Jennifer Jason Leigh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jennifer Jason Leigh
Leigh in 2015
Born	Jennifer Leigh Morrow (1962-02-05) February 5, 1962 (age 63) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1976–present
Spouse(s)	Noah Baumbach ​ ​ (m. 2005; div. 2013)​
Children	1
Parent(s)	Vic Morrow Barbara Turner

Jennifer Jason Leigh (born Jennifer Leigh Morrow; February 5, 1962) is a talented American actress. She started acting on television in the 1970s. Her big break in movies came with the teen film Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). She is known for her strong performances in many films. These include Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989) and Single White Female (1992). She was even nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her role in Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994).

Leigh also starred in Georgia (1995), a film written by her mother. She even helped write and direct a movie called The Anniversary Party (2001). Later, she appeared in the crime drama Road to Perdition (2002). She also had a role in the TV series Weeds (2009–2012). For her voice work in Anomalisa (2015), she received great reviews. She was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Hateful Eight (2015). From 2017 to 2021, she was in the Netflix series Atypical. She also appeared in science fiction films like Annihilation (2018). More recently, she starred in the fifth season of Fargo (2023).

For her work on stage, Leigh was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. This was for her performance in Abigail's Party. She made her Broadway debut in 1998. She played Sally Bowles in the musical Cabaret.

Early Life and Family Background

Jennifer Jason Leigh was born in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Vic Morrow, was an actor. Her mother, Barbara Turner, was a screenwriter. Her parents separated when she was two years old.

Jennifer's birth name was Jennifer Leigh Morrow. She changed her last name when she started acting. She chose "Jason" to honor actor Jason Robards, who was a family friend. Her parents were Jewish. Her father's family came from Russia. Her mother's family came from Austria.

Leigh is the middle child of three sisters. Her older sister, Carrie Ann Morrow, passed away in 2016. Jennifer also has a half-sister, Mina Badie, who is also an actress. Mina Badie appeared with Leigh in The Anniversary Party. Film director Reza Badiyi became Leigh's stepfather. He married her mother, Barbara.

Her Acting Journey

Early Career: 1976–1989

Leigh had her first small film role at age nine. It was in Death of a Stranger (The Execution) (1973). When she was 14, she attended acting workshops. She studied with Lee Strasberg. She also went to the Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center.

After her training, she got a role in The Young Runaways (1978). She also appeared in TV shows like Baretta and The Waltons. She played an anorexic teenager in the TV film The Best Little Girl in the World. For this role, she lost weight safely under medical care. She left school to star in her first big-screen movie, Eyes of a Stranger.

In 1982, Leigh played a pregnant teenager in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. This movie helped launch the careers of many young actors. Film critic Roger Ebert praised her acting. He said, "Don't they know they have a star on their hands?"

Most of Leigh's early films were low-budget thrillers. She often played characters who were fragile or troubled. She appeared in Flesh and Blood (1985) and The Hitcher (1986). She also starred in Sister, Sister (1987).

Breakthrough Roles: 1990–1999

In 1990, Leigh had a major career breakthrough. She won awards for her roles in Last Exit to Brooklyn and Miami Blues. Danny Peary, a film writer, called her "an interesting, always watchable, and extremely talented young actress."

Leigh then starred in her first big Hollywood movie, Backdraft (1991). She played a more typical role as the girlfriend of the lead actor. She found more success in the crime drama Rush (1991). She played an undercover police officer. Roger Ebert noted that Leigh had become "one of the best young actresses."

Her next film, Single White Female (1992), was a big hit. It brought Leigh to a wider audience. She played a woman with mental health issues who scares her roommate. Leigh won an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain for this role.

Leigh also co-starred with Kathy Bates in Dolores Claiborne (1995). She received great praise for her role as Sadie Flood in Georgia (1995). She played an angry rock singer. For this part, Leigh lost weight and sang all her songs live. Critics loved her performance. James Berardinelli said it was "so powerful."

Leigh won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress for Georgia. She also received an award from the Montreal World Film Festival. Many people were surprised she wasn't nominated for an Academy Award.

During the 1990s, Leigh worked with many independent film directors. She worked with Robert Altman in Short Cuts (1993) and Kansas City (1996). Leigh admired Altman and called him her mentor.

She also played a fast-talking reporter in The Hudsucker Proxy (1994). This was a funny movie by the Coen Brothers. Leigh took her first main role as writer Dorothy Parker in Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994). She earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for this role.

