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| Birth Name(s) : Jennifer Lee Morrow |
Date of Birth: N/A |
| Status:
Single
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Partner:
Noah Baumbach |
| Profession:
N/A |
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Full Jennifer Jason Leigh Biography
Jennifer Jason Leigh (born February 5, 1962) is an American actress who has appeared in numerous films.
Her work has drawn high critical praise. Salon magazine praised her as “one of America’s best actors”, Paul Verhoeven, who directed her in Flesh & Blood, similarly claimed “There is no greater actress working in America”, and in 1994 Vogue magazine claimed “Leigh sets a standard that all future film actresses must attempt to match… (She has) an extraordinary range and power. The proof is in her diverse, courageous and mesmerizing body of work”. She has already 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. In addition to these achievements, Leigh was selected as one of "America's 10 Most Beautiful Women" by Harper's Bazaar magazine in 1989.
Born Jennifer Lee Morrow in Hollywood, California, she is the daughter of Combat! actor Vic Morrow and Pollock screenwriter Barbara Turner, both of whom were Jewish, although Leigh was raised mostly without religion. Leigh changed her middle and last name, taking the middle name "Jason" in honor of family friend, the late actor, Jason Robards, Jr.
As an adult, Leigh gravitated towards portraying fragile, damaged or neurotic characters. Her waify, baby-doll looks soon got her cast as victims – a virginal princess kidnapped and raped by mercenaries in Paul Verhoeven’s medieval adventure Flesh & Blood (1985), an innocent waitress dismembered with a semi truck in The Hitcher (1986), and a young woman on the verge of a mental breakdown in the seedy nightclub inherited from her uncle in Heart of Midnight (1989).
Leigh’s least favorite role was as a normal girlfriend in the popular 1991 firefighting drama Backdraft; Hollywood legend has it that Leigh told director Ron Howard, “The only role I want to play in this film is the fire”.
She filmed a role for Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut (1999), but when Kubrick wanted to do re-shoots, she was unavailable and her entire part was redone with another actress.
According to various magazine interviews and her 1999 guest slot on the TV show Inside the Actors Studio, Leigh is a fan of the photographer Nan Goldin, and the musicians Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Liz Phair and Ella Fitzgerald. Her favorite films include My Night at Maud's, Dog Day Afternoon, Forbidden Games (aka Jeux interdits), Naked, Sweetie, Born Free and The Fly.
She turned down roles in sex, lies, and videotape (1989), Pretty Woman (1990), Singles (1992), A League of Their Own (1992), The Stendhal Syndrome (1996), Boogie Nights (1997) and The Brown Bunny (2003), and narrowly missed out on Linda Hamilton's role in The Terminator (1984) and the Clarice Starling role in Hannibal (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 at the time. She also turned down the role of Libby, which was eventually played by Cynthia Watros, on ABC's popular thriller series Lost.
Leigh is known for doing extensive method acting research in every role, including keeping diaries written in the character’s voice, and in the past has interviewed psychiatrists, mental patients, drug addicts, sexual abuse survivors, prostitutes and phone sex workers to prepare for her roles.
Leigh's father Vic Morrow was killed as a result of a helicopter stunt gone awry while shooting Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983).
Leigh's work has drawn high critical praise. Salon magazine praised her as “one of America’s best actors”, Paul Verhoeven, who directed her in Flesh & Blood, similarly claimed “There is no greater actress working in America”, and in 1994 Vogue magazine claimed “Leigh sets a standard that all future film actresses must attempt to match… (She has) an extraordinary range and power. The proof is in her diverse, courageous and mesmerizing body of work”. She has already 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. In addition to these achievements, Leigh was selected as one of "America's 10 Most Beautiful Women" by Harper's Bazaar magazine in 1989.
Leigh and her boyfriend of four years, Academy Award-nominated independent film writer-director Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale), were married on September 3, 2005. Baumbach is currently shooting Margot at the Wedding starring Leigh opposite Nicole Kidman and Jack Black, due for release on October 19, 2007.
She has been best friends with her Fast Times at Ridgemont High / The Anniversary Party co-star Phoebe Cates for over 25 years. Other close friends include Mare Winningham, Jennifer Beals, Alan Cumming and John C. Reilly.
Genie Awards, Canada
- 2005 Genie Award Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for Childstar
Boston Society of Film Critics, USA
- 1991 Best Supporting Actress for Last Exit to Brooklyn and Miami Blues |
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