Sigourney Weaver | |
---|---|
![]() Weaver at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con | |
Born | Susan Alexandra Weaver October 8, 1949 New York City, U.S. |
Education | |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1971–present |
Works | Full list |
Spouse |
Jim Simpson (m. 1984) |
Children | 1 |
Parent(s) | Pat Weaver Elizabeth Inglis |
Relatives | Doodles Weaver (uncle) |
Awards | Full list |
Susan Alexandra "Sigourney" Weaver (/sɪˈɡɔːrni/; born October 8, 1949)[1] is an American actress and producer. A popular culture figure, Weaver is known for her leading roles in science fiction and horror franchises, having amassed several screen and stage credits since her debut in 1971.[2] Her accolades include a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Grammy Award, and nominations for three Academy Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award.[3] She appeared on Channel 4's list of the 100 greatest movie stars of all time in 2003.[4]
After a series of small roles, Weaver made her Broadway debut in the play The Constant Wife (1974). She made her screen debut with a minor role in Woody Allen's romantic comedy Annie Hall before receiving her breakthrough role playing Ellen Ripley in Ridley Scott's science fiction film Alien (1979). She reprised the role in James Cameron's follow-up Aliens (1986) and in two more sequels: Alien 3 (1992) and Alien Resurrection (1997). The character is regarded as a significant female protagonist in cinema history,[5] and her performance in Aliens received a landmark nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Her other franchise roles include Dana Barrett in the Ghostbusters films (1984–2021) and Dr. Grace Augustine / Kiri in the Avatar films (2009–present), which rank among the highest-grossing films of all time.[6]
Weaver was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role in Hurlyburly (1984). She received dual Golden Globe Awards[a] and dual Academy Award nominations—Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress—for the respective roles of primatologist Dian Fossey in Gorillas in the Mist and a young associate in Working Girl (both 1998). She won the British Academy Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Ice Storm (1997), and received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her roles in the television films Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1998) and Prayers for Bobby (2009), the miniseries Political Animals (2013), and for narrating Secrets of the Whales: Ocean Giants (2021).
Weaver's other film roles include The Year of Living Dangerously (1982), Dave (1993), Copycat (1995), Galaxy Quest (1999), The Village (2004), Vantage Point (2008), You Again (2010), Chappie (2015), A Monster Calls (2016), Call Jane and Master Gardener (both 2022).[7] She returned to Broadway in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (2013), and voice acts in the animated Pixar films WALL-E (2008) and Finding Dory (2016). Her other television projects include the Marvel miniseries The Defenders (2017) and the miniseries The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (2023) which she executive-produced.
Susan Alexandra Weaver was born in New York City on October 8, 1949.[8] Her mother, Elizabeth Inglis (born Desiree Mary Lucy Hawkins), was a British actress and a native of Colchester, England.[9] Weaver's father, Sylvester "Pat" Weaver Jr., was an American television executive born in Los Angeles, who served as president of NBC from 1953 to 1955 and created NBC's Today Show in 1952.[10][11] Pat's brother, Winstead "Doodles" Weaver, was a comedian and contributor to Mad.[12] Her father's American family was of Dutch, English, Scots-Irish, and Scottish ancestry.[13][14]
At the age of 14, Weaver began using the name Sigourney, taking it from a minor character in The Great Gatsby.[15][16] She briefly attended the Brearley School and Chapin School in New York before arriving at the Ethel Walker School (Walker's) in Simsbury, Connecticut, where she developed an early interest in performance art.[17] One of her early roles was in a school adaptation of the poem "The Highwayman", and on another occasion she played a Rudolph Valentino character in an adaptation of The Sheik. She was also involved in theatrical productions of A Streetcar Named Desire and You Can't Take It with You during one summer at Southbury, Connecticut.[17] Weaver reportedly reached the height of 179 cm (5 ft 10 in) by the age of 11, which had a negative impact on her self-esteem. She recalled feeling like "a giant spider" and never having "the confidence to ever think I could act."[18]
In 1967, shortly before turning 18, Weaver visited Israel and volunteered on a kibbutz for several months.[19] On her return to the United States, she attended Sarah Lawrence College. After her freshman year, she transferred to Stanford University as an English major.[20] At Stanford, Weaver was extensively involved in theater. She performed in a group named the Palo Alto Company, doing Shakespeare plays and "commedia dell'arte in a covered wagon" around the Bay Area, the nature of which she considered "outrageous". She avoided Stanford's drama department, as she believed their productions were too "stuffy" and "safe".[19][20] Weaver had planned to enter Stanford's Ph.D. English program and eventually pursue a career as a writer or a journalist, but changed her mind after getting frustrated by the "deadly dry" honors courses. She eventually graduated in 1972 with a Bachelor of Arts in English.[17][20] Weaver subsequently applied to Yale University's School of Drama, performing Bertolt Brecht's Saint Joan of the Stockyards at her audition, and was accepted.[19]
Weaver admitted that she had a difficult time at Yale. She was not fond of the shows at Yale Repertory Theatre,[17] and had little luck getting lead roles in school productions.[21] Some acting teachers referred to her as "talentless" and advised her to stick to comedy.[22] Weaver credited her friends such as Christopher Durang, who kept hiring her for his plays, as well as her time at the Yale Cabaret, as crucial in helping her pull through.[17] She graduated from Yale with a Master of Fine Arts in 1974.[19]
Weaver performed in the first production of the Stephen Sondheim musical The Frogs while at Yale in 1974, alongside Larry Blyden and fellow students Meryl Streep and Durang.[23] She was briefly an understudy in a John Gielgud production of Captain Brassbound's Conversion thereafter.[17] She also acted in numerous original plays by Durang.[17] In 1974 she made her Broadway debut in the William Somerset Maugham play The Constant Wife acting opposite Ingrid Bergman.[24] She appeared in an off-Broadway production of Durang's comedy Beyond Therapy in 1981, which was directed by then-fledgling director Jerry Zaks.[25] Before her on-screen breakthrough, she had appeared only in commercials, a few television roles (including an appearance in the soap opera Somerset), and had a small part in the Woody Allen-directed romantic comedy-drama Annie Hall (1977).[26][27][28] Her originally more substantial Annie Hall role was scaled back due to her commitment to the Durang play Titanic.[29]
"One of the real pleasures of Alien is to watch the emergence of both Ellen Ripley as a character and Sigourney Weaver as a star."
- Ty Burr of The Boston Globe
Weaver appeared two years later as Warrant Officer / Lieutenant Ripley in Ridley Scott's blockbuster film Alