Geena Davis is an American actress, producer, writer, and former model. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a BAFTA Award. Throughout her career, she has appeared in a variety of films, ranging from action to drama to comedy.
Born on January 21, 1956, in Wareham, Massachusetts, Davis was the youngest of four children. Her father, William Davis, was a civil engineer, and her mother, Lucille (née Cook), was a teacher. Davis has two older sisters, Dorothy and Barbara, and an older brother, Peter. She has described her family as “very close-knit”.
Davis attended Wareham High School, where she played on the basketball and field hockey teams. She was also a member of the drama club. After graduating from high school in 1974, she enrolled at New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire. However, she transferred to Boston University two years later.
Davis began her acting career in 1977 with a small role in the film Jaws 2. She followed this with a number of supporting roles in films such as The Fly (1986), The Accidental Tourist (1988), and Beetlejuice (1988). In 1989, she had her breakout role as Thelma Dickinson in Thelma & Louise. The film was a critical and commercial success, and earned Davis an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
In the early 1990s, Davis starred in a number of successful films, including A League of Their Own (1992), The Firm (1993), and The Pelican Brief (1993). She also received critical acclaim for her performance as a serial killer in The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996).
In recent years, Davis has appeared in a number of films, including Stuart Little (1999), Stuart Little 2 (2002), The Accidental Husband (2008), Marley & Me (2008), and Hot Tub Time Machine (2010). She has also lent her voice to a number of animated films, including Shrek 2 (2004), Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild (2005), and Robots (2005).
Davis has been married three times. Her first husband was actor Jeff Goldblum, whom she married in 1987. The couple divorced in 1990. She married director Renny Harlin in 1993, and the couple divorced in 1998. She married actor Reza Jarrahy in 2001, and the couple have three children together.
Davis is a supporter of gender equality and is a member of the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Advisory Council. In 2006, she was appointed as a special envoy for Women’s Empowerment by then-UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
General Info
Full Name
Geena Davis
Net Worth
$38 million
Date Of Birth
January 21, 1956
Height
1.83 m
Weight
66 kg
Profession
Television producer, Film producer, Writer, Actor, Model, Athlete
Education
New England College, Boston University, Wareham High School
Nationality
American
Family
Spouse
Reza Jarrahy (m. 2001), Renny Harlin (m. 1993–1998), Jeff Goldblum (m. 1987–1990), Richard Emmolo (m. 1982–1983)
Children
Alizeh Keshvar Davis Jarrahy, Kaiis Steven Jarrahy, Kian William Jarrahy
Parents
Lucille Davis, William Davis
Siblings
Dan Davis
Accomplishments
Awards
Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama, David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actress, National Board of Review Award for Best Actress
Nominations
Academy Award for Best Actress, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture – Drama, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, MTV Mov...
Movies
Thelma & Louise, Beetlejuice, A League of Their Own, The Long Kiss Goodnight, The Fly, Cutthroat Island, The Accidental Tourist, Stuart Little, Earth Girls Are Easy, Tootsie, Stuart Little 2, Quick Change, Fletch, Transylvania 6-5000, Accidents Happen, Angie, Hero, Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild,...
TV Shows
The Protector, Commander in Chief, The Geena Davis Show, Sara, Buffalo Bill, Grey's Anatomy, The Exorcist, Rabbit Ears Productions
[About Thelma & Louise (1991) being considered a male-bashing movie] Most guys don't relate to the truck driver or the rapist, and if they do, their problems are bigger than this movie.
2
[talking about the shows her children watch] As I watched kids' programs with them, I became concerned about gender balance and stereotypes. Boys take up much more space on TV than in real life.
3
I have an elbow that bends the wrong way, and I'd do things like stand in an elevator and the doors would close, and I'd pretend that my arm had got caught in it, and then I'd scream, "Ow, ow, put it back!"
Facts
#
Fact
1
Daughter of Lucille Cook (1919-2001) and William F. Davis (1913-2009). Geena's father was a civil engineer and church deacon; her mother worked as a teacher's aide. Her brother Danforth (b. 1953) is a geotechnical engineer and lives in Las Vegas with his wife Marilyn.
Delivered her twin sons Kian and Kaiis 26 days early via Caesarean section due to breathing difficulties.
5
Gave birth to her 2nd and 3rd children at age 48, twin sons Kian William and Kaiis Steven Jarrahy on May 6, 2004. Children's father is her 4th husband, Reza Jarrahy.
6
Gave birth to her 1st child at age 46, a daughter Alizeh Keshvar Davis Jarrahy on April 10, 2002. Child's father is her 4th husband, Reza Jarrahy.
Turned down a role in The Grifters (1990) per DVD audio commentary, though it's unclear whether she was offered the part that went to Anjelica Huston or Annette Bening.
10
Said that Accidents Happen (2009) was the most fun she had ever had on a movie, and that her co-stars and on-screen sons Harry Cook and Harrison Gilbertson looked very much like her two twin boys in real life and felt a great friendship and connection to the both of them.
11
After graduating from Boston U. she worked as a window mannequin.
12
Her second husband, actor Jeff Goldblum says that he and Geena have remained good friends in the years since their divorce.
13
Auditioned for a regular cast member spot on NBC's Saturday Night Live (1975) in 1984.
14
Wears a size 12 shoe.
15
Graduate of Wareham High School (Wareham, Massachusetts) Class of 1974 who voted her "Most Talented."
