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Background:
Daughter of The Monkees' Micky Dolenz and granddaughter of late actor George
Dolenz, actress Ami Dolenz received applause while portraying Melissa McKee
(1987-1989) in the long-running drama series “General Hospital.” Another notable
TV works includes playing character Sloan Peterson (1990-1991) in the
brief-lived sitcom "Ferris Bueller."
On the silver screen, blonde-haired, 5' 3'' tall Ami Dolenz is best recognized
for starring as Tony Danza's teenage daughter Katie Simpson in the comedy hit
She's Out of Control (1989). She later played roles in such films as Children of
the Night (1991), Miracle Beach (1992), White Wolves: A Cry in the Wild II
(1993), Witchboard Two: The Devil's Doorway (1993), Rescue Me (1993) and
Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings (1994). Dolenz was last seen in the 2003 independent
film Mr. Id, playing Heather Dombrowski.
The Monkees' Daughter
Childhood and Family:
To a family well rehearsed in the show biz, Ami Bluebell Dolenz was born on
January 8, 1969 in Burbank, California. Her father is actor George Michael
Dolenz Jr. (a.k.a. Micky Dolenz, born on 8 March 1945, the drummer of The
Monkees) and her mother is British television presenter Samantha Juste (born on
May 31, 1944). Ami Dolenz is the granddaughter of late actor George Dolenz (born
on 5 January 1908, died on 8 February 1963 of heart attack) and late actress
Janelle Johnson Dolenz (born on 2 December 1923, died on 2 December 1995 of
cancer), and the niece of actress Coco Dolenz (born on 5 April 1949). Although
Ami is an only child, she has three younger half-sisters on Micky's side of the
family.
Ami Dolenz dropped out of high school at age 17. On 10 August 2002, she tied the
knot with kickboxer turned actor Jerry Trimble.
Rescue Me
Career:
15-year-old Ami Dolenz declared to her parents about her desire to be an
actress. She then presented a tape to Junior Star Search and eventually
triumphed in the Junior Acting division for the year. Subsequently, she appeared
on television, playing a reoccurring role in the Golden Globe nominated family
comedy, "Growing Pains." At age 17, Dolenz won a bit part in her debut TV movie,
the crime drama The Children of Times Square (1986, a.k.a. Street Wise). The
following year, she landed on her first big screen role in Steve Rash’ romantic
comedy Can't Buy Me Love (a.k.a. Boy Rents Girl, starring Patrick Dempsey and
Amanda Peterson).
Ami Dolenz was highly praised at Young Artist Award, thanks for her portrayal of
Melissa McKee (1987-1989) in the acclaimed daytime drama "General Hospital."
When her stint in the series ended in 1989, Dolenz nabbed her probably the most
memorable role to date. She portrayed Katie Simpson, Tony Danza’s teenage
daughter who wears braces and thick glasses but transformed into a stunning
bombshell, in Stan Dragoti’s comedy She's Out of Control.
The early 1990s saw Dolenz played the regular role of Sloan Peterson (1990-1991)
in the sitcom "Ferris Bueller," based on the popular feature film "Ferris
Bueller's Day Off." Moviegoers watched her costarring with Sylvia Seidel and
Richard Maldone in Ted Mather’s Faith and with Karen Black and Maya McLaughlin
in Tony Randel’s suspense horror Children of the Night, playing a college
student who becomes a vampire’s target. She also starred as a genie that makes
Dean Cameron’s wishes comes true in Skott Snider’s romantic comedy Miracle Beach
(1992) and teamed with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, David Moscow, Amy O'Neill and Matt
McCoy as a group of inexperienced teenagers struggle to find their way out of
the wilderness in Catherine Cyran’s White Wolves: A Cry in the Wild II (1993).
After an appearance in Jeremy Stanford’s comedy Stepmonster, Dolenz starred as a
new tenant who drawn deeper into the mystery through a ouija board in Kevin S.
Tenney’s horror Witchboard 2: The Devil's Doorway (both in 1993). In that same
year, she also played Michael Dudikoff and Stephen Dorff’s kidnapped high school
sweetheart in Arthur Allan Seidelman’s action comedy Rescue Me and costarred
with Paul Coufos and Noah Hathaway in Brianne Murphy’s drama To Die, to Sleep
(a.k.a. Mortal Danger) in the next year.
Jeff Burr cast her to star opposite Andrew Robinson in his 1994 horror film
Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings and Redge Mahaffey paired her with Corey Haim in his
1995 drama comedy Life 101. On the small screen, Dolenz teamed with Jeff Fahey
in the thriller telemovie Virtual Seduction (1995, a.k.a. Addicted to Love) and
provided her voice in the animated series "The Secret Files of the SpyDogs"
(1998-1999).
After a four-year hiatus, Dolenz returned to the wide screen in John Stecenko’s
independent film Mr. Id (2003), playing Steve Parlavecchio's street-walking
administrative assistant, Heather Dombrowski. As for her off-screen works,
Dolenz is the founder of Theatricks for Kids, co-founder of KidPix Productions
and member of the Write Act Repertory Company.
Awards:
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