Jennifer Beals

Jennifer Beals Photo

JENNIFER BEALS

Date of Birth: December 19, 1963

Born in Chicago, Illinois, this former fashion model made her big screen debut with a bit part in My Bodyguard (1980). Just three years later, she gained a lot more "exposure" as the leading lady in the energetic film, Flashdance (1983). The movie was a huge hit, earning close to $100 million at the domestic box office, and Beals suddenly found herself a star. She was nominated for a Golden Globe and won an Image Award for her role in the film.

However, she put her career on hold to graduate from Yale, where one of her classmates was David Duchovny (he recommended her as his co-star in The X-Files, but the role went to Gillian Anderson). Although she has kept busy both in TV and film, Beals says, "I've been working," she says, "but the films aren't exactly in the public eye. I've learned to be more careful picking roles, finding scripts where I really love the character but the whole piece works, too."

Other projects include the NBC drama series The Night Shift (2016-2017), the crime drama Manhattan Night (2016) alongside Adrien Brody, and the drama Before I Fall (2017) with Zoey Deutch. In 2019, she played Karen Gibson in the film, After (2019), based on the novel of the same name by Anna Todd.

Jennifer married independent filmmaker Alexandre Rockwell in 1986 and appeared in several of his films. They were divorced in 1996 and Beals remarried in 1998. Also in 1998, she won a Golden Satellite Award for her performance in the mini-series The Twilight of the Golds (1997).

Filmography:

Before I Fall (2017)
Manhattan Night (2016)
Full Out (2015)
Cinemanovels (2013)
A Night for Dying Tigers (2010)
The Book of Eli (2010)
Troubled Waters (2006)
The Grudge 2 (2006)
Desolation Sound (2005)
Catch that Kid (2004)
Break a Leg (2003)
Runaway Jury (2003)
13 Moons (2001)
After the Storm (2001)
The Anniversary Party (2001)
Turbulence II: Fear of Flying (2000)
Without Malice (2000)
Militia (2000)
Something More (1999)
The Last Days of Disco (1998)
The Twilight of the Golds (1997)
Devil in the Blue Dress (1995)
Four Rooms (1995)
Dead on Sight (1994)
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994)
Day of Atonement (1993)
Terror Stalks the Class Reunion (1993)
In the Soup (1992)
Indecency (1992)
Blood and Concrete: A Love Story (1990)
Club Extinction (1989)
Sons (1989)
The Gamble (1988)
Split Decisions (1988)
Layover (1988)
La Partita (1988)
Vampire's Kiss (1988)
The Bride (1985)
That's Dancing (1985)
Cinderella (1984)
Flashdance (1983)
My Bodyguard (1980)