Desiree Gould

Desiree Joan Gould (born March 27, 1945) is an American theater, film and television actress, singer and dancer. She is known for her role in the 1983 slasher horror classic Sleepaway Camp.

Early life

Desiree Gould was born in New York City^[1][2] in 1945 to a Jewish mother and a Russian-Italian father. When she was young, she and her family relocated to Forest Hills in Queens,^[1] and later spent some years of her life in Manhattan. When she was five years old, she took singing and tap-dancing classes, later having vocal training with Harry Garland, Roger Leonard, Herb Greene, developing a mezzo-soprano vocal range for musical theater, while she later took lessons in Ballet at the New York Conservatory of Dance, with Pat Doukodovsky, and, the Ballet Academy East, with Don Paradise.^[3] This led to her desire to choose acting as a career path, which did not immediately occur, and she spent over twenty years between several different jobs, before deciding to take acting classes,^[2] training with the Gene Feist Theatre Foundation, Barbara Loden Actor's Workshop, Paul Mann Actor's Workshop, Warren Robinson, HB Studio, and, Boston Center for the Arts.^[3]

Career

In the beginning of her acting career, she appeared in commercials and theater productions, and received her first on-screen role at the age of 33, appearng in the 1979 television film You Can't Go Home Again, starring Lee Grant, and based on the 1940 novel of the same name by Thomas Wolfe. She was introduced to Mary Jo Slater, a casting director, and mother of Christian Slater, for which she cast Gould in brief guest roles in television soap operas including One Life to Live, The Edge of Night, and Love of Life.^[2][3]

She is most recognized for her role as Aunt Martha in the 1983 cult classic slasher horror Sleepaway Camp, in which she plays the eccentric aunt of character Angela (Felissa Rose), and mother to Ricky (Jonathan Tiersten). Gould received the part when, at the time, she was with the agency Marje Fields Talent in Manhattan, and her agent, Dorothy Scott, urged her to audition for the role. She appeared in just two scenes in the film. Gould was contacted in November 2000 to participate in an interview with Sleepawaycampfilms.com,^[4] followed by an appearance at the "Sleepaway Camp Reunion" convention in April 2001,^[5] as well as a 2008 documentary "Return to Sleepaway Camp: Behind the Scenes",^[6] and the 2014 documentary "At the Waterfront After the Social: The Legacy of Sleepaway Camp".^[7]

Following the success of Sleepaway Camp in 1983, Gould decided to refrain from acting for several years in order to become a real estate agent, before making an official return in 2006, when she was cast in Under Surveillance (also known as Dark Chamber), which featured her Sleepaway Camp co-star Felissa Rose.^[8] Her more recent credits include a short film titled Caesar and Otto meet Dracula's Lawyer (2010),^[9][10] a guest appearance on the television series Joe Zaso's Cafe Himbo (2011),^[11] and, a role in the anthology film Tales of Poe (2014).^[12]

She has additionally received background work in a number of films including, The Switch, Morning Glory, Going the Distance, and, Arthur, and the television series, Law & Order, Damages, and, Mercy.^[3]

In the past, she has served as a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).^[13]

Gould went on to a successful career in real estate for Douglas Elliman^[2] in 1992, while still appearing on films in between her real estate career. She left the firm in 2012.^[14] Gould currently works for Halstead Property real estate as of 2013.^[14] She is licensed to sell property in New York and Florida, and serves as a member of The Real Estate Board of New York and The Long Island Board of Realtors.^[13]

Filmography

Theater

• Bomb Shelter ... as Mary Anne (Nat Horne Theatre, New York City)
• Women of the Wild West ... as Abigail (Nat Horne Theatre, New York City)
• Your Child's Secret Life ... (as Arlene) (St. Clement's Theatre, New York City)
• The Stronger ... as Miss "Y" (Amelie) (Bristol Valley Playhouse, Naples, New York)
• The Witch ... as Wife (Bristol Valley Playhouse, Naples, New York)
• Queens of France ... as Wife (Marie Sidonie Cressaux) (Bristol Valley Playhouse, Naples, New York)
• The Taming of the Shrew ... as Kate (National Theatre, Boston, Massachusetts)
• A Streetcar Named Desire ... Blanche (Boston Center for the Arts, Boston, Massachusetts)

References

External links

• Desiree Gould on IMDb
• Desiree Gould at AllMovie
• Desiree Gould at Rotten Tomatoes
• Desiree Gould at Metacritic