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Jennifer Beals picture

Jennifer Beals

Acting
Known For

61 Years Old

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.

Born

Chicago, Illinois, USA on 19th December 1963

All Credits

The Kelly Clarkson Show Image
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self
The Daily Show Image
The Daily Show
Self
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson Image
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Self
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Image
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self - Guest
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen Image
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest
Law & Order Image
Law & Order
Sofia Archer
Castle Image
Castle
Sophia Turner
Off Camera with Sam Jones Image
Off Camera with Sam Jones
Self
The View Image
The View
Self
Frasier Image
Frasier
Dr. Anne Ranberg
Golden Globe Awards Image
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee
Golden Globe Awards Image
Golden Globe Awards
Self
Law & Order: Organized Crime Image
Law & Order: Organized Crime
Cassandra Webb
Best Week Ever Image
Best Week Ever
Lie to Me Image
Lie to Me
Zoe Landau
The Hunger Image
The Hunger
Jane
The L Word Image
The L Word
Bette Porter
Taken Image
Taken
Christina Hart
Where Are They Now? Image
Where Are They Now?
Self
The Night Shift Image
The Night Shift
Dr. Syd Jennings
The Book of Boba Fett Image
The Book of Boba Fett
Garsa Fwip
Motive Image
Motive
Sophia Balfour
The L Word: Generation Q Image
The L Word: Generation Q
Bette Porter
After Image
After
Karen Gibson
Swamp Thing Image
Swamp Thing
Lucilia Cable
The Outer Limits Image
The Outer Limits
Robin Dysart
No Image
Seitenblicke
self
Faerie Tale Theatre Image
Faerie Tale Theatre
Cinderella
Proof Image
Proof
Dr. Carolyn Tyler
The Book of Eli Image
The Book of Eli
Claudia
E! True Hollywood Story Image
E! True Hollywood Story
Four Rooms Image
Four Rooms
Angela
Runaway Jury Image
Runaway Jury
Vanessa Lembeck
Flashdance Image
Flashdance
Alex Owens
The Grudge 2 Image
The Grudge 2
Trish Kimble
The Chicago Code Image
The Chicago Code
Teresa Colvin
Before I Fall Image
Before I Fall
Mrs. Kingston
Luckiest Girl Alive Image
Luckiest Girl Alive
Lolo Vincent
No Image
The L Word: New York
Bette Porter
A Wife's Nightmare Image
A Wife's Nightmare
Liz
The Bride Image
The Bride
Eva
Devil in a Blue Dress Image
Devil in a Blue Dress
Daphne Monet
Full Out Image
Full Out
Valorie Kondos-Field
The White Orchid Image
The White Orchid
Vivian
Nothing Sacred Image
Nothing Sacred
Justine Madsen Judd
The Thief and the Cobbler Image
The Thief and the Cobbler
Princess YumYum (voice)
Manhattan Night Image
Manhattan Night
Lisa Wren
My Bodyguard Image
My Bodyguard
Clifford's Friend (uncredited)
The Last Days of Disco Image
The Last Days of Disco
Nina
2000 Malibu Road Image
2000 Malibu Road
Perry Quinn
Dear Diary Image
Dear Diary
Self
Catch That Kid Image
Catch That Kid
Molly Phillips
The Prophecy II Image
The Prophecy II
Valerie Rosales
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle Image
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle
Gertrude Benchley
Vampire's Kiss Image
Vampire's Kiss
Rachel
That's Dancing! Image
That's Dancing!
In the Soup Image
In the Soup
Angelica Pena
Roger Dodger Image
Roger Dodger
Sophie
Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying Image
Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying
Jessica
The Search for One-eye Jimmy Image
The Search for One-eye Jimmy
Ellen
Break a Leg Image
Break a Leg
Juliet
The Anniversary Party Image
The Anniversary Party
Gina Taylor
A House Divided Image
A House Divided
Amanda Dickson
Blood and Concrete Image
Blood and Concrete
Mona
Queen to Play Image
Queen to Play
L’Américaine
The Night Before the Night Before Christmas Image
The Night Before the Night Before Christmas
Angela Fox
Feast of All Saints Image
Feast of All Saints
Dolly Rose
Cinderella Image
Cinderella
Cinderella
13 Moons Image
13 Moons
Suzi
The Big Pardon 2 Image
The Big Pardon 2
Joyce Ferranti
They Shoot Divas, Don't They? Image
They Shoot Divas, Don't They?
Sloan McBride
A Fuller Life Image
A Fuller Life
Self - Reader (segment "Crime Reporter")
Troubled Waters Image
Troubled Waters
FBI Agent Beck
Indecency Image
Indecency
Ellie Shaw
Militia Image
Militia
Julie Sanders
Split Decisions Image
Split Decisions
Barbara Uribe
The Gamble Image
The Gamble
Lady Olivia Candioni
Dr. M Image
Dr. M
Sonja Vogler
Dead on Sight Image
Dead on Sight
Rebecca Darcy
My Name Is Sarah Image
My Name Is Sarah
Sarah Winston
No Image
The Spree
Xinia Kelly
Wishful Thinking Image
Wishful Thinking
Elizabeth
Faerie Tale Theatre: Cinderella Image
Faerie Tale Theatre: Cinderella
Cinderella
Let It Be Me Image
Let It Be Me
Emily Taylor
The Twilight of the Golds Image
The Twilight of the Golds
Suzanne Stein
Sons Image
Sons
Transvestite
Without Malice Image
Without Malice
Samantha Wilkes
Night Owl Image
Night Owl
Julia
A Night for Dying Tigers Image
A Night for Dying Tigers
Melanie
Cinemanovels Image
Cinemanovels
Clementine
No Image
Hello Out There
Judith
Body and Soul Image
Body and Soul
Gina
Desolation Sound Image
Desolation Sound
Elizabeth Storey
The Madonna and the Dragon Image
The Madonna and the Dragon
Patty Meredith
Out of Line Image
Out of Line
Officer Jenny Capitanas
Terror Stalks the Class Reunion Image
Terror Stalks the Class Reunion
Virginia
No Image
Starz Inside: Fashion in Film
Self
Something More Image
Something More
Lisa