Actress Alice Cadogan burst onto the Hollywood scene in the 1980s with memorable supporting roles in hit films and TV shows like Beverly Hills Cop, Remington Steele, and Night of the Creeps. But after a promising start, Cadogan seemed to disappear from the public eye.
Born in 1962, Cadogan got her start with minor parts in TV shows like The Jeffersons, Alice, and Newhart in the early 80s.
Her big break came with a small but memorable role as a hotel clerk in the 1984 blockbuster Beverly Hills Cop starring Eddie Murphy. That same year she landed a part as Toni on the hit detective series Remington Steele with Pierce Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist.
Night of the Creeps
Cadogan’s career peaked in 1986 when she co-starred in the cult horror-comedy film Night of the Creeps directed by Fred Dekker.
The 1986 horror-comedy follows a group of college students who have to stop an alien invasion of brain-infecting slugs that turn people into zombies.
Alice Cadogan plays a supporting but memorable role as Pam, the girlfriend of Jason Lively’s character Chris. She helps Chris and his friend try to stop the alien slugs from spreading and turning more people into undead creatures. Though a minor part, Cadogan’s turn as the upbeat and spunky Pam was considered a highlight of the film by fans. She would star alongside actress Jill Whitlow.
But after that, the acting roles started to dry up. She made a handful of single-episode guest appearances on shows like Beverly Hills Buntz before leaving Hollywood in the early 90s.
So What Happened to Alice Cadogan?
After starting a family with actor Jeffrey Combs, whom she married in the late 80s, Cadogan decided to take a step back from acting to focus on raising their daughter. She made just a few more on-screen appearances in the 90s before retiring from acting completely.
Jeffrey Combs is known for his roles in Re-Animator and other horror films, as well as being a recurring character on Star Trek DS9.
Alice Cadogan’s daughter Catherine Combs has gone on to have an active acting career in her own right, appearing in films like 13 Going on 30 and shows such as The Mentalist, The Deuce, and New Amsterdam.
Catherine often posts loving tributes to her mother on Instagram. In one Mother’s Day post, she thanked her mom for instilling in her a love of gardening, natural history museums, antiques, and animals, calling Alice a “beautiful, generous goofball.”
While she never became a huge star, Alice Cadogan left a mark on 80s pop culture with her memorable supporting turns in several beloved films and shows. For Gen Xers who grew up watching movies like Beverly Hills Cop, she’ll always be remembered as one of those familiar faces from their youth. Even if her career was short-lived, Cadogan made the most of her brief time in the spotlight.
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