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Wendy Robie

Wendy Robie

Actor · Born October 6, 1953 (73) · Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Wendy Robie (born October 6, 1953) is an American actress known for playing eccentric, mentally disturbed characters in television and on film. She is especially known for her role as Nadine Hurley in David Lynch's Twin Peaks and as Mommy in Wes Craven's The People Under the Stairs. Her most recent film is the musical indie Were the World Mine. Description above from the Wikipedia article Wendy Robie, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 6, 1953 (73)
From
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
19 on Motif · 26 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Up 3% in 30 days

What are Wendy Robie's films like?

Across their 7 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
48%
Bonds
18%
Survival
11%
Power
8%
Society
7%
Ideas
5%
Morality
4%
Identity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMemory2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 2 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 3 · Intense 3

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 1 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 1

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 5 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

4 analyzed roles

Usually the Herald: 2 of 4 analyzed roles.

Herald
2 of 4
Shadow
1 of 4
Mentor
1 of 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
5
Warm
2
Contemplative
3
Joyful
2
Dread
1
Other
4

How their films linger

Hopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet3
  • Ambiguous2

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 Wendy Robie's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 15 of their 19 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Wendy Robie'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

26 credits, 19 with a Motif page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Hekla(2026)

    as Narrator

    Motif score: 94th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • My Last Martini (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2025)

    as Anna

  • Relative(2022)

    as Karen Frank

    Motif score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Dreaming Grand Avenue(2019)

    as Andromeda

    Motif score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2014)

    as Nadine Hurley

  • Were the World Mine(2008)

    as Mrs. Tebbit

    Motif score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Fairies (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2003)

    as Ms. Tebitt

  • Lost Voyage(2000)

    as Mary Burnett

    Motif score: 10th percentile of all films

  • The Attic Expeditions(2001)

    as Dr. Thalama

    Motif score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Romeo and Juliet (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2000)

    as Prince

  • The Dentist 2(1998)

    as Bernice

    Motif score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Devil in the Flesh(1998)

    as Joyce Saunders

    Motif score: 20th percentile of all films

  • The Magnificent Seven(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Nun

    Motif score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • The Glimmer Man(1996)

    as Melanie Sardes

    Motif score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Vampire in Brooklyn(1995)

    as Zealot at Police Station

    Motif score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Party of Five(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Elaine

    Motif score: 56th percentile of all shows

  • A Place for Annie(1994)

    as Dr. Horton

    Motif score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Sister, Sister(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Cathcart

    Motif score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • Viper (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Nurse

  • Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story(1993)

    Actor

    Motif score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Ulani Belor

    Motif score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • The People Under the Stairs(1991)

    as Woman

    Motif score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Twin Peaks(1990)

    Show 27 episodes · as Nadine Hurley

    Motif score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Twin Peaks (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1989)

    as Nadine Hurley

  • Quantum Leap(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Takins

    Motif score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Horton

Career shape

Star power in the 91st percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 26 titles from 1951 to 2026; peak year 1990.

Biggest box office

The People Under the Stairs (1991)

$31M worldwide

Highest rated

Were the World Mine (2008)

Motif 74th

Most popular right now

The People Under the Stairs (1991)

Film career

19512026

Peak 1990 · fewer prominent film roles lately. 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.

  • 1989Screen debut· Twin Peaks

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting26 of 26: 26 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Motif score55th

By decade

1950s1 · acting1980s2 · acting1990s13 · acting2000s5 · acting2010s1 · acting2020s4 · acting

Billing

usually 16th · top billed in 0% of 9 roles

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 Wendy Robie's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 21st percentile, the median of all 13; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 67th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Motif score across 19 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th7

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 19 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Mixed12

Most divisive · actor

Hekla (2026)

86th percentile spread · 16% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Twin Peaks (1990)

Motif 98th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the acting 66/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 38. 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.

Who does Wendy Robie work with?

People who share at least 2 of Wendy Robie's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Michael Glover Smith shares the most, 2.

Directors

Actors

Editors

Producers