Alison Lohman

Alison Marion Lohman (born September 18, 1979) is a former American actress. Lohman began her career with small roles in short and independent films, and had a breakthrough as the star of the drama film White Oleander (2002), which earned her recognition and a Young Hollywood Award. She earned praise for her performances in the fantasy film Big Fish (2003) and the dark comedy film Matchstick Men (2003), winning a Hollywood Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for the latter. She lent her voice to the animated film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (2005) and starred in the sitcom Tucker (2000–2001) before taking a role in the soap opera Pasadena (2001–2002). Lohman sporadically worked in acting throughout the late 2000s, notably playing roles in the action film Beowulf (2007) and the drama film Things We Lost in the Fire (2007). Her highest-grossing film came with the horror film Drag Me to Hell (2009), which earned her nominations for the Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress, the Saturn Award for Best Actress, and the MTV Movie Award for Best Scared-As-Shit Performance. She then retired from acting following her marriage to filmmaker Mark Neveldine later that year, stating that she wanted to teach online acting classes while focusing on raising their three children. She has since had small roles in Neveldine's films The Vatican Tapes (2015), Urge (2016), and Officer Downe (2016). Early life Alison Marion Lohman was born in Palm Springs, California, on September 18, 1979, the daughter of pâtisserie owner Diane (née Dunham) and Minnesota-born architect Gary Lohman. She has a younger brother named Robert. She excelled in high school, obtaining top grades in all subjects except drama because she suffered from shyness. During her senior year, she was awarded the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. She was offered a full scholarship to attend New York University but declined, opting instead to directly pursue an acting career.