Juliette Lake Lewis (born June 21, 1973) is an American actress and singer. She is known for her portrayals of offbeat characters, often in films with dark themes. Lewis became an "it girl" of American cinema in the early 1990s, appearing in various independent and arthouse films. Her accolades include a Pasinetti Award, one Academy Award nomination, one Golden Globe nomination, and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
The daughter of character actor Geoffrey Lewis, Lewis began her career in television at age 14 before being cast in her first major film role as Audrey Griswold in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989). She garnered international notice for her role in Martin Scorsese's remake of Cape Fear (1991), which saw Lewis nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, as well as the Golden Globe in the same category.
Following the success of Cape Fear, Lewis had a supporting role in Woody Allen's Husbands and Wives (1992), followed by the thriller Kalifornia (1993) in which she portrayed a childlike woman whose boyfriend is a serial killer. She appeared in the drama What's Eating Gilbert Grape (also 1993), playing a young drifter. Lewis gained further notice for her lead role as Mallory Knox in Oliver Stone's controversial satirical crime film Natural Born Killers (1994), which earned her the Pasinetti Award for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival. She subsequently starred in Kathryn Bigelow's science fiction film Strange Days (1995), and Robert Rodriguez's vampire film From Dusk Till Dawn (1996). In 1999, Lewis had a leading role in the drama The Other Sister as a woman with mental disabilities.
The 2000s saw Lewis appearing in a series of supporting roles in independent features and studio films, and in 2003 she earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress for her role in Hysterical Blindness (2002). She went on to appear in supporting parts in such comedies as Old School (2003) and Starsky & Hutch (2004), and embarked on a musical career in 2003, forming the rock band Juliette and the Licks; in 2009, Lewis began releasing material as a solo artist. Subsequent film roles include the sports comedy Whip It (2009), the biographical crime film Conviction (2010), an American romantic comedy The Switch (2010) and the drama August: Osage County (2013). Starting in the later 2010s, Lewis worked more frequently in television, appearing in lead roles on the series The Firm (2012), Wayward Pines (2015), Secrets and Lies (2015–2016), The Act (2019), and Yellowjackets (2021).
Opus
Clara Armstrong
2025
The Thicket
Cut Throat Bill
2024
Music
Evelyn
2021
Jem and the Holograms
Erica Raymond
2015
Hellion
Pam Noonan
2014
Kelly & Cal
Kelly
2014
August: Osage County
Karen Weston
2013
Open Road
Jill
2013
Hick
Tammy
2012
Mando Diao: MTV Unplugged - Above and Beyond
2010
Due Date
Heidi
2010
Conviction
Roseanna Perry
2010
The Switch
Debbie
2010
Sympathy for Delicious
Ariel Lee
2010
Metropia
Nina (voice)
2009
Whip It
Iron Maven
2009
Catch and Release
Maureen Monette
2006
Juliette And The Licks - Four On The Floor
Self - Singer
2006
Grilled
Suzanne
2006
The Darwin Awards
Joleen
2006
Daltry Calhoun
Flora
2005
Aurora Borealis
Kate
2005
Starsky & Hutch
Kitty
2004
Renegade
Maria Sullivan
2004
Chasing Freedom
Libby
2004
Cold Creek Manor
Ruby
2003
Old School
Heidi
2003
Enough
Ginny
2002
Hysterical Blindness
Beth
2002
Assembling Armitage
Self
2002
The Making of 'Cape Fear'
Self
2001
Picture Claire
Claire Beaucage
2001
My Louisiana Sky
Dorie Kay
2001
Gaudi Afternoon
April
2001
The Way of the Gun
Robin
2000
The 4th Floor
Jane Emelin
1999
The Other Sister
Carla Tate
1999
Full Tilt Boogie
Self
1998
Some Girl
April
1998
The Evening Star
Melanie Horton
1996
Shirley Maclaine: Kicking Up Her Heels
Self (archive footage)
1996
From Dusk Till Dawn
Kate Fuller
1996
Strange Days
Faith Justin
1995
The Basketball Diaries
Diane Moody
1995
Mixed Nuts
Gracie Barzini
1994
Natural Born Killers
Mallory Knox
1994
What's Eating Gilbert Grape
Becky
1993
Romeo Is Bleeding
Sheri
1993
Kalifornia
Adele Corners
1993
Husbands and Wives
Rain
1992
That Night
Sheryl O'Connor
1992
Cape Fear
Danielle Bowden
1991
Crooked Hearts
Cassie Warren
1991
Too Young to Die
Amanda Sue Bradley
1990
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Audrey Griswold
1989
Meet the Hollowheads
Cindy Hollowhead
1989
The Runnin' Kind
Amy Curtis
1989
My Stepmother Is an Alien
Lexie
1988
Bronco Billy
Child Spectator (uncredited)
1980
Lips Like Sugar
By Design
Camille
2025
It's Florida, Man.
