Ann Dusenberry, a native of Tucson, Arizona, was born to Bruce and Katie Dusenberry. She pursued a four-year degree in theater arts at the University of Arizona and Occidental College, where she earned her degree.
To secure her first role, Dusenberry circulated her resume and photograph within the Universal Studios offices, utilizing internal envelopes obtained by her boyfriend, a truck driver for Universal. This led to a seven-year contract with Universal.
Her acting debut was in 1975 with a small role as a barmaid in the film White Line Fever. She gained attention in 1978 for her role as Tina Wilcox in the horror film Jaws 2, the sequel to Steven Spielberg's 1975 classic. The film was originally directed by John D. Hancock, but he was replaced by Jeannot Szwarc due to his departure from the project.
In 1978, Dusenberry also starred as Amy March in the miniseries Little Women, an adaptation of the novel of the same name. She also took on the role in the short-lived 1979 television series based on it, which failed to match the miniseries' success and was canceled after 4 episodes.
In the 1980s, Dusenberry's notable film appearances include her role as Stevie in Heart Beat alongside Nick Nolte and Sissy Spacek, and as Valerie in Cutter's Way alongside Jeff Bridges. She starred alongside Roy Scheider in the 1986 film The Men's Club, her co-star from Jaws 2.
Apart from her film appearances, Dusenberry mainly played roles for television. In 1977, she starred alongside Harrison Ford in the television thriller The Possessed. Other television roles included Amory (aka Angel Collins) in Stonestreet: Who Killed the Centerfold Model? (1977) and the dual role of Joy Morgan and Elaine Steel in Killjoy (1981) alongside Kim Basinger.
She also appeared in numerous successful series of the period, including Magnum, P.I. (1982),Remington Steele (1983),and Murder, She Wrote (1986 and 1987). In 1986, she starred as the daughter of Lucille Ball's character in the short-lived series Life with Lucy.
After co-starring in the 1992 thriller Play Nice and a guest appearance in the series The Commish (1992),Dusenberry retired from acting in front of the camera in the early 1990s. However, she continues to be active as a stage actress.
Among her notable stage roles, she played Mrs. Gibbs in the play Our Town (1998) and appeared in 2014's Noises Off and 2021's Ripcord.
Dusenberry is married to composer Brad Fiedel, with whom she lives in Santa Barbara, California. They have two daughters named Alixandra and Zoe. She received an MA degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and works as Artistic Director of the Actors' Conservatory Theatre in Santa Barbara.
