Aileen Marie Quinn is an American actress, singer and dancer. She is best
known for having played the title role in the film Annie.
Biography Quinn was born in Yardley, Pennsylvania
in 1971. She graduated from Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child in Summit, New
Jersey. Quinn was introduced to show business by her mother, Helenann, who
was a TV, Radio, and Stage Singer/Actress when Quinn was young.
Quinn begged to audition for a part in a local community theater production of
Annie Get Your Gun and won a part. She then did a few additional shows in
community theater, which then led to getting an agent, a small role in the
film Paternity, and commercial work in NYC. She began to appear in a string of
television commercials including “Northern Bathroom Tissue”. While in
NYC, she auditioned, and landed the role of the “swing orphan” in the Broadway
production of Annie. After almost a year of a grueling audition process, and up
against over 8,000 other competitors, Quinn received the title role in the
1982 film version, directed by John Huston. Annie earned Quinn two Golden
Globe nominations and a win for “Best Actress” from the Youth In Film Awards.
While under contract for several years with Columbia Pictures to make other
Annie sequels which never materialized, Quinn continued to perform lead roles in
regional theater in such shows as The Wizard of Oz, Bye, Bye Birdie, Annie,
Shenandoah, and A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine. She also lent her
voice to two animated cartoon specials which aired on National TV, The
Charmkins and The Wizard of Oz. In addition to her Annie film album, which
went double platinum, Quinn recorded a solo album titled Bobby’s Girl. Soon
after, Quinn starred as Princess Zora in the classic fairy tale, The Frog Prince,
which was released on videocassette and aired on the Disney Channel several
times. At the age of 18, Quinn decided to take
some time off from acting and pursue higher education. She attended Drew
University in Madison, NJ, and graduated with honors in 1994. She was a language
major with a minor in political science, and is a member of Sigma Delta Pi, a
Spanish honor society, as she is fluent in Spanish. She spent six months with a
family in Chile as part of an exchange program, and considers it one of her
life’s most rewarding experiences. After graduation from Drew, Quinn once
again took to the stage. In 1994, she appeared as “Bet” in Oliver at Papermill
Playhouse. She then toured the United States for over five years with 3
Broadway national tours: Fiddler on the Roof, Peter Pan and Saturday Night
Fever. Her quest to study Shakespeare led her to London, where she appeared in
As You Like It and Twelfth Night at LAMDA. Off-Broadway productions include
Dreamstuff, Creature and Yiddle With A Fiddle. Regional theater credits up to
the present include The Unsinkable Molly Brown, That Was Then, and Funny, You
Don’t Look Like a Grandmother. Most recently, Quinn has appeared in a
few small roles in independent films between 2006-2010, and just returned
from portraying “Lily” in Annie at Theatre Aspen. Currently, she has been
writing some original material for her L.A.-based Rockabilly band, “The Leapin'
Lizards”, of which she is the lead singer.
Quinn also hosted Generation Gap, an interactive sitcom used to teach kids
how to resolve conflicts. It was written and directed by filmmaker Edna Harris
and aired on PBS in 2004. Quinn played a minor role in the 2009 film Multiple
Sarcasms, starring Timothy Hutton and Mira Sorvino. Quinn is an adjunct
theater professor at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. She was
awarded an honorary degree from Monmouth University in 2009.
Quinn was also a Spanish, drama, and dance teacher at Hudson Catholic
Regional High School in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Filmography Annie, Annie
The Wizard of Oz, English dub voice of Dorothy Gale
Lights, Camera, Annie!, herself The Charmkins, voice of Brown-Eyed Susan
The Frog Prince, Princess Zora Generation Gap, Host
30, Maggie Multiple Sarcasms, School secretary
Discography Bobby's Girl released November 17, 1982,
Columbia Records References
External links Aileen Quinn at the Internet Movie
Database Official website