Laura Harrington (born 1957 or 1958) is an American actress and screenwriter.

Biography

A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Harrington attended Boston University, where she studied with David Wheeler, artistic director of the Theater Company of Boston. Harrington made her Broadway debut under Wheeler's direction as Margaret in the 1979 revival of Richard III with Al Pacino, a fact highlighted by Bergen Record critic Emory Lewis at the conclusion of an otherwise lukewarm review: "Harrington, who portrays Lady Margaret, makes an impressive Broadway debut. Few performers know how to listen on stage. Even when she doesn't have a line of dialogue, this gifted actress speaks volumes with her eyes and her expressive hands." Wheeler also facilitated Harrington's acclaimed 1981 screen debut in The Dark End of the Street, when he recommended her to the film's director Jan Egleson. Harrington is perhaps best known for her role as the main character's sister in the 1993 film What's Eating Gilbert Grape. Previously seen as the character Mrs. Johnson in the cult classic 1984 film The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension, she went on to play a prominent role in the 1986 film Maximum Overdrive, written and directed by horror novelist Stephen King, in which she played the love interest to Emilio Estevez's character. Harrison had a supporting role in the 1997 film The Devil's Advocate, alongside Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino. She has also appeared in television series including Quantum Leap. In 2013, Screen International's Jeremy Kay reported that Harrison, together with producer Bill Mechanic and writers Bill Berman and James Schamus, had adapted Vonda N. McIntyre's The Moon and the Sun for the screen. Kay revisited the story in 2014, adding one more name, Ron Bass, to the list of co-writers. However, the finished film, released eight years later as The King's Daughter, included only Berman and Schamus as credited writers.

Filmography

Film

Television