Person Biography:
Debra Lamb was born on November 24, 1963, in Portland, Oregon, and at the age of fifteen, she moved to Los Angeles, California with her family. Known for her versatility in portraying authority figures, Debra has worked with renowned directors such as Kathryn Bigelow, David Lynch, Katt Shea, Paul Verhoeven, and the iconic John Hughes.
From an early age, Debra expressed herself through art, writing, and dance. She wrote children's stories and poetry, illustrated them, and even penned a children's play at the age of nine. At seven, her mother enrolled her in ballet with the Portland Parks and Recreation Ballet Company, where her love for theater and performing flourished. Over the next seven years, Debra danced in over a dozen productions with the company.
In 1979, Debra's mother moved her and her younger sister to Los Angeles, where they faced a tough start, including periods of homelessness. Despite these challenges, Debra found solace in enrolling in modern dance and drama at Beverly Hills High School. The following year, while attending Santa Monica High School, Debra made the decision to pursue an acting career.
Debra's early years after high school were marked by many challenges, but she remained determined. She became a student at the Van Mar Academy of Motion Picture and Television Acting in West Hollywood, where she spent over two years honing her craft. She continued her studies with other acting teachers, including Victoria Wells, for several years.
Debra's breakthrough came when she was cast as a dancer in John Hughes' Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987). Although the scene she improvised with John Candy and Steve Martin was ultimately cut from the film, it earned her a SAG card. Debra went on to perform stand-up comedy at The Comedy Store on Sunset Blvd. and was a member of Sam Longoria's The Wild Side Theater improv comedy troupe in Hollywood.
In addition to her acting career, Debra is an accomplished author. Her stories have been published in Dark Beauty magazine from 2010 to 2015, and she has also contributed to the anthology "Creepies 2: Things That go Bump in the Closet" available on Amazon. Debra is also a screenwriter with several scripts in development.
