Sigourney Weaver facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sigourney Weaver
Weaver at the 2024 Venice Film Festival
Born	Susan Alexandra Weaver (1949-10-08) October 8, 1949 (age 75) New York City, U.S.
Education	Stanford University (BA) Yale University (MFA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1971–present
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Jim Simpson ​ (m. 1984)​
Children	1
Relatives	Pat Weaver (father) Elizabeth Inglis (mother) Doodles Weaver (uncle)
Awards	Full list

Susan Alexandra "Sigourney" Weaver (born October 8, 1949) is an American actress. She is famous for playing strong female characters, especially action heroines, in many movies since the late 1970s. She has won several awards, including a BAFTA Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Grammy Award. She has also been nominated for three Academy Awards.

Born in New York City, Sigourney is the daughter of TV executive Pat Weaver and actress Elizabeth Inglis. She first appeared in a small role in the movie Annie Hall (1977). Her big break came when she played Ellen Ripley in the science fiction horror film Alien (1979). She played Ripley again in Aliens (1986), which earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress nomination. Ellen Ripley is seen as a very important female character in movie history.

Weaver also played Dana Barrett in the popular Ghostbusters movies (1984–2021). She has also played different roles in the Avatar film series (2009–present). These Avatar movies are among the highest-grossing films of all time. In 1989, she won two Golden Globes for her roles in Gorillas in the Mist (1988) and Working Girl (1988). She was the first actor to win two Golden Globes for acting in the same year. She also won a BAFTA Award for her role in The Ice Storm (1997).

Her other well-known movies include The Year of Living Dangerously (1982), Copycat (1995), Galaxy Quest (1999), and A Monster Calls (2016). She also lent her voice to characters in the Pixar animated films WALL-E (2008) and Finding Dory (2016). On stage, she has performed in several Broadway plays. She has also been nominated for Emmy Awards for her TV work, including Prayers for Bobby (2009) and Political Animals (2013).

Early Life and Education

Susan Alexandra Weaver was born in New York City on October 8, 1949. Her mother was English actress Elizabeth Inglis, and her father was American television executive Pat Weaver. Her father was the president of NBC and helped create The Today Show.

When she was 14, Susan started using the name "Sigourney." She got the name from a small character in the book The Great Gatsby. She went to several schools and became interested in acting early on. She was very tall for her age, reaching about 5 feet 11 inches (180 cm) by age 11. This made her feel a bit awkward, and she once said she felt like "a giant spider."

In 1967, before she turned 18, Weaver spent several months volunteering on a farm in Israel. After returning to the U.S., she studied English at Sarah Lawrence College and then at Stanford University. At Stanford, she was very involved in theater. She performed in Shakespeare plays and other shows. She originally planned to become a writer or journalist.

Later, she attended the Yale School of Drama to study acting. She found it challenging at Yale, with some teachers saying she lacked talent. However, with the help of friends, she kept acting in plays. She earned her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in 1974.

Acting Career

Starting Out and Becoming Famous (1970s)

Weaver began her acting career in plays. She made her Broadway debut in 1974 in the play The Constant Wife. Before becoming famous in movies, she appeared in commercials and a few TV shows. She had a small part in the movie Annie Hall (1977).

Two years later, she starred as Ellen Ripley in Ridley Scott's hit movie Alien (1979). This role was a big turning point for her. Critics praised her performance, and the film became a classic. One critic called her "an actress who should become a major star." She was nominated for a BAFTA Award for this role.

Becoming a Star (1980s)

Weaver and her father Pat at the 61st Academy Awards in 1989. She was nominated for two Oscars that year.

In 1984, Weaver played Dana Barrett in the comedy film Ghostbusters. She later returned for Ghostbusters II (1988). These movies were very popular.

She played Ellen Ripley again in Aliens (1986), directed by James Cameron. Her performance was highly praised, with critics saying she held the whole movie together. For Aliens, she won the Saturn Award for Best Actress and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe Award.

