Aileen Marie Quinn (born June 28, 1971) is an American actress, singer and dancer. She is best known for her role as the title character in the 1982 film ''

Annie Annie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Annie (given name), a given name and a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Annie (actress) (born 1975), Indian actress * Annie (singer) (born 1977), Norwegian singer The ...

''.

Early life

Quinn was born on June 28, 1971, and raised in Yardley,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. The oldest child of Helenann Quinn and Andrew Quinn Sr., she is the older sister of Andrew Quinn Jr. She began dance lessons when she was 4 at Knecht Dance Academy in

Levittown, Pennsylvania Levittown is a census-designated place (CDP) and planned community in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The population was 52,983 at the 2010 census. It is above sea level. Though not a ...

, learning ballet and

tap dance Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely perfo ...

. When she was young, Quinn was introduced to

show business Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz or showbiz (since 1945), is a vernacular term for all aspects of the entertainment industry.''Oxford English Dictionary'' 2nd Ed. (1989) From the business side (including managers, agents, produc ...

by her mother, who was a TV, radio, and stage singer/actress then elementary school teacher. Quinn begged to audition for a part in a local

community theater Community theatre refers to any theatrical performance made in relation to particular communities—its usage includes theatre made by, with, and for a community. It may refer to a production that is made entirely by a community with no outside hel ...

production of '' Annie Get Your Gun'' and won a role. She performed in additional community productions. Raised in

Far Hills, New Jersey Far Hills is a borough in Somerset County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States census, the population was 919,Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child is a Catholic private school in Summit, in Union County, New Jersey, United States. It is coeducational from pre-kindergarten to grade 6 and all-girls for seventh grade to twelfth grade. The school operates u ...

Summit, New Jersey Summit is a city in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The city is located on a ridge in northern- central New Jersey, within the Raritan Valley and Rahway Valley regions in the New York metropolitan area. At the 2010 United Sta ...

for high school. Taking a break after her child acting career, at the age of 18, Quinn decided to focus on school. She graduated from

Drew University Drew University is a private university in Madison, New Jersey. Drew has been nicknamed the "University in the Forest" because of its wooded campus. As of fall 2020, more than 2,200 students were pursuing degrees at the university's three scho ...

in 1994. She was a language major with a minor in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

, and is a member of

Sigma Delta Pi Sigma Delta Pi () is the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society (La Sociedad Nacional Honoraria Hispánica). It was established on November 14, 1919, at the University of California at Berkeley. History Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegi ...

, a Spanish honor society.

Career

After obtaining an agent, Quinn won a small role in the film ''

Paternity Paternity may refer to: *Father, the male parent of a (human) child *Paternity (law), fatherhood as a matter of law * ''Paternity'' (film), a 1981 comedy film starring Burt Reynolds * "Paternity" (''House''), a 2004 episode of the television seri ...

'' and commercial work in New York City. She began appearing in television commercials including

Planters Planters Nut & Chocolate Company is an American snack food company now owned by Hormel Foods. Planters is best known for its processed nuts and for the Mr. Peanut icon that symbolizes them. Mr. Peanut was created by grade schooler Antonio Gentil ...

Cheez Balls,

Shake ‘n Bake Shake 'n Bake is a seasoned bread crumb coating originally marketed to mimic the flavor and texture of Southern fried chicken. Introduced in 1965 by General Foods, it is currently made under the Kraft Heinz brand. Concept Shake 'n Bake provid ...

and Northern Bathroom Tissue. At age 8 she landed the role in New York City of the "swing orphan" (

understudy In theater, an understudy, referred to in opera as cover or covering, is a performer who learns the lines and blocking or choreography of a regular actor, actress, or other performer in a play. Should the regular actor or actress be unable to ap ...

to all of the orphans except Molly and Annie) in the

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

production of ''

''. After eight auditions over the course of a year, and up against over 8,000 other competitors, Quinn received the title role in the 1982 movie ''

'', directed by

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...

. ''Annie'' earned Quinn two

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

nominations, a win for "Best Actress" from the Youth in Film Awards, and a

Razzie The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, ...

for "Worst New Star". Aileen was 9 years old when she was cast as Annie. Aileen Quinn was under contract for several years with

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

to make other ''Annie'' sequels which never materialized. During this time, she continued performing in lead roles in

regional theater A regional theater or resident theater in the United States is a professional or semi-professional theater company that produces its own seasons. The term ''regional theater'' most often refers to a professional theater outside New York City. A reg ...

in such shows as '' The Wizard of Oz'' (

Dorothy Dorothy may refer to: *Dorothy (given name), a list of people with that name. Arts and entertainment Characters *Dorothy Gale, protagonist of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum * Ace (''Doctor Who'') or Dorothy, a character playe ...

), ''

Bye, Bye Birdie ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is a musical theatre, stage musical with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams, based upon a book by Michael Stewart (playwright), Michael Stewart. Originally titled ''Let's Go Steady'', ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is set i ...

'' (Kim), ''Annie'' (Annie), '' Shenandoah'' (Jenny), and ''

A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine ''A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine'' is a musical comedy consisting of two essentially independent one-act plays, with a book and lyrics by Dick Vosburgh and music by Frank Lazarus. Additionally, songs by other composers are incorporat ...

