Rebecca De Mornay facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rebecca De Mornay
De Mornay in 2006
Born	Rebecca Jane Pearch (1959-08-29) August 29, 1959 (age 65) Santa Rosa, California, U.S.
Other names	Rebecca George
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1975, 1981–present
Spouse(s)	Bruce Wagner ​ ​ (m. 1986; div. 1990)​
Children	2
Parent(s)	Wally George (father)
Relatives	Eugenia Clinchard (grandmother)

Rebecca De Mornay (born August 29, 1959) is an American actress. She became well-known in 1983 for her role in the movie Risky Business.

De Mornay has also starred in many other films. These include The Slugger's Wife (1985) and Runaway Train (1985). She also appeared in Backdraft (1991) and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992). Later films include Wedding Crashers (2005) and Mother's Day (2010). On television, she played Wendy Torrance in The Shining (1997). She also played Dorothy Walker in the TV show Jessica Jones (2015–19).

Early Life and Education

Rebecca De Mornay was born Rebecca Jane Pearch. Her birthplace was Santa Rosa, California. Her father was Wally George, a disc jockey and TV host. Her parents divorced in 1960.

In 1961, her mother married Richard De Mornay. Rebecca then took his last name. She lived in Pasadena, California, for a short time. After her stepfather passed away, her mother moved the family to Europe. They lived in different places there. Rebecca went to Summerhill School in England. She finished her high school studies in Germany.

Acting Career Highlights

De Mornay in 1987

When she was 16, Rebecca had an agent. She wrote songs for German rock musicians. She even wrote a theme song for a kung fu movie. In 1980, she came back to the United States. She studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute.

Her first small movie role was in 1981. It was in Francis Ford Coppola's film One from the Heart. In 1983, she got her big break. She starred in Risky Business with Tom Cruise. This role made her famous.

In 1985, she played the main role in The Slugger's Wife. She also appeared in The Trip to Bountiful and Runaway Train. Both of these movies were nominated for Academy Awards. That same year, she was in the music video for the song "Sara" by Starship. The song became a number one hit in 1986.

De Mornay continued to act in many films. She was in Backdraft (1991) with Kurt Russell. One of her most successful movies was the thriller The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992). She played a lawyer in Guilty as Sin (1993). She also appeared in Never Talk to Strangers (1995). For this film, she was also an executive producer.

In 2003, she was a guest star in the TV show Boomtown. In 2005, she had a small role in the comedy Wedding Crashers. She also appeared in the HBO series John from Cincinnati in 2007. In 2010, she starred in the movie Mother's Day.

In 2012, De Mornay played a role in the movie American Reunion. From 2015 to 2019, she played Dorothy Walker in the TV series Jessica Jones.

Personal Life

Rebecca De Mornay has had several relationships. She dated actor Harry Dean Stanton in the early 1980s. She also had a relationship with Tom Cruise after they met filming Risky Business. They were together until 1985.

De Mornay married writer Bruce Wagner in 1986. They later divorced in 1990. She was also engaged to singer Leonard Cohen for a short time. She helped produce his 1992 album, The Future.

Rebecca De Mornay has two daughters. Their father is sportscaster Patrick O'Neal.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Music Videos

See also

In Spanish: Rebecca De Mornay para niños