Allene Damian "Ally" Walker (born August 25, 1961) is an American actress. She made her television debut in the NBC daytime soap opera ''
Santa Barbara'' (1988) before landing the leading roles on the short-lived dramas ''
True Blue'' (1989–1990), and ''
Moon Over Miami'' (1993).
During the 1990s, Walker had roles in films such as ''
Universal Soldier'' (1992), ''
Singles
Singles are people not in a committed relationship.
Singles may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series
* ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe
* ''Singles'' ...
'' (1992), ''
When the Bough Breaks'' (1994), ''
While You Were Sleeping'' (1995), ''
Kazaam
''Kazaam'' () is a 1996 fantasy comedy family film. It was directed by Paul Michael Glaser, written by Christian Ford and Roger Soffer based on a story by Glaser, and starring Shaquille O'Neal as the title character, a 5,000-year-old genie who ...
'' (1996), and ''
Happy, Texas
Happy is a town in Randall and Swisher Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 678 at the 2010 census. The Randall County portion of Happy is part of the Amarillo, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Toponymy
Happy derives i ...
'' (1999). From 1996 to 1999, she played the leading role of Doctor Samantha Waters in the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
crime drama series ''
Profiler'', for which she received
Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television
The following is a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Actress on Television. The award is presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, honoring the work of actresses in science fiction, fantasy, and horror f ...
nomination. She returned to television with a role in the
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
drama series ''
Tell Me You Love Me'' (2007), and later played villainous Agent
June Stahl
The following is a list of characters from ''Sons of Anarchy'', and its spin-off ''Mayans M.C.'' Both are American crime drama television series created by Kurt Sutter. ''Sons of Anarchy'' aired from 2008 to 2014, ''Mayans M.C.'' since 2018.
Cast
...
in the
FX crime drama, ''
Sons of Anarchy
''Sons of Anarchy'' is an American action crime drama television series created by Kurt Sutter for FX. Originally aired from September 3, 2008 to December 9, 2014, ''Sons of Anarchy'' follows the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club ope ...
'' (2008–2010). Walker also had the leading role in the short-lived
Lifetime police drama series ''
The Protector'' in 2011. During seasons 4 and 5 (2014 and 2015) of ''
Longmire'', she played Dr. Donna Monaghan, a therapist treating veterans who is the title character's love interest.
Early life
Walker was born in
Tullahoma, Tennessee
Tullahoma is a city in Coffee and Franklin counties in southern Middle Tennessee, United States. The population was 20,339 at the 2020 census. In 2019, the population was estimated to be 19,555. It is the principal city of the Tullahoma micropol ...
, to James Joseph Walker, a physicist, and Louhannah (née Mann) who would become an attorney. She grew up in
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe ( ; , Spanish for 'Holy Faith'; tew, Oghá P'o'oge, Tewa for 'white shell water place'; tiw, Hulp'ó'ona, label=Tiwa language, Northern Tiwa; nv, Yootó, Navajo for 'bead + water place') is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. ...
, where her father worked at the
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory (often shortened as Los Alamos and LANL) is one of the sixteen research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy (DOE), located a short distance northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, ...
. Originally intending to become a scientist, she attended the
University of California, Santa Cruz
The University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz or UCSC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Santa Cruz, California. It is one of the ten campuses in the University of California syste ...
, where she earned a degree in biochemistry.
Subsequently, she worked as a researcher on a genetic engineering project, while preparing for medical school at
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
. While spending a semester at Richmond College of Arts in London, UK, she discovered an interest in performing. Her professional career began when she was cast in the film ''
Aloha Summer
''Aloha Summer'' is a 1988 American comedy-drama film directed by Tommy Lee Wallace and starring Chris Makepeace, Yuji Okumoto, Tia Carrere and Don Michael Paul. The plot is about a group of teenagers and their experiences one summer in Hawaii.
...
'' (1988). Her scene was cut from the final version.
[
]
Career
In early 1988, Walker joined the cast of NBC daytime soap opera '' Santa Barbara'', playing Andrea Bedford.[ Later that year, she began appearing on primetime television. During the 1989–90 television season, she played the female lead in the short-lived NBC crime drama series '' True Blue''. She later guest-starred on '' Matlock'', '']L.A. Law
''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series that ran for eight seasons on NBC, from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994.
Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it centers on the partners, associates and staff of a Los ...
