Jordan Ladd | |
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Ladd at the Grindhouse premiere, 2007
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Born |
Jordan Elizabeth Ladd January 14, 1975 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1990–present |
Spouse(s) | Conor O'Neill (2001–05) |
Parent(s) |
Cheryl Ladd David Ladd |
Jordan Elizabeth Ladd (born January 14, 1975) is an American actress. She is known as a scream queen, having appeared in several horror films. She began taking small film roles before landing her first high-profile role in Never Been Kissed (1999). Since then, Ladd has portrayed supporting as well as lead roles in films, including Cabin Fever (2002), Club Dread (2004), and Death Proof (2007). She has also earned acclaim for her lead role in the horror film Grace (2009).
Ladd was born in Hollywood, California, the daughter of Charlie's Angels star Cheryl Ladd (née Stoppelmoor) and David Ladd, a producer and former actor. Her parents divorced in 1980. Her paternal grandfather was actor Alan Ladd, and her paternal grandmother was Sue Carol (née Evelyn Lederer), a Hollywood talent agent and actress. She has a stepsister, Lindsay Russell, an aspiring actress. Her cousin is Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Ashley Marie. She attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
At the age of two, Ladd began appearing in commercials. Her first commercial was for Polaroid. She began acting in film and television while in school, working with her mother in films such as The Girl Who Came Between Them (1990) and Broken Promises: Taking Emily Back (1993). After graduating high school, she took up acting professionally.
In 1994, she guest appeared in the NBC series Saved by the Bell: The New Class episode "The Return of Screech", and followed that appearance with a role opposite Alyssa Milano in the horror-thriller feature Embrace of the Vampire. She was going to play the role of Amy Blue in the teen drama film The Doom Generation (1995), until her mother vetoed her playing the role at the last minute. She spent the majority of the 1990s appearing in a variety of independent films, including Inside Out, Nowhere, Stand-ins, and Taking the Plunge. In 1999, she landed her first high-profile role as a popular teenager who tortures Drew Barrymore's character in the teen comedy Never Been Kissed, during its filming, Barrymore – who also produced the film – asked Ladd if she would like to appear in her film adaptation of Charlie's Angels (2000), but Ladd turned it down.