Celebrity Nooz: Aileen Quinn

Aileen Quinn (Actress) - Annie

Updated: 3/15/17

Name: Aileen Quinn

Birth Name: Aileen Marie Quinn

Born: June 28, 1971, Yardley, Pennsylvania

Claim To Fame: She is best known for having played the title role in the film Annie (1982).

Family Life: No info found.

Info: Quinn's mother Helenann was a TV, radio and stage singer actress who introduced her daughter to show business at a young age. Quinn first won a part in a local community theater production of Annie Get Your Gun. After a few other community theater shows, Quinn got an agent and won a small role in the film Paternity. She also began appearing in commercials for such products as Northern Bath Tissue.

Quinn underwent almost a year long audition process before receiving the title role in the 1982 film, Annie, directed by John Huston. Annie earned Quinn two Golden Globe nominations and a win for ?Best Actress? from the Youth In Film Awards. Quinn went on to have lead roles in such regional theater shows as The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy), Bye, Bye Birdie (Kim), Annie (Annie), Shenandoah (Jenny), and A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine (Harpo).

She did voice work on two animated cartoon specials - The Charmkins and The Wizard of Oz. Her Annie film album went double platinum, and Quinn also recorded a solo album titled Bobby's Girl. Quinn starred as Princess Zora in the classic fairy tale, The Frog Prince, which was released on videocassette and aired on the Disney Channel several times.

Quinn took a break from acting when she turned 18 in order to pursue higher education. She graduated with honors from Drew University in Madison, NJ. She spent six months with a family in Chile as part of an exchange program, and considers it one of her life?s most rewarding experiences.

After graduation from Drew, Quinn returned to the stage. In 1994, she appeared as ?Bet? in Oliver at Papermill Playhouse. For over five years, Quinn toured the U.S. with three Broadway national tours: Fiddler on the Roof (Chava), Peter Pan (Tootles/Jane) and Saturday Night Fever (Annette). She went to London to appear in As You Like It and Twelfth Night at LAMDA.

Trivia: Studied at Drew University, New Jersey.

Said that she hopes to "end up like Shirley Temple Black and work in politics."

Briefly worked as a translator.

Was chosen to be Annie in the film version from 8,000 girls.

Is a member of all three actor?s unions, the Screen Actors Guild, AFTRA, and Actor?s Equity.

Between 2006-2010, Quinn mostly appeared in independent films, and also portrayed "Lily" in Annie at Theatre Aspen. She has also been writing songs for her L.A.-based Rockabilly band, ?The Leapin' Lizards?, of which she is the lead singer.

She was the host of an interactive sitcom called Generation Gap, which taught kids how to resolve conflicts. The show aired on PBS in 2004. Quinn appeared in the 2010 film Multiple Sarcasms, which starred Timothy Hutton and Mira Sorvino.

In the Fall of 2008, she began teaching theater courses at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, NJ. Quinn is also a Spanish teacher at Hudson Catholic Regional High School in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Where Are They Now: Quinn is still performing and recording. In 2015, her band, Aileen Quinn and the Leapin' Lizards put out their very first album, Spin Me.

Write To Aileen Quinn:
Sorry, no address found.

View other 'Where Are They Now' celebrities

Read the latest issue of Celebrity Nooz

Subscribe!