Lucy Helyn Deakins (born December 18, 1971) is an American attorney and former actress whose career took a rare, sharp left turn: she became recognizable on screen as a bright, grounded presence in 1980s film and daytime TV, then walked away and rebuilt her life in the law. She’s best known for playing Milly in The Boy Who Could Fly and for originating the role of Lily Walsh on As the World Turns.
Early life
Deakins was born in New York City to academic parents—her mother, Alice, taught at Columbia University, and her father, Roger, taught at New York University. She attended Stuyvesant High School, then enrolled at Harvard University in 1988. She graduated in 1994 with a degree in comparative religion, and she also spent time traveling through Europe—one of several signs that she wasn’t trying to stay locked inside one identity.
Acting career
Deakins hit early with a kind of natural, unshowy charisma that reads especially well in coming-of-age stories—where sincerity is the special effect.
Her most lasting film association is The Boy Who Could Fly (1986), where she starred as Amelia “Milly” Michaelson. The performance sits in that sweet spot of 1980s youth drama: emotionally open without feeling manufactured, tough without trying to advertise toughness. She followed with notable late-’80s appearances including Little Nikita and The Great Outdoors (both 1988), and then Cheetah (1989). Later, she appeared in There Goes My Baby (1994), part of her gradual shift away from acting.
On television, she made a major early mark in daytime drama by originating Lily Walsh on As the World Turns (1984–1985). She later took guest roles that underscored how easily she could slide into more mature material, including appearances on Law & Order in the 1990s and again in the 2000s, plus the TV film A Mother’s Gift.
Leaving acting and becoming a lawyer
What makes Deakins stand out isn’t only the roles—it’s the exit. Instead of clinging to the industry, she stepped away, finished school, and later pursued law. She earned her J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law in 2007 and became a practicing attorney in Denver, Colorado. Her legal work has included energy law, and later a shift into family law and criminal defense. She eventually became a partner at the Denver firm Dunsing, Deakins & Galera.
Filmography highlights
Film
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The Boy Who Could Fly (1986) — Amelia “Milly” Michaelson
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Little Nikita (1988) — Barbara Kerry
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The Great Outdoors (1988) — Cammie
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Cheetah (1989) — Susan Johnson
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There Goes My Baby (1994) — Mary Beth
Television
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As the World Turns (1984–1985) — Lily Walsh
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ABC Afterschool Special (1990) — “Stood Up!”
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Law & Order (1993) — “Discord”
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A Mother’s Gift (1995) — Isobelle Deal (adult)
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Law & Order (2002) — “The Ring”
The through-line
Deakins’ story is the cleanest kind of reinvention: she didn’t “fade away,” she chose a different life and built it fully. On screen, she played characters with a steady pulse; off screen, she took that steadiness into a profession where it actually changes outcomes.
