
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jennifer Beals (born December 19, 1963, height 5' 8½" (1,74 m)) is an American actress and a former teen model. She is known for her roles as Alexandra "Alex" Owens in the 1983 film Flashdance, and as Bette Porter on the Showtime drama series The L Word. She earned an NAACP Image Award and a Golden Globe Award nomination for the former. She has appeared in more than 50 films. Beals was born on the South Side of Chicago, the daughter of Jeanne (née Anderson), an elementary school teacher, and Alfred Beals, who owned grocery stores. She is multiracial; her father was African American, and her mother is Irish American. She has two brothers, Bobby and Gregory.Her father died when Beals was nine years old, and her mother married Edward Cohen in 1981. Beals has said her biracial heritage had some effect on her, as she "always lived sort of on the outside", with an idea "of being the other in society". She got her first job at age 13 at an ice cream store, using her height at the time (she is now nearly 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)), to convince her boss she was 16. Beals was inspired to become an actress by two events: doing a high school production of Fiddler on the Roof and seeing Balm in Gilead with Joan Allen while volunteer-ushering at the Steppenwolf Theatre. Beals graduated from the progressive Francis W. Parker School. She also was chosen to attend the elite Goodman Theatre Young People's Drama Workshop. Beals attended Yale University, receiving a B.A. in American literature in 1987; she deferred a term so she could film Flashdance. While at Yale, Beals was a resident of Morse College. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jennifer Beals, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Movie | Facing the Wind | 2023 | |
Movie | After | Karen Gibson | 2019-04-11 |
Series | Swamp Thing | Lucilia Cable | 2019-05-31 |
Series | The L Word: Generation Q | Bette Porter | 2019-12-08 |
Movie | Before I Fall | Mrs. Kingston | 2017-03-02 |
Series | Taken | Christina Hart | 2017-02-27 |
Movie | Manhattan Night | Lisa Wren | 2016-05-20 |
Series | Proof | Dr. Carolyn Tyler | 2015-06-16 |
Movie | Full Out | Valorie Kondos-Field | 2015-09-11 |
Movie | The Laws Of The Universe - Part 0 | Inkar (voice) | 2015-09-26 |
Movie | A Wife's Nightmare | Liz | 2014-12-27 |
Series | Motive | Sophia Balfour | 2013-02-03 |
Movie | Cinemanovels | Clementine | 2013-09-06 |
Movie | A Fuller Life | Self - Reader (segment "Crime Reporter") | 2013-08-28 |
Series | The Chicago Code | Teresa Colvin | 2011-02-07 |
Movie | The Book of Eli | Claudia | 2010-01-11 |
Movie | A Night for Dying Tigers | Melanie | 2010-09-10 |
Movie | The Night Before the Night Before Christmas | Angela Fox | 2010-09-07 |
Series | Lie to Me | Zoe Landau | 2009-01-21 |
Movie | Queen to Play | L’Américaine | 2009-08-05 |
Series | Castle | Sophia Turner | 2009-03-09 |
Movie | My Name Is Sarah | Sarah Winston | 2007-05-28 |
Movie | Troubled Waters | FBI Agent Beck | 2006-12-21 |
Movie | The Grudge 2 | Trish Kimble | 2006-10-13 |
Movie | Break a Leg | Juliet | 2005-04-21 |
Movie | Desolation Sound | Elizabeth Storey | 2005-06-27 |
Movie | Catch That Kid | Molly Phillips | 2004-02-06 |
Series | The L Word | Bette Porter | 2004-01-18 |
Series | Best Week Ever | Unknown | 2004-01-23 |
Movie | Runaway Jury | Vanessa Lembeck | 2003-01-16 |
Movie | Roger Dodger | Sophie | 2002-05-09 |
Movie | They Shoot Divas, Don't They? | Sloan McBride | 2002-10-05 |
Movie | 13 Moons | Suzi | 2002-08-30 |
Movie | Out of Line | Jenny Capitanas | 2001-11-20 |
Movie | The Anniversary Party | Gina Taylor | 2001-06-09 |
Movie | Feast of All Saints | Dolly Rose | 2001-11-11 |
Movie | Militia | Julie Sanders | 2000-01-01 |
Movie | Something More | Lisa | 2000-11-28 |
Movie | Body and Soul | Gina | 2000-09-01 |
Movie | A House Divided | Amanda Dickson | 2000-07-30 |
Movie | Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying | Jessica | 1999-12-27 |
Series | Where Are They Now? | Unknown | 1999-06-07 |
Movie | The Prophecy II | Valerie Rosales | 1998-01-20 |
Movie | The Spree | Xinia Kelly | 1998-04-18 |
Movie | The Last Days of Disco | Nina | 1998-05-29 |
Series | Nothing Sacred | Justine Madsen Judd | 1997-09-18 |
Series | The View | Unknown | 1997-08-11 |
Series | The Daily Show with Trevor Noah | Unknown | 1996-07-22 |
Movie | Wishful Thinking | Elizabeth | 1996-12-09 |
Series | E! True Hollywood Story | Unknown | 1996-08-21 |
Movie | The Twilight of the Golds | Suzanne Stein | 1996-10-10 |
Series | The Outer Limits | Unknown | 1995-03-26 |
Movie | Let It Be Me | Emily Taylor | 1995-11-17 |
Movie | Devil in a Blue Dress | Daphne Monet | 1995-09-15 |
Movie | Four Rooms | Angela | 1995-12-09 |
Movie | Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle | Gertrude Benchley | 1994-09-07 |
Movie | Dead on Sight | Rebecca Darcy | 1994-10-12 |
Movie | The Search for One-eye Jimmy | Ellen | 1994-11-14 |
Movie | Night Owl | Julia | 1993-08-19 |
Movie | Caro diario | Self | 1993-10-12 |
Movie | The Thief and the Cobbler | Princess YumYum (voice) | 1993-09-23 |
Movie | Terror Stalks the Class Reunion | Virginia | 1992-06-12 |
Series | 2000 Malibu Road | Perry Quinn | 1992-08-23 |
Movie | Le Grand Pardon 2 | Joyce Ferranti | 1992-12-09 |
Movie | In the Soup | Angelica Pena | 1992-10-23 |
Movie | Indecency | Ellie Shaw | 1992-09-16 |
Movie | Blood and Concrete | Mona | 1991-09-13 |
Movie | Sons | Transvestite | 1990-01-01 |
Movie | Tinikling, or The Madonna and the Dragon | Patty Meredith | 1990-09-01 |
Movie | Dr. M | Sonja Vogler | 1990-05-24 |
Series | Law & Order | Unknown | 1990-09-13 |
Movie | Split Decisions | Barbara Uribe | 1988-06-11 |
Movie | Vampire's Kiss | Rachel | 1988-09-17 |
Movie | The Gamble | Lady Olivia Candioni | 1988-10-28 |
Movie | The Bride | Eva | 1985-08-16 |
Movie | Cinderella | Cinderella | 1985-08-14 |
Movie | That's Dancing! | 1985-01-01 | |
Movie | Flashdance | Alex Owens | 1983-04-14 |
Series | Faerie Tale Theatre | Unknown | 1982-09-11 |
Movie | My Bodyguard | Clifford's Friend (uncredited) | 1980-07-11 |