Valerie Curtin
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Valerie Curtin is an American actress and Oscar-nominated screenwriter, born on March 31, 1945 in New York City. She was married to writer and director Barry Levinson from 1975-1982.
[edit] Career
Curtin began her writing career in the 1970s working on episodes of the popular television sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Curtin and her then-husband Barry Levinson were nominated for an Academy Award (in the category of Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) for ...And Justice for All (1979) starring Al Pacino. They also co-wrote the semi-autobiographical Best Friends (1982), which featured Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn.
Curtin's acting career has run concurrently with her writing career. During the 1970s, she made various guest appearances on television playing in shows such as Happy Days, Welcome Back, Kotter, Rhoda and Barney Miller. In 1976, ABC shot the pilot episode for Three's Company, in which Curtin appeared alongside John Ritter and Susanne Zenor. Curtin played a character named Jenny, who eventually became Janet Wood, played by Joyce DeWitt.
Her movie appearances included Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (her first movie appearance, 1974), All the President's Men and Silent Movie (1976) and Maxie (1985), plus a small, uncredited role in Best Friends.
In 1982, Curtin was given the role of Judy Bernly in the television version of the movie Nine to Five (titled 9 to 5). Her TV role was portrayed by Jane Fonda in the movie version. Curtin was dropped from the show after two seasons, when James Komack came on as the new executive producer, replacing the team lead by Jane Fonda. However, Curtin would return for a syndicated version of 9 to 5 (1986-1988), reprising her earlier role; the new version was successful. In the 1980s and 1990s, her writing credits included such mainstream films as Inside Moves (1980), Unfaithfully Yours (1984), and Toys (1992).
Curtin has continued to guest star in shows such as Frasier, Party of Five, Becker, The District, Just Shoot Me and ER.
She is a cousin of TV comedian/actress Jane Curtin (Kate & Allie, Third Rock from the Sun).
