Meredith Dawn Salenger (born March 14, 1970) is an American actress, identified for her performances while a teenager. Her best known role was as the title character in the 1985 Disney film, The Journey Of Natty Gann.
Born and raised in Malibu, California, as a child she enjoyed performing in front of her family and friends. When she was eight years old, her mom took her to acting class and Meredith found her calling. Her first role was a small part as a "singing and dancing orphan" in the feature film Annie, directed by John Huston. By age ten, Meredith was working on many TV commercial ads.
Salenger 's first starring role was in the Disney film, The Journey of Natty Gann, co-staring John Cusack and Ray Wise, which was the first American movie to win the gold award at the Moscow Film Festival. This film also garnered her "Best Actress in a Drama" at the Youth in Film Awards for her portrayal of the tomboyish Natty Gann. After starring in four more films by the time she was eighteen years old, she left Hollywood for Harvard to further her education.
From 1988 until 1992, Salenger attended Harvard University and graduated cum laude with a degree in Psychology.
Upon her return to Hollywood, Salenger resumed her acting career. Her recent credits include: Lake Placid, The Third Wheel, and an upcoming independent film called Grownups. Salenger has appeared in several independent films including Quality Time and Sparkle & Charm. Other major roles include A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon (1988), The Kiss (also 1988) and Dream a Little Dream (1989).
She recently recorded a song entitled "Flow Through Me" with Koishii & Hush; she also appeared as a background member of the Counting Crows video for "Hanging Around."
