Biography
Who is Madeleine Stowe?
Early life and education
Madeleine Stowe was born at Queen of Angels Hospital in Los Angeles. She was the first of three children. She grew up in Eagle Rock. Robert, her father, was an Oregon civil engineer. Her mother Mireya came from a Costa Rican family. Madeleine attended Glendale High School and the University of Southern California. She aided her father with medical treatments for multiple sclerosis.
Early acting career
She started acting at the Solaris theater in Beverly Hills. A movie agent saw her and offered TV and film roles. She appeared in Baretta in 1978. Other early shows included Barnaby Jones and Little House on the Prairie. She played Mary in the 1978 movie The Nativity. From 1980 to 1981, she starred in Beulah Land and The Gangster Chronicles. She appeared in the 1984 music video for JD Souther's song Go Ahead and Rain. She also starred in Amazons in 1984 and Blood and Orchids in 1986.
Film success and awards
The 1987 film Stakeout became her first major hit. She starred in Tropical Snow in 1988. She acted in the 1989 film Revenge and The Two Jakes in 1990. In 1992, she appeared in Unlawful Entry and The Last of the Mohicans. The latter film earned over 75 million dollars worldwide. Robert Altman cast her in the 1993 film Short Cuts. This role won her a Volpi Cup and a Golden Globe. She also received a National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress. Madeleine Stowe appeared in China Moon and Bad Girls in 1995. In 1994, People magazine named her one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. Empire magazine listed her as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in Film History in 1995. In 1995, she played a psychiatrist in 12 Monkeys.
Later work and television
Madeleine Stowe paused acting in 1996 for her family. She returned in 1998 for The Proposition. In 1999, she starred in The General's Daughter with John Travolta. She appeared in Impostor in 2001 and We Were Soldiers in 2002. She acted in Avenging Angelo in 2002 and Octane in 2003. She appeared in Saving Milly and the Fox pilot Southern Comfort. In 2007, she played Dr. Samantha Kohl in the series Raines. She starred in The Christmas Hope in 2009. From 2011 to 2015, she played Victoria Grayson in the ABC show Revenge. This role earned her a Golden Globe nomination in 2012. She played Ingrid Kersh in the HBO series It: Welcome to Derry. She also starred in the Netflix show Soundtrack in 2019.
Family and personal life
Madeleine Stowe married Brian Benben in 1982. They met while filming The Gangster Chronicles. They have a daughter named May born in 1996. The couple lived on a Texas ranch before moving to Pacific Palisades. Since 2025, she lives in the Chickasaw Gardens area of Memphis, Tennessee. In 2008, she helped start Artists for Peace and Justice in Haiti. She currently serves on its board of directors. In 2026, she stars as Gertrude Payne in the Netflix series I Will Find You.
Birthday and age
Madeleine Stowe was born on August 18, 1958, which makes Madeleine 68 years old today. That birthday falls under the Leo sign. Madeleine shares the date with 56 other famous people.
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