Geena Davis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Geena Davis
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Davis in 2024
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Virginia Elizabeth Davis
January 21, 1956 Wareham, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Organization | Geena Davis Institute |
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| Children | 3 |
Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis (born January 21, 1956) is a famous American actor. She has won many awards, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award.
Davis started her acting career in the comedy film Tootsie (1982). She later starred in the science-fiction movie The Fly (1986), which was one of her first big hits. She became very well-known after the fantasy comedy Beetlejuice (1988). For her role in the romantic drama The Accidental Tourist (1988), she won an Academy Award.
Geena Davis became a leading actress with the road trip film Thelma & Louise (1991). For this movie, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. She also starred in the sports film A League of Their Own (1992), which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. Later, she played the adoptive mother in the Stuart Little movies (1999–2005). She also played the first female president of the United States in the TV series Commander in Chief (2005–2006). For this role, she won a Golden Globe Award.
In 2004, Davis started the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. This organization works with the entertainment industry to show more female characters in movies and TV. She also started the annual Bentonville Film Festival in 2015. In 2019, she received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her work.
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Geena Davis's Early Life and Education
Geena Davis was born on January 21, 1956, in Wareham, Massachusetts. Her mother, Lucille, was a teacher's assistant. Her father, William F. Davis, was a civil engineer. She has an older brother named Dan.
She loved music from a young age. She learned to play the piano, flute, and organ. As a teenager, she played the organ at her church. Geena was also a cheerleader in high school. She went to Wareham High School and was an exchange student in Sandviken, Sweden. There, she learned to speak Swedish very well.
After high school, she studied at New England College and then Boston University. She later worked as a model in New York. Her brother gave her the nickname "Geena" when she was born.
Geena Davis's Acting Career Highlights
Starting Out in Hollywood (1982–1987)
Geena Davis was working as a model when director Sydney Pollack cast her in the film Tootsie (1982). This movie was very popular and received many awards. She then got a regular role in the TV series Buffalo Bill (1983–1984).
She also appeared in popular TV shows like Knight Rider and Family Ties. In 1986, she starred with Jeff Goldblum in the sci-fi thriller The Fly. This movie was a big success and helped her become a recognized actress.
Becoming a Star (1988–1992)
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Director Tim Burton chose Geena Davis for his horror comedy Beetlejuice (1988). She played a ghost haunting her old house. The movie was a big hit and critics loved her performance.
Davis then starred in the romantic drama The Accidental Tourist (1988). She played an animal hospital employee. Critics praised her role, and she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for it.
In 1991, Davis starred with Susan Sarandon in the road trip film Thelma & Louise. This movie became a classic and was very important for feminist film. Her performance earned her nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress and a BAFTA Award. Brad Pitt also got his start in this film.
In 1992, she played a baseball player in A League of Their Own with Madonna and Tom Hanks. This movie was a huge success at the box office. It earned her another Golden Globe nomination. She also appeared in the comedy Hero (1992) with Dustin Hoffman.
Challenges and TV Success (1993–2009)
In the mid-1990s, some of Davis's films, like Cutthroat Island (1995), were not very successful. After this, she took a break from acting.
She returned to the big screen as Mrs. Eleanor Little in the family comedy Stuart Little (1999). She played this role again in Stuart Little 2 (2002) and Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild (2005).
In the early 2000s, Davis focused on television. She starred in her own sitcom, The Geena Davis Show (2000–2001). Then, she played the first female president of the United States in the ABC series Commander in Chief (2005–2006). She won a Golden Globe for this role, but the show was cancelled after one season.
Expanding Her Influence (2010–Present)
After a period of less frequent work, Geena Davis started to appear more in television. She also expanded her work through her organization, the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.
In 2014, she lent her voice to the English version of the animated film When Marnie Was There. She also played Dr. Nicole Herman in the TV show Grey's Anatomy (2014–2015, 2018).
In 2015, Davis started the Bentonville Film Festival in Bentonville, Arkansas. This festival focuses on films that feature women and minorities. In 2016, she starred in the TV series The Exorcist, based on the famous horror film.
In 2018, she was an executive producer for the documentary This Changes Everything. This film talks about women's experiences in the entertainment industry. In 2019, she joined the voice cast of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. She also became an executive producer for the educational show Mission Unstoppable through her institute.
In 2022, Geena Davis released her memoir, Dying of Politeness.
Geena Davis's Personal Life
Family and Relationships
Geena Davis has been married four times. Her first marriage was to Richard Emmolo from 1981 to 1984.
In 1985, she met actor Jeff Goldblum on a movie set. They married in 1987 and appeared in two more films together: The Fly and Earth Girls Are Easy. They divorced in 1991.
She later married filmmaker Renny Harlin in 1993. He directed her in the films Cutthroat Island and The Long Kiss Goodnight. They divorced in 1998.
In 1998, Davis started dating Reza Jarrahy, a plastic surgeon. They married in 2001. They have three children: a daughter named Alizeh (born 2002) and twin sons named Kaiis and Kian (born 2004). They divorced in 2021.
Activism and Advocacy
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Geena Davis is a strong supporter of the Women's Sports Foundation. She also advocates for Title IX, a law that helps ensure equal opportunities in sports and education for everyone, regardless of gender.
In 2004, Davis noticed that there were far fewer female characters in children's TV shows and movies. This led her to start the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. This organization works to increase the number of female characters in media for children. It also aims to reduce stereotypes about girls and women in Hollywood. For her important work, she received an honorary Oscar, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, in 2019.
In 2011, Davis joined the FWD campaign to raise awareness about the East Africa drought.
Archery Hobby
In 1997, Geena Davis started practicing archery. In July 1999, she even tried out for the U.S. Olympic archery team for the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics. She placed 24th, which was not enough to qualify for the team, but it showed her dedication to the sport.
Images for kids
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Geena Davis in 2024
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Geena Davis at the Academy Awards in 1989
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Geena Davis in 2004
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Geena Davis and her ex-husband Reza Jarrahy in 2009
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Geena Davis in April 2011 with Dr. John Gallin
See also
In Spanish: Geena Davis para niños
