WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO: AMI DOLENZ

Back when the TV version of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER premiered, in my review I described the then little known Sarah Michelle Gellar as looking a lot like Ami Dolenz.

A decade later, does anyone remember Ami Dolenz?

At the time of the BUFFY premiere, she was popular in direct to video movies. Now that the genre is on the decline, she has disappeared.

Ami is the daughter of MONKEE Mickey Dolenz. She began acting as a teenager, in episodes of shows like STILL THE BEAVER, GROWING PAINS, STARMAN, MR. BELVEDERE and even GENERAL HOSPITAL.

In 1987’s CAN’T BUY ME LOVE, she played one of the new cheerleaders to the team. She only had a few scenes in it, but would for a while go on to have a longer career than the starring cheerleaders.


She would have one of her biggest feature films with 1989’s SHE’S OUT OF CONTROL. Tony Danza played her father, and he spent the film worrying about her. While I can’t say I loved the film, it was popular on cable (and the DVD is now out of print and currently going for $99 on Amazon). SHE’S OUT OF CONTROL would be her last big theatrical release.

In 1990, Ami played Sloan Peterson, Mia Sara’s part, in the short lived TV version of FERRIS BUELLER. It also starred Jennifer Aniston in Jennifer’s Grey’s role. Aniston would soon go on to star in FRIENDS.

The beginning of the 90’s featured the explosion of the direct to video features, when every corner had a Blockbuster and they would seemingly carry anything. Ami took advantage of this starring in many of these films.


There was the vampire film CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT, MIRACLE BEACH, RESCUE ME, STEPMONSTER, WHITE WOLVES, TICKS, and WITCHBOARD 2. None of the films were very good, but she was always a very likable performer. I remember renting TICKS just because she was in it.

She starred in an episode of MURDER SHE WROTE in 1993, a fact that I mention because every actress in this series seems to appear in one. There was even an episode of SAVED BY THE BELL: THE COLLEGE YEARS.

The direct to video films continued. PUMPKINHEAD 2, VIRTUAL SEDUCTION, LIFE 101 (with Corey Haim and Keith Coogan) and DEMOLITION UNIVERSITY (also with Corey Haim).

By this time, people wised up to direct to video films, and the market kind of slowed down. She starred in episodes of PACIFIC BLUE and TEEN ANGEL and a couple films that look like they never saw any sort of release.

So, What Ever Happened To Her?

It looks like Ami has started to try and get back into acting, after a few years off. There are a few recent credits listed, but mostly small roles in independent films.

There was one 2007 film, 2012 DOOMSDAY that was a Christian thriller, along the lines of THE OMEGA CODE. It is on DVD but the reviews are not kind for it.

Ami is still a regular at conventions, signing autographs for fans.



Here she is interviewed in May of 2008.

She has started a couple side businesses.

With her mom, she sells jewelry on Ebay.

She also has a kids party planning company with her husband (stuntman and actor Jerry Trimble).

So, while the days of being a queen of direct to video are over, she hasn’t disappeared.

Ami Dolenz on DVD.



Ami Dolenz on VHS