Aileen Quinn's journey in show business began with her mother, Helenann, who was a theatre enthusiast. Aileen's mother introduced her to the world of theatre, and she started auditioning for roles near her hometown of Yardley, Pennsylvania. Her first show was ironically "Annie Get Your Gun".
Aileen's first movie role was a one-line part in Paternity (1981) starring Burt Reynolds. At the time, she was performing in the Broadway show "Annie" as the "swing orphan", understudying various orphan roles and going on stage at a moment's notice if an actor was unable to perform.
A year later, she was chosen to play the lead role of Annie in the film version, beating out 8,000 other girls from around the world. The announcement was made by director John Huston, who introduced Aileen as his Annie on nationwide TV.
Aileen was under contract for six years to make "Annie 2" and possibly "Annie 3", but those projects never materialized. When her contract expired, she was approached to star in a new film version of "The Frog Prince" (1986),which aired frequently on The Disney Channel.
During her time under contract, Aileen continued to perform, starring in various productions in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, including "The Wizard Of Oz", "Bye Bye Birdie", "Shenandoah", and "Annie", opposite Harve Presnell as Daddy Warbucks. She also starred in "A Day In Hollywood, A Night In The Ukraine" in Bristol, Pennsylvania as Harpo Marx.
Aileen decided to take a break from show business and attended Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, where she received a B.A. with honors in Spanish and minored in Political Science. She spent six months living with a family in Chile as part of an exchange program at La Universidad Católica, taking all her classes in Spanish. She considers this experience one of the most rewarding of her life.
After graduating from Drew, Aileen returned to the stage, playing Bette in "Oliver!" at the famous Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey. She then embarked on a five-year stint doing Broadway National Tours, including "Fiddler On The Roof", "Peter Pan", and "Saturday Night Fever". In between touring, Aileen starred in two off-Broadway shows, "Dreamstuff", and "Yiddle With a Fiddle".
Starting in 2007, Aileen returned to film, getting roles in various projects, including independent and studio-backed films. She decided to leave her East Coast roots and moved to Los Angeles in the Fall of 2011, where she resides, but keeps a home in New York.
In 2012, she formed a Rockabilly, Swing, Blues Band called "Aileen Quinn and the Leapin' Lizards". The band released their debut album in 2015, "Spin Me", which includes 10 tracks of all original material. Aileen has gone back into the recording studio, recording the double platinum "Annie" soundtrack as well as her solo album, "Bobby's Girl", and is enjoying it as much now as she did then.
Aileen's current band performs all over California, with hopes to tour throughout the US and the world. In addition to performing, she teaches Master Classes all over the US in drama and musical theatre, and has directed and co-directed various children's theatre productions.
