Biography

Ellen's career had a serendipitous start to it. In 1986, her mother read an article in the paper about an open casting call for a new untitled Adrian Lyne film. They were looking for girls ages six to eight, and prior acting experience wasn't required. Ellen's family had never considered getting her into the business, but she was just about six at the time, and it sounded like a fun thing to try. She competed against over a thousand other girls, and despite not having the "look", Ellen's natural talent won her the part of Michael Douglas and Anne Archer's daughter in Fatal Attraction.

After Fatal Attraction was released, Ellen's career started to take off. She appeared in numerous movies, TV shows, and even on Broadway. But possibly her most memorable role was as Randy Quaid's daughter "Ruby Sue" in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Considered one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time, this film still captures the hearts and funny bones of millions around the globe. Ellen won over audiences with her classic scene where she mistakes Chevy Chase for Santa Claus, uttering the now infamous line "Shittin' bricks".

At age 15, Ellen left her hometown in New York for boarding school in Vermont, which inadvertently ended her career. After graduation, she decided to keep the door closed on her acting and pursue a normal life. Ellen moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to attend the California College of Arts and Crafts and entered the regular working world. She had jobs in various fields, such as hospitality, travel, advertising, publishing, and startups. But her passion for entertainment never went away. When Ellen was living in Los Angeles, she went about producing a podcast about her experiences as a child star, as well as those of her peers. Her show "Watched" was a look behind the curtain of the child acting industry, delving deep into the realities of a childhood lived in front of the camera. The podcast never took off, but Ellen's ambitions to utilize her creative talents persisted.

Now, after a 30-year hiatus from professional acting, Ellen is re-entering the entertainment industry with the same compelling screen presence that defined her early career. She returns with a fresh perspective, on-camera confidence, and a deepened commitment to the craft.

When Ellen is not acting, she lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and their young daughter.
- IMDb mini biography by: Ellen Latzen

Tomboyish kid with cute chubby cheeks and short black hair

As a child actress, Latzen did not do television commercials as her mother believed that children were poorly treated during the making of them in comparison to film and television roles.

Ellen is producing and hosting her own podcast "Watched" about the child acting industry.

Ellen is currently attending the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, California

I'm proud of what I've done, but I yearn for so much more.

If somebody were to recognize me now, I'd be very impressed.

"Next to hundreds of little JonBenets with their makeup on and their pink dresses, there I was, a boyish little girl, my knees grass-stained" - about her audition for her role as Michael Douglas' daughter in Fatal Attraction (1987).