Daphne Zuniga made her film debut at 19 in the 1982 slasher The Dorm That Dripped Blood, followed by a lead role in the horror film The Initiation (1984). Zuniga gained early acclaim starring opposite John Cusack in Rob Reiner’s romantic comedy The Sure Thing (1985).
Her comedic talents shone as Princess Vespa in Mel Brooks’ cult classic Spaceballs (1987), and she appeared in the sci-fi horror sequel The Fly II (1989). Zuniga’s breakout role came as Jo Reynolds on the hit soap opera Melrose Place (1992–1996), earning her widespread recognition. She later portrayed Victoria Davis on The CW’s One Tree Hill (2008–2012), and played Lynn Kerr in Beautiful People (2005–2006).
Her television credits also include guest roles on NCIS (2020) as Navy Commander Stacy Gordon, Fantasy Island (2021) alongside Melrose Place co-stars, and Dynasty (2022) as Sonya Jackson. Zuniga has starred in numerous TV movies, such as Stone Pillow (1985) with Lucille Ball, Pandora’s Clock (1996), Gates of Paradise (2019), and Christmas in Paris (2019). She voiced characters in Stories from My Childhood (1998) and Spaceballs: The Animated Series.