Amy Irving Biography: All About The American Actress and Singer

Amy Irving is an award-winning American actress and singer who was born on September 10, 1953 to her parents who are influential personalities in the entertainment industry. The actress made her first stage appearance when she was only nine months old and has remained active as an actress in the entertainment industry all through these years.

Aside from the remarkable impression she has made in Hollywood, she has an interesting personal life albeit complicated with a few divorces – one of which was one of the most expensive in history. Read on to find out all the events that have characterized Amy Irving’s life and how she has travailed.

Amy Irving’s was Born Into an Art Inclined Family 70 Years Ago

Amy Irving was born in Palo Alto, California, USA, on the 10th of September 1953. Her parents, Jules Irving and Priscilla Pointer are both prominent people in Hollywood. While her Jewish father prefers to work behind the scenes as a director, her mother is a veteran actress known for her role in movies like Blue Velvet, Carrie, A Nightmare, etc.

Looking at the kind of parents she had, it is clear that they had a great influence on her career choice. In fact, they had “initiated” her into the art of performance and filmmaking even before she was old enough to make decisions for herself. Amy grew to love the chosen path and continued to grow in it. During her mother’s active years, they both acted together in some movies like Carrie.

The blue-eyed lady has a sister and a brother with whom she grew up. Like herself, her siblings are also drawn towards the entertainment industry. Her sister, Katie, is a singer and teacher of children with hearing impairment. Her brother, David, on the other hand, is a writer and director just like his father. The kids lived with their parents in San Francisco. Later, during Amy’s early teenage years, they moved to New York City.

She Went to Various Art Schools to Further Hone Her Acting Skill

Despite being born into a family of entertainers, the talented actress had to attend schools that will help her master her craft better. She first attended the Dramatic Art Professional Children’s School, New York. Later, she continued her studies at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Aside from these prestigious art-based educational institutions, Amy Irving also studied at the well-known American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco which has produced people like Anna Deavere Smith (Obie Award winner), Anika Noni Rose, Anna Deavere Smith, Elizabeth Banks, Denzel Washington (Academy Award winner) and others. The exposure she got from these different institutions helped to prepare her better for the task she was going to face.

Amy Irving Started Acting On-Stage When She Was 9 Months Old

Over the years, the Hollywood actress has grown from onstage acting to featuring in movies and TV shows. It is true that she had the privilege of being born into the craft, nonetheless, it took Amy extra work and dedication to make it to the top as an actress.

Of course, she knew nothing of acting or what was happening around her. However, with the help of her parents, she made her first appearance as a baby in ‘Rumpelstiltskin’. It was a stage play and she was only nine months at the time. Her next role after that was a bit-part character in a play that her father directed. At this time, she was two years old.

She continued to perform in many stage plays, especially during the 1960s and 1970s. At twelve, Irving had a walk-on role in ‘The Country Wife’, a Broadway Production. A few years later, at age seventeen, she made her off-Broadway debut.

She Made Her On-Screen Debut in the 70s

The first time Amy Irving appeared on television was in 1975 when she played a guest role in the drama ‘The Rookies’. She was only twenty-two years old at the time. Later that same year, she acted in one episode each of two different dramas – ‘Police Woman’ and ‘Happy Days.’

In 1976, the superstar appeared on the big screen for the first time with the movie Carrie in which she acted with her mother. That same year, Amy acted in ‘James Dean’, ‘Dynasty’ and ‘Panache’. She also played the role of Lily Ramsey in the movie ‘Honeysuckle Rose’. Between 1981 and 1982, she performed in ‘Amadeus,’ a Broadway production.

Her next performance was in the drama series The Far Pavilions. And in 1986, Irving acted as Anna Anderson in the movie ‘Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna’. Two years later, in 1988 the actress featured in the off-Broadway play, The Road to Mecca. Another two years passed, and she appeared in the movie ‘A Show of Force’.

She spent a large part of the 90s working on different projects. From 1991 to 1997, some of the movies she featured in are ‘I’m Not Rappaport’, ‘Benefit of the Doubt’, ‘Carried Away,’ ‘Kleptomania’, and ‘Deconstructing Harry.’ During this time, Irving was also featured in the plays Broken Glass and Three Sisters.

Amy Irving Landed More Screen Roles in the New Millenium

Later in 1998, Amy did a voice-over for one episode of the drama ‘Stories from My Childhood’. In that same year, she acted as FBI Agent Jean Devlin in the film ‘One Tough Cop’. In the late 1990s, Amy Irving featured as a guest in several TV shows, including ‘American Masters’ and ‘Spin City’. She was also featured in the movies ‘Traffic’, ‘The Confession’, ‘Thirteen Conversations about One Thing’, and ‘Blue Ridge Fall’.

