Lori Petty (born October 14, 1963) is an American actress, director, and screenwriter. She made her big-screen debut appearing in the 1990 comedy film Cadillac Man and later starred in films Point Break (1991), A League of Their Own (1992), Free Willy (1993), In the Army Now (1994), The Glass Shield (1994) and played the title role in Tank Girl (1995). She created and starred in the short-lived Fox sitcom Lush Life in 1996 and acted in a number of independent movies in her later career.
In 2008, Petty wrote and directed independent drama film The Poker House based on her early life during the 1970s. In 2014, she joined the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black as Lolly Whitehill as a guest star in the second season, and a recurring character in the third, fourth and seventh seasons.
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Early life
Petty, the eldest of three children, was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the daughter of a Pentecostal minister. She had a difficult upbringing after her mother left her abusive father and became addicted to drugs and became a sex worker, which left the young Petty responsible for her younger sisters. Petty graduated from North High School in Sioux City, Iowa in 1981. She worked in Omaha, Nebraska as a graphic designer for several years before pursuing acting.
Career
Petty got her break playing a terrorist named Skunk on the ABC daytime soap opera All My Children in 1985. She later made guest starring appearances on television series such as The Equalizer, The Twilight Zone, Head of the Class, Miami Vice and Freddy's Nightmares. In 1987 she starred in the made-for-television horror film Bates Motel. The following year she appeared in the made-for-television movie Police Story: Monster Manor, and was regular cast member in the short-lived comedy series, The Thorns. In 1989, Petty co-starred in the made-for-television movie Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder and from 1989 to 1990 was regular cast member in the Fox crime drama, Booker.
