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
Spouse(s)	Howard Deutch ​ (m. 1989)​
Children	Madelyn Deutch Zoey Deutch

Lea Thompson is an American actress, singer, dancer, and director. She was born on May 31, 1961. Many people know her best for playing Lorraine Baines-McFly in the Back to the Future movies. She also starred as Beverly Switzler in Howard the Duck and Amanda Jones in Some Kind of Wonderful.

Lea Thompson has been in many other popular films. These include Dennis the Menace and The Beverly Hillbillies. In the 1990s, she was the main character, Caroline Duffy, in the TV show Caroline in the City. Later, from 2011 to 2017, she played Kathryn Kennish in the TV series Switched at Birth.

Early Life and Dance

Lea Thompson was born in Rochester, Minnesota. She was one of five children. Her father, Clifford Thompson, was a musician. Lea has two sisters, Coleen and Shannon, and two brothers, Andrew and Barry. Her family has roots from Ireland, England, Germany, and the Netherlands.

When Lea was a child, she studied ballet. By age 14, she was already dancing professionally. She earned special scholarships to famous ballet schools. These included the San Francisco Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre.

At 20, Lea was dancing with the American Ballet Theatre's Studio Company. The artistic director, Mikhail Baryshnikov, told her she was a lovely dancer but "too stocky." This made her decide to stop ballet. She realized it was time to try something new.

Starting an Acting Career

After leaving ballet, Lea Thompson decided to become an actress. She moved to New York City when she was 20. In the 1980s, she appeared in several Burger King commercials. She even worked with Elisabeth Shue, who later became her co-star in the Back to the Future sequels.

First Movie Roles

In 1982, Lea Thompson was in an interactive video game called MysteryDisc: Murder, Anyone?. Her first movie was Jaws 3-D in 1983. She later said she had to learn to water ski very quickly for the role! After that, she appeared in All the Right Moves (1983) and Red Dawn (1984).

Back to the Future Fame

Lea Thompson's most famous 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 Lorraine when she is a teenager. He has to make sure she falls in love with his future father, George McFly (Crispin Glover), and not with him!

Other Films and TV Shows

In 1986, Lea Thompson starred in SpaceCamp and Howard the Duck. For Howard the Duck, she even sang songs as her character, Beverly Switzler. She was the lead singer for a band called Cherry Bomb in the movie.

In the late 1980s, she also appeared in Some Kind of Wonderful. In the early 1990s, she played Alice Mitchell in Dennis the Menace (1993). She was also the villain Laura Jackson in The Beverly Hillbillies (1993). She even had a small role as a ballet instructor in The Little Rascals (1994).

Thompson at a convention in 2008

Television Success

From 1995 to 1999, Lea Thompson starred in the NBC sitcom Caroline in the City. She played the main character, Caroline Duffy. In 1996, she won a People's Choice Award for Favorite Female Performer in a New TV Series. Her show also won for Favorite New TV Comedy Series.

After a break, Thompson appeared in the TV series For the People. She also starred in the TV movie Stealing Christmas (2003) with Tony Danza and Betty White. She had guest roles in shows like Ed and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Jane Doe and Other Projects

Starting in 2005, Lea Thompson starred in a series of TV movies for the Hallmark Channel called Jane Doe. She played Cathy Davis, a former secret agent who became a housewife. Cathy helps the government solve mysteries. Lea Thompson also directed two of these Jane Doe films herself.

In 2014, Lea Thompson competed on the 19th season of Dancing with the Stars. She danced with professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev. They finished in sixth place.

Recent Work

From 2011 to 2017, Thompson was a main star in the ABC Family series Switched at Birth. This show was about a family who found out their 16-year-old daughter was switched at the hospital as a baby.

In 2017, Lea Thompson was cast in the movie Little Women. This film was based on the famous novel by Louisa May Alcott. Thompson played Margaret "Marmee" March, the mother who helps her daughters through life's challenges. The movie was released in 2018.

Lea Thompson has also worked as a director. She directed episodes of the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Picard in 2022. She also directed three episodes of the Syfy series Resident Alien in 2022 and 2024.

Personal Life

Lea Thompson was engaged to actor Dennis Quaid from 1984 to 1987. She later met film director Howard Deutch in 1987 while working on the movie Some Kind of Wonderful. They got married in 1989.

Lea and Howard have two daughters, Madelyn Deutch (born 1991) and Zoey Deutch (born 1994). Both of their daughters are also actresses. In 2008, Lea sang on stage with her daughters in a production of Bye Bye Birdie. This was for a special event to support the Alzheimer's Association.

Awards and Recognition

Lea Thompson has received several awards and nominations for her acting.

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