The early 2000s were quite very eventful for the celebrity. In 2002, she became a member of the cast for the drama series ‘Alias’. Later in 2005, she played the role of Alison Callaway in the movie ‘Hide and Seek’. In 2006, Irving went on to join a stage play, ‘The Coast of Utopia’. It was a Broadway production, and she was in it till 2007. The year 2008 had her in another stage play, The Waters of March. This time, it was an off-Broadway play. In 2009, she featured in a film titled ‘Adam’, and in 2013, the actress played the role of Melanie in the drama ‘Zero Hour’.

What are Amy Irving’s Most Exceptional Works?

Since she started acting, Amy always leaves an unforgettable impression whenever she takes up a role. But, there are some films she featured in that stood out among others. One of such films is ‘Once an Eagle’, which she acted in between 1976 and 1977. The series was about the careers of two men who served in the military. Both of them fought in World War I and World War II. The actress played the role of Emily Pawlfrey Massengale.

Another of her major works is ‘Crossing Delancey’ in which she played the role of Isabelle Grossman. The film was directed by Joan Micklin Silver, and it was outstanding enough that Irving earned a Golden Globe Nomination for her performance.

Amy Irving’s Music Career was Equally Successful

Though she is more celebrated as an actress, Amy equally delved into music and has a few songs to her name. She wrote and sang over 50 top songs, some of which include “Why Don’t You Do Right” from her 1988 album Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

She also sang “If You Want Me to Love You I Will” which was used in the 1980 movie Honeysuckle Rose, Hungarian Rhapsody, The Weasels, Valiant and Valiant, You Show Me Yours, Maroon Cartoon, Judge Doom, Maroon logo, and others.

How Successful is Amy Irving Compared to Her Parents?

When you have parents who have been in the same field or career as you, you become faced with the challenge of fitting into their shoes and even doing better than them. The comparison is almost inevitable as children are hoped to do better than their parents. For Amy, it has not been a strive to outshine her parents but to make a name for herself through exceptional performance, and she has been able to achieve this.

Despite having parents who had great influence, Irving has been able to walk in their shoes and produce positive results. In terms of works and awards, the Hollywood beauty has been able to give her best to different departments in the industry. Unlike her mother and father who chose between appearing on the screen and working behind the scenes, Amy chose to do both and she delivered well on them. She has also won multiple awards for different acting roles.

In terms of fame, the talented lady is arguably more famous than her mother. Although Priscilla was also a talented actress during her active years, her daughter seems to have gone ahead of her in terms of fame. Oftentimes, Priscilla is recognized as the mother of Amy Irving, and not the other way around. This implies that Amy has more recognition than her mother.

Her father on the other hand may not have appeared very often on screen, but he managed to carve his name in the minds of many. He is famous as a director, but even more, for being the co-founder of San Francisco Actor’s Workshop, a theater company. The company was founded in 1952, and it goes down in history as the first professional theater on the west coast to premiere most of the modern American classics.

Recognitions Amy Irving Has Earned in the Course of Her Acting Career

With a career that started in 1954 as a 9-month-old and has spanned more than 6 decades, Amy Irving has done well enough to attract some award nominations and even go ahead to win awards for her acting prowess. Some of these recognitions which has distinguished her include:

Nominations

• Oscar-Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role – 1983
• Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television – 1987
• Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy – 1989
• Academy Award for the Best Supporting Actress in the film ‘Yentl.’

Awards

• Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture – 2000
• Obie Award for best on-stage performance in the play ‘The Road to Mecca.’

Amy Irving’s Relationships Have Been With Men in the Entertainment Industry

Just like her career, the pretty lady has had quite an eventful personal life, especially in terms of the men she has been with. Interestingly, she not only loves the entertainment industry, but she also seems to have a thing for men who work there too. According to reports, she has been with a total of up to four men from the industry.

She Met Steven Speilberg in 1976 and Married Him in 1985

• Year of Marriage: 1985
• Divorce Year: 1989
• Duration of Marriage: 4 years
• Reason for Divorce: Steven Speilberg’s alleged extramarital affair.

Amy was introduced to Steven Speilberg by a mutual friend and colleague, Brian De Palma. The meeting happened at a dinner night in 1976, and soon after that, the duo started dating. Along the line, Steven popped the question and they got engaged, but soon broke up in 1980.

Their break up caused Irving to lose her role in Raiders of the Lost Ark, a film that was directed by Speilberg where she was supposed to play Marion Ravenwood. Following their breakup, the actress moved on with her life just as Steven did with his, but what happened next suggested the love they first felt for each other was no farce. However, this was only for 4 years as they soon divorced for good.

Amy was reported to have dated actor Willie Nelson, but the relationship only lasted for a short while. She soon got back with Steven and the lovers got married in 1985. Unfortunately, their marriage did not work, and they divorced in 1989. Rumor had it that the divorce was caused by Steven’s infidelity with his now current wife, Kate Capshaw, but this is mere speculation.

Amy’s divorce from Steven is to this day, still recognized as one of the costliest celebrity divorces in history. In a list of top 10 most expensive divorces compiled by BBC with a focus on celebrity marriages that failed from 1999 to 2007, Amy Irving and Steven Spielberg’s divorce which cost the latter $100 million came in third place.

