Nancy Stephens

{{Infobox person

| name = Nancy Stephens

| image = Nancy Stephens (2015) crop.jpg

| caption = Stephens in 2015

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|07|02}}

| birth_place = Rusk, Texas, U.S.

| occupation = Actress

| alma_mater = Connecticut College (BA)

| years_active = 1969–2004; 2021- present

| known_for = Marion Chambers in Halloween
Halloween II
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
Halloween Kills

| spouse = {{marriage|Rick Rosenthal|1981}}

| children = 3

}}

Nancy Stephens (born July 2, 1949){{cite web|publisher=AllMovie|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/nancy-stephens-p67996|title=Nancy Stephens Biography|archive-url=https://archive.today/20201030014936/https://www.allmovie.com/artist/nancy-stephens-p67996|archive-date=October 30, 2020|url-status=live|access-date=October 30, 2020}} is a former American actress who has starred in many films and television shows. Stephens is perhaps best known for her role as Nurse Marion Chambers in John Carpenter's horror film Halloween (1978). She reprised this role in Halloween II (1981), Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) and Halloween Kills (2021).

Early life

Stephens was born July 2, 1949 in Rusk, Texas.{{cite web|work=Texas Monthly|url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/halloween-kills-film-review/|title='Halloween Kills' Time and Patience|last=O'Neal|first=Sean|date=October 15, 2021|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929165250/https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/halloween-kills-film-review/|archive-date=September 29, 2022|access-date=October 14, 2022}} Stephens attended the Connecticut College, from which she graduated in 1967.{{cite journal|journal=Connecticut College|date=Summer 1990|title=From New London to Hollywood|page=3|url=https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1252&context=alumnews|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014222854/https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1252&context=alumnews|archive-date=October 14, 2022}}

Career

A life member of The Actors Studio,{{cite book|first=David|last=Garfield|title=A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio|year=1980|publisher=MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc.|location=New York|isbn=0-02-542650-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/playersplacestor00garf/page/280 280]|chapter=Appendix: Life Members of The Actors Studio as of January 1980|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/playersplacestor00garf/page/280}} Stephens starred in the soap opera Bright Promise as Jennifer Matthews from 1969–1970; her first role in a television series. She later appeared in the soap opera Days of Our Lives as Mary Anderson in 1975.

Stephens made her film debut in 1978 in John Carpenter's classic horror Halloween, playing the supporting role of Nurse Marion Chambers, who was attacked by Michael Myers in the film's early scenes. She was cast in John Carpenter's next film in 1981, Escape from New York, and later that year, reprised her role as Marion with the sequel Halloween II, having a much more significant presence on-screen. She appeared in several films such as American Dreamer, Russkies, and D2: The Mighty Ducks, before appearing for the third time as Marion Chambers in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, the seventh film in the franchise. In 2002 she appeared in A Time for Dancing. Stephens has made guest appearances on many sitcoms such as All in the Family, CHiPs, Cheers, Ally McBeal, and Boston Legal. After a 17-year absence from acting, she reprised the role of Marion Chambers again in David Gordon Green's 2021 sequel Halloween Kills.

Stephens, along with her husband Rick Rosenthal, executive produced the film Invisible Beauty about Bethann Hardison, which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.{{Cite web|url=https://festival.sundance.org/program/film/638a1a40d406b261cbf2d400|title=Invisible Beauty|website=festival.sundance.org|access-date=2023-03-01}}{{cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2023/07/invisible-beauty-bethann-hardison-documentary-magnolia-pictures-acquisition-news-directors-hardison-and-frederic-tcheng-1235440237/|author=Matthew Carey|date=July 18, 2023|title=Magnolia Pictures Acquires ‘Invisible Beauty’; Doc About Pioneering African American Model Bethann Hardison Features Zendaya, Naomi Campbell|work=Deadline}}

Personal life

Stephens has been married to Rick Rosenthal since May 23, 1981. Stephens and Rosenthal met while filming Halloween II. They have three children, one of whom is cinematographer Noah Rosenthal.

