WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO: Emily Longstreth

Often times I wonder how I find out about a certain actor or actress, what role it was that makes me remember one.

Emily Longstreth, for example, is an actress that I seem to remember. But what was the role that made me remember her?

Quite honestly, I don’t know how well known she is. In looking over her filmography, it was extremely limited. While I’ve seen most of her work, I wouldn’t be surprised to see if others have never heard of her.

According to the IMDB, she had a very inauspicious beginning. She appeared as an uncredited extra in two teen comedies of the 80’s, GIMME AN ‘F (as a member of a dance squad) and HARDBODIES (as a girl on roller skates). I bet she was happy to remain uncredited on those.


She would go on to play the female lead in her third film, 1985’s PRIVATE RESORT. While better than the other two films, it still was a typical genre film that wouldn’t be on DVD today except for the fact that she co-starred with Rob Morrow (TV’s NORTHERN EXPOSURE) and a guy by the name of Johnny Depp. This was even before he did 21 JUMP STREET.


She again played the female lead in AMERICAN DRIVE-IN. A favorite of USA's UP ALL NIGHT in the era, this film about a night in the life of a drive in had a great theme song, but that is about all that I can say about it.

Emily then had a small role in a sci-fi film called STAR CRYSTAL. Somehow this got released to DVD, even though it isn’t worth the time watching.

In 1986 she was in a TV movie called SLOW BURN with Eric Roberts, Beverly D’Angelo and, once again, Johnny Depp. She had a small role in PRETTY IN PINK (to be honest, I don’t remember who she played in it). And, there was the Mark Harmon as Ted Bundy film THE DELIBERATE STRANGER.

There was the lead role in 1986’s WIRED TO KILL, then back to TV for films such as TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT and INTO THE HOMELAND.

In 1989 she played Kevin Bacon’s wife in Christopher Guest’s THE BIG PICTURE. While it was a great film, the studio didn’t like it and dumped it to video. It was rediscovered on video (and is now on DVD) but didn’t do much for her career.

There were some more TV movies, TOO YOUNG TO DIE in 1990, starring Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis, and RISING SON with Brian Dennehy and a then unknown Matt Damon.

Also in 1990, Emily starred in a TV movie called FLYING BLIND. This could have been the role I remembered. It was a TV movie, that aired only once on a Monday night in the summer, that was set in the 1960’s about a photographer. Maura Tierney was also in the cast. I’ve been meaning to turn this into a Forgotten Film, but that is all I know about it. Very good film that is gone.

Her final role was 1994’s CONFESSIONS OF A HITMAN, a road film where Emily joins a hitman driving to Las Vegas. Not much of a film, and her final role.


So what ever happened to her?

Emily seems to be out of the business entirely. No credits, not even any biographical information for her out there.

Like I said, I don’t know just how well known she is, but she had a fairly good career going. While her co-stars Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon would go on to great things, she disappeared.

EDIT 10-23-09: I received a comment that I hesitate to post as it contains an address of Emily's current whereabouts. Also there is the fact that it is a sad story that I have been unable to confirm. So, I won't allow it to be posted.

There is another site on the web (that "borrowed" both of my above screengrabs, which is not cool) that has a mini war in the comments section going on between Emily's family members, which may also mean that the comment I received was not true.

EMILY LONGSTRETH ON DVD



EMILY LONGSTRETH ON VHS