'' (Harpo). She also lent her voice to two animated cartoon specials which aired on national television, ''

The Charmkins ''The Charmkins'' is a television special based on an early 1980s toyline by Hasbro, which was broadcast on October 25, 1983. Plot Brown-Eyed Susan and the other Charmkin children of Charmworld go on a quest to rescue Lady Slipper after she is ...

'' and '' The Wizard of Oz''. The ''Annie'' film soundtrack album went platinum, and subsequently Quinn released her own album, ''Bobby's Girl'', in 1982. Soon after that release, she starred as Princess Zora in the classic fairy tale ''

The Frog Prince "The Frog Prince; or, Iron Henry" (german: Der Froschkönig oder der eiserne Heinrich, literally "The Frog King or the Iron Henry") is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 in ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'' (KHM 1). ...

'', which was released on videocassette and aired on the

Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...

several times. After graduation from college, Quinn once again took to the stage. In 1994, she appeared as Bette in ''

Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a coming-of-age stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before op ...

'' at

Paper Mill Playhouse Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey on the Rahway River. Due to its relatively close location to Manhattan, it draws from the pool of actors (and audience members) who live in ...

. She toured the US for more than five years with three Broadway national tours: ''

Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia in or around 1905. It is based on ''Tevye and his Daughters'' (or ''Tevye the ...

'' (Chava), ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by List of Scottish novelists, Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and Puer aeternus, never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending ...

'' (Tootles/Jane) and ''

Saturday Night Fever ''Saturday Night Fever'' is a 1977 American dance drama film directed by John Badham and produced by Robert Stigwood. It stars John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young Italian-American man from the Brooklyn borough of New York. Manero spends his ...

'' (Annette). She studied

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

in London, where she appeared in ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...

'' and ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vio ...

'' at

LAMDA LaMDA, which stands for Language Model for Dialogue Applications, is a family of conversational neural language models developed by Google. The first generation was announced during the 2021 Google I/O keynote, while the second generation was a ...

. Off-Broadway productions include ''Dreamstuff'' (Princess), ''Creature'' (Elizabeth) and ''Yiddle With a Fiddle'' (Yiddle). Regional theater credits up to the present include '' The Unsinkable Molly Brown'' (Molly), ''

That Was Then ''That Was Then'' is an American Dramatic programming, drama television series that was broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC September 27 to October 4, 2002. It was cancelled after only two episodes had aired. Synopsis The series st ...

'' (World Premiere Play-April Gregory), and ''Funny, You Don't Look Like a Grandmother'' (her Daughter). Quinn appeared in a few small roles in independent films between 2006 and 2010, most notably portraying Lily in ''Annie'' at Theatre Aspen. She 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 The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

in 2004. Quinn played a minor role in the 2009 film ''

Multiple Sarcasms ''Multiple Sarcasms'' is a 2010 American drama film starring Timothy Hutton, Mira Sorvino, Stockard Channing, Dana Delany, Chris Sarandon and Mario Van Peebles. It was sold at the European Film Market on February 6, 2009 and was released in the Un ...

'' which stars

Timothy Hutton Timothy Tarquin Hutton (born August 16, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He is the youngest recipient of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which he won at age 20 for his performance as Conrad Jarrett in ''Ordinary People ...

and

Mira Sorvino Mira Katherine Sorvino (; born September 28, 1967) is an American actress. She won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Woody Allen's ''Mighty Aphrodite'' (1995). She also starred in the films ...

. Quinn is an adjunct theater professor at

Monmouth University Monmouth University is a private university in West Long Branch, New Jersey. Founded in 1933 as Monmouth Junior College, it became Monmouth College in 1956 and Monmouth University in 1995 after receiving its charter. There are about 4,400 full- ...

West Long Branch, New Jersey West Long Branch is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 8,097,Hudson Catholic Regional High School Hudson Catholic Regional High School is a regional four-year co-educational University-preparatory Catholic high school in Jersey City, in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. The school was established in 1964 by the Roman Catholic Archd ...

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

as part of an

exchange program A student exchange program is a program in which students from a secondary school (high school) or university study abroad at one of their institution's partner institutions. A student exchange program may involve international travel, but d ...

, and considers it one of her life's most rewarding experiences. As of 2012, she has no children and is an aunt and godmother.

Filmography

Discography

Albums

* '' Bobby's Girl'' released November 17, 1982, Columbia Records * ''Spin Me'' released 2015, Independent Label * '' Lightning and Thunder'' released 2019, Independent Label

Soundtracks

* ''Annie Original 1982 Motion Picture Soundtrack'' released May 1982, Columbia Records

Singles

* ''Tomorrow'' released 1982, Columbia Records * ''At Christmas Time'' released December 20, 2016, Independent Label * ''Auld Lang Syne'' released December 20, 2016, Independent Label

References

External links

*
Aileen Quinn and The Leapin' Lizards
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quinn, Aileen 1971 births Actresses from New Jersey Actresses from Pennsylvania American child actresses American film actresses American television actresses American voice actresses American stage actresses Drew University alumni Living people American child singers Monmouth University faculty American women pop singers American female dancers Dancers from New Jersey Dancers from Pennsylvania American musical theatre actresses 20th-century American actresses People from Far Hills, New Jersey People from Yardley, Pennsylvania 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers 21st-century American women singers Child pop musicians 21st-century American singers Columbia Records artists Interscope Records artists Epic Records artists Warner Records artists American women academics