In 1984, David Lynch cast her in the science fiction film Dune as Princess Irulan.
Madsen garnered reputation after portraying a Catholic girl in Fire with Fire.
She also co-hosted a series called Unsolved Mysteries in 1999.
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In 2013, she portrayed one of the main villains in the first season of Witches of East End.
Virginia had a streak of guest performances but never any major roles in several television shows.
After graduating high school, Madsen attended the Harand Camp Adult Theater Seminar in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, and the Ted Liss Acting Studio in Chicago.
She played a cellist in Electric Dreams and Princess Irulan in Dune.