Lea Thompson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lea Thompson
Thompson in 2023
Born	Lea Katherine Thompson (1961-05-31) May 31, 1961 (age 64) Rochester, Minnesota, U.S.
Other names	Lea Deutch
Alma mater	American Ballet Theatre
Occupation	Actress, director, singer, dancer
Years active	1982–present (acting) 2006–present (directing)
Spouse(s)	Howard Deutch ​ (m. 1989)​
Children	Madelyn Deutch Zoey Deutch

Lea Katherine Thompson (born May 31, 1961) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and director. She is famous for playing Lorraine Baines-McFly in the popular Back to the Future movies (1985–1990). She also starred as Beverly Switzler in Howard the Duck (1986) and Amanda Jones in Some Kind of Wonderful (1987).

You might also know her from films like Dennis the Menace (1993) and The Beverly Hillbillies (1993). In the 1990s, she was the main character in the TV show Caroline in the City. From 2011 to 2017, she played Kathryn Kennish in the TV series Switched at Birth.

Early Life and Dance

Lea Thompson was born on May 31, 1961, in Rochester, Minnesota. She was one of five children. When she was young, she loved to dance. She studied ballet and became a professional dancer by age 14. She even won special scholarships to famous ballet schools like the San Francisco Ballet.

By age 20, she was dancing with the American Ballet Theatre's Studio Company. However, she decided to stop dancing and focus on acting instead. Soon after, she moved to New York City. She appeared in several Burger King commercials in the 1980s.

Acting Career

Thompson at a convention in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom in 2008

Lea Thompson started her acting career in 1982. Her first movie was Jaws 3-D in 1983. She also appeared in All the Right Moves (1983) and Red Dawn (1984).

Her most well-known role is Lorraine Baines McFly in the Back to the Future movies. The first film came out in 1985. In the story, her character is the mother of Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox). Marty travels back in time and meets his teenage mother. He has to make sure she falls in love with his future father, George, not him!

In 1986, Thompson starred in SpaceCamp and Howard the Duck. For Howard the Duck, she even sang several songs for the movie's soundtrack. She played a musician named Beverly Switzler. In the early 1990s, she was in Dennis the Menace (1993) and The Beverly Hillbillies (1993).

From 1995 to 1999, Thompson starred in the NBC TV show Caroline in the City. She played the main character. In 1996, she won a People's Choice Award for her role in the show.

Later, Thompson appeared in several Broadway plays. She also starred in a series of TV movies for the Hallmark Channel called Jane Doe. In these movies, she played a former secret agent who helps solve mysteries. Thompson also directed two of these Jane Doe films.

From 2011 to 2017, Thompson was a main star in the ABC Family series Switched at Birth. The show was about a family who discovers their 16-year-old daughter was swapped with another baby at the hospital.

In 2014, Lea Thompson competed on Dancing with the Stars. She danced with professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev. They finished in sixth place. She also played Irene Steele in the movie Left Behind.

In 2017, Thompson was cast in the movie Little Women. She played Marmee March, the mother who guides her daughters through life's challenges. The film was released in 2018.

Lea Thompson has also worked as a director. She directed an episode of the TV series Resident Alien in 2022. She also directed two episodes of the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Picard in 2022, and had a small role in one episode.

Personal Life

Lea Thompson married film director Howard Deutch in 1989. They met on the set of the movie Some Kind of Wonderful in 1987.

Thompson and Deutch have two daughters, who are also actresses. Their names are Madelyn Deutch (born 1991) and Zoey Deutch (born 1994).

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Lea Thompson para niños

• List of female film and television directors
• List of actors who have played multiple roles in the same film
• List of Dancing with the Stars competitors