'', and ''Tales from the Crypt
Tales from the Crypt may refer to:
* ''Tales from the Crypt'' (album), by American rapper C-Bo
* ''Tales from the Crypt'' (comics), published by EC Comics during the 1950s
** ''Tales from the Crypt'' (film), a 1972 Amicus film starring Ralph Ric ...
''. She starred in the 1991 NBC television movie ''Perry Mason
Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a cli ...
and the Case of the Fatal Fashion'' as the devious daughter of Diana Muldaur
Diana Muldaur (born August 19, 1938) is an American film and television actress. Muldaur's television roles include Rosalind Shays on ''L.A. Law'' and Dr. Katherine Pulaski in the second season of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. She also ...
's character. In 1993, she starred alongside Billy Campbell
William Oliver Campbell (born July 7, 1959) is an American film and television actor. He first gained recognition for his recurring role as Luke Fuller in the TV series ''Dynasty''. Then he became known for playing Rick Sammler on '' Once and A ...
in the short-lived ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
comedy-drama, '' Moon Over Miami''.
In 1992, Walker played the female leading role opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg (, ; born 18 October 1960), known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme (, ), is a Belgian actor, martial artist, filmmaker, and fight choreographer. Born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, at the a ...
in the science-fiction action film '' Universal Soldier'' directed by Roland Emmerich
Roland Emmerich (; born 10 November 1955) is a German film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is widely known for his science fiction and disaster films and has been called a "master of disaster" within the industry. His films, most of wh ...
. Later that year, she played Sheila Kelley's grouchy roommate in the Cameron Crowe
Cameron Bruce Crowe (born July 13, 1957) is an American journalist, author, writer, producer, director, actor, lyricist, and playwright. Before moving into the film industry, Crowe was a contributing editor at ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, for wh ...
romantic comedy ''Singles
Singles are people not in a committed relationship.
Singles may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series
* ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe
* ''Singles'' ...
''. Her first star-billed role was in the 1994 thriller '' When the Bough Breaks''. In 1995, she had supporting roles in Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock (; born July 26, 1964) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Sandra Bullock, various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, Bullock was ...
's box-office hit '' While You Were Sleeping'', and Andy García
Andrés Arturo García Menéndez (born April 12, 1956), known professionally as Andy García, is a Cuban-born American actor, director and musician. He first rose to prominence acting in Brian De Palma's ''The Untouchables'' (1987) alongside ...
's flop ''Steal Big Steal Little
''Steal Big Steal Little'' is a 1995 American comedy film directed by Andrew Davis and starring Andy García in dual roles. It also features Alan Arkin and Joe Pantoliano.
Plot
Mild-mannered, unassuming Ruben Martinez has a slick, unscrupulous t ...
''. The following year, Walker co-starred alongside Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), known commonly as "Shaq" ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. O'Neal is regarded as one of the greates ...
in the fantasy comedy film, ''Kazaam
''Kazaam'' () is a 1996 fantasy comedy family film. It was directed by Paul Michael Glaser, written by Christian Ford and Roger Soffer based on a story by Glaser, and starring Shaquille O'Neal as the title character, a 5,000-year-old genie who ...
''.[
In 1996, Walker was cast in the leading role as Doctor Samantha Waters in the ]NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
crime drama series '' Profiler'', a role for which she received a Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television
The following is a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Actress on Television. The award is presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, honoring the work of actresses in science fiction, fantasy, and horror f ...
nomination in 1998, and a Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama
The Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama is one of the annual Satellite Awards given by the International Press Academy
The International Press Academy (IPA) is an American association of professional entertainment j ...
. In 1996, she was listed as one of ''People
A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...
''s "40 Most Fascinating People on TV." Walker starred as the lead during the first three seasons, but left the show in the fall of 1999. She was replaced by Jamie Luner
Jamie Michelle Luner (born May 12, 1971) is an American actress who first came to prominence as Cindy Lubbock on the ABC sitcom ''Just the Ten of Us'', but is perhaps better known as Peyton Richards on ''Savannah'', Lexi Sterling on ''Melrose Pla ...
as a new profiler during the show's final season. Later in 1999, Walker co-starred opposite Steve Zahn
Steven James Zahn (; born November 13, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. His film roles include ''Reality Bites'' (1994), ''That Thing You Do!'' (1996), ''Stuart Little'' (1999), '' Shattered Glass'' (2003), ''Sahara'' (2005), '' Chicken Li ...
in the comedy film ''Happy, Texas
Happy is a town in Randall and Swisher Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 678 at the 2010 census. The Randall County portion of Happy is part of the Amarillo, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Toponymy
Happy derives i ...
'', and played the lead role in the Lifetime television movie, '' If You Believe''.
