Contributors

Because this book is a work in progress and we are still talking to people, this page will be continuously updated to add any additional Carrie contributors who will be part of the book.  Please check back for updates to this page.

 

STEPHEN KING – Author

When Carrie was first published in 1974, Stephen King had no way of knowing that his would become a household name. Since then, Mr. King has written numerous bestselling novels including Salem’s Lot, The Shining, The Stand, Cujo, Christine, It, Misery, The Green Mile, Cell, and Under the Dome.  We eagerly await his upcoming book, Doctor Sleep, a sequel to The Shining.

 

BRIAN DE PALMA – Director

Brian De Palma started out filming underground comedies like Greetings and Hi, Mom! before making his mark in the thriller genre with the outstanding Sisters.  His quirky horror-rock-musical Phantom of the Paradise had become a cult film in certain cities and Obsession was an unexpected financial success, but Carrie was his first huge mainstream film and set him on the path to bigger budgets and bigger box office.  He followed Carrie with movies like The Fury, Dressed to Kill, Blow Out, Scarface, Body Double, The Untouchables, Carlito’s Way, Mission: Impossible, and Femme Fatale.  His latest film, Passion, is his long-awaited return to the thriller and his first collaboration with composer Pino Donaggio since 1992′s Raising Cain.

 

LAWRENCE D. COHEN – Screenwriter

In addition to Carrie, Lawrence D. Cohen has written teleplays for Stephen King’s It and The Tommyknockers and the screenplay for the 1981 hit Ghost Story.  He also wrote the book for Carrie the Musical.  He is currently working on a 3D adaptation of Stephen King’s The Sun Dog.

 

 

 

SISSY SPACEK – “Carrie White”

While Carrie made Sissy Spacek a star, she was already noticed by critics for her superb work in Prime Cut and Badlands.  A six-time Oscar nominee, her talent has shone in many, many films over the years, including 3 Women, Coal Miner’s Daughter (for which she won an Academy Award), Missing, The River, Crimes of the Heart, The Grass Harp, The Straight Story, In the Bedroom, and The Help.  She published her memoir, My Extraordinary Ordinary Life, in 2012.

 

PIPER LAURIE – “Margaret White”

After filming The Hustler in 1961, Piper Laurie retired from the film business to raise a family.  She was lured back to the screen in 1976 for Carrie.  Both films, fifteen years apart, earned her Oscar nominations – and she is the only actress in history to accomplish this feat.  Since Carrie she has worked non-stop, appearing in such films as Ruby, Tim, Return to Oz, Children of a Lesser God (for which she received her third nomination) Trauma, The Grass Harp, The Faculty, The Dead Girl, and Hesher, as well as TV’s The Thorn Birds and Twin Peaks.  Her memoir, Learning to Live Out Loud, was published in 2011.

 

BETTY BUCKLEY  – “Miss Collins”

Betty Buckley is a Broadway legend and Tony Award winner known for her powerful voice and stage presence in such musicals as Cats, Sunset Boulevard, Pippin, 1776, and Carrie (in the role of Margaret White).  She is also a Grammy nominee.  Aside from Carrie, which was her first film role, she has appeared in the films Tender Mercies (singing the Oscar-nominated song, “Over You”), Frantic, Another Woman, Rain Without Thunder, Wyatt Earp, Simply Irresistible, and The Happening.

 

 

AMY IRVING – “Sue Snell”

Amy Irving is the daughter of actors Priscilla Pointer and Jules Irving.  She has appeared in numerous films since her debut in Carrie, including The Fury, Honeysuckle Rose, The Competition, Micki & Maude, Crossing Delancey, Carried Away, Deconstructing Harry, The Rage: Carrie 2, Traffic, Tuck Everlasting, and Hide and Seek.  She was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in Barbra Streisand’s Yentl.  She met director Steven Spielberg while filming Carrie and was his partner and wife for many years until they divorced in 1989.

 

NANCY ALLEN – “Chris Hargensen”

Nancy Allen had small parts in The Last Detail and the horror film Forced Entry before landing her first major role in Carrie as nasty girl Chris.  She began dating director Brian De Palma after filming wrapped, and they wed in 1979.  She starred in De Palma’s Home Movies, Dressed to Kill and Blow Out before the couple divorced in 1984.  She has also appeared in I Wanna Hold Your Hand, 1941, Strange Invaders, Terror in the Aisles, The Philadelphia Experiment, Robocop, and Poltergeist III.  She left acting in 2003 to focus on her life’s work as part of the staff at WeSpark Cancer Support Center, and became its Executive Director in 2010.

