Jennifer Beals

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Jennifer Beals
Born December 19, 1963 (1963-12-19) (age 44)
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Occupation Film, television actress
Spouse(s) Ken Dixon (1998-)
Alexandre Rockwell (1986-1996)

Jennifer Beals (born December 19, 1963) is an American film actress and former teen model. She is known for her roles as Alexandra "Alex" Owens in the 1983 film Flashdance and as Bette Porter on the lesbian-themed drama series The L Word. She has appeared in more than 50 movies.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Beals was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Jeanne, an elementary school teacher, and Alfred Beals, who owned a grocery store.[1] Her father was African-American and her mother was Irish American.[2][3][4][5] She has two brothers, Bobby and Gregory.[6] Her father died when Beals was ten years old and her mother re-married to Edward Cohen. Beals stated that her biracial heritage had some impact on her, as she "always lived sort-of on the outside", with an idea "of being the other in society".[7] She graduated from the Francis W. Parker School and Yale University, receiving a B.A. in American Literature, 1986.[8]

[edit] Career

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Beals had a minor role in the 1980 film My Bodyguard, then came to fame with her starring part in Flashdance. The third-highest grossing U.S. film of 1983, it was the story of 18-year-old Alex, a welder by day and exotic dancer by night, whose dream is to someday be accepted at an illustrious school of dance. Beals was cast for this key role while still a student at Yale. She was nominated for a Golden Globe and the film received an Academy Award for Best Song.

The blockbuster was the first collaboration for producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson. After its release, it was revealed that many of Beals' elaborate dance moves were actually performed by double Marine Jahan.[9]

A number of interesting roles came Beals' way following that breakout performance. She and singer-actor Sting were cast as the leads in 1985's The Bride, a gothic horror film loosely based on the 1935 classic Bride of Frankenstein. Beals was cast as Eva, quite literally a beautiful creature, brought to life by Dr. Frankenstein to be a mate for his monster.

Starring opposite Nicolas Cage, the actress portrayed a lusty and thirsty vampire who may or may not be a figment of a man's imagination in 1989's Vampire's Kiss.

In 1995, Beals and Denzel Washington co-starred in Devil in a Blue Dress, a period film based on a Walter Mosley novel featuring his L.A. private detective, Easy Rawlins. That same year she appeared with Tim Roth in a segment of the four-story anthology Four Rooms directed by her then-husband, Alexandre Rockwell.

Rockwell had previously directed her in the 1992 independent film In the Soup, which was a Grand Prize winner at the Sundance Film Festival.

Recently, she had a leading role in 2006's The Grudge 2, sequel to the hit horror film of two years earlier.

Beals currently stars in Showtime Network's The L Word, where she plays Bette Porter, an Ivy League educated lesbian. Although this series and several of her films have been of a provocative nature, Beals has avoided nude scenes during her career. Even though she has done countless lesbian love scenes during her tenure on The L Word, she is the only regular cast member to refuse to appear nude in them.

[edit] Personal life

Beals was married to Alexandre Rockwell from 1986 to 1996. In 1998, she married Ken Dixon, a Canadian entrepreneur.[10] She and Dixon had a daughter in October 2005, and Dixon has two children from a previous marriage. Beals has described herself as a "spiritual person".[11]

Beals is a close friend of Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino often stayed at Beals' home while struggling as an aspiring director before Pulp Fiction. He was one of the producers, directors and cast members of her film Four Rooms. She has been best friends with actress Marlee Matlin, who currently stars as Jodi Lerner on The L Word, since they met in an airport in the 1980s.[12]

Beals was a Celebrity Grand Marshal at the 2006 San Francisco Pride Parade.[13]

[edit] Filmography

[edit] References

  1. ^ Jennifer Beals Biography (1963-)
  2. ^ Carr, Jay. "JENNIFER BEALS BACK ON THE SCREEN AS A MISCHIEVOUS, FEMINIST 'BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN'", Boston Globe, 1985-08-09. Retrieved on 2007-12-10. 
  3. ^ Soul of The L Word: we may argue about The L Word, but on this we all agree: Jennifer Beals takes our breath away. The star opens up about shooting sex scenes, being a new mom, and giving lesbians what they want | Advocate, The | Find Articles at BNET.com
  4. ^ Jennifer Beals's Grown-Up Sexuality
  5. ^ http://www.jewhoo.com/editor/sandler.html
  6. ^ Jennifer Beals Biography | TVGuide.com
  7. ^ Jennifer Beals Tackles Issues of Race, Sexuality on The L Word
  8. ^ Yale Daily News - Ben Lee, Jennifer Beals get Fest-ive
  9. ^ Marine Jahan
  10. ^ Jennifer Beals Has a Baby Girl - Birth, Jennifer Beals : People.com
  11. ^ Jennifer Beals Interview - Apr 2004
  12. ^ Jennifer Beals and Marlee Matlin Send Sparks Flying on 'The L Word'. The TV Tattler. AOL.com (2007-02-12). Retrieved on 2007-02-13.
  13. ^ Main

[edit] External links