In 1988, Weaver starred as primatologist Dian Fossey in the true-story drama Gorillas in the Mist. That same year, she also appeared in the comedy-drama Working Girl with Harrison Ford. For these two films, she won two Golden Globe Awards in the same year: one for Best Actress in a Drama and one for Best Supporting Actress. She also received two Academy Award nominations for these roles.

Continuing Success (1990s)

Weaver continued her role as Ripley in Alien 3 (1992). She also appeared in other films like Dave (1993) and Death and the Maiden (1994). In 1995, she played a criminal psychologist in the thriller Copycat.

In 1997, she starred in The Ice Storm, which earned her a second Golden Globe Award nomination and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. In 1999, she appeared in the science fiction comedy Galaxy Quest and the drama A Map of the World, for which she received another Golden Globe nomination. She also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that year.

New Roles and Voice Work (2000s)

Weaver at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival

In 2001, Weaver starred in the comedy Heartbreakers. She appeared in several other films during this decade, including Holes (2003), The Village (2004), and Baby Mama (2008).

She also did voice work, including being the voice of the ship's computer in the Pixar film WALL•E (2008). She narrated the American version of the BBC documentary series Planet Earth in 2006. In 2009, she starred in the TV movie Prayers for Bobby, earning nominations for an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe.

Also in 2009, she worked again with director James Cameron on his film Avatar. She played Dr. Grace Augustine, a main character in the movie. Avatar became the highest-grossing film of all time.

TV and Stage (2010s)

Weaver at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con

Weaver hosted Saturday Night Live twice, in 1986 and 2010. In 2012, she played a leading role in the TV miniseries Political Animals. She played Elaine Barrish, a former First Lady and Secretary of State. Her performance earned her nominations for an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe.

In 2013, Weaver returned to Broadway in the play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. The play won the Tony Award for Best Play. In 2014, she voiced Ellen Ripley again for the video game Alien: Isolation. She also appeared in the film Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014).

In 2016, she voiced herself in a cameo in the Pixar film Finding Dory. She also played Alexandra, a villain, in the Netflix and Marvel miniseries The Defenders in 2017. In 2019, she confirmed she would return as Dana Barrett in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which was released in 2021.

Recent Work (2020s)

James Cameron with Weaver promoting Avatar: The Way of Water in 2022

In 2022, Weaver returned for Avatar: The Way of Water, playing a new character named Kiri, the daughter of Jake and Neytiri. She also reprised her role as Dr. Grace Augustine. This film became the third-highest-grossing film of all time.

In 2023, Weaver starred in the Australian miniseries The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart. In 2024, she received the International Goya Award in Spain for her amazing career and for creating "complex and strong female characters." She also received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 81st Venice International Film Festival. Weaver plans to make her West End debut in London in 2025, playing Prospero in a play called The Tempest.

Other Important Work

Weaver with Ronald Reagan and Fahd of Saudi Arabia in 1985

After making the movie Gorillas in the Mist, Sigourney Weaver became a strong supporter of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. She is now its honorary chairperson. She is known as an environmentalist for her work to protect nature.

In 2006, she spoke at a United Nations General Assembly meeting. She talked about the dangers that deep-sea trawling (a way of catching fish) poses to ocean habitats. In 2008, she hosted a gala for the Trickle Up Program, an organization that helps people in extreme poverty, especially women and disabled people.

Personal Life

Sigourney Weaver has been married to stage director Jim Simpson since October 1, 1984. They live in Manhattan, New York City, and have one child. Together, they founded The Flea Theater in 1996.

Weaver is good friends with actress Jamie Lee Curtis. Curtis once said she was too scared to watch Alien all the way through!

Movies and Awards

Weaver at the 82nd Academy Awards in 2010

Some of Sigourney Weaver's most famous films include:

Weaver has received many awards and nominations throughout her career. She has been nominated for three Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, seven Golden Globe Awards, and four Emmy Awards. She has won a BAFTA, a Grammy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

See also

In Spanish: Sigourney Weaver para niños