Filmography

class="wikitable sortable" \|+ Film and television
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable"\| Notes
1969–70 \| Bright Promise \| Jennifer Collins Matthews \| 11 episodes
1971 \| Medical Center \| Sue \| 1 episode, "The Loser"
1971–72 \| Mod Squad \| Marion Briggs, Girl \| 2 episodes, "Welcome to Our City", "Crime Club"
1973 \| The Magician \| Francine Powers \| 1 episode, "Pilot"
1975 \| Harry O \| Receptionist \| 1 episode, "Double Jeopardy"
1975 \| Days of Our Lives \| Mary Anderson \| 4 episodes
1976 \| All in the Family \| Anita \| 1 episode, "New Year's Wedding"
1976 \| Charlie's Angels \| Brooke \| 1 episode, "The Killing Kind"
1976 \| Serpico \| Gladys \| 1 episode, "Strike!"
1976 \| Police Woman \| Valerie \| 1 episode, "The Lifeline Agency"
1976 \| Executive Suite \| Lois \| 2 episodes, "The Sounds of Silence", "What Are Patterns For?"
1976 \| The McLean Stevenson Show \| Linda \| 1 episode, "Mac's Fatal Charm"
1976 \| Barnaby Jones \| Ruth Shiller \| 1 episode, "Fraternity of Thieves"
1977 \| Panic in Echo Park \| — \| Television Film
1978 \| The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries \| Mrs. Morgan \| 1 episode, "Oh Say Can You Sing"
1978 \| CHiPs \| Young Mother \| 1 episode, "Surf's Up"
1978 \| Police Story \| Nancy Burke \| 1 episode, "The Broken Badge"
1978 \| Battered \| Jackie \| Television Film
1978 \| Halloween \| Marion Chambers \| Major film
1979 \| Death Car on the Freeway \| Christine \| Television Film
1981 \| Flamingo Road \| — \| 1 episode, "Secrets"
1981 \| Escape from New York \| Stewardess \|
1981 \| Halloween II \| Marion Chambers \| Major film
1984 \| American Dreamer \| Jacqueline \|
1987 \| Russkies \| Nurse \|
1988 \| Terrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Salim Ajami \| Ginny Delmore \| Television Film
1989 \| Everybody's Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure \| 2nd Reporter \| Television Film
1990-91 \| Life Goes On \| Sharon Galloway \| 2 episodes, "Brothers", "The Bigger Picture"
1992 \| Cheers \| Customer #2 \| 1 episode, "License to Hill"
1993 \| Picket Fences \| Mrs. Kendall \| 1 episode, "The Body Politic"
1993 \| Barbarians at the Gate \| Kravis' Maid \| Television Film
1993 \| Empty Cradle \| Foster Mother \| Television Film
1994 \| D2: The Mighty Ducks \| Coliseum Reporter \|
1994 \| Beverly Hills, 90210 \| Nurse Helen \| 2 episodes, "Mr. Walsh Goes to Washington", "What I Did on My Summer Vacation and Other Stories"
1996 \| Dark Skies \| Mrs. Bach \| 2 episodes, "The Awakening", "Inhuman Nature"
1998 \| Halloween H20 \| Marion Chambers \|
1998–99 \| Ally McBeal \| Judge Washington, Dr. Karp \| 2 episodes, "Body Language", "Buried Pleasures"
2000 \| Providence \| Dr. Blake \| 1 episode, "Family Ties"
2002 \| A Time for Dancing \| Mrs. Hillman \|
2002 \| Halloween Resurrection \| Marion Chambers Whittington \| Archive Footage uncredited
2004 \| Boston Legal \| Judge Wilcox \| 1 episode, "Questionable Characters"
2021 \| Halloween Kills \| Marion Chambers \|
2024 \| Ladybug \| Rosalee \|

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ Film and television

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable"| Notes

1969–70

| Bright Promise

| Jennifer Collins Matthews

| 11 episodes

1971

| Medical Center