Lori Petty was born on October 14, 1963, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Before pursuing a career in acting, she worked as a graphic designer. Seeking further opportunities in performance, she moved to New York to study acting and eventually relocated to Los Angeles to pursue her professional career in film and television.
Petty made her film debut in 1990 with a role in Cadillac Man. Her breakthrough came the following year when she portrayed Tyler Endicott, the ex-girlfriend of Patrick Swayze’s character, in the action film Point Break (1991), starring alongside Keanu Reeves. In 1992, she gained further recognition for her performance as Kit Keller in the popular sports comedy-drama A League of Their Own, which featured Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, and Madonna.
Throughout the 1990s, Petty appeared in a range of films including Free Willy (1993) and In the Army Now (1994). Her unique on-screen presence and versatility allowed her to take on diverse roles during this period, solidifying her place in Hollywood.
Transitioning into voice work, Petty voiced characters in notable animated television shows such as Superman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures. In the realm of video games, she provided the voice of the villain Livewire in the 2002 video game Superman: Shadow of Apokolips.
In addition to animation and video games, Petty expanded her repertoire to audiobooks, narrating the first three Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich: One for the Money, Two for the Dough, and Three to Get Deadly.
In 2008, Lori Petty made her directorial debut with the film The Poker House, which she also co-wrote. The semi-autobiographical film, based on her own challenging upbringing, premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival, where it won multiple awards. The film was well-received for its raw storytelling and strong performances, particularly by actress Jennifer Lawrence in one of her early roles.
Petty maintained a steady presence on television, guest-starring in series such as NYPD Blue in 2003 and House in 2008–2009. In 2009, she appeared in an episode of Prison Break. From 2014 to 2018, she held a recurring role as Lolly Whitehill in the critically acclaimed Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. Her portrayal of the mentally unstable inmate received praise for its depth and emotional resonance.
| Birth Date: | 14 Oct, 1963 |
| Age: | 56 yrs |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Birth Place: | Chattanooga |
| Gender: | Female |
| Description: | Actress, film director, screenwriter |
| Net Worth 2021: | 3 million |
