Alicia Witt

ALICIA WITT

Date of Birth: August 21, 1975

Exposed to Shakespeare as an infant (her mother would read aloud from his plays), Alicia Witt was able to recite from Romeo and Juliet and the sonnets by the age of two. At four, the Worcester, Massachusetts-born Witt was performing some of his works on TV shows such as ABC's That's Incredible and NBC's Today. Witt's parents, who recognized her superior intelligence, schooled her at home. At the age of seven, Witt began to play piano, quickly learning to play the works of Beethoven and Bartok. Brought to the attention of director David Lynch, her first big screen appearance came with the 1984 sci-fi epic, Dune.

By the time she was 14, Witt got her GED and headed to L.A. with her mother.

While in L.A., Witt began landing small TV parts, including (thanks to old pal Lynch) as a young denizen of Twin Peaks, and supported herself playing piano at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. (She also went on Wheel of Fortune and spun herself bankrupt twice.) That was followed by Bodies, Rest & Motion (1993), co-starring Bridget Fonda, Phoebe Cates, Eric Stoltz and Tim Roth. Two years later, she received wider exposure when she took on the role of Cybill Shepard's daughter on the weekly sitcom Cybill. More film roles followed: Four Rooms (1995), Citizen Ruth (1996) and Mr. Holland's Opus (1996). Her participation in 1998's Urban Legend allowed her to reach a younger audience.

In 2000, she utilized her musical talents by playing a young pianist in Playing Mona Lisa and also appeared in the John Waters film, Cecil B. Demented. Her star has since risen with roles in big budget productions such as Two Weeks Notice (2002) starring Sandra Bullock and The Upside of Anger (2005), starring Kevin Costner.

Witt lives in Los Angeles.

Filmography:

88 Minutes (2008)
Last Holiday (2006)
The Upside of Anger (2005)
Girls' Lunch (2004)
Two Weeks Notice (2002)
Cecil B. DeMented (2000)
Playing Mona Lisa (2000)
Urban Legend (1998)
Bongwater (1998)
Gen 13 (1998) (voice)
The Reef (1997)
Citizen Ruth (1996)
Four Rooms (1995)
Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)
Fun (1994)
Bodies, Rest & Motion (1993)
Liebestraum (1991)
Dune (1984)