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Karen Allen

Celebrity

Karen Allen: Biography

Karen Allen
2 photos
  • Birth Name: Karen Jane Allen
  • Birth Place: Carrollton, IL
  • Date of Birth / Zodiac Sign: 10/05/1951, Libra
  • Profession: Actor; singer
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Karen Allen Fast Facts:
  • Cocreator and codirector of the theater program at the Washington Project for the Arts in 1976.
  • Considered for the role of Princess Leia Organa in Star Wars (1977).
  • Garnered critical acclaim for portraying blind characters in the plays The Monday After the Miracle (1982) and The Miracle Worker (1987); Allen herself experienced temporary blindness from atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC) in 1978.
  • Landed her first major film role in National Lampoon's Animal House, a role advertised on a bulletin board at the Lee Strasberg Institute.
  • An accomplished singer, songwriter and musician, once played in a band with Kathleen Turner; and recorded a duet with Jeff Bridges for the Starman soundtrack album.  
  • Played the wife of her real-life former husband Kale Browne in two films: Challenger (1990) and 'Til There Was You (1997).
  • Received an honorary doctor of fine arts degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 2009.
  • Has taught acting at Bard College at Simon's Rock.
  • Designs and knits sweaters, hats and scarves for her own clothing label.
  • Karen Allen Relationships:
  • Nicholas - Son
  • Stephen Bishop - Ex-significant Other
  • Patricia A. Howell - Mother
  • Carroll Thompson Allen - Father
  • Kale Browne - Ex-husband
  • Terence Winch - Ex-significant Other
  • College:
  • Attended the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NY; attended University of Maryland, College Park, MD; attended Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, Los Angeles, CA

Photos

karen allen Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com
karen allen Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage.com
more Karen Allen photos (2 total photos)
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