 

WILLIAM KATT – “Tommy Ross”

Best known for his roles in Carrie as the likable Tommy Ross and on the hit TV show The Greatest American Hero, William Katt has appeared in over 100 movies and television shows, including Big Wednesday, Perry Mason, House, Problem Child 3, Piranha, and Jawbreaker, and he is still working steadily today.

 

 

 

P.J. SOLES – “Norma Watson”

P.J. Soles became a cult figure for her delightful, spunky roles as good-time girls in Carrie, Halloween, and Rock N Roll High School.  Among her many film credits, she has appeared in the hit comedies Private Benjamin and Stripes, as well as a cameo in Rob Zombie’s The Devil’s Rejects, and regularly appears at conventions to sign autographs and pose for pictures with fans.

 

 

 

STEFAN GIERASCH – “Mr. Morton”

Stefan Gierasch was one of the busiest character actors of the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, with over 100 film and television appearances to his name.  He has lent his talents to such films as The Hustler, What’s Up Doc?, Jeremiah Johnson, High Plains Drifter, Silver Streak, Blue Sunshine, The Champ, Blood Beach, Perfect, The Rosary Murders, and Junior, as well as TV series like The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Baretta, Dallas, and The Jeffersons.  Stefan will be contributing to this book with the help of his daughter, Elisa.

 

 

PRISCILLA POINTER – “Mrs. Snell”

Very active as a character actress in commercials and TV shows during the 70s and 80s, and on Broadway with her husband Jules Irving, Priscilla Pointer is the real-life mother of Carrie star Amy Irving and has played mother to her daughter in two other films:  Honeysuckle Rose and Carried Away.  Her film credits include such classic cult films as Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Mommie Dearest, Micki & Maude, Blue Velvet, and A Nightmare on Elm Street 3, as well as the TV series Dallas.

 

 

HARRY GOLD – “George Dawson”

Harry Gold acted regularly in films and TV during the late 70s, appearing on the shows Maude, Phyllis, and Eight Is Enough, and in the movies The World’s Greatest Lover and Thank God Its Friday, before leaving acting to start his own talent agency, TalentWorks.  He is the father of actress Tracey Gold.

 

 

 

NOELLE NORTH – “Frieda Jason”

Noelle North has appeared and performed voice-overs in a number of films and TV shows, such as Farewell My Lovely, Slumber Party ’57, CHiPs, Police Story, Blood Song, Jekyll and Hyde… Together Again, The Facts of Life, Jem, Smurfs, and Home Improvement.

 

 

 

DOUG COX – “The Beak”

Along with Edie McClurg and Terry Bolo, Doug Cox was an original member of The Groundlings improv troupe when he was cast in Carrie.  He has appeared in Blake Edwards’ A Fine Mess, and on such classic television shows as Laverne & Shirley, Eight Is Enough, Alice, and The Golden Girls.  He also writes and directs, having received two Emmy-Award nominations for writing Pee-Wee’s Playhouse.  He was seen most recently on the hit TV show Weeds.

 

EDIE McCLURG – “Helen Shyres”

Beginning with Carrie, recognizable character and voice actress Edie McClurg has a list of credits a mile long, including Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie, Eating Raoul, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Back to School, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, and Natural Born Killers.  Her voice was most recently heard in the Disney hit Wreck-It Ralph.

 

 

 

TERRY BOLO – Extra (Uncredited)

Terry Bolo was an original member of The Groundlings improv troupe and has been an extra / background player / stand-in on many movies and TV shows, including Carrie, Big Wednesday, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, and Little Miss Sunshine.  She was featured in the documentary Strictly Background, where she talks about her film work and about the trials and tribulations of being an extra in a Hollywood movie.  She also does fabulous tours of L.A., which you can find out more about at her website, The Hollywood Gal.

 

JOBIE GAYER – Extra (Uncredited)

Jobie Gayer was a background player during the famous prom scene of Carrie.  He often can be seen behind the cast members throughout the scene.