Amy Irving Found Love Again with Bruno Barreto From 1996 to 2005

• Date of Marriage: 27th September 1996
• Divorce Date: 29th January 2005
• Duration of Marriage: 8 years, 4 months, and 2 days

After their first meeting in 1989, the duo soon got interested in each other and started dating. The American actress and the Brazilian director Bruno Barreto were together for seven years before deciding to make it official. The former couple got married on the 27th of September 1996 and their marriage was one of the most admired unions in Hollywood at the time.

However, while we all thought everything was good between Amy and Bruno, they shocked the whole of Hollywood. Like her first marriage, her union with Bruno could not stand the test of time, and they got divorced eight years later, on the 29th of January 2005. While Bruno has remained single since then, Amy found love again and has been married to date.

Amy is Currently Married to Kenneth Bowser Jr.

• Date of Marriage: November 1st, 2007
• Duration of Marriage: 16 years

Despite her past experiences, Amy did not give up on love. She met her current husband,  American director and documentary filmmaker Kenneth Bowser Jr., and they both decided to get married. They wedded on the 1st of November 2007, and have been together since then.

It is safe to say that the ingredients for longevity in marriage which lacked in Amy’s two previous marriages are in abundance in her current marriage. Following this, it is hoped that her marriage to Kenneth will be her last and there will never be any issues between them.

While the Hollywood star does not share any child/ren with her current husband, Kenneth has a daughter from his previous marriage. He was formerly married to an entertainment lawyer named Marilyn Haft and they had a daughter named Samantha. On the other hand, though Amy Irving has obviously gone past her childbearing age now, she is not a barren woman.

She Had Two Sons From Her First Two Marriages

Although Amy Irving’s marriage to Speilberg and Barreto did not work out, Amy Irving managed to have a child with each of the men during the better parts of the period she was married to each of them. Her kids who are now both adults are Max Speilberg and his younger stepbrother Gabriel Barreto.

Max Speilberg

• Date of Birth: 3rd June 1985
• Age: 38 years old
• Parents: Amy Irving and Max Speilberg
• Occupation: Movie director

Her first son Max Speilberg was born on the 3rd of June 1985 in Santa Monica, California. He takes after his parents and works as a director and in the art department of the movie industry. On his IMDb page, he is credited to have worked on a few movies which include Jurassic Park: Trespasser (1998), The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999), and Snap Shot (2002).

Max Speilberg is Amy Irving’s first child with Stephen Speilberg and rightly so, their only child. But he has step-siblings from his mother’s and father’s second marriages. They include Gabriel Barreto (born on May 4th, 1990) and Sasha Spielberg (born on May 14th, 1990). Surprisingly, the duo of Gabriel and Sasha were born just 10 days apart from each other in the same month of May 1990.

Gabriel Barreto

• Date of Birth: May 14, 1990
• Age: 33 years old
• Parents: Amy Irving and Bruno Barreto
• Occupation: Movie producer and director

Amy Irving’s second son, Gabriel Barreto (Bruno Davis Barreto Borges, full name), whom she had with Bruno Barreto was born in 1990 in her second marriage after she had her first child in 1985. Though he seems to prefer living his life away from the media unlike his elder stepbrother, Gabriel is not totally different from Max and his mother Amy in terms of his career interests.

Gabriel Barreto is known to be pursuing a career in the entertainment industry like many of his family members. He is a film producer and director credited to have worked in Truth, Incorporated (director), My Cricket and Me (co-writer and director with Elliot Routh), and What You Wanted (2018). In support of his budding film directing and production career, Amy Irving (as Lily Ramsey) starred in her sons’ comedy film My Cricket and Me alongside Willie Nelson (as Buck Bonham), Paul Williams (as Marchal Percy), and a host of other stars.

What is Amy Irving’s Net worth?

She has an estimated net worth of $120 million. She was awarded $100 million following her divorce from Spielberg.

Who is Amy Irving’s husband and how many spouses has she had?

Amy is currently married to Kenneth Bowser Jr. She was previously married to Steven Spielberg and Bruno Barreto, making a total of three spouses.

How many children does she have?

Amy Irving has two sons from her marriage to Steven and Bruno

At what age did Amy Irving start acting?

She started acting on stage when she was only nine months, but her first onscreen appearance was in 1975, at age 22

Does Amy Irving have any siblings?

Yes, she has a brother and a sister named David and Katie respectively.

Amy Irving Has Had Quite an Interesting Life

Amy Irving, who now lives in New York City according to reports, can boast of having lived a fulfilled life. The American actress who is now 70 years old started her acting career journey when she knew nothing, thanks to her parents. She has since left her mark in the industry after many years of dedication and hard work.

Though to some people, she is recognized more with her million-dollar divorce from Steven Spielberg, but be that as it may, Amy has got a lot to be thankful for many years later. She is now happily married to her “Mr. Right” Kenneth Bowser Jr. and also has kids who are doing well following her steps in the entertainment industry (just as she took after her parents) though they work mostly behind the scene.