Sigourney Weaver facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sigourney Weaver
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Weaver at the 2024 Venice Film Festival
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| Born |
Susan Alexandra Weaver
October 8, 1949 New York City, U.S.
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| Education | Sarah Lawrence College Stanford University (BA) Yale University (MFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1971–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Jim Simpson
(m. 1984) |
| Children | 1 |
| Parent(s) | Pat Weaver (father) Elizabeth Inglis (mother) |
| Relatives | Doodles Weaver (uncle) |
| Awards | Full list |
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Susan Alexandra "Sigourney" Weaver (born October 8, 1949) is a famous American actress. She is well-known for playing strong female heroes in big action movies. She has also starred in many independent films. Sigourney has won many awards, including a British Academy Film 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) and two more Alien movies. Ripley is seen as a very important female character in movie history. Sigourney also played Dana Barrett in the Ghostbusters movies (1984–2021). She also had two roles in the Avatar film series (2009–present). These Avatar films are among the highest-earning movies ever.
In 1989, Sigourney won two Golden Globes. She was also nominated for two Oscars at the same time. This was for her roles in Gorillas in the Mist and Working Girl (both 1988). She was the first actor to win two Golden Globes for acting in the same year. Later, she won a British Academy Film Award for her role in The Ice Storm (1997). She has also voiced characters in Pixar animated films like WALL-E (2008) and Finding Dory (2016).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sigourney Weaver was born Susan Alexandra Weaver in New York City on October 8, 1949. Her mother, Elizabeth Inglis, was an English actress. Her father, Pat Weaver, was an American TV executive. Her father was president of NBC from 1953 to 1955. During that time, he created The Today Show.
When she was 14, Weaver started using the name "Sigourney." She got the name from a character in the book The Great Gatsby. She went to several schools in New York and Connecticut. She became interested in acting early on. She was very tall, reaching 180 cm (5 feet 11 inches) by age 11. This made her feel a bit shy.
In 1967, before she turned 18, Sigourney visited Israel. She volunteered on a kibbutz for several months. After returning to the U.S., she went to Sarah Lawrence College. She later transferred to Stanford University to study English. At Stanford, she was very involved in theater. She performed in Shakespeare plays and other shows. She graduated from Stanford in 1972 with a degree in English.
She then went to the Yale School of Drama. She found it challenging at Yale. Some teachers told her she had no talent for acting. But she kept going with help from friends. She graduated from Yale with a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1974.
Acting Career Highlights
Starting Out in the 1970s
Sigourney Weaver began her career in plays. She made her Broadway debut in 1974 in the play The Constant Wife. Before her big movie role, she appeared in commercials and a few TV shows. She also had a small part in the movie Annie Hall (1977).
Two years later, she starred as Ellen Ripley in Ridley Scott's hit film Alien (1979). This role was a huge success for her. Critics praised her performance. Alien is now considered one of the greatest science fiction horror films. For this role, she was nominated for a Most Promising Newcomer award.
Becoming a Star in the 1980s
In 1982, Sigourney starred with Mel Gibson in the drama The Year of Living Dangerously. This film was highly praised. In 1984, she returned to Broadway in the play Hurlyburly. Her role in this play earned her a nomination for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.
That same year, she took on the role of Dana Barrett in the comedy film Ghostbusters (1984). She played the role again in Ghostbusters II (1988). These movies were very popular.
Weaver played Ellen Ripley again in the sequel Aliens (1986), directed by James Cameron. Critics loved her performance. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for this role.
In 1988, Sigourney starred as primatologist Dian Fossey in Gorillas in the Mist. In the same year, she played Katharine Parker in Working Girl. Both films earned her Golden Globe Awards. She won for Best Actress in a Drama for Gorillas in the Mist and Best Supporting Actress for Working Girl. She was the first actress to win two Golden Globes in the same year. She also received two Oscar nominations for these roles.
Awards and New Roles in the 1990s
Sigourney returned as Ripley in Alien 3 (1992). She also played Queen Isabella in 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992). In the early 1990s, she appeared in films like Dave (1993) and Death and the Maiden (1994). In 1995, she starred as a criminal psychologist in Copycat.
In 1997, she starred in The Ice Storm. For this role, she won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. In 1999, she co-starred in the science fiction comedy Galaxy Quest. She also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that year.
2000s: Voice Roles and Avatar
In 2001, Weaver appeared in the comedy Heartbreakers. She also narrated the American version of the BBC documentary series Planet Earth in 2006. In 2008, she voiced the ship's computer in the Pixar film WALL-E. She also narrated the animated film The Tale of Despereaux.
In 2009, Sigourney starred in the TV film Prayers for Bobby. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her performance. Also in 2009, she worked with Aliens director James Cameron again. She played Dr. Grace Augustine in his film Avatar. This movie became the highest-earning film of all time.
2010s: TV and Stage Work
In 2012, she took a main role as Elaine Barrish in the TV miniseries Political Animals. She played a former First Lady and Secretary of State. Her performance earned her nominations for an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.
In 2013, Weaver returned to Broadway in the play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. In 2014, she voiced Ripley again for the video game Alien: Isolation. In 2016, she voiced herself in a cameo in the Pixar film Finding Dory. She also played Alexandra in the Netflix and Marvel miniseries The Defenders in 2017. In 2021, she reprised her role as Dana Barrett in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
2020s: Avatar Sequels and Awards
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In 2022, Sigourney returned for Avatar: The Way of Water. She played Kiri, the daughter of Jake and Neytiri. This film became the third-highest-earning film of all time. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.
In 2023, Weaver starred in the Australian miniseries The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart. In 2024, she received the International Goya Award in Spain. This award honored her amazing career and her strong female characters. She also received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 81st Venice International Film Festival.
Other Activities
After making Gorillas in the Mist, Sigourney became a strong supporter of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. She is now its honorary chairperson. She is also known as an environmentalist.
In 2006, she spoke at the United Nations General Assembly. She talked about the dangers of deep-sea trawling to ocean habitats. This is an industrial way of catching fish. In 2008, she hosted a gala for the Trickle Up Program. This group helps people in extreme poverty.
Personal Life
Sigourney Weaver has been married to stage director Jim Simpson since October 1, 1984. They live in Manhattan, New York City. They founded The Flea Theater together in 1996. They have one child, Shar, born in 1990. Shar is an author and a professor.
Sigourney is good friends with actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Selina Cadell.
Film and Award Recognition
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Some of Sigourney Weaver's most famous films include:
- Alien (1979)
- The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)
- Ghostbusters (1984)
- Aliens (1986)
- Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
- Working Girl (1988)
- Dave (1993)
- Copycat (1995)
- The Ice Storm (1997)
- Galaxy Quest (1999)
- WALL-E (2008)
- Avatar (2009)
- A Monster Calls (2016)
- Finding Dory (2016)
- Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Weaver has received many nominations for her acting. She has been nominated for three Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, and seven Golden Globe 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