In 2002, Walker returned to star in and produce the ABC pilot comedy called ''My Wonderful Life'', which was not picked up. In 2005, she released a documentary film ''For Norman... Wherever You Are'' as director and producer, which screened at several film festivals. She returned to the New York stage, appearing in a number of Off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
productions.[ From 2005 to 2010, Walker played many guest roles on television, including '']Sleeper Cell
A clandestine cell system is a method for organizing a group of people (such as resistance fighters, sleeper agents, mobsters, or terrorists) such that such people can more effectively resist penetration by an opposing organization (such as ...
'', '' ER'', ''The Shield
''The Shield'' is an American crime drama television series starring Michael Chiklis that premiered on March 12, 2002, on FX in the United States, and concluded on November 25, 2008, after seven seasons. Known for its portrayal of corrupt poli ...
'', ''Boston Legal
''Boston Legal'' is an American legal drama and comedy drama television series created by former lawyer and Boston native David E. Kelley, produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for ABC. The series aired from October 3, 2004, t ...
'', ''Law & Order
''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise.
''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on ...
'', ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', also referred to as ''CSI'' and ''CSI: Las Vegas'', is an American procedural forensics crime drama television series that ran on CBS from October 6, 2000, to September 27, 2015, spanning 15 seasons. This wa ...
'', ''Southland Southland may refer to:
Places Canada
* Dunbar–Southlands, Vancouver, British Columbia
New Zealand
* Southland Region, a region of New Zealand
* Southland County, a former New Zealand county
* Southland District, part of the wider Southland Re ...
'', and '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''.
In 2007, Walker starred in the HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
drama series about sexual relationships, '' Tell Me You Love Me''. The series was cancelled after a single season. In 2009, she co-starred in films ''Toe to Toe'' and '' Wonderful World'' opposite Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick (born March 21, 1962) is an American actor. His roles include the Golden Globe-nominated portrayal of the title character in ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986), the voice of adult Simba in Disney's ''The Lion King'' (1994), ...
. From 2008 to 2010, Walker had the recurring role as ATF
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), commonly referred to as the ATF, is a domestic law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. Its responsibilities include the investigation and preven ...
Agent June Stahl
The following is a list of characters from ''Sons of Anarchy'', and its spin-off ''Mayans M.C.'' Both are American crime drama television series created by Kurt Sutter. ''Sons of Anarchy'' aired from 2008 to 2014, ''Mayans M.C.'' since 2018.
Cast
...
, a major antagonist on the FX crime drama series ''Sons of Anarchy
''Sons of Anarchy'' is an American action crime drama television series created by Kurt Sutter for FX. Originally aired from September 3, 2008 to December 9, 2014, ''Sons of Anarchy'' follows the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club ope ...
''.
In 2011, Walker played the leading role in the Lifetime police drama series '' The Protector'', which revolves around a single mother who struggles to balance her family and professional life as an LAPD
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...
homicide detective. The series was canceled after one season. In 2014, she played Chyler Leigh
Chyler Leigh West (pronounced ; ''née'' Potts), known professionally as Chyler Leigh, is an American actress, singer and model. She is known for portraying Janey Briggs in the comedy film ''Not Another Teen Movie'' (2001), Lexie Grey in the ...
' lead character's mother in the short-lived NBC police procedural, ''Taxi Brooklyn
''Taxi Brooklyn'' is a French-American action comedy police procedural television series, produced by EuropaCorp Television. The series stars Chyler Leigh and Jacky Ido, and is based upon the film ''Taxi'' written by Luc Besson. On March 6, 2015, N ...
''. She made her feature scripted film directing and writing debut with '' Sex, Death and Bowling'' starring Selma Blair
Selma Blair Beitner (born June 23, 1972) is an American actress. She played a number of roles in films and on television before obtaining recognition for her leading role in the film '' Brown's Requiem'' (1998). Her breakthrough came when she s ...
. In 2015, she was cast in the recurring roles in the Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
crime drama '' Longmire'', and USA Network
USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Madison ...
thriller, ''Colony
In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the ''metropole, metropolit ...
''.
Personal life
On June 14, 1997, Walker married John Landgraf
John Phillip Landgraf (born May 20, 1962) is the Chairman of FX Networks. He is also a member of
the Peabody Awards board of directors, which is presented by the University of Georgia's Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. ...
, then a producer for NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
, at her parents' home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The couple have three sons. Their names are Walker, Will, and Cal. She has a sister named Elizabeth and a brother named Jim. Finally, her sister also has a grandson named Arlo.
Filmography
Film
Television
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Ally
1961 births
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from New Mexico
Actresses from Tennessee
American film actresses
American television actresses
American voice actresses
Living people
Actors from Santa Fe, New Mexico
People from Tullahoma, Tennessee
University of California, Santa Cruz alumni