Anne-Marie Martin
| Anne-Marie Martin | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Edmonda Benton November 11, 1957 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Other names | Eddie Benton |
| Occupation | Film, television actress |
| Spouse(s) | Michael Crichton (1987-2003; divorced) |
| Children | 1 |
Anne-Marie Martin (born Edmonda Benton, November 11, 1957) is a Canadian actress and writer who is perhaps best known for playing Sgt. Dori Doreau in the American television comedy series Sledge Hammer! from 1986 to 1988.
Martin also played Gwen Davies on the soap opera Days of Our Lives in the early 1980s. Prior to 1980, she acted under her real name, "Eddie Benton", most notably in the unsuccessful series pilot/telefilm Dr. Strange (1978). She also appeared in films such as Prom Night (1980), Savage Harvest (1981), The Boogens (1981), and a cameo in Halloween II (1981); as well as numerous TV series guest roles. Among these were Stella Breed, a woman with psychokinetic powers in the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century episode "Twiki is Missing", and an officer who faces an amputation after injury in the line of duty on T. J. Hooker. Prior to this she appeared in H. G. Wells' The Shape of Things to Come (1979), a low-budget science fiction film that capitalized on the popularity of Buck Rogers (Martin was made up to resemble Erin Gray's Buck Rogers character, Wilma Deering). She was also a regular on the short-lived 1977 series Rafferty opposite Patrick McGoohan and appeared in the equally short lived Time Express in 1979. Credited by her birth name, Martin also auditioned unsuccessfully for the role of Princess Leia in the first Star Wars movie.
In the early 1980s, she appeared in a Highway to Heaven episode in which she and Victor French traded bodies. Alan Spencer, who created Sledge Hammer, chose her for the Doreau role; he also wrote an episode of the series that allowed her to, if not exactly change bodies with Sledge Hammer, at least impersonate him.
Martin married author Michael Crichton in 1987 (she had a small role in Crichton's film Runaway three years earlier), and following the cancellation of Sledge Hammer!, retired from television and film acting. In 1989, they had a daughter, Taylor-Anne.[1] Martin co-wrote, with Crichton, the screenplay to the 1996 film Twister. The couple separated in 2001 and a divorce settlement was reached in 2003. Martin went on to pursue her love of horses and ride competitively. She rode for the American Team in the World Championship competition for Icelandic horses.[2]