Why Diane From The Bride Of Chucky Looks So Familiar
Horror classic Child's Play proved way back in 1988 that terror can come in a pint-sized package. It starts simply enough (or, you know, simple for a horror movie) when a serial killer's soul is transferred into a doll, allowing it to come to life and wreak havoc. Audiences couldn't get enough of evil dolls, and a slew of Child's Play sequels soon followed that balanced horror with the inherent goofiness of the premise, all leading up to 1998's campy Bride of Chucky, starring Jennifer Tilly, Katherine Heigl, and Janet Kidder.
As you could likely tell by the name, Janet Kidder is the niece of Margot Kidder, who played Lois Lane in four of the live-action Superman films. She may not be as well-known as her famous aunt, but the actress has enjoyed a solid career in Hollywood in the decades since appearing in Bride of Chucky. From films to recurring roles on TV shows, she's done it all, and here are just some of the projects you may have seen her in recently.
Janet Kidder appeared on season 3 of The Man in the High Castle
The Man in the High Castle started as a book by Philip K. Dick and was eventually adapted into a four-season series for Amazon Prime. While there are some pretty major departures from the source material, the basic premise is still there, namely, that the Axis Forces emerged victorious in World War II in an alternate reality. However, a group of freedom fighters discover things turned out different in the war in another dimension, leading to all kinds of juicy, science-fiction conflicts. Janet Kidder appears for a handful of episodes in season 3 as Lila Jacobs, a resident of St. Theresa's in the Neutral Zone. She proves to be an immediate asset for the cause when she dispatches a bounty hunter who was chasing Mark Sampson (Michael Gaston) and Frank Frink (Rupert Evans). She soon comes to realize the sanctuary the community has built to protect Jewish people is no longer safe, and they must get ready to defend themselves, should a battle come to their doorstep.
Science-fiction properties are well within Kidder's wheelhouse, as she's also had roles on Continuum and The X-Files, but she also knows how to bring things down to Earth when the role calls for it.
Janet Kidder demonstrated the reason for the season in Operation Christmas Drop
Netflix has charged ahead on giving people what they want every December with a sleigh full of festive Christmas movies. And 2020 proved to be the most joyous year yet for the streaming service, with an assortment of films to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, like Holidate, The Princess Switch 2: Switched Again, and Operation Christmas Drop. That last movie stars Janet Kidder in the role of Lieutenant Colonel Blaine. She ends up serving in sort of a mentor capacity for Erica (Kat Graham), who finds herself on a remote military base around the holidays so that she can find an excuse to cut funding. While she's there, Erica ends up falling hard for Andrew (Alexander Ludwig), and, as one could surmise, the two fall in love, with many of the decisions Erica makes being influenced by Blaine.
Kidder ended up starring in not just one but two Christmas flicks in 2020. Audiences could also find her in the made-for-TV movie, Spotlight on Christmas, as Jill Wilson.
Janet Kidder is unrecognizable for her role on Star Trek: Discovery
No one would blame you if you never realized that Janet Kidder was on Star Trek: Discovery. After all, green body makeup will do that, as Kidder assumed the role of the treacherous Osyraa for a total of four episodes.
Spoilers ahead for season 3 of Star Trek: Discovery.
Belonging to the Orion people, Osyraa leads a faction known as the Emerald Chain, and, on one excursion, she ends up directing her fleet toward the Federation planet of Argeth. This results in a confrontation with Discovery and the acting captain Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman). Through deceit, Osyraa hijacks the Discovery and takes a direct path toward Federation Headquarters to try to form an alliance between the Federation and the Emerald Chain. Naturally, those talks fall apart quickly, and soon, Osyraa is killed by a phaser fired by Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green).
Osyraa was a worthy antagonist for a while, but all good things must come to an end. Kidder's time on Star Trek was short but memorable, but it was just the beginning of what's looking to be a solid 2021 for the actress. In January, she also appeared on an episode of the anthology series, Two Sentence Horror Stories.