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Jennifer Beals

Jennifer Beals

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. ​

  • BIRTH 19/12/1963
  • Country United States
  • SHOWS 19
  • MOVIES 32
  • PRODUCTION 1

Shows (19)

The Book of Boba Fett
The Book of Boba Fett
Garsa Fwip
Castle (2009)
Castle (2009)
Sophia Turner
Lie to Me
Lie to Me
Zoe Landau
Law & Order: Organized Crime
Law & Order: Organized Crime
Cassandra Webb
Swamp Thing (2019)
Swamp Thing (2019)
Lucilia Cable
Law & Order
Law & Order
Sofia Archer
The L Word: Generation Q
The L Word: Generation Q
Bette Porter
The Night Shift
The Night Shift
Dr. Syd Jennings
The L Word
The L Word
Bette Porter
Taken (2017)
Taken (2017)
Christina Hart
Frasier
Frasier
Dr. Anne Ranberg
The Daily Show
The Daily Show
Self
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self - Guest
The Chicago Code
The Chicago Code
Teresa Colvin
Motive
Motive
Sophia Balfour
The View
The View
Self
Proof (2015)
Proof (2015)
Dr. Carolyn Tyler
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Self
2000 Malibu Road
2000 Malibu Road
Perry Quinn

Movies (32)

After
After
Karen Gibson
Luckiest Girl Alive
Luckiest Girl Alive
Lolo Vincent
The Book of Eli
The Book of Eli
Claudia
Before I Fall
Before I Fall
Mrs. Kingston
Flashdance
Flashdance
Alex Owens
Runaway Jury
Runaway Jury
Vanessa Lembeck
Four Rooms
Four Rooms
Angela
Vampire's Kiss
Vampire's Kiss
Rachel
Manhattan Night
Manhattan Night
Lisa Wren
The Grudge 2
The Grudge 2
Trish Kimble
Devil in a Blue Dress
Devil in a Blue Dress
Daphne Monet
Full Out
Full Out
Valorie Kondos-Field
The Prophecy II
The Prophecy II
Valerie Rosales
Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying
Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying
Jessica
Catch That Kid
Catch That Kid
Molly Phillips
Troubled Waters
Troubled Waters
FBI Agent Beck
The Anniversary Party
The Anniversary Party
Gina Taylor
Caro diario
Caro diario
Self
Le Grand Pardon II
Le Grand Pardon II
Joyce Ferranti
The Thief and the Cobbler
The Thief and the Cobbler
Princess YumYum (voice)
The Night Before the Night Before Christmas
The Night Before the Night Before Christmas
Angela Fox
Split Decisions
Split Decisions
Barbara Uribe
The Last Days of Disco
The Last Days of Disco
Nina
Joueuse
Joueuse
L’Américaine
Feast of All Saints
Feast of All Saints
Dolly Rose
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle
Gertrude Benchley
Desolation Sound
Desolation Sound
Elizabeth Storey
Terror Stalks the Class Reunion
Terror Stalks the Class Reunion
Virginia
Dr. M
Dr. M
Sonja Vogler
Roger Dodger
Roger Dodger
Sophie
A Wife's Nightmare
A Wife's Nightmare
Liz
My Name Is Sarah
My Name Is Sarah
Sarah Winston

Production

Sweet Thing
Sweet Thing