In April 1985, it was pure, unadulterated Madonna mania. The Queen of Pop had dropped her second album Like a Virgin in late 1984. She had already met future husband (and future ex-husband) Sean Penn on the set of her “Material Girl” music video in February. Then, simply as she was about to kick off The Virgin Tour, she additionally made her performing debut. Desperately Seeking Susan, starring Madonna, opened 41 years in the past on April 12, 1985.
Dedicated Madonna followers will wish to deliver up Madonna’s earlier underground movie A Certain Sacrifice, which wrapped in 1981, nevertheless it was a low-budget impartial movie. Madonna additionally bought display screen time in the 1985 film Vision Quest, however solely as an unnamed singer in a membership with none actual strains. So Desperately Seeking Susan … it actually was her first true performing position in main industrial movie.
Related: Madonna Joins Hit Show for Her First TV Role in Decades
In Desperately Seeking Susan, Madonna stars alongside Rosanna Arquette and Aidan Quinn. Arquette performs Roberta Glass, a bored New Jersey housewife who turns into obsessive about a thriller lady named Susan (performed by Madonna) she’s following by way of private advertisements. Things occur and, in half, due to one super-cool, gold pyramid jacket, Roberta will get mistaken for Susan, which units her off on a brand new bohemian journey in New York.
Desperately Seeking Susan was a stable field workplace success, too, grossing over $27.3 million in the U.S.
Check out a number of the occasions surrounding the Desperately Seeking Susan film.
Rosanna Arquette and Madonna pose on the Desperately Seeking Susan set:
Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images
Here’s Madonna in lace and fur, attending the Desperately Seeking Susan opening:
Photo by Bettmann on Getty Images
Check out the Desperately Seeking Susan Blu-ray cowl (matches the film posters):
And here is Madge decked out in her official Desperately Seeking Susan lewk:
Photo by Sunset Boulevard on Getty Images
Watch the official Desperately Seeking Susan trailer:
Madonna went on to star in a string of memorable movies, together with Shanghai Surprise (1986), alongside then-husband Penn, Who’s That Girl? (1987), Dick Tracy (1990), alongside, then-boyfriend Warren Beatty, A League of Their Own (1992), and Evita (1996). She additionally appeared in the documentary Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991).
The singer was just lately noticed on the set of The Studio, Seth Rogan‘s Emmy-award-winning present. She’s reportedly becoming a member of for Season 2 of the Apple TV present.
This story was initially revealed by Parade on Apr 12, 2026, the place it first appeared in the News part. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
