Ami Dolenz - Early Life and Career

Early Life and Career

Born in Burbank, California into a show business family, Dolenz is the daughter of Micky Dolenz of the 1960s group the Monkees, and British television presenter Samantha Juste. Her paternal grandparents were the film actors George Dolenz and Janelle Johnson.

At age 15, Dolenz won a junior talent contest and decided to become an actress. She dropped out of high school and began appearing in roles on various television series. One of her first acting roles was in the television movie The Children of Times Square, followed by a two episode stint on Growing Pains. In 1987, she appeared in a small role in the comedy Can't Buy Me Love. Later that year, she landed the role of Melissa McKee in the long-running soap opera General Hospital. The role garnered Dolenz attention, earning her two nominations (in 1988 and 1989) for a Young Artist Award.

After leaving General Hospital in 1989, Dolenz landed a co-starring role opposite Tony Danza in She's Out of Control. The following year she portrayed Sloan Peterson in the television series of Ferris Bueller. The series lasted only 13 episodes and was cancelled in 1991. After the demise of Ferris Bueller, Dolenz starred in two films, Children of the Night, followed by the lead role in 1992's Miracle Beach.

Throughout the 1990s, Dolenz continued to appear in films and television, including; Witchboard 2: The Devil's Doorway, Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings, Murder, She Wrote, Wake, Rattle and Roll, Saved by the Bell: The College Years, Demolition University, Pacific Blue, and Teen Angel. In 1998, she voiced a character for the children's show, The Secret Files of the Spy Dogs. After a four year hiatus from acting, Dolenz returned in the independent film Mr. Id. In 2007, she appeared in the film Even If, in which she also served as producer.