Madeleine Stowe, born on August 18, 1958, in Los Angeles, California, is an American actress known for her versatile performances on both television and film. Raised in Eagle Rock, a working-class neighborhood of Los Angeles, she was the eldest of three children born to Robert Stowe, a civil engineer from Oregon, and Mireya Maria (née Mora Steinvorth), who came from a prominent political family in Costa Rica.

Her father's battle with multiple sclerosis deeply influenced her, and she often accompanied him to his medical treatments. Initially aspiring to become a concert pianist, she took lessons from the age of ten but eventually shifted her focus to acting after the death of her music teacher, Sergei Tarnowsky.

Her acting career began in 1978 with a guest appearance on the police drama series "Baretta," followed by roles in "The Amazing Spider-Man," "Barnaby Jones," and "Little House on the Prairie." Her breakthrough came in 1987 with the crime-comedy film "Stakeout," which paved the way for her roles in "Revenge" (1990), "Unlawful Entry" (1992), and "The Last of the Mohicans" (1992).

She won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the independent film "Short Cuts" (1993) and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for her role as Victoria Grayson in the ABC drama series "Revenge" (2011-2015).

Off-screen, Madeleine Stowe leads a relatively private life on her ranch in Texas, which she shares with her husband, actor Brian Benben, and their daughter, May Theodora Benben.

She is an active member of the board of directors of the foundation "Artists for Peace and Justice," which addresses issues of poverty.

Throughout her career, Madeleine Stowe has been involved in various martial arts and dance forms, including Taekwondo, Tai Chi Chuan, Kickboxing, Judo, Belly dancing, Salsa, and Sambo.