Adrienne Shelly (
June 24,
1966 –
November 1,
2006), sometimes credited as
Adrienne Shelley, was an
American actress,
director, and
screenwriter.
Biography
Early life
Of
Russian Jewish descent,
[AOL LLC (2006). AOL Moviefone biography. Retrieved November 6 2006.] Shelly was born
Adrienne Levine in
Queens,
New York, to Sheldon M. Levine and Elaine Langbaum. She had two brothers, Jeff and Mark, and was raised on
Long Island. She began performing when she was about 10
[MovieMaker Magazine (2006). Moviemaker interview with Shelly: "Suddenly Adrienne Shelly" by Tim Rhys, August 1996. Retrieved November 6 2006.] at
Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center. She made her professional debut in a
summer stock production of the musical
Annie while a student at
Jericho High School[Newsday Inc. (2006)."Remembering Talents of a Local Star". By Steven Snyder, with contribution from Rocco Parascandol. Retrieved November 5 2006.] in
Jericho, New York. She went on to
Boston University, majoring in
film production, but dropped out after her junior year and moved to
Manhattan.
Career
Shelly's career breakthrough came in her starring roles in
independent filmmaker
Hal Hartley's
The Unbelievable Truth (1989) and
Trust (1990),
[Internet Movie Database (1990-2006). Adrienne Shelly. Retrieved November 3 2006.] the latter of which was nominated for the
Grand Jury Prize at the
Sundance Film Festival, where Hartley's script tied for the
Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award.
[Internet Movie Database (1990-2006). Awards for Trust. Retrieved November 5 2006.]
