Being born into a well-established and well-educated
family doesn't necessarily mean much. Despite such
family accolades, Merry's parents divorced while she
was in the fourth grade. Owing to the occupational
demands of her parents, Merry and her siblings found
plenty of time to get into trouble in their suburban
neighborhood, but Merry soon enrolled in Wellesley
College, an all-female institution which kept her out
of trouble.
During her studies, she found a way to make a little extra money by acting in television commercials. Merry became a common sight in ads for Burger King, DeBeers diamonds, and Hellman's mayonnaise. In 1984, she landed a role in the The Karate Kid (1984) as the on-screen girlfriend of Ralph Macchio and a role as the teenage daughter of a military family in the short-lived series "Call to Glory" (1984). At this time, Merry got herself an acting coach and transferred to Harvard, where she began studying political science.
She continued her acting work with Adventures in Babysitting (1987), Cocktail (1988), Soapdish (1991) and The Marrying Man (1991). Unfortunately, time was catching up with the impressive girl-next-door. Her brother Andrew had almost eclipsed her own fame by landing a starring role in the hit TV series "Melrose Place" (1992). It was at this time that Merry took a chance on a low-budget, high-risk project entitled Leaving Las Vegas (1995), directed by Mike Figgis. Her gutsy portrayal of a prostitute mixed up with a suicidal alcoholic paid off as she was recognized with a Best Actress nomination at the Academy Awards that year. This was the turning point of her career. What followed was a barrage of film roles, including The Saint (1997), Woody Allen's Deconstructing Harry (1997), Palmetto (1998) and Hollow Man (2000).
Over forty years of age, Merry still continues to impress with a variety of film and television roles that show off her versatility as an actress and not just her good looks and girl-next-door persona.
During her studies, she found a way to make a little extra money by acting in television commercials. Merry became a common sight in ads for Burger King, DeBeers diamonds, and Hellman's mayonnaise. In 1984, she landed a role in the The Karate Kid (1984) as the on-screen girlfriend of Ralph Macchio and a role as the teenage daughter of a military family in the short-lived series "Call to Glory" (1984). At this time, Merry got herself an acting coach and transferred to Harvard, where she began studying political science.
She continued her acting work with Adventures in Babysitting (1987), Cocktail (1988), Soapdish (1991) and The Marrying Man (1991). Unfortunately, time was catching up with the impressive girl-next-door. Her brother Andrew had almost eclipsed her own fame by landing a starring role in the hit TV series "Melrose Place" (1992). It was at this time that Merry took a chance on a low-budget, high-risk project entitled Leaving Las Vegas (1995), directed by Mike Figgis. Her gutsy portrayal of a prostitute mixed up with a suicidal alcoholic paid off as she was recognized with a Best Actress nomination at the Academy Awards that year. This was the turning point of her career. What followed was a barrage of film roles, including The Saint (1997), Woody Allen's Deconstructing Harry (1997), Palmetto (1998) and Hollow Man (2000).
Over forty years of age, Merry still continues to impress with a variety of film and television roles that show off her versatility as an actress and not just her good looks and girl-next-door persona.
