Madsen, Virginia (1963– )

US actor. She had a variety of roles in both television and cinema from the early 1980s, but proved her mettle and gained international acclaim for her role as Maya, the love interest of actor Paul Giamatti in the acclaimed indie film Sideways (2004), for which she was nominated for a 2005 Academy Award for best supporting actress.

The character of Maya, a wary but kind-hearted divorcee with an open mind and appreciation of fine wine, was a departure from her typical glamorous, often brassy roles.

Madsen was born in Chicago, Illinois. She debuted in the brat-pack comedy Class (1983) and fared well in David Lynch's science-fiction drama Dune (1984) and the romantic comedy Electric Dreams (1984), but appeared in several forgettable films over the rest of the decade, such as the 1988 comedies Hot to Trot and Mr North. During the 1990s she starred in Dennis Hopper's sexual drama The Hot Spot (1990) and the horror film Candyman (1992), and had minor roles in the civil-rights drama Ghosts of Mississippi (1996) and the John Grisham adaptation The Rainmaker (1997). She appeared in several made-for-television films and had recurring roles on popular sitcoms including the Emmy Award-winning Frasier. She is the sister of US actor Michael Madsen (1958– ), renowned for his performances in several Quentin Tarantino films.