Judith O'Dea
American actress (born 1945)
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Judith O'Dea (born April 20, 1945) is an American actress. She portrayed Barbra in the 1968 George A. Romero classic horror film Night of the Living Dead[1] and Vampira in the 2024 cult comedy Vampire Zombies... from Space! [2]
Judith O'Dea | |
|---|---|
O'Dea in Night of the Living Dead (1968) | |
| Born | April 20, 1945 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1967-present |
Career
In addition to her signature role, O'Dea has appeared in the television movie The Pirate in the 1970s. She later took a break from acting to focus on raising her family.
In the 2000s, O'Dea returned to acting in several indie horror films, including[3] Claustrophobia, October Moon, October Moon 2: November Son and Women's Studies.[4] She also returned to the Barbra role for Night of the Living Dead: Genesis.,[5] plus the 2017 film Safe Inside and its 2025 sequel Safe Inside 2.
In 2024 O'Dea appeared in the Canadian comedy Vampire Zombies... from Space!, a parody of and homage to horror and sci-fi films of the 1950s. O'Dea portrayed Vampira,[6] a role which earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Performance at Atlanta's Buried Alive Film Festival, and a Best Ensemble win from Canada's Terror in the Bay Film Festival.[7]
She owns and operates O'Dea Communications, a firm that deals in oral-communications training.[8]
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Night of the Living Dead | Barbra | ||
| 1978 | The Pirate | Annie | TV movie | |
| 2003 | Claustrophobia | Alena Gray | ||
| 2005 | October Moon | Mrs. Hamilton | ||
| 2008 | October Moon 2: November Son | Emily Hamilton | aka November Son | |
| 2009 | Timo Rose's Beast | Boomer's Mother | ||
| 2010 | Women's Studies | Senator Gayle Hamlin | ||
| 2011 | Shy of Normal: Tales of New Life Experiences | Actress on TV | ||
| 2014 | Hole in the Wall | Augusta Gein | ||
| They Came from the Ether | Miss Clara | |||
| 2015 | Abandoned Dead | Doctor Pamela Myers | ||
| 2017 | Safe Inside | Crystal Lake | ||
| 2024 | Vampire Zombies... from Space! | Vampira | Won: "Best Ensemble" (Terror in the Bay Film Festival)
Nom: "Best Supporting Performance" (Buried Alive Film Festival) |
|
| 2025 | Safe Inside 2 | Crystal Lake | ||
