Vanessa Angel

Vanessa Madeline Angel (born November 10, 1966) is an English model and actress. She is best known for playing the role of Lisa on the television series Weird Science. She is also known for her role as Claudia in the film Kingpin.

Biography

Early life

Born and raised in London, England, Angel was discovered by a Select Model Management modeling agent in a London cafe as a teenager. At 16, she was signed by Ford Models and moved to New York. During her modeling stint, Angel appeared on the covers of Vogue and Cosmopolitan. Between modelling assignments, she also worked as a magician's assistant.

Career

Angel's first movie role was in the 1985 American comedy, Spies Like Us, in which she played a soldier in the Soviet Strategic Missile Forces. In 1990, she appeared in a small role in the movie King of New York. Angel continued to appear in films throughout the early 1990s.

In 1994, she starred in the television series Weird Science. The show ran for five seasons, ending in 1998. In this show, her previous experience as a magician's assistant came in useful. This was especially so in the season 2 episode Magic for Beginners, where the two male lead characters performed a magic routine with Angel acting as their assistant in a number of illusions. In 1995, Angel was cast in the role of Xena, originally intended to be a three-episode guest spot on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Due to an illness, she was unable to take the role. Ultimately, the role went to Lucy Lawless.

During the series run of Weird Science, Angel landed the female lead in the Farrelly brothers film, Kingpin. After completing the last season of Weird Science, she played roles in Kissing a Fool with David Schwimmer, followed by a role in the 1999 film, Made Men. In 2004, she appeared in Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2, as Scott Baio's wife.Angel has also had roles in Sabretooth and The Perfect Score.

In 2000, she guest starred in three episodes of Stargate SG-1. Angel played the role of Freya. Her first appearance is in the Season 4 episode "Upgrades", and she appeared in the two following episodes, "Crossroads" and "Divide and Conquer".

In 2005, Angel played herself in the Season 2 episode of Entourage entitled "I Love You Too". In 2007, she completed the independent film Blind Ambition.

Personal life

In 1996, Angel married actor Rick Otto. The couple have one daughter.

Filmography

• Spies Like Us (1985)
• Another Chance (1989)
• King of New York (1990)
• Killer Instinct (1991)
• Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992)
• Cityscrapes: Los Angeles (1994)
• Sleep with Me (1994)
• Kingpin (1996)
• Kissing a Fool (1998)
• Made Men (1999)
• Enemies of Laughter (2000)
• G-Men from Hell (2000)
• Camouflage (2001)
• Firetrap (2001)
• Sabretooth (2002)
• The Perfect Score (2004)
• Out for Blood (2004)
• Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004)
• Puppet Master vs Demonic Toys (2004)
• Raging Sharks (2005)
• The Good Humor Man (2005)
• Popstar (2005)
• Monster Night (2006)
• Planet Raptor: Raptor Island 2 (2007)
• Blind Ambition (2007, Post-Production)
• Endless Bummer (2008, Post-Production)
• Level Seven (2008, Pre-Production)

Television

• The Equalizer (1 episode, 1988)
• Baywatch (3 episodes, 1991-1992)
• On the Air (1 episode, 1992)
• Raven (1 episode, 1992)
• Jackie Collins' Lady Boss (1992)
• Reasonable Doubts (7 episodes, 1992-1993)
• Melrose Place (2 episodes, 1993)
• Murder, She Wrote (1 episode, 1993)
• The Cover Girl Murders (1993)
• Time Trax (1 episode, 1994)
• Veronica's Closet (2 episodes, 1997)
• Weird Science (88 episodes, 1994-1998)
• Partners (2000)
• Stargate SG-1 (3 episodes, 2000)
• The Division (1 episode, 2003)
• Criminal Intent (2005)
• Entourage (1 episode, 2005) as Herself
• Blind Ambition (2007, Post-Production)