Meredith Salenger (born March 14, 1970) is an American actress. Her credits include the 1985 film The Journey of Natty Gann, as the title character, and the 1989 teen comedy Dream a Little Dream.

Meredith Salenger
Salenger in 2008
Born (1970-03-14) March 14, 1970 (age 54)[1]
EducationHarvard University
OccupationActress
Years active1982–present
Spouse
(m. 2017)

Early life and education

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Salenger was born and raised in Malibu, California, the daughter of Dorothy, an interior designer, and Gary Salenger, a dentist.[2] She is Jewish; her family was originally from Austria and Russia.[3][4]

Salenger enrolled at Harvard University and graduated cum laude with a degree in psychology in 1992. She received certificates in "Court-Based Mediation of Family Law Matters" and "Mediating the Litigated Case" from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University School of Law in 2009 and 2011, respectively.[5] She works as a mediator for the Agency for Dispute Resolution in Beverly Hills, California, when she is not filming.[6]

Career

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Salenger's first starring role was in the Disney film The Journey of Natty Gann.[7] After starring in four more films by her eighteenth birthday, including A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, The Kiss (1988) and Dream a Little Dream (1989), she left Hollywood for Harvard to further her education.[citation needed]

Salenger resumed her acting career upon her return to Hollywood with credits including Lake Placid and The Third Wheel. Salenger has also appeared in independent films, including Quality Time and Sparkle & Charm.

Salenger appeared in a 1998 episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She also recorded a song titled "Flow Through Me" with Koishii and Hush; and she appeared as a background member of the Counting Crows video for "Hanging Around".

Salenger appeared in two episodes of Dawson's Creek in 2002 as film critic Amy Lloyd, and guest-starred on Cold Case playing victim Sloane Easton on the episode "Ravaged". Salenger had a cameo in the Disney film Race to Witch Mountain in 2009, where she played a television reporter named Natalie Gann.[8]

Salenger has performed the voices of several characters in Cartoon Network's Star Wars: The Clone Wars, including Jedi Padawan Barriss Offee and Ione Marcy during the second season, Che Amanwe Papanoida during the third season, and Pluma Sodi during the fourth season. She also appeared as Lisa Sanders in the one-hour Nick at Nite drama series Hollywood Heights which lasted 80 episodes,[9] as well as several characters in Mad and Robot Chicken television series. In addition, Salenger voiced a Nightsister ghost in a season three episode of Star Wars Rebels. She can be seen opposite Elias Koteas in Jake Squared along with Virginia Madsen and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

In November 2024 Deadline announced Salenger was boarding the Oscar-contending short Sardinia as Executive Producer, alongside her husband, actor Patton Oswalt.[10]

Personal life

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Salenger and comedian Patton Oswalt were engaged in July 2017,[11] marrying on November 4 of that year.[12]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1982 Annie Orphan #2 [13]
1985 The Journey of Natty Gann Natty Gann
1988 A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon Lisa Bentwright
1988 The Kiss Amy Halloran
1989 Dream a Little Dream Lainie Diamond
1991 Edge of Honor Alex
1994 Dead Beat Donna
1995 Village of the Damned Melanie Roberts
1995 Venus Rising Maria Video
1997 Sparkle and Charm Gwen
1998 Sour Grapes Degan
1998 No Code of Conduct Rebecca Peterson
1998 Bug Buster Veronica Hart
1999 Matters of Consequence Reiko
1999 Lake Placid Sharon Gare
2001 Good Advice Amy
2001 My Best Friend's Wife Ami Meyer
2002 The Third Wheel Sara
2006 The Work and the Glory III: A House Divided Caroline Mendenhall
2008 My Apocalypse Susan Stone
2009 Race to Witch Mountain Natalie Gann
2011 The Lamp Lisa Walters
2017 Lego DC Super Hero Girls: Brain Drain Lashina Voice, direct-to-video
2017 An American Dog Story Daniella
2018 The Second Coming of Christ Dr. Clea
2018 Lego DC Super Hero Girls: Super-Villain High Lashina, Backlash Voice, direct-to-video
2018 Teen Titans Go! To the Movies Supergirl Voice
2019 The Secret Life of Pets 2 Cat Lady Voice
2020 Jelly Bean Mom Short
2022 The Prank Julie Palmer
2024 Sardinia (film) Executive Producer[14]

