After reading the script for the movie Backdraft (1991), Jennifer reportedly told its director, Ron Howard, that she wished that she could be the fire because it has the best part.
Jennifer Jason Leigh is an American actress. She began her career on television, appearing in several anthology series during the 1970s, and made her film debut in the 1981 horror film Eyes of a Stranger. Leigh later had supporting roles in a number of films throughout the 1980s, including Fast Times at Ridgemont High and The Hitcher, before achieving greater prominence with her roles in the films Miami Blues and Last Exit to Brooklyn, for which she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.
Leigh continued to work steadily throughout the 1990s, appearing in such films as Single White Female, Backdraft, and Short Cuts, for which she received a second Independent Spirit Award nomination. She also starred in the 1997 black comedy-drama film Washington Square and had a leading role in the 1999 film eXistenZ. In 2002, Leigh starred in the independent film Road to Perdition and received critical acclaim for her performance in the 2004 drama A Dirty Shame.
Leigh’s other film credits include The Machinist, In the Valley of Elah, Margot at the Wedding, Synecdoche, New York, Django Unchained, and Annihilation. She has also appeared in several television series, most notably in a leading role on the Showtime series Weeds from 2005 to 2009.
Leigh was born on February 5, 1962, in Hollywood, California, the daughter of Vic Morrow and Barbara Turner. She has two sisters, Carrie Ann Morrow and actress Jamie Leigh Curtis. Leigh’s parents divorced when she was two years old and she was raised by her mother. She attended Palisades High School before dropping out at age 15.
Leigh’s first acting role was as a child on an episode of The Donna Reed Show. She made her film debut in the 1981 horror film Eyes of a Stranger. She subsequently had supporting roles in a number of films throughout the 1980s, including Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), The Hitcher (1986), and Miami Blues (1990).
In 1990, Leigh had a leading role in Ulu Grosbard’s film adaptation of Hubert Selby Jr.’s novel Last Exit to Brooklyn. The film was poorly received by critics but Leigh’s performance was praised. She was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her work on the film.
Leigh continued to work steadily throughout the 1990s, appearing in such films as Single White Female (1992), Backdraft (1991), Short Cuts (1993), and eXistenZ (1999). In 1997, she starred in the black comedy-drama Washington Square. Leigh received critical acclaim for her performance in Todd Solondz’s 1998 film Happiness. In 1999, she had a leading role in David Cronenberg’s science fiction film eXistenZ.
In 2002, Leigh starred in Sam Mendes’ Road to Perdition opposite Tom Hanks and Paul Newman. The film was a critical and commercial success. Leigh’s performance in the film earned her a Satellite Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
In 2004, Leigh starred in John Waters’ A Dirty Shame opposite Tracey Ullman. The film was a critical and commercial flop but Leigh’s performance was praised by critics.
Leigh’s other film credits include The Machinist (2004), In the Valley of Elah (2007), Margot at the Wedding (2007), Synecdoche, New York (2008), Django Unchained (2012), and Annihilation (2018). She has also appeared in several television series, most notably in a leading role on the Showtime series Weeds from 2005 to 2009.
Leigh has been married twice; first to Noah Baumbach from 2005 to 2009 and then to director Gary Oldman from 2017 to present. She has one child with Baumbach and two with Oldman.
General Info
Full Name
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Net Worth
$4 million
Date Of Birth
February 5, 1962
Height
1.6 m
Education
Palisades Charter High School
Nationality
American
Family
Spouse
Noah Baumbach
Children
Rohmer Emmanuel Baumbach
Parents
Barbara Turner, Vic Morrow
Accomplishments
Nominations
Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture – Drama, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture, Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress, Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature, Independent Sp...
Movies
The Hateful Eight, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Anomalisa, Single White Female, The Machinist, Margot at the Wedding, Miami Blues, Existenz, Last Exit to Brooklyn, Dolores Claiborne, The Hudsucker Proxy, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, The Anniversary Party, Flesh and Blood, Backdraft, Greenber...
I think I am talented -- but I also think I'm very lucky.
2
So much of the joy of seeing Quentin [Tarantino]'s movies is just how explosively imaginative they are, and how you don't really know where things are going, and you don't really know who's who and what's what and what the truth is.
3
I remember I once went to a nutritionist who said I come from good Russian- Jewish peasant stock, which means I can hold a potato in my body for a week, if need be.
4
[1982: on the death of her father, actor Vic Morrow] I always hoped we could work together and, through that, resolve whatever needed to be resolved between us. Now that chance is lost. That's the real tragedy.
5
[1992, on Miami Blues (1990)] Working with Alec (Baldwin) was like being on a roller coaster. He's thrilling, incredibly funny, completely free, unashamed, trustful. It was one of those rare experiences where you really believe your fellow actor is the character he's playing. We didn't screw, of course, but our love scenes felt alive.
6
When my first movie, Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), turned out to be this big hit, I was so innocent, I thought: all movies are hits. It took a couple of years to figure out that almost every movie I made after that didn't make money. Some of them haven't made money because they're not very good movies. It's not like I look at a project and go, 'Oh, this is going to be a box-office bomb. I want it!'
7
[1992, on Backdraft (1991)] Ron Howard was incredibly generous and patient with me. He pursued me with this role. And I failed him. Everybody had been telling me for so long that I should stop playing women who go through grueling experiences, but there was no place for me in that character. It taught me that I can't take a role I don't really connect with.
8
I think I live in this mythical world where doing the parts I do is not going to hurt me, and telling people my age is not going to hurt me. And it actually does. It's a bit sick-making but, you know, I can't change who I am.
