Virginia Madsen

Virginia Madsen (born September 11, 1961) is an American actress. She is the recipient of two Critics' Choice Awards, an Independent Spirit Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as nominations for one Academy Award and one Golden Globe Award.

Madsen made her film debut in 1983 with a small part in Class. Her breakout role came the following year when she played Princess Irulan in Dune. After a string of parts in teen films, comedies and thrillers of varying commercial success, Madsen received critical acclaim and a Saturn Award for her starring role as Helen Lyle in Candyman (1992). Subsequent film appearances during the 1990s included The Prophecy (1995), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), The Rainmaker (1997), and The Haunting (1999). For her portrayal of Maya Randall in Sideways (2004), she was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Her other credits include A Prairie Home Companion (2006), The Number 23 (2007), The Haunting in Connecticut (2009), Joy (2015), Her Smell (2018), Prey for the Devil (2022), and Lola (2024).

Outside film, Madsen has played recurring roles on Moonlighting (1989), Frasier (1998), American Dreams (2002–2003), Monk (2009), The Event (2011), Hell on Wheels (2012), Witches of East End (2013–2014), Designated Survivor (2016–2017), and Elementary (2016–2019). Other television credits include American Gothic (2016), The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair (2018), and Swamp Thing (2019).