Alisan Porter
Encyclopedia
Alisan Porter is an American
actress, singer and dancer.
. Porter is Jewish
. Her maternal grandmother, whose father Joseph Klein was a prominent Worcester rabbi, ran the Charlotte Klein Dance Center in Worcester. Porter's mother, Laura Klein, was a dance coach for Diane Klimaszewski & Elaine Klimaszewski (now better known as the Coors Light Twins) who appeared on Star Search
in 1987 in the junior vocalist category. While in Los Angeles for the twins' appearance on the show, the show's producer heard Porter singing in the hotel lobby and had her on the very next episode. She has therefore been singing and performing since the young age of three, and at the age of five, became the youngest participant ever to win the Star Search
show. As an actress, she is known for her role as Curly Sue in the movie Curly Sue
. She costarred with Tim Curry
in an introduction scene of an awards ceremony where both of them "jumped" out of a movie screen and into real life through special effects.
Porter continued with acting in high school in Westport
, Connecticut
, where she joined a theatre group and participated in various shows. When she was eighteen, she moved to New York to audition for Broadway shows. She was cast as Urleen in the show Footloose
.
Porter is based in Los Angeles, where she has been working on her music career. During this time she starred as Miriam in the smash The Ten Commandments: The Musical
at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles alongside Val Kilmer
and Adam Lambert
and Broadway star Lauren Kennedy
. In 2003 the band The Raz was formed, with Porter as the vocalist and main songwriter. The Raz split up in 2004. In March 2005 she announced the birth of her new band, The Alisan Porter Project. During 2006 she performed in the 2006 revival of A Chorus Line
as Bebe Bensonheimer at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
in New York City.
Since December 2008, Porter is a contributing columnist for Movmnt
Magazine.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, singer and dancer.
Life and career
Porter was born in Worcester, MassachusettsWorcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
. Porter is Jewish
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
. Her maternal grandmother, whose father Joseph Klein was a prominent Worcester rabbi, ran the Charlotte Klein Dance Center in Worcester. Porter's mother, Laura Klein, was a dance coach for Diane Klimaszewski & Elaine Klimaszewski (now better known as the Coors Light Twins) who appeared on Star Search
Star Search
Star Search is a television show that was produced from 1983-95, hosted by Ed McMahon, and created by Alfred Masini. A relaunch was produced in 2003-04. The show was originally filmed at the old Earl Carroll Theatre at 6230 Sunset Blvd...
in 1987 in the junior vocalist category. While in Los Angeles for the twins' appearance on the show, the show's producer heard Porter singing in the hotel lobby and had her on the very next episode. She has therefore been singing and performing since the young age of three, and at the age of five, became the youngest participant ever to win the Star Search
Star Search
Star Search is a television show that was produced from 1983-95, hosted by Ed McMahon, and created by Alfred Masini. A relaunch was produced in 2003-04. The show was originally filmed at the old Earl Carroll Theatre at 6230 Sunset Blvd...
show. As an actress, she is known for her role as Curly Sue in the movie Curly Sue
Curly Sue
Curly Sue is a 1991 comedy film starring James Belushi, Alisan Porter and Kelly Lynch. The film was written and directed by John Hughes. Music for the movie was provided by Georges Delerue, with the end title song "You Never Know" performed by Ringo Starr....
. She costarred with Tim Curry
Tim Curry
Timothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
in an introduction scene of an awards ceremony where both of them "jumped" out of a movie screen and into real life through special effects.
Porter continued with acting in high school in Westport
Westport, Connecticut
-Neighborhoods:* Saugatuck – around the Westport railroad station near the southwestern corner of the town – a built-up area with some restaurants, stores and offices....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, where she joined a theatre group and participated in various shows. When she was eighteen, she moved to New York to audition for Broadway shows. She was cast as Urleen in the show Footloose
Footloose (musical)
Footloose is a 1998 musical based on the 1984 film of the same name. The music is by Tom Snow , the lyrics by Dean Pitchford , and the book by Pitchford and Walter Bobbie.-Act 1:...
.
Porter is based in Los Angeles, where she has been working on her music career. During this time she starred as Miriam in the smash The Ten Commandments: The Musical
The Ten Commandments: The Musical
The Ten Commandments: The Musical is a musical with music by Patrick Leonard and lyrics by Maribeth Derry. The book is adapted from the French musical Les dix commandements created by Élie Chouraqui from an idea by Albert Cohen....
at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles alongside Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer
Val Edward Kilmer is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer became popular in the mid-1980s after a string of appearances in comedy films, starting with Top Secret! , then the cult classic Real Genius , as well as blockbuster action films, including a supporting role in Top Gun and a...
and Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert
Adam Mitchel Lambert is an American singer, songwriter, and actor from San Diego, California. In May 2009, he finished as the runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol...
and Broadway star Lauren Kennedy
Lauren Kennedy
Lauren Kennedy is an actress and a singer who has performed numerous times on Broadway. She most recently starred in the Off-Broadway show Good Ol' Girls at the Black Box Theatre during the 2009-2010 season...
