Erica Leerhsen (born February 14, 1976 in Ossining, New York), is an American actress, best known for her role of 'Pepper Harrington' in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Erica Leerhsen | |
|---|---|
| File:Erica Leerhsen.jpg Erica Leerhsen | |
| Born | Erica Leerhsen |
| Years active | 2000 - present |
| Height | 5 ft 85 in (1.74 m) |
| Website | http://www.EricaLeerhsen.net |
Biography
Publicly joking that the majority of her character's cinematic fates may not bode well for her future career, young starlet Erica likely has little to worry about, given her solid performances in such features as Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000), Woody Allen's Anything Else (2003), the popular television drama The Guardian, very successful horror remake The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and the upcoming Wrong Turn 2 (2007).
In fact, quite to the contrary, she seems to have crafted quite an impressive onscreen career. A Ossining, NY, native and the daughter of Charlie Leerhsen, young Erica attended Boston University College of Fine Arts upon graduating high school. Following impressive performances in such stage productions as "The Call of the Wild and The Tempest", Leerhsen earned her B.F.A. and graduated summa cum lauda in 1998, and subsequent performances for the Gloucester Stage Company and Surf Reality soon gave way to a film career. Her role as a Wiccan witch in Blair Witch 2 proved so intense that, at one point during production, Leerhsen passed out after chanting an actual summoning of the "God of the Underworld." She soon poured the same intensity into roles in the TV series The Guardian, as well as Hollywood Ending, Little Athens and Anything Else. Erica currently lives and works in Los Angeles.
Filmography
- Shutter (2008)... Allison Carter (in talks)
- Wrong Turn 2 (2007)... Nina Papas
- The Living Hell (2007)... Carrie Freeborn
- CSI: Miami (2006)... Brenda Sanders
- Ghost Whisperer (2005)... Hope Paulson
- Mozart and the Whale (2005)... Bronwin
- Little Athens (2005)... Heather
- The Warrior Class (2004)... Annie Sullivan
- Alias (2003)... Kaya
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)... Pepper Harrington
- Anything Else (2003)... Connie
- Hollywood Ending (2002)... Actress
- The Guardian (2001)... Amanda Bowles (2001-2002)
- The Sopranos (2001)... Birgit Olafsdottir
- Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)... Erica Geerson
- Junior Creative (2000)... Sarah
Personal quotes
"It's weird because I always seem to be dead. I'm gonna have to change that because I wouldn't want to be typecast."
Trivia
- Erica Leerhsen attended St. Augustine's School in Ossining, New York, Ossining High School, and graduated from Boston University's School of Fine Arts (1998).
- She has 2 sisters, Nora and Debbie.
- Enjoys running, playing basketball and Yoga.
- Sang in choir in high school.
- Earned B.F.A (summa cum lauda) in acting in 1998.
- Was honored with the title "Arrow in the Head's Mistress of the Year 2003."
- Her father, Charles Leerhsen, was a longtime editor of celebrity publication US Magazine (which became US Weekly in March 2000), until he quit in 2002 after never having been promoted to editor-in-chief.
- During the production of Junior Creative, Erica was landed the lead role of Erica Geerson in Blair Witch 2.
- Originally auditioned for Kim Director's role in Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. She went to the audition with short blonde hair, and, as director Joe Berlinger described it, "completely Gothed-out," but ultimately was given the supporting lead role of "Erica." It was Joe Berlinger who decided to make her a longhaired redhead.
- There is a scene in Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 in which Erica's character (a practicing witch) is chanting an actual witchcraft chant, which was given to her by director Joe Berlinger, who learned it from his friend (an actual witch). Erica was so overwhelmed by the chant that she collapsed after the scene. Later Berlinger told his friend what happened to Erica, and she informed him that Erica was calling up the "god of the underworld" in that chant.
- During her screen test for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, her screams were so loud that people on other floors of the building called the police to report that a young woman was being attacked.