Kim · (1 episode)
2024
I'm a Virgo
Justin (Voice) · (1 episode)
2023
Welcome to Chippendales
Denise · (8 episodes)
2022
Queer as Folk
Judy · (3 episodes)
2022
Yellowjackets
Natalie Scatorccio · (19 episodes)
2021
Mayday
June
2021
Breaking News in Yuba County
Gloria Michaels
2021
Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend
Self (archive footage)
2021
Filthy Rich
Juliette · (3 episodes)
2020
I Know This Much Is True
Nedra Frank · (2 episodes)
2020
The Kelly Clarkson Show
(1 episode)
2019
A Million Little Pieces
Joanne
2019
The Act
Kathy · (1 episode)
2019
The Conners
Blue · (3 episodes)
2018
Camping
Jandice · (8 episodes)
2018
Sacred Lies
Harper · (10 episodes)
2018
Nerve
Nancy Delmonico
2016
Future Relic 03
Lona Rey
2015
Secrets and Lies
Detective Andrea Cornell · (20 episodes)
2015
Room to Rent
Linda
2001
DreamQuil
Nurse Chapman
Back Roads
Bonnie Altmyer
2019
Ma
Erica
2019
Dreamland
Countess
2019
Anthem of a Teenage Prophet
Mary
2019
Hard Lovin' Woman
Herself
2016
The Second Sound Barrier
Lady Billionaire
2016
Wayward Pines
Beverly Brown · (3 episodes)
2015
Scorsese's Women
Medicine
2014
Derby Baby: A Story of Love, Addiction and Rink Rash
Narrator
2012
The Firm
Tammy · (22 episodes)
2012
Foreverland
Vicky
2011
Portlandia
Darcy · (1 episode)
2011
Live from Studio Five
Self · (1 episode)
2009
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2009
RuPaul's Drag Race
Self - Judge (archive footage) · (1 episode)
2009
RuPaul's Drag Race
Self - Guest Judge · (1 episode)
2009
The Graham Norton Show
Self · (1 episode)
2007
My Name Is Earl
Jesse · (1 episode)
2005
My Coolest Years
Herself · (1 episode)
2004
Sarah Kuttner – Die Show
self - segment · (2 episodes)
2004
Free for All
Paula Wisconsin · (7 episodes)
2003
Through the Night with...
Self · (1 episode)
2002
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
1999
TV total
Self · (1 episode)
1999
Dharma & Greg
September · (1 episode)
1997
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Self - Host · (1 episode)
1996
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest · (2 episodes)
1993
GMTV
Self · (1 episode)
1993
A Family for Joe
Holly Bankston · (9 episodes)
1990
I Married Dora
Kate Farrell · (13 episodes)
1987
Home Fires
Mary Ash
1987
Over Your Dead Body
Untitled Weezer Film
Jesus Land
Ruth
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2001
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
(1 episode)
1988
The Wonder Years
Delores · (4 episodes)
1988
The Facts of Life
(2 episodes)
1979