Deborah Gaye Van Valkenburgh aka Deborah Van Valkenburgh (born on 29th August 1952) is an American actress, singer, artist and writer. She is best known for her debut role as Mercy in the cult film The Warriors (1979) and her role in the television series, Too Close for Comfort (1980-1985) as Jackie Rush. She also won an award at the PollyGrind Underground Film Festival for the film Road to Hell for the best-supporting actress in a Fantasy Film.
Biography
| Name | Deborah Gaye Van Valkenburgh |
| Nickname | Valkenburgh |
| Profession | Actress |
| Height | 5’3″ or 1.60 m or 164 cm |
| Weight | 66 kg or 146 lbs |
| Body Measurements | 33-26-35 |
| Date of Birth | 29th August, 1952 (67 years old in 2020) |
| Zodiac | Virgo |
| Birthplace | Schenectady, New York, United States |
| Hometown | Schenectady, New York, United States |
| Residence | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Debut | Too close for comfort |
| School | Shaker High School, Pratt Institute |
| College/University | BFA in Painting & Drawing from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York |
| Educational Qualifications | Graduate |
| Father | Not Known |
| Mother | Not Known |
| Brother | Not Known |
| Eye color | Brown |
| Hair color | Brown |
| Marital status | Single |
| Boyfriend | Peter Halsten |
| Net Worth | $4 million (approx.) |
| Hobbies | Acting, Travelling, Writing |
Early Life and Background
Table of Contents
Born in Schenectady, New York, USA, Deborah holds an American nationality.
She hasn’t disclosed much information about her parents. She attended Latham High School in Latham, New York and later, went to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York from where she graduated with BFA in painting and drawing.
Personal life
Deborah Van Valkenburgh was in a romantic relationship with the American musician Peter Halsten in 1965. However, the couple was unable to give their relationship the right path and separated after which she kept her focus on her career rather than being in a relationship. She is currently single, juggling with her life without a partner and has not been linked with anyone in the present.
Personal Favorite’s
| Actor | David Patrick Kelly, Michael Beck, James Remer |
| Actress | Carrie Fisher |
| Music | Jazz |
| Colour | Brown, blue |
| Fruit | Steven Spielberg |
| Sport | Tennis |
| Destination | UK |
Career
Valkenburgh started her career in acting when she appeared in the play, ‘Hair’ after which she appeared in a number of plays such as, ‘Honeybee, The Tempest, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Hay Fever, It Ain’t aardvark, Minuteman and When Did You Last See Your mother?’ She also acted in regional and touring company productions besides acting in New York plays. Later in 1979, she appeared in the action film, The Warriors, which was an adaptation of Sol Yurick’s 1965 graphic novel with the same name.
Her debut role came in 1980 when she landed the role of Jackie Rush in the popular sitcom, ‘Too Close For Comfort’ which was later renamed as The Ted Knight’s show. She worked in the show till 1985. Apart from that, she acted in a bunch of sitcoms such as ‘ER (2004), The Unit (2009), Ghost Whisperer (2010), and Castle (2011). She even did a bunch of movies including ‘King of the Mountain (1981), Criminal (2004), Phantom of the Ritz (1992), Mean Guns (1997)’ and many more.
Filmography
- The Warriors in 1979 as Mercy
- King of the Mountain in 1981 as Tina
- Streets of fire in 1984 as Reva Cody
- Rampage in 1988 as Kate Fraser
- Miramax in 1992 as Kate Fraser
- Liliana, One Man Out in 1989 as Liliana
- Phantom of the Ritz in 1992
- Brain Smasher … a Love Story (also known as The bouncer and the Lady) in 1993 as Cammy Crain
- Mean Guns in 1997 as Cam
- First Fidelity in 1997
- Free Enterprise in 1998
- Chasing Destiny in 2000 as Suzy Aquado
- Criminal in 2004
- Mystery Woman: Mystery Weekend in 2005
- Devil’s Rejects in 2005
- Our House in 2006
- Backwoods in 2008
- The Governor’s Wife in 2008
- Road to Hell in 2008
- Healing Hands in 2010
- The Trials of Cate McCall in 2013
- Hidden in Plain Sight in 2019
Television
- Days of Our Lives in 1965
- Too Close for Comfort (also known as The Ted Knight Show) from 1980 to 1985 as Jackie Rush
- Cagney and Lacey in 1982
- Hotel in 1983
- Streets of Fire in 1984
- MacGyver in 1985
- Crime Story in 1986
- Houston Knights in 1987
- Monsters in 1988
- Quantum Leap in 1989
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in 1993
- Chicago Hope in 1994
- The Marshall in 1995
- Once And Again in 1999
- The Huntress in 2000
- The Shield in 2002
- Cold Case in 2003
- Criminal Minds in 2005
- Ghost Whisperer in 2005
- The Unit in 2006
- Castle in 2009
- The Event in 2010
- Touch in 2012
- Stalker in 2014
- The Messengers in 2015
Lesser-known facts
- Deborah made her Broadway debut in the revival of Hair.
- She has appeared in the 1979 cult movie, The Warriors and lent her voice to the game adaptation of the movie after twenty-six years.
- The actor has done several musicals like Company, Hello Again, Livin’ Dolls and Club Termina.
- During the sale in the Los Angeles area, she created a line of vintage-style greeting cards.
- She has won the award for the best actress in supporting role in a fantasy film at the PollyGrind Film Festival in 2012.