Sandahl Bergman

1.1. Birth and Education

Born on November 14, 1951, in Kansas City, Missouri, Sandahl Bergman later attended and graduated from Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village, Kansas. She grew up to be a statuesque and athletic individual, standing 6 ft tall.

2.1. Early Career and Broadway

In her twenties, Sandahl Bergman relocated to New York City to pursue her acting career, where she began appearing in various Broadway shows. Her talent quickly caught the eye of renowned choreographer and director Bob Fosse, who cast her as a replacement dancer in the musical Pippin. She also secured a secondary lead role in the stage adaptation of the film Gigi in 1973. Her Broadway credits further expanded to include Mack & Mabel and a significant role as Judy in the "new New York cast" of A Chorus Line in 1977, when many of the original performers had departed the production. Fosse again cast her in his critically acclaimed 1978 dance concert/musical Dancin', performing alongside many of Broadway's top dancers of that era.

2.2. Film Debut and Breakthrough

Bergman's film career commenced in 1978 with a minor role in the television film How to Pick Up Girls!. Her connection with Bob Fosse continued into cinema when she was featured as a principal dancer in his 1979 film All That Jazz, notably in the "Take Off with Us" sequence. In the 1980 musical fantasy film Xanadu, she appeared as one of the nine immortal Muses during the opening song "I'm Alive" by ELO, and also in the final title number "Xanadu". Her involvement in Xanadu also led to her relocation to California; while filming for four months, her landlord discovered she had been subletting her New York apartment in violation of her rental contract, resulting in her eviction. Bergman chose not to return to New York, instead having friends ship her belongings to her in California.

Her most celebrated role came in 1982 when she starred as Valeria alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the successful film Conan the Barbarian. For her performance, she received both the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year - Actress and the Saturn Award for Best Actress. Due to the scarcity of stunt women who could match her physical build and stature, Bergman learned and performed all of her own stunt work for the film. She commented on the demanding nature of the experience, stating, "It was tough. I nearly lost a finger. Arnold smashed his head against a rock. But that was nothing compared to what the stunt men went through."

2.3. Later Career and Retirement

Following her breakthrough, Sandahl Bergman continued to appear in a variety of films. In 1984, she took on the title role in the post-apocalyptic comedy-adventure She. The next year, she reunited with Arnold Schwarzenegger in Red Sonja (1985), playing the villainess Queen Gedren. Although she was offered the title role, Bergman opted to portray the antagonist instead. Her performance in Red Sonja earned her a nomination for the Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress.

Subsequently, Bergman appeared in a series of low-budget films, including the sex comedy Stewardess School (1986), the post-apocalyptic film Hell Comes to Frogtown (1988), and the neo noir film Raw Nerve (1991). Other notable appearances include a lunar base officer in Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), a role in the music video "Heavy Metal Love" by the band Helix, and the Fred Olen Ray film Possessed by the Night (1994). She also made guest appearances on television series such as Hart to Hart and a dance sequence choreographed by Stanley Donen in an episode of Moonlighting. Beyond acting, Bergman worked as an instructor for The FIRM series of exercise videos during the 1980s. Her most recent credited work was in 2003, when she appeared as a dancer in the film adaptation of The Singing Detective at the age of 52. Sandahl Bergman has since retired from active acting but continues to make occasional appearances at science fiction conventions.

5.1. Film

5.2. Television