 

 

 

 

CYNTHIA LARSEN – Extra (Uncredited)

Cynthia was a member of The Groundlings who was picked to appear in Carrie along with fellow Groundlings Edie McClurg, Doug Cox, and Terry Bolo.  She can be seen in many of the famous scenes, like the locker room and prom sequences.

 

 

 

 

SAMUEL VETA – Extra (Uncredited)

Samuel Veta was a background player during the famous prom scene of Carrie.  He worked for 16 years as personal assistant to Dudley Moore, and is a photographer/graphic artist.

 

 

 

 

MARIO TOSI – Cinematographer

Mario Tosi has shot a wide variety of feature films and television movies, including Frogs, The Killing Kind, Reflections of Murder, Sybil (for which he was nominated for an Emmy), The Betsy, The Main Event, The Stunt Man, Resurrection, and Whose Life Is It Anyway.

 

 

 

 

PAUL HIRSCH – Editor

Paul Hirsch began working with Brian De Palma on Hi, Mom! and went on to edit De Palma’s Sisters, Phantom of the Paradise, Obsession, Carrie, The Fury, Blow Out, Raising Cain, Mission: Impossible, and Mission to Mars.  He won an Oscar for his editing on Star Wars, and his other credits include The Empire Strikes Back, Creepshow, Footloose, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Steel Magnolias, and Ray (for which he received another Oscar nomination).

 

 

JACK FISK – Production Designer

Jack Fisk has designed sets for a variety of films including Messiah of Evil, Badlands, Days of Heaven, Phantom of the Paradise, Death Game, The Thin Red Line, The Straight Story, Mulholland Dr., The Invasion, There Will Be Blood, Water for Elephants, The Tree of Life, and The Master.  He married actress Sissy Spacek after they met while working on Badlands.  They have been married for thirty-nine years and have two daughters.

 

 

HARRIET HELBERG – Casting Director

Harriet Helberg cast hundreds of commercials in New York before she moved to L.A. and was hired by Brian De Palma to cast her first film, Carrie.  Since then, she has cast numerous films, including Ruby, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, Our Winning Season, California Dreaming, The Hollywood Knights, Up the Creek, and The Jazz Singer.  She has also written for TV shows such as The Golden Girls, Perfect Strangers, and Harry and the Hendersons.  She is the mother of actor Simon Helberg.

 

 

ROSANNA NORTON – Costume Designer

Rosanna Norton has designed costumes for a wide variety of films, including Lemora: A Child’s Tale of the Supernatural, Messiah of Evil, Phantom of the Paradise, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, The Stunt Man, Airplane!, Ruthless People, Innerspace, The ‘Burbs, Gremlins 2, and The Brady Bunch Movie.  She received an Oscar nomination for her work on TRON.

 

 

 

WENDY BARTEL – Production Secretary

Wendy Bartel was working in the offices of New World Pictures when Brian De Palma called her up and offered her the job of production secretary on Carrie.  She was also an assistant for her brother, director Paul Bartel, on Eating Raoul, and appeared as an actress in his films Death Race 2000 and Cannonball!

 

 

 

PINO DONAGGIO – Composer

Pino Donaggio achieved fame in Italy as a singer/songwriter of pop music before scoring his first film, Don’t Look Now, the music of which was brought to the attention of Brian De Palma while he was looking for a composer for Carrie.  De Palma hired Donaggio to score the film, and they have since collaborated on Home Movies, Dressed to Kill, Blow Out, Body Double, Raising Cain, and Passion.  Donaggio has also composed music for a varied list of films including Piranha, Tourist Trap, The Howling, The Black Cat, The Fan, The Berlin Affair, Crawlspace, Two Evil Eyes, The Sect, Trauma, and Seed of Chucky.

 

 

Plus special contributions from:

Rutanya Alda

Dana Ashbrook

Belinda Balaski

Jackie Beat

Elvira (Cassandra Peterson)

Mick Garris

Elisa Gierasch

Keith Gordon

Michael Gore

Margot Kidder

Bruce Kimmel

Jeff Lieberman

Patty McCormack

Maitland McDonagh

Rebekah McKendry

Michael Musto

Mark Patton

Dean Pitchford

Shade Rupe

Katt Shea

Tony Timpone

Dee Wallace