Interview by Paul Salfen
Karen Allen at the Chiller Theatre Expo in 2013. Rob DiCaterino from Clifton, NJ, USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Karen Allen is an award-winning actor and director. After making her film debut in NATIONAL LAMPOON’S ANIMAL HOUSE, she became widely known for her portrayal of Marion Ravenwood in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK opposite Harrison Ford. She would later reprise this role in INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL. She has starred in over 50 films and done many roles in television projects as well. Select film credits include STARMAN opposite Jeff Bridges, SCROOGED opposite Bill Murray, THE PERFECT STORM with George Clooney, THE GLASS MENAGERIE opposite Joanne Woodward and John Malkovich, THE WANDERERS, SHOOT THE MOON opposite Albert Finney, UNTIL SEPTEMBER opposite French actor Thierry L’hermitte, A SMALL CIRCLE OF FRIENDS, WHITE IRISH DRINKERS, BAD HURT, and YEAR BY THE SEA.
In 2019, she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Actress for her performance in COLEWELL. The film was also nominated for the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award.
She will next be seen in the film, A STAGE OF TWILIGHT opposite William Sadler. Karen recently completed roles in the feature film UNSINKABLE, Quibi’s 50 STATES OF FRIGHT, and Netflix’s THINGS HEARD AND SEEN opposite Amanda Seyfried.
Karen has starred in numerous plays both On and Off Broadway.
She also directs, having most recently directed John Patrick Shanley’s play OUTSIDE MULLINGAR with Jeff DeMunn and an award-winning film version of Carson McCullers’ short story A TREE. A ROCK. A CLOUD.
Karen is a lifetime member of the Actor’s Studio.