. In 2003 the band The Raz was formed, with Porter as the vocalist and main songwriter. The Raz split up in 2004. In March 2005 she announced the birth of her new band, The Alisan Porter Project. During 2006 she performed in the 2006 revival of A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical about Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The book was authored by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics were written by Edward Kleban, and music was composed by Marvin Hamlisch....
as Bebe Bensonheimer at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
The Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 236 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan named for Gerald Schoenfeld....
in New York City.
Since December 2008, Porter is a contributing columnist for Movmnt
Movmnt
movmnt magazine is an urban-leaning lifestyle magazine which was co-founded in 2006 by David Benaym and Danny Tidwell. The magazine has featured columns by Mario Spinetti, Mia Michaels, Robert Battle, Debbie Allen, Alisan Porter, Rasta Thomas, and Frank Conway...
Magazine.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1988 | Homesick | Maggie | |
| 1989 | Parenthood | Taylor Buckman | |
| 1990 | Stella Stella (1990 film) Stella is a 1990 American drama film produced by The Samuel Goldwyn Company and released by Touchstone Pictures. The screenplay by Robert Getchell is the third feature film adaptation of the 1920 novel Stella Dallas by Olive Higgins Prouty.... |
Jenny (age 8) | |
| I Love You to Death I Love You to Death I Love You to Death is a 1990 American dark comedy film directed by Lawrence Kasdan. It is loosely based on an attempted murder that happened in 1984, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where Frances Toto repeatedly tried to kill her husband, Anthony... |
Carla Boca | ||
| 1991 | Curly Sue Curly Sue Curly Sue is a 1991 comedy film starring James Belushi, Alisan Porter and Kelly Lynch. The film was written and directed by John Hughes. Music for the movie was provided by Georges Delerue, with the end title song "You Never Know" performed by Ringo Starr.... |
Curly Sue | |
| 2003 | Shrink Rap | Brandi | |
| 2006 | The Ten Commandments: The Musical The Ten Commandments: The Musical The Ten Commandments: The Musical is a musical with music by Patrick Leonard and lyrics by Maribeth Derry. The book is adapted from the French musical Les dix commandements created by Élie Chouraqui from an idea by Albert Cohen.... |
Miriam | |
| 2011 | Teen Titans | Starfire | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1987 | Pee-wee's Playhouse Pee-wee's Playhouse Pee-wee's Playhouse is an American children's television program starring Paul Reubens as the child-like Pee-wee Herman. The show was developed from Reubens' popular stage show and the one-off TV special The Pee-wee Herman Show, produced for HBO, which was similar in style but featured much more... |
Li'l Punkin | 2 episodes |
| I'll Take Manhattan I'll Take Manhattan (TV miniseries) I'll Take Manhattan is a 1987 American television miniseries, adapted from Judith Krantz's novel of the same name. Screened by CBS, it tells the story of the wealthy Amberville family, who run their own publishing company in New York. After Zachary Amberville, the patriarch of the family, dies,... |
Young Maxi | Miniseries | |
| Family Ties Family Ties Family Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s. This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young... |
Child | 1 episode | |
| 1989–1990 | Chicken Soup Chicken Soup (TV series) Chicken Soup is an American sitcom that aired on ABC, starring Jackie Mason and Lynn Redgrave.-Overview:The series focuses on the interfaith relationship of a middle-aged Jewish man, Jackie , and an Irish Catholic woman, Maddie... |
Molly Peerce | 12 episodes |
| 1990 | Perfect Strangers Perfect Strangers (TV series) Perfect Strangers is an American sitcom that ran for eight seasons from March 25, 1986, to August 6, 1993, on the ABC television network. Created by Dale McRaven, the series chronicles the rocky coexistence of midwestern American Larry Appleton and his distant cousin from eastern Mediterranean... |
Tess Holland | 1 episode |
| When You Remember Me When You Remember Me When You Remember Me is a 1990 fact-based television movie based on the story of Mike Mills, a teen with muscular dystrophy, who is placed in a state nursing home by his destitute single mother... |
Kelly | Television movie | |
| 1991 | The Golden Girls The Golden Girls The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida... |
Melissa | 1 episode |
| 2001 | Undressed Undressed (TV series) Undressed is an American anthology series that aired on MTV from July 26, 1999 to September 5, 2002. The series was created and executive produced by British director Roland Joffé.-Synopsis:... |
Belinda | 4th Season episodes |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Film or series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Young Artist Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... |
Nominated | Best Young Actress Guest Starring or Recurring Role in a TV Series | The Golden Girls |
| 1993 | Won | Best Young Actress Starring in a Motion Picture | Curly Sue |