Photo: gdcgraphics at https://www.flickr.com/photos/gdcgraphics/ / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Karen Allen was born in Carrollton, Illinois, United States on October 5, 1951. Karen Allen is credited as a film actor, stage actor and television actor. That works out to 74 years old in 2026. Education on record includes DuVal High School and University of Maryland. Awards on record include Theatre World Award (1983).
My Take
Karen Allen is one of those actors I genuinely love even though Hollywood never quite figured out what to do with her long-term, which is honestly their loss. She burst onto the scene in Animal House, held her own alongside Al Pacino in Cruising, and then became flat-out iconic as Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark — a female lead who was tough, funny, and refused to be just a prop next to Indiana Jones. She won a Theatre World Award for her stage work too, so she wasn't just a screen presence; she had real theatrical chops. The fact that she went on to direct and run her own knitwear shop in the Berkshires says everything — this is someone who creates on her own terms, no apology needed.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Karen Allen
- Name (Japanese)
- カレン・アレン
- Reading
- かれん・あれん
- Born
- October 5, 1951 (age 74)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Rabbit
- Origin
- Carrollton, Illinois, United States
- Occupation
- film actor / stage actor / television actor / film director / actor
2. Background
- High school
- DuVal High School
- University
- University of Maryland
Awards & achievements
- 1983 Theatre World Award
3. Links
- Official sitehttps://karenallen-actor-director.com/
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen%20Allen
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%AB%E3%83%AC%E3%83%B3%E3%83%BB%E3%82%A2%E3%83%AC%E3%83%B3
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q229137
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Karen Allen born?
Born October 5, 1951 (age 74).
Where is Karen Allen from?
Karen Allen is from Carrollton, Illinois, United States.
What does Karen Allen do?
Karen Allen works as film actor, stage actor, television actor, film director, actor.
Film actor — see all → · Stage actor — see all → · More people from the United States →