|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
| Yancy Victoria Butler, simply known as "YB" to fans, was born on July 2, 1970, in New York City. Growing up in the bohemian Greenwich Village, Yancy started making showbiz inroads at an early age. In 1979, she made her film debut with a small appearance in the slasher thriller Savage Weekend. At 13, Yancy went on to study at New York's prominent HB Studios; meanwhile, she attended dance and ballet classes at the notable Joffrey and Ailey schools. Perhaps this early dedication was in Yancy's genes: Her father, Joe Butler, was the drummer for The Lovin' Spoonful, while her stepmother was a company manager on Broadway. Even her grandparents had theatrical roots. However, these connections didn't prevent Yancy from going on to study at Sarah Lawrence College, where she earned her bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts in 1991. a tough target Right off the bat, Yancy Butler landed a guest spot on the then-new hit show, Law & Order, in 1991. Her performance caught the eye of Law & Order's creator-producer, Dick Wolf, who offered Yancy the lead role on his new science-fiction show, Mann & Machine, the following year. Unfortunately, despite a nascent fan following, the series was cancelled after a mere nine episodes. Soon after, she had a lead in another Dick Wolf production, South Beach, but it too was short-lived. Meanwhile, Butler scored parts in some top action movies. In 1993, she played damsel in distress to Jean-Claude Van Damme in Hard Target, the Hollywood debut of legendary Hong Kong action auteur John Woo. Next, in 1994, she co-starred with Wesley Snipes in the skydiving suspenser, Drop Zone. a lower profile The next few years saw Yancy taking roles in some less-known and independent films, such as 1994's Annie's Garden and 1995's Let It Be Me, as well as some direct-to-video releases, including 1995's Fast Money and 1997's The Ex and Ravager. Also in 1997, Butler appeared on NYPD Blue, which landed her another TV role, this time on the Emmy-winning Brooklyn South. Despite critical acclaim, the series was cancelled after one season. Afterwards, Butler found work in more less-than-memorable films: 1998's The Treat, 1999's The Witness Files and Doomsday Man, and 2000's The New Adventures of Spin and Marty: Suspect Behavior. sharp success Finally, in 2000, Yancy nabbed the lead role in the TNT made-for-TV movie version of the popular comic book, Witchblade. She portrayed Detective Sara Pezzini, a troubled New York cop who becomes the keeper of the Witchblade; an ancient and magical weapon handed down through the ages. The movie was such a hit that TNT decided to expand it into a full-fledged series. And the decision was a good one: Soon Witchblade became the network's top draw on Tuesday nights, and spawned a solid fan following. This in turn led to more successes for Yancy, such as appearances on the The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn and Politically Incorrect, where she contributed to a discussion on gender roles by citing famous psychologist Carl Jung. However, these accomplishments took their toll: In the summer of 2002, while in production of Witchblade's second season, Butler spent a month in rehab for alcohol abuse, but was able to return to finish taping the show. However, in a surprising move in September 2002, the network decided to pull the plug on Witchblade, despite its success. While TNT executives claim they wanted the show to end on a high note, insiders and fans suspect that Yancy Butler's battle with the bottle was the real culprit. Butler has declined to comment on the matter, and while fans lobby to bring the show back, the story of Witchblade -- and of Yancy Butler herself -- seems far from over. |
|
|