In 1997, she starred in Washington Square. She played a shy 19th-century heiress. In 1999, she appeared in David Cronenberg's eXistenZ. She played a virtual-reality game designer.

Later Work: 2000–Present

Leigh had a small role in Road to Perdition (2002). She also co-starred with Meg Ryan in In the Cut (2003). She played Stevie in the thriller The Machinist (2004). Her role in Childstar won her a Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in 2005.

She appeared in Palindromes (2004) and The Jacket (2005). Leigh also acted in two films directed by her former partner Noah Baumbach. These were Margot at the Wedding and Greenberg. In 2009, Leigh joined the TV series Weeds.

Leigh and the cast of The Hateful Eight at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con.

In 2012, Leigh joined the TV drama Revenge. In 2015, she starred in Quentin Tarantino's western film The Hateful Eight. The movie is set after the Civil War. Leigh's performance earned her many awards nominations. These included her third Golden Globe nomination. She also received her first BAFTA Award and Academy Award nominations.

In 2017, Leigh worked again with her Hateful Eight co-star Tim Roth. They played a husband-and-wife team in the TV series Twin Peaks. Leigh played Dr. Ventress in the science fiction film Annihilation (2018).

In 2019, Leigh appeared in The Affair. She also starred in the science fiction thriller Possessor in 2020. In 2022, Leigh took a main role in the fifth season of the crime drama Fargo.

Stage Performances

In 1998, Leigh took on the main role of Sally Bowles in the Broadway musical Cabaret. She also played Catherine in Proof on Broadway in 2001. Her other stage roles include The Glass Menagerie and Abigail's Party. In 2011, she played Bunny in The House of Blue Leaves on Broadway.

Writing and Directing Projects

In 2001, Leigh co-wrote and co-directed The Anniversary Party. This independent film was about a married couple celebrating their anniversary. As the party goes on, their marriage problems come out. Leigh and co-writer Alan Cumming used their own experiences for the film. Leigh played an actress worried about her husband. The movie was filmed quickly in 19 days. It starred many of their real-life friends. Leigh and Cumming received an award for their filmmaking. The film received good reviews.

Personal Life

Jennifer Jason Leigh has described herself as a shy and private person. She prefers to stay out of the Hollywood spotlight. She once said she would rather be in a movie that people feel strongly about. She prefers this over a movie that makes a lot of money but is easily forgotten.

In 1982, her father, Vic Morrow, sadly passed away. This happened in an accident during the filming of Twilight Zone: The Movie.

Leigh met film director Noah Baumbach in 2001. They married on September 2, 2005. Their son was born in March 2010. Leigh filed for divorce in November 2010, and it was finalized in September 2013.

Performances

Film

Television

Stage

Awards

Film

Short Cuts

• Golden Globe Special Ensemble Cast Award (non-competitive)
• Volpi Cup for Best Ensemble Cast

Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle

• Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress
• National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress
• Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

Anomalisa

• Nominated - Annie Award for Voice Acting in a Feature Production
• Nominated - Independent Spirit Awards for Best Supporting Female

The Hateful Eight

• Won – Capri Supporting Actress Award
• Won – CinEuphoria Awards for Best Actress
• Won – National Board of Review for Best Supporting Actress
• Won – North Texas Film Critics Association for Best Supporting Actress
• Won – Online Film & Television Association for Best Supporting Actress
• Won – San Diego Film Critics Society Awards for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
• Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
• Nominated – AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – Austin Film Critics Association for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – Awards Circuit Community Awards for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – Central Ohio Film Critics Association for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – Chicago Film Critics Association Awards for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – Denver Film Critics Society for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – Detroit Film Critics Society Awards for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – Florida Film Critics Circle Awards for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – Georgia Film Critics Association for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – Gold Derby Awards for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – Golden Schmoes Awards for Best Supporting Actress of the Year
• Nominated – Houston Film Critics Society Awards for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – IndieWire Critics' Poll for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – International Cinephile Society Awards for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – North Carolina Film Critics Association for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – Phoenix Critics Circle for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – Seattle Film Critics Awards for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – St. Louis Film Critics Association for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – Vancouver Film Critics Circle for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – Village Voice Film Poll for Best Supporting Actress
• Nominated – Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards for Best Supporting Actress

Television

Thanks from a Grateful Nation

• Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film

Stage

Abigail's Party

• Nominated — Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play
• Nominated — Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actress

See also

In Spanish: Jennifer Jason Leigh para niños