Gaby Hoffmann began acting at age four and three years later made her film debut playing Karin Kinsella, the daughter of Kevin Costner, in "Field of Dreams" (1989). The real-life daughter of Andy Warhol "superstar" Viva, the brunette Hoffmann grew up in New York City's famed Chelsea Hotel and her unconventional upbringing, predilection for speaking frankly and more traditional cuteness have made her a sought after young actress. As a child, she shone in roles that showcased her candor and precociousness, such as her supporting turns in "Uncle Buck" (1989), "The Man Without a Face" and "Sleepless in Seattle" (both 1993) and as the star of the short-lived NBC sitcom "Someone Like Me" (1994). It was her work in 1992's "This is My Life", directed by Nora Ephron, and the resulting praise that encouraged Hoffmann to fully pursue acting as a career. As Opal, the daughter of a stand-up comedienne (Julie Kavner), the youngster showed a sweeter, more vulnerable side, proving her capacity to handle major roles. Ephron again tapped her for a pivotal part in "Sleepless in Seattle", where she sparked up the film as the crafty pal of Ross Malinger (who played Tom Hanks' son). While her sitcom (about a precocious pre-teen) only aired five episodes, Hoffmann proved enough of a small screen presence to land the parts of the daughter of Shelley Long in the switching places comedy "Freaky Friday" (ABC, 1995) and the object of a custody battle in the 1995 CBS TV movie drama "Whose Daughter Is She?". That same year, she was featured in the coming of age drama "Now and Then", playing the character Samantha as a child, while Demi Moore played Samantha's adult incarnation. 1996 saw Hoffmann featured in Woody Allen's musical "Everyone Says I Love You" before she undertook the role of Tommy Lee Jones' daughter in the disaster flick "Volcano" (1997).
Since then, the busy actress has preferred to concentrate on feature roles, In 60s-era comedy "Strike!/The Hairy Bird" (1998), Hoffmann played an outsider sent to an all-girls school who joins with her fellow students in protesting the proposed admittance of boys. She had similar roles in "Snapped" (1998), an indie comedy about unmotivated kids in New York's East Hampton, and "Coming Soon" (1999), another coming-of-age comedy set in an Upper East Side Manhattan prep school. Hoffmann also appeared in the ensembles of "200 Cigarettes", an 80s-era comedy/drama co-starring such young luminaries as Christina Ricci and Casey Affleck and "Black and White" (both also 1999), James Toback's film about race relations reportedly shot without a traditional script.
Profession(s):
Actor
Sometimes Credited As:
Gabriella Mary Hoffmann
1999 Acted in the ensembles of "200 Cigarettes" and "Black and White"
1998 Starred in the girls' school comedy "Strike!/The Hairy Bird" and the indie "Snapped"
1997 Played Tommy Lee Jones' daughter in the disaster film "Volcano"
1996 Was featured in Woody Allen's ensemble comedy "Everyone Says I Love You"
1995 Played the young counterpart to Demi Moore's character in the coming-of-age drama "Now and Then"
1995 Switched places with Shelley Long in the ABC TV remake of "Freaky Friday"; also acted in the CBS movie "Whose Daughter Is She?"
1994 Starred in the NBC sitcom "Someone Like Me"
1993 Appeared in the popular films "Sleepless in Seattle" (directed by Ephron) and "The Man Without a Face"
1992 Portrayed Opal, the daughter of a stand-up comedienne (played by Julie Kavner), in Nora Ephron's "This Is My Life"
1989 Feature acting debut as Karin Kinsella, the daughter of Kevin Costner, in "Field of Dreams"
1989 Played John Candy's niece in "Uncle Buck"
1986 Began appearing in commercials at age four
