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Jennifer Beals

Born · December 19, 1963 (61 years old)

Known For: Acting

Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Bio

Jennifer Beals (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.

Known for

After

After

The Book of Eli

The Book of Eli

Before I Fall

Before I Fall

The Book of Boba Fett

The Book of Boba Fett

Luckiest Girl Alive

Lolo Vincent

2022

The Book of Boba Fett

Garsa Fwip · (4 episodes)

2021

Law & Order: Organized Crime

Cassandra Webb · (5 episodes)

2021

The L Word: Generation Q

Bette Porter · (28 episodes)

2019

The Kelly Clarkson Show

(1 episode)

2019

Swamp Thing

Lucilia Cable · (9 episodes)

2019

After

Karen Gibson

2019

The White Orchid

Vivian

2018

Before I Fall

Mrs. Kingston

2017

Taken

Christina Hart · (26 episodes)

2017

Manhattan Night

Lisa Wren

2016

Full Out

Valorie Kondos-Field

2015

Proof

Dr. Carolyn Tyler · (10 episodes)

2015

A Wife's Nightmare

Liz

2014

The Night Shift

Dr. Syd Jennings · (7 episodes)

2014

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Self - Guest · (1 episode)

2014

Off Camera with Sam Jones

Self · (1 episode)

2014

Cinemanovels

Clementine

2013

A Fuller Life

Self - Reader (segment "Crime Reporter")

2013

Motive

Sophia Balfour · (1 episode)

2013

The Chicago Code

Teresa Colvin · (13 episodes)

2011

The Night Before the Night Before Christmas

Angela Fox

2010

A Night for Dying Tigers

Melanie

2010

The Book of Eli

Claudia

2010

Queen to Play

L’Américaine

2009

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Self - Guest · (1 episode)

2009

Castle

Sophia Turner · (2 episodes)

2009

Lie to Me

Zoe Landau · (6 episodes)

2009

Starz Inside: Fashion in Film

Self

2008

My Name Is Sarah

Sarah Winston

2007

Troubled Waters

FBI Agent Beck

2006

The Grudge 2

Trish Kimble

2006

Desolation Sound

Elizabeth Storey

2005

Break a Leg

Juliet

2005

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

Self · (1 episode)

2005

Catch That Kid

Molly Phillips

2004

Best Week Ever

(1 episode)

2004

The L Word

Bette Porter · (71 episodes)

2004

Runaway Jury

Vanessa Lembeck

2003

They Shoot Divas, Don't They?

Sloan McBride

2002

13 Moons

Suzi

2002

Roger Dodger

Sophie

2002

Out of Line

Officer Jenny Capitanas

2001

Feast of All Saints

Dolly Rose

2001

The Anniversary Party

Gina Taylor

2001

Something More

Lisa

2000

Militia

Julie Sanders

2000

Body and Soul

Gina

2000

A House Divided

Amanda Dickson

2000

Without Malice

Samantha Wilkes

2000

Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying

Jessica

1999

Wishful Thinking

Elizabeth

1999

Where Are They Now?

Self · (1 episode)

1999

The Last Days of Disco

Nina

1998

The Spree

Xinia Kelly

1998

The Prophecy II

Valerie Rosales

1998

Nothing Sacred

Justine Madsen Judd · (7 episodes)

1997

The View

Self · (2 episodes)

1997

The Hunger

Jane · (1 episode)

1997

The Twilight of the Golds

Suzanne Stein

1996

E! True Hollywood Story

(1 episode)

1996

The Daily Show

Self · (1 episode)

1996

Four Rooms

Angela

1995

Let It Be Me

Emily Taylor

1995

Devil in a Blue Dress

Daphne Monet

1995

The Outer Limits

Robin Dysart · (1 episode)

1995

The Search for One-eye Jimmy

Ellen

1994

Dead on Sight

Rebecca Darcy

1994

Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle

Gertrude Benchley

1994

Dear Diary

Self

1993

The Thief and the Cobbler

Princess YumYum (voice)

1993

Frasier

Dr. Anne Ranberg · (2 episodes)

1993

Night Owl

Julia

1993

The Big Pardon 2

Joyce Ferranti

1992

In the Soup

Angelica Pena

1992

Indecency

Ellie Shaw

1992

2000 Malibu Road

Perry Quinn · (6 episodes)

1992

Terror Stalks the Class Reunion

Virginia

1992

Blood and Concrete

Mona

1991

Law & Order

Sofia Archer · (1 episode)

1990

The Madonna and the Dragon

Patty Meredith

1990

Dr. M

Sonja Vogler

1990

Sons

Transvestite

1990

Vampire's Kiss

Rachel

1989

The Gamble

Lady Olivia Candioni

1988

Split Decisions

Barbara Uribe

1988

Seitenblicke

self · (1 episode)

1987

The Bride

Eva

1985

Cinderella

Cinderella

1985

Faerie Tale Theatre: Cinderella

Cinderella

1985

That's Dancing!

1985

Flashdance

Alex Owens

1983

My Bodyguard

Clifford's Friend (uncredited)

1980

Hello Out There

Judith

Faerie Tale Theatre

Cinderella · (1 episode)

1982

The L Word: New York

Bette Porter · (1 episode)

Golden Globe Awards

Self · (1 episode)

1944

Golden Globe Awards

Self - Nominee · (1 episode)

1944