Edmonda Benton (known professionally as Anne-Marie Martin) is a Canadian actress, screenwriter, and equestrian. She gained recognition for her portrayal of Sgt. Dori Doreau in the American television comedy series Sledge Hammer! from 1986 to 1988, as well as her roles in several horror films, such as Prom Night (1980) and The Boogens (1981). Martin was raised in Toronto, Ontario, and prior to embarking on a screen acting career, she worked for theater director Hrant Alianak in Toronto, performing at the Theatre Passe Muraille. Martin launched her screen career in the early 1980s, appearing in horror films including Prom Night alongside Jamie Lee Curtis and later establishing herself in television comedy. Her breakthrough television role came with the parody police series Sledge Hammer!, where she played the straight-laced sergeant opposite David Rasche's unhinged detective character. The series became a cult favorite and showcased Martin's comedic timing and dramatic range. Following her acting career, she transitioned into screenwriting, most notably co-writing the screenplay for the 1996 blockbuster film Twister with her then-husband Michael Crichton. The film's original screenplay was released as a mass-market paperback in conjunction with the film, demonstrating the commercial success of their collaborative effort. Martin's career evolution from actress to screenwriter reflects her multifaceted talents within the entertainment industry. Her work on Twister, which became one of the highest-grossing films of 1996, established her credentials as a successful screenwriter and demonstrated her ability to craft compelling narratives that resonated with both critics and audiences worldwide.
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Biography from IMDb.
- November 11, 1957 (68)
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Actor, also writer
- 13 on Motif · 29 credits in all
What are Anne-Marie Martin's films like?
Across their 7 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Morality.
Genres
Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Motif score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 6
A split, not a type: Light 3 · Serious 2 · Dark 1
A split, not a type: Grounded 4 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0
Gentle 1 · Charged 3 · Intense 2
A split, not a type: Steady 3 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0
A split, not a type: Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 1
Casual 3 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 4 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 0
Resolved 6 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
Usually the Ally: 3 of 4 analyzed roles.
- Heraldas Clea Lake in Dr. Strange (1978)
- Allyas Kim Smedley in The Shape of Things to Come (1979)
- Allyas Jessica Ford in The Boogens (1981)
- Allyas Dori Doreau in Sledge Hammer! (1986)
Moods and endings
- Happy3
- Bittersweet2
- Ambiguous1
- Cyclical1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Anne-Marie Martin's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 13 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).
Subscription and free streaming for Anne-Marie Martin's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
29 credits, 13 with a Motif page.
Twisters(2024)
Motif score: 64th percentile of all films
Twister(1996)
Motif score: 67th percentile of all films
Flesh-Eating Mothers(1988)
Motif score: 8th percentile of all films
Sledge Hammer!(1986)
Motif score: 91st percentile of all shows
Runaway(1984)
Motif score: 35th percentile of all films
Highway to Heaven(1984)
Motif score: 54th percentile of all shows
St. Elsewhere (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1982)
The Powers of Matthew Star (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1982)
T.J. Hooker(1982)
Motif score: 17th percentile of all shows
Halloween II(1981)
Motif score: 61st percentile of all films
Mr. Merlin (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1981)
The Boogens(1981)
Motif score: 27th percentile of all films
Savage Harvest (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1981)
Prom Night(1980)
Motif score: 20th percentile of all films
Waikiki (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1980)
The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1979)
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1979)
240-Robert (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1979)
Motif score: 1st percentile of all films
Time Express (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1979)
B. J. and the Bear (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1979)
Dr. Strange(1978)
Motif score: 22nd percentile of all films
Killer's Delight (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1978)
Doctors' Private Lives (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1978)
Deadman's Curve (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1978)
Rafferty (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1977)
Wonder Woman(1975)
Motif score: 55th percentile of all shows
Switch (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1975)
The Streets of San Francisco (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1972)
Career shape
Star power in the 88th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 29 titles from 1972 to 2024; peak year 1979.
Film career
Peak 1979 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 1 Motif title. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1978Screen debut· Dr. Strange
- 1986Career best· Sledge Hammer!
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.
How do Anne-Marie Martin's films land?
Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 27th percentile, the median of all 9; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 28th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up1
- 50th to 74th5
- 25th to 49th2
- Below 25th5
Shape of the crowd
5 of their 13 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved1
- Universally Panned2
- Crowd Pleaser5
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed4
Reviewers score the acting 53/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles; fans 67, detractors 34. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Anne-Marie Martin's work okay for kids?
Across up to 5 Motif titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Anne-Marie Martin work with?
People who share at least 2 of Anne-Marie Martin's Motif titles; Michael Crichton shares the most, 2.
- Michael CrichtonShared titles: Twister (1996), Runaway (1984)See all 2 shared titles with Michael Crichton
