biography

Alicia Roanne Witt is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and pianist. "Talking by age two and reading by the age of four", Witt has been described as a child prodigy. Her acting talent was recognized by director David Lynch discovered her when he heard her recite Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet on the television show That's Incredible! at age 5. This led Lynch to cast her in the role of Alia, the "flame-haired" sister of Paul Atreides, in Dune (1984). She turned 8 during filming. He would begin working with her in film and television even before Witt earned her high school equivalency credential (at age 14). She did undergraduate work in piano at Boston University and competed nationally.