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Sean Young biography

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Quick Facts

  • NAME: Sean Young
  • OCCUPATION: Film Actress, Television Actress
  • BIRTH DATE: November 20, 1959 (Age: 53)
  • EDUCATION: Cleveland Heights High School, Interlochen Arts Academy, School of American Ballet
  • PLACE OF BIRTH: Louisville, Kentucky
  • Originally: Mary Sean Young
  • ZODIAC SIGN: Scorpio

Best Known For

Sean Young is an American actress best known for her roles in the films Blade Runner (1982) and No Way Out (1987).


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Synopsis

Sean Young is an American actress born on November 20, 1959, in Louisville, Kentucky. After high school, she moved to New York to study at the School of American Ballet and to pursue a modeling career. Young decided to try acting instead and moved to California where she performed in her first film,

Jane Austen in Manhattan (1980). Her big breakthrough came when she appeared in the hit movie Blade Runner (1982). Young soon became an established actress with roles in films such as Young Doctors in Love (1982), No Way Out (1987) and Wall Street (1987). Her career cooled in the 1990’s, and she continues to act in small roles today in television and film.

Early Life

Actress Mary Sean Young was born on November 20, 1959, in Louisville, Kentucky. A rising star in the 1980s, actress Sean Young is best known for such films as Blade Runner (1982) and No Way Out (1987).

The daughter of two writers, Young grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. She developed an interest in performing arts during her school years. Young even staged her own dance recital while attending Cleveland Heights High School. Deciding on her career path early on, she then studied at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan.

Career Highlights

Young went to New York to study at the School of American Ballet. While there, she tried her hand at modeling as well. Young then moved out to California where she landed her first film role in Jane Austen in Manhattan (1980), which was directed by James Ivory. Another small role soon followed with Young in the Bill Murray comedy Stripes (1981). Her first major career breakthrough, however, came with the now classic science-fiction thriller, Blade Runner (1982). She appeared opposite Harrison Ford, playing his android love interest.

Tackling a variety of projects, Young starred in the 1982 comedy Young Doctors in Love. She also had a small role in the science fiction epic Dune (1984). In 1987, Young established her image as a big-screen siren for her turn in No Way Out. Young co-starred with Kevin Costner in the thriller, which is best remembered for its steamy love scenes. Around this time, she also started to develop a reputation for being difficult to work with. Young reportedly clashed with director Oliver Stone while making Wall Street (1987). Her role was allegedly trimmed down by Stone.

Problematic Career

While many thought her career would soon take off, Young ran into trouble with her next project. She starred opposite James Woods in The Boost (1988), which proved to be a critical and commercial disappointment. There was also a lot of drama occurring off-screen between the pair. Some claim that the two had a relationship, but both actors have denied it. In 1988, Woods sued Young for harassment, claiming that the actress had unleashed a "jihad of terror" against him and Sarah Owen, who later married Woods. The case was later settled out of court.

Young landed a role in Tim Burton's hit film Batman (1989), but she had to drop out of the production after breaking her arm.

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