994, and Empire magazine chose her as one of the "100 Sexiest Stars in Film History" in 1995.
From 2011 to 2015, She played Victoria Grayson on the ABC drama series Revenge, receiving multiple nominations for the role.
What is Madeleine Stowe doing now?
Madeleine Stowe’s last acting credit comes from a Netflix series titled Soundtrack, released in 2019.
Since then, she has been sighted out and about in 2021. She wore a gray military-style jacket and boyfriend jeans during the outing.
She mentioned how differently movies were made in the 1990s when her career was at its peak. She also said that now, most actors prefer to do television shows due to how many movies are budgeted today.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Stowe took to the internet to publicly announce her support by thanking frontline workers.
She also mentioned how important it is to flatten the curve and thanked individuals for doing their part while navigating the uncertainty of the times.
In 2016, Madeleine Stowe and her husband experienced a terrifying scenario when they met a burglar during a home invasion.
The event took place in the middle of the night. As a result, Stowe was robbed of valuables, including jewelry, worth an estimated $75,000.
The burglar was later captured when police foiled his plan for another home invasion.
Personal Life
Stowe married Brian Benben in 1982. She had met Benben, also an actor, on set when they were both starring in the NBC miniseries The Gangster Chronicles in 1981.
In 1996, they had their daughter May Theodora Benben, prompting Stowe to slow down her Hollywood career.
While never fully stepping away, she did star in a few television shows in the 2000s but focused mainly on raising her daughter.
As of 2022, the family calls Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, their home. However, while raising their daughter, the couple created a home base further from the hustle and bustle of the City of Angels at a ranch west of Austin, Texas.
In addition to her family and career, Stowe spent time in Haiti helping to found the Artists for Peace and Justice organization in 2008 and currently serves on the Board of Directors.
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