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1986 My Town Amber Wheeler TV series
1986 The Last Frontier Tina Adamson TV film
1988 April Morning Ruth Simmons TV film
1993 Tales from the Crypt Mona Episode: "House of Horror"
1995 Legacy of Sin: The William Coit Story Robin Coit TV film
1996 Pier 66 Kate Kelly TV film
1996 L.A. Firefighters Michelle Goldstein 3 episodes
1996 The Sentinel Amber Episode: "Ice Man"
1997 Poltergeist: The Legacy Emma Scott Episode: "Dark Angel"
1998 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Grace Newman Episode: "I Only Have Eyes for You"
1999 Chicks Nic TV film
2000 H.U.D. Mason Noble TV film
2001 Resurrection Blvd. Jane Ensler 3 episodes
2002 Dawson's Creek Amy Lloyd 2 episodes
2004–05 Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! Aurora Six Voice, 2 episodes
2005 Cold Case Sloane Easton Episode: "Ravaged"
2005 Out of the Woods Linda TV film
2005 Close to Home Diane Walker Episode: "Under Threat"
2007 Life Leslie Stark Episode: "Tear Asunder"
2008 The Cleaner Cristina Alvarez Episode: "Let It Ride"
2008 House Poor Meredith TV series
2009 24 Linda Gadsen Episode: "Day 7: 10:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m."
2009–2013 Star Wars: The Clone Wars Barriss Offee, Various Voice, recurring role
2010 Men of a Certain Age Jessica Episode: "Same as the Old Boss"
2011 Damages Jessica Lowry 2 episodes
2011, 2018 Robot Chicken Jeannie, Jyn Erso, Malika Meerkat Voice, 2 episodes
2011–2013 Mad Various Voice, recurring role
2012 Hollywood Heights Lisa Sanders Main role
2013 Anger Management Meredith Episode: "Charlie Loses It at a Baby Shower"
2013 Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret Jennifer Willmott TV film
2016 Grey's Anatomy Daphne Episode: "My Next Life"
2016 The Perfect Daughter Julie Cahill TV film
2016 Star Wars Rebels Nightsister Ghost Kanan Voice, episode: "Visions and Voices"
2017 Sleepovers Barbara TV film
2018 Daredevil Lily Ellison Episode: "No Good Deed"
2018 Into the Dark Rose Tooms Episode: "Flesh & Blood"
2019 My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Clear Sky Voice, episode: "Common Ground"
2019 Happy! Antonia De Sica Episode: "Five Chicken Fingers and a Fun"
2019 Will & Grace Lucy Episode: "The Chick or the Egg Donor"
2020 Home Movie: The Princess Bride Count Rugen Episode: "Chapter Nine: Have Fun Storming the Castle"
2021 M.O.D.O.K. Brandi, Whitney Frost Voice, 2 episodes
2024 Star Wars: Tales of the Empire Barriss Offee Voice, 3 episodes[15][16]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Title of work Result
1986 Young Artist Award Best Starring Performance by a Young Actress - Motion Picture The Journey of Natty Gann Won
1988 Saturn Award Best Supporting Actress The Kiss Nominated
1989 Young Artist Award Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "Happy birthday to Meredith Salenger🎉 (born March 14, 1970) American actress. Her credits include the 1985 film The Journey of Natty Gann, as the title character, and the 1989 teen comedy Dream a Little Dream". facebook.com.
  2. ^ "Paid Notice: Deaths SALENGER, ANNE GOLDENBERG". NYT. July 13, 2004.
  3. ^ "Meredith Salenger on Twitter". twitter.com. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
  4. ^ "Patton Oswalt Celebrates First Christmas with Meredith Salenger".
  5. ^ "Meredith Salenger - resume" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  6. ^ "Agency for Dispute Resolution - Neutrals - Salenger, Meredith". Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  7. ^ Scott Cain (October 26, 1985). "Dogged determination: Meredith Salenger's journey to Natty Gann". NewsLibrary.
  8. ^ Race to Witch Mountain (2009) - closing credits.
  9. ^ Lowry, Brian (June 7, 2012). "Review: Hollywood Heights". Variety. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  10. ^ "EP Patton Oswalt Boards Oscar Contender Short 'Sardinia', Starring Martha Plimpton, Philip Ettinger". Deadline.
  11. ^ "Patton Oswalt's New Fiancée Is the 'Happiest Girl in the Universe' — See Her Ring & Sweet Tribute to His Daughter!". People. July 6, 2017. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  12. ^ "Tweet from Patton Oswalt". Twitter. November 5, 2017. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  13. ^ Child, Ben (July 7, 2015). "Amanda Peterson, star of Can't Buy Me Love, dies aged 43". the Guardian. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  14. ^ "EP Patton Oswalt Boards Oscar Contender Short 'Sardinia', Starring Martha Plimpton, Philip Ettinger". Deadline.
  15. ^ Complex, Valerie (April 4, 2024). "'Star Wars: Tales Of The Empire' Trailer: Disney+ Unveils Dave Filoni's Animated Follow-Up To 'Star Wars: Tales Of The Jedi'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 12, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  16. ^ StarWars.com Team (April 4, 2024). "Star Wars: Tales of the Empire Trailer Revealed". Star Wars. Archived from the original on April 12, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
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