Sheryl Lee (born April 22, 1967 in Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany) is an American actress, best known for playing Laura Palmer and Madeleine Ferguson on the cult TV series Twin Peaks and its prequel Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, for her roles in Vampires and Kingpin, and for portraying photographer Astrid Kirchherr in Backbeat.
Sheryl Lee grew up in Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A., where she was a graduate of Fairview High School (class of 1985). This is the same high school that Joan Van Ark of TV's Knots Landing attended 25 years before.
Lee is best remembered by legions of David Lynch fans for her appearance as the dead Laura Palmer in the cult television series Twin Peaks. When the series was picked up, Lee was also given the part of Laura's cousin Maddy Ferguson later in the series (a role which was reportedly written because Lynch, impressed with her abilities, wanted to give her a fuller role on the show). She also starred in the film Fire Walk With Me which was made after the series ended, but functioned as a "prequel" to it, elaborating on events leading up to Laura Palmer's death.
Other prominent roles have included playing the part of Astrid Kirchherr in the 1994 movie Backbeat, a bio-pic of the early career of The Beatles opposite Stephen Dorff, the part of Liza in Gary Walkow's 1995 adaptation of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novella Notes from Underground opposite Henry Czerny, the role of Katrina in John Carpenter's 1998 film Vampires opposite James Woods and Daniel Baldwin, and the role of Marlene Cadena in the 2003 television series Kingpin opposite Yancey Arias and Bobby Cannavale. Sheryl Lee also starred alongside Craig Sheffer in Bliss (1997). Lee starred opposite Anthony Michael Hall as the sweet but vengeful housewife Eve Robbins in the 2001 USA Cable movie Hitched. She played the part of Ellie Harp, Peyton Sawyer's (played by Hilarie Burton) biological mother, on the WB Network series One Tree Hill (2005-2006).
In 2001 she presented the I Love 1990 segment of the BBC's popular I Love 1990's series.
In 2004, Lee was the original choice for the role of Mary-Alice Young on Desperate Housewives. It would have been the second time she would have played a dead character on a series, however the producers ultimately chose to replace her with Brenda Strong.
Sheryl Lee dated David Duchovny. Lee is married to Jesse Diamond, a musician and son of singer and songwriter Neil Diamond. The couple have a son, Elijah.
Lee practices kundalini yoga.
Saturn Awards
Sundance Film Festival
Independent Spirit Awards
