Portrait of Jennifer Jason Leigh

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Acting

Biography

Jennifer Jason Leigh (born Jennifer Leigh Morrow; February 5, 1962) is an American actress. She began her career on television during the 1970s before making her film breakthrough in the teen film Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). She received critical praise for her performances in Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989), Miami Blues (1990), Backdraft (1991), Single White Female (1992), and The Hudsucker Proxy (1994). She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Dorothy Parker in Mrs Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994). Leigh starred in a 1995 film written by her mother, screenwriter Barbara Turner, titled Georgia. She co-wrote and co-directed a film with Alan Cumming titled The Anniversary Party (2001). Leigh starred in the crime drama Road to Perdition (2002) and the family drama Margot at the Wedding (2007). She had a recurring role on the Showtime comedy-drama series Weeds (2009–2012). She received critical acclaim for her voice work in Charlie Kaufman's Anomalisa (2015). For her role as fugitive Daisy Domergue in The Hateful Eight (2015), she was nominated for the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. From 2017 to 2021, she starred in the Netflix comedy-drama series Atypical while featuring in the science fiction films Annihilation (2018) and Possessor (2020). She has since starred in the fifth season of the crime drama series Fargo (2023). For her stage work, Leigh was nominated for a Drama Desk award for her off-Broadway performance as Beverly Moss in Mike Leigh's Abigail's Party. Her Broadway debut occurred in 1998 when she became the replacement for the role of Sally Bowles in the musical Cabaret.

Born: February 5, 1962

Place of Birth: Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Filmography

2025
All's Fair

as Cheryl Goodfader

2025
2024
Poolman

as Susan Kerkovish

2022
Sharp Stick

as Marilyn

2021
Awake

as Dr. Murphy

2021
Lisey's Story

as Darla Debusher

2021
The Woman in the Window

as Jane Russell 2

2020
Possessor

as Girder

2020
Hunters

as Chava Apfelbaum

2019
Sid & Judy

as Judy Garland (voice)

2018
White Boy Rick

as Alex Snyder

2018
Patrick Melrose

as Eleanor Melrose

2018
Annihilation

as Dr Ventress

2017
LBJ

as Lady Bird Johnson

2017
Atypical

as Elsa Gardner

2017
Good Time

as Corey Ellman

2017
2016
Morgan

as Dr. Kathy Grieff

2015
Anomalisa

as Lisa Hesselman (voice)

2015
The Hateful Eight

as Daisy Domergue

2015
Welcome to Me

as Deb Moseley

2015
Alex of Venice

as Maureen

2014
Me

as Kelly

2014
Jake Squared

as Sheryl

2014
Fargo

as Lorraine Lyon

2014
2014
Open

as Holly

2013
Kill Your Darlings

as Naomi Ginsberg

2013
The Spectacular Now

as Sara Keely

2013
2011
Revenge

as Kara Wallace Clarke

2010
Greenberg

as Beth (Beller's Party)

2007
2005
Rag Tale

as Mary Josephine 'MJ' Morton

2005
Weeds

as Jill Price-Grey

2005
Easter Sunday

as Mother

2005
Palindromes

as 'Mark' Aviva

2005
The Jacket

as Dr. Beth Lorenson

2004
The Machinist

as Stevie

2004
Childstar

as Suzanne

2003
In the Cut

as Pauline

2002
Searching for Debra Winger

as Self (uncredited)

2002
Road to Perdition

as Annie Sullivan

2002
Hey Arnold! The Movie

as Bridget (voice)

2002
Crossed Over

as Karla Faye Tucker

2001
The Man Who Wasn't There

as Female Inmate (voice) (uncredited)

2001
2001
The Anniversary Party

as Sally Nash Therrian

2000
Skipped Parts

as Lydia Callahan

1999
Mission Hill

as Eunice 'Weirdie' Eulmeyer (voice)

1999
eXistenZ

as Allegra Geller

1998
Hercules

as Tempest (voice)

1998
The Love Letter

as Lizzie Whitcomb

1998
Twitch City

as Faith

1997
Washington Square

as Catherine Sloper

1997
A Thousand Acres

as Caroline Cook

1997
1997
King of the Hill

as Amy (voice)

1997
Cinema Cinema

as Herself

1996
Bastard Out of Carolina

as Anney Boatwright

1996
1996
Kansas City

as Blondie O'Hara

1996
Tracey Takes On...

as Paige Garland

1995
Georgia

as Sadie Flood

1995
Dolores Claiborne

as Selena St. George

1994
The Hudsucker Proxy

as Amy Archer

1993
Short Cuts

as Lois Kaiser

1993
Frasier

as Estelle (voice)

1992
Single White Female

as Hedra 'Hedy' Carlson

1992
The Prom

as Lana

1991
Rush

as Kristen Cates

1991
Crooked Hearts

as Marriet Hoffman

1991
Backdraft

as Jennifer Vaitkus

1990
1990
Buried Alive

as Joanna Goodman

1990
Miami Blues

as Susie Waggoner

1990
Twin Peaks

as Chantal Hutchens

1989
The Big Picture

as Lydia Johnson

1989
1988
1987
Under Cover

as Tanille Laroux

1987
Sister, Sister

as Lucy Bonnard

1986
Picnic

as Madge Owens

1986
1986
1985
1984
Grandview, U.S.A.

as Candy Webster

1983
1983
Easy Money

as Allison Capuletti

1982
The First Time

as Bonnie Dillon

1982
1982
Wrong Is Right

as Young Girl

1981
I Think I'm Having A Baby

as Laurie Mcintyre

1981
Eyes of a Stranger

as Tracy Harris

1980
Angel City

as Kristy Teeter

1979
Trapper John, M.D.

as Karen McCall

1978
1976
The Spy Who Never Was

as Girl Playing with Ball (uncredited)

1976
Family

as Jenny Blair

1975
Baretta

as Marcie (as Jennifer Leigh)

1972
The Waltons

as Kathy Seals

1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame

as Elizabeth Whitcomb