Pamela Catherine Gidley (June 11, 1965 – April 16, 2018) was an American actress and model. She began her career as an actress in 1986, debuting in the film Thrashin', before appearing in a number of films, including Dudes (1987), Cherry 2000 (1988), The Blue Iguana (1988), Permanent Record (1988), Liebestraum (1991), Highway to Hell (1992), Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), Jane Austen's Mafia (1998), and The Little Vampire (2000).
Gidley is also known for her roles in television series, including Strange Luck as Audrey Weston (1995–1996), and her recurring role as Brigitte on The Pretender (1997–2000).
Life and career Gidley was born in Methuen, Massachusetts, and raised in Salem, New Hampshire. She was the third of four siblings and the only daughter. She had two older brothers, Glenn and Daniel, and one younger brother, Brian.
She won the Wilhemina Modeling Agency's "Most Beautiful Girl in the World" contest on March 12, 1985, in Sydney, Australia. As her modeling career had taken off, Gidley studied acting at the New York Academy of Dramatic Art under actress and acting teacher Stella Adler, who ran the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. She eventually moved to Los Angeles to pursue her career in acting.
Gidley made her acting debut in the 1986 film Thrashin'. She appeared in several films of the 1980s, including Dudes, Permanent Record, The Blue Iguana, and Cherry 2000. Gidley starred in many films throughout the 1990s, including Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, a prequel to the short-lived television series; Disturbed, alongside Malcolm McDowell; Highway to Hell; the comedy Jane Austen's Mafia!; the comedy horror Aberration, a film in which she starred in the lead role; and Kiss & Tell, a film in which Gidley also served as producer. In 2000, she appeared in the family comedy The Little Vampire. Her last film was the direct-to-video comedy Cake Boy.
Gidley is perhaps best known for her roles in television series. Her first appearance in television was in an episode of the action adventure series MacGyver. She had three appearances as Army Lieutenant Nikki Raines in Tour of Duty during the 1987–1988 season. She also had the recurring role of Brigitte Parker in The Pretender. Her character was the first to be introduced on the show's official website before any of the episodes had aired. She played another recurring character, Teri Miller on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. She appeared in the show's first and third seasons.
She starred as Audrey Westin in the short-lived mystery series Strange Luck which lasted one season. Other television credits include Crime Story, Tour of Duty, and the serial drama Skin, which was cancelled after just eight episodes, and she guest starred in an episode of The Closer.
Death Gidley died at her home in Seabrook, New Hampshire, on April 16, 2018, aged 52. The cause of death was undisclosed.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1986 Thrashin' Chrissy 1987 Dudes Elyse 1988 Cherry 2000 Cherry 2000 Dakota Permanent Record Kim 1990 Haley Disturbed Sandy Ramirez 1991 Liebestraum Jane Kessler 1992 Highway to Hell Clara Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me Teresa Banks Love Is Like That Eloise 1993 Paper Hearts Samantha 1994 Freefall Katy Mazur S.F.W. Janet Streeter Jennifer Pierce 1996 Kelly Hannon 1997 Aberration Amy Harding / Alex Langdon Kiss & Tell Beta Carotene Bombshell Melinda Clark Bertha 1998 Mafia! Pepper Gianini Dolly 1999 Liar's Poker Linda 2000 Dottie Thompson Goodbye Casanova Hilly 2001 True Blue Beck Puzzled Susan 2002 Luster Alyssa Landspeed Linda Fincher 2005 Cake Boy Becky Direct-to-video 2014 Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces Teresa Banks archive footage from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
Television Year Title Role Notes 1986 MacGyver Gina Episode: "Final Approach" 1987 Crime Story Teddi Butler Episode: "Love Hurts" 1987–1988 Tour of Duty Lieutenant Nikki Raines Episodes: "Nowhere to Run", "Angel of Mercy", "The Hill" 1988 Glory Days Diane TV film 1990 Blue Bayou Deanie Fortenot Serulla TV film 1992 Angel Street Detective Dorothy Paretsky TV film Angel Street Main role 1995–1996 Strange Luck Audrey Westin Main role, 17 episodes 1997–2000 Brigitte Recurring role, 17 episodes 1998 Man Made Kitty TV film 2000 Goodbye Casanova Hilly TV film 2000–2002 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Teri Miller 5 episodes 2003–2004 Skin Barbara Goldman Recurring role, 6 episodes 2006 Annalisa Mundy Episode: "Head Over Heels"
Documentary 1997 Scratch the Surface 2014 Moving Through Time: Fire Walk with Me Memories (Video short)
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