9
I like the comparison to Johnny Depp because with him, the way he transforms himself from role to role, he's just this miraculous changeling and people really get behind it. But with me, people sometimes have a problem.
10
But in mainstream movies the woman's role is mostly just to prove that the leading man is heterosexual. I'm not good at that, and I'm not interested in that.
11
When I did Short Cuts (1993) with Robert Altman, I went up to him on the first day and said 'Hi', and he said 'Hi, how are you? Could you get me a cup of coffee?' When I brought it back, it turned out he thought I was the PA. For him, I come alive on film. As a person, I don't really register that much. I mean, he loves me, I don't take it as a cut, although you could. But he says that as a person I disappear in a way. On film, I'm very mysterious, but in life I'm very dull. I don't feel like I'm dull, but I don't put out a lot.
12
I'd much rather be in a movie that people have really strong feelings about than one that makes a hundred million dollars but you can't remember because it's just like all the others.
13
People can have so many ill-conceived ideas about me based on the parts that I play. I've had guys, when I've been single, come out of the woodwork to date me and I've found out very quickly that they were expecting some kind of whirlwind, some dramatic crazy person - and that's just not me.
14
I like a movie that the audience actively has to participate in, and not just casually observe. Whatever my part in it, just as an audience member, I find that exciting.
15
I'm a typical middle child. I'm the mediator. The one that makes everything OK, puts their own needs aside to make sure everybody's happy. It's hard to change your nature, even with years and years of therapy.
16
I just don't plan things. I live a month at a time.
17
[on her best friend, Phoebe Cates] Your best friend is the only one who would tell you the person you are in love with is a sexually ambivalent man-child.
18
I could never play the ingenue, the girl next door or the very successful young doctor. That would be a bore.
Facts
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Fact
1
Counts Dog Day Afternoon (1975) as the very first movie to emotionally impact her. Though only 13-years-old when it was released, she managed to see it numerous times.
2
Gave birth to her 1st child at age 48, a son Rohmer Emmanuel Baumbach on March 17, 2010. Child's father is her now ex-husband, Noah Baumbach.
3
Was estranged from her father, Vic Morrow, at the time of his death. He left her $100 in his will.
4
Announced that she had filed for divorce from husband Noah Baumbach, citing irreconcilable differences, and is seeking spousal support and primary custody of their son Rohmer (24 November 2010).
5
Returned to work five months after giving birth to her son Rohmer in order to film her guest appearance on Weeds (2005).
Reportedly auditioned for the role of Violet in Pretty Baby (1978), but the part went to Brooke Shields instead.
8
She has received three separate career tributes - at the Telluride Film Festival in 1993, a special award for her contribution to independent cinema from the Film Society of Lincoln Center in 2002, and a week-long retrospective showing of her film work held by the American Cinematheque at Los Angeles' Egyptian Theatre in June 2001.
She was one of several actresses considered by Jane Campion for the Holly Hunter role in The Piano (1993), but she was unable to meet with her because she was shooting Rush (1991) at the time.
16
She signed on for the film Spread (2009) but later backed out, and was replaced by Anne Heche.
17
Has become somewhat famous for having turned down many roles in some popular movies. She also turned down a recurring role on the TV show Lost (2004), which was eventually played by Cynthia Watros and the role of Bree on the TV series Desperate Housewives (2004), which was eventually played by Marcia Cross.
18
The song "Jennifer Jason Leigh" by the punk band J Church has lyrics made up from interview quotes.
19
Allegedly auditioned for the role of Sarah Connor in The Terminator (1984) but director James Cameron considered her too young for the part. Linda Hamilton ended up playing the part.
20
Member of the jury at the "Venice Film Festival" in the year 2000.
Jennifer chose her second middle name "Jason" from that of her and her father's friend, the actor Jason Robards.
23
Jennifer lived with Eric Stoltz for five years during the 80s.
24
Frequently worked with maverick director Robert Altman who, before his maverick days, worked with her father, Vic Morrow on the sixties television series Combat! (1962).
25
She is of entirely Ashkenazi Jewish descent. Her paternal grandparents, Harry Morozoff and Jean Kress, were immigrants from Russia. Her maternal grandfather, Alexander Turner, was an immigrant from Austria, and her maternal grandmother, Pearl Pauline Zises, was born in New York, to Austrian-born parents.
26
Jennifer attended the strict Stagedoor Manor summer camp in upstate New York which trains teenagers in acting, singing, and dancing. Jennifer's classmates include actor Zach Braff from NBC's Scrubs (2001), writer-director Todd Graff, and actress-singer Mandy Moore.
27
After reading the script for the movie Backdraft (1991), Jennifer reportedly told its director, Ron Howard, that she wished that she could be the fire because it has the best part.
28
Jennifer's father, actor Vic Morrow, died during the filming of the movie Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983). He was killed in a helicopter accident.
29
In 1997, Jennifer appeared in Faith No More's music video "Last Cup of Sorrow". Its plot was derived from Alfred Hitchcock's film Vertigo (1958).
30
Jennifer lost weight down to 86 pounds for her role as an anorexic teenager in the TV-movie The Best Little Girl in the World (1981).
31
Born at 12:33pm-PST.
32
Had a small part as Marion in Eyes Wide Shut (1999). However, when its director Stanley Kubrick asked Jennifer to do some re-shoots, she was not available to do that. Her entire part was reshot by Marie Richardson.
33
Well-known in Hollywood for the exhausting research she does for each of her portrayals and for her affinity of playing lurid roles.
