# Anne-Marie Martin
**Anne-Marie Martin** is a Canadian retired actress and screenwriter, born Edmonda Benton in 1957 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is best known for playing Sergeant Dori Doreau on the American television comedy series *Sledge Hammer!* from 1986 to 1988, and she later co-wrote the screenplay of the 1996 disaster film *[Twister](https://www.edgepedia.org/twister-1996-film)* with her then-husband, the novelist [Michael Crichton](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-crichton).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0551926/bio/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Edmonda Benton, born 1957 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; early screen name Eddie Benton[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0551926/bio/) |
| Signature role | Sgt. Dori Doreau on *Sledge Hammer!* (1986–1988), 41 episodes, opposite David Rasche[2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/52016/anne-marie-martin) |
| Soap opera role | Gwen Davies on NBC's *Days of Our Lives*, listed by IMDb as 1982–1985 across 298 episodes[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0551926/) |
| Screenwriting | Co-writer, with Michael Crichton, of *Twister* (1996); credited for characters in the 2024 sequel *Twisters*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0551926/bio/) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0551926/) |
| Marriage | Married Michael Crichton in 1987; divorced September 2002; one daughter, Taylor Anne[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0551926/bio/) |
| After acting | Retired from acting in the late 1980s and rode competitively, including for the American Team in the World Championship competition for Icelandic horses[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0551926/bio/) • [4](https://prabook.com/web/anne-marie.martin/2589022) |
## Early life and name changes
Martin was born Edmonda Benton and raised in Toronto, Ontario. Before starting a screen career she worked for the theater director Hrant Alianak in Toronto and performed at the [Theatre Passe Muraille](https://www.edgepedia.org/theatre-passe-muraille).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0551926/bio/)
Through the 1970s she was billed under her birth name as Eddie Benton. Her early credits include the television movie *Dr. Strange* (1978), in which she played Clea Lake, the films *Killer's Delight*, *Deadman's Curve*, and *Doctors' Private Lives* (all 1978), *The Shape of Things to Come* (1979), and the slasher film *Prom Night* (1980) as Wendy Richards. According to her IMDb biography, *Prom Night* was her last appearance billed as Eddie Benton; from 1981 on she went by Anne-Marie Martin.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0551926/bio/) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0551926/)
## Television career
Martin's most visible television work before *Sledge Hammer!* was a starring role as attorney Gwen Davies on the NBC soap opera *Days of Our Lives* in the early 1980s; IMDb lists the run as 1982–1985 across 298 episodes, while other profiles describe it as two seasons.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0551926/) • [5](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/anne-marie-martin.html) She also guest-starred widely, including *Wonder Woman*, *The Streets of San Francisco*, *Rafferty*, *[Buck Rogers in the 25th Century](https://www.edgepedia.org/buck-rogers-in-the-25th-century-tv-series)* (as Stella Breed), *T. J. Hooker*, *St. Elsewhere*, *The Powers of Matthew Star*, and *Highway to Heaven*.[2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/52016/anne-marie-martin) • [5](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/anne-marie-martin.html)
**Sledge Hammer!** Her breakthrough came with the parody police series *Sledge Hammer!*, created by Alan Spencer, who chose her for the role of Dori Doreau.[4](https://prabook.com/web/anne-marie.martin/2589022) The series satirized the macho cop genre: [David Rasche](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-rasche) played the reckless title detective, and Martin played his straight-laced partner, appearing in 41 episodes from 1986 to 1988.[2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/52016/anne-marie-martin) A contemporary Washington Post review of the premiere described her as the partner who saves Hammer "from utter humiliation, if not utter death."[6](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1986/09/23/the-coppers-capers-on-abc/e0d087fe-5c6c-4499-8a7c-255b7b7d36f4/) Spencer also wrote an episode in which her character impersonated Hammer.[4](https://prabook.com/web/anne-marie.martin/2589022)
Her film work in the same period included *The Boogens* (1981) as Jessica Ford, *Savage Harvest* (1981), an uncredited cameo as Darcy Essmont in *Halloween II* (1981), and a small role as a bar hooker in Michael Crichton's *Runaway* (1984).[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0551926/) Following the cancellation of *Sledge Hammer!*, she retired from television and film acting.[4](https://prabook.com/web/anne-marie.martin/2589022)
## Twister and screenwriting
Crichton met Martin in 1984 while directing *Runaway*, and they married three years later.[7](https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED434064.pdf) The couple co-wrote the screenplay for *Twister* (1996), directed by [Jan de Bont](https://www.edgepedia.org/jan-de-bont) and starring [Helen Hunt](https://www.edgepedia.org/helen-hunt) and [Bill Paxton](https://www.edgepedia.org/bill-paxton). Crichton testified in a 1998 copyright lawsuit over the film that he and Martin got the idea after seeing a television documentary about storm chasers, aimed for "a zany and screwball comedy" modeled on the 1940 film *His Girl Friday*, and that Martin supplied plot and dialogue ideas while he typed; "We basically acted it out," he said.[8](https://www.deseret.com/1998/1/22/19359131/crichton-says-he-and-wife-acted-twister-s-turns/) The suit by screenwriter Stephen Kessler was dismissed by a jury.[9](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/michael-crichton/) The 2024 sequel *Twisters* credits Martin for the characters she and Crichton created.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0551926/)
Crichton's novel *Jurassic Park* carries the dedication "for A-M and T", referring to Martin and their daughter Taylor Anne, born 1989.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0551926/bio/)
## Marriage, divorce, and later life
Martin and Crichton married in 1987 and divorced in September 2002.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0551926/bio/) Estimates of the settlement differ: *The Guardian* reported the divorce from Martin cost Crichton an estimated $100 million, while *The Washington Post* reported the divorce cost him $31 million, including their art collection and 20 horses.[10](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/nov/07/television-michaelcrichton) • [11](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2008/11/06/jurassic-park-author-michael-crichton-66/3f6cdc85-0f44-4103-80e0-765b9e0f8c11/)
After retiring from acting, Martin pursued competitive riding. She rode for the American Team in the World Championship competition for Icelandic horses.[4](https://prabook.com/web/anne-marie.martin/2589022)
## References
1. [Anne-Marie Martin – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0551926/bio/)
2. [Anne-Marie Martin, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/52016/anne-marie-martin)
3. [Anne-Marie Martin, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0551926/)
4. [Anne-Marie Martin, Prabook](https://prabook.com/web/anne-marie.martin/2589022)
5. [Anne-Marie Martin – Age, Bio, Family, Famous Birthdays](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/anne-marie-martin.html)
6. [The Copper's Capers, on ABC, The Washington Post (September 23, 1986)](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1986/09/23/the-coppers-capers-on-abc/e0d087fe-5c6c-4499-8a7c-255b7b7d36f4/)
7. [Biography Today Author Series, Vol. 5 (ERIC full text)](https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED434064.pdf)
8. [Crichton says he and wife acted 'Twister's' turns, Deseret News (January 22, 1998)](https://www.deseret.com/1998/1/22/19359131/crichton-says-he-and-wife-acted-twister-s-turns/)
9. [Michael Crichton – Writer, Producer, Director, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/michael-crichton/)
10. [Obituary: Michael Crichton, The Guardian (November 7, 2008)](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/nov/07/television-michaelcrichton)
11. ['Jurassic Park' Author Michael Crichton, 66, The Washington Post (November 6, 2008)](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2008/11/06/jurassic-park-author-michael-crichton-66/3f6cdc85-0f44-4103-80e0-765b9e0f8c11/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › Canadian actors › Surnames M to P*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license