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Virginia Gayle Madsen (born September 11, 1961) is an American actress. She is the recipient of two Critics' Choice Awards, an Independent Spirit Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for one Academy Award and one Golden Globe Award.
Madsen made her film debut in 1983 with a small part in Class. Her breakout role came the following year when she played Princess Irulan in David Lynch's Dune. After a string of parts in teen films, comedies and thrillers of varying commercial success, Madsen received critical acclaim and a Saturn Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of grad student Helen Lyle in Candyman (1992). Other notable film appearances during this period included The Prophecy (1995), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), and The Rainmaker (1997). For her portrayal of waitress Maya Randall in Sideways (2004), Madsen was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Subsequent credits include A Prairie Home Companion (2006), The Number 23 (2007), The Haunting in Connecticut (2009), Joy (2015), and Lola (2024).
Outside film, Madsen has played recurring roles on Moonlighting (1989), Frasier (1998), American Dreams (2002–2003), Monk (2009), The Event (2011), Hell on Wheels (2012), Witches of East End (2013–2014), and Designated Survivor (2016–2017). Other television credits include American Gothic (2016), The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair (2018), and Swamp Thing (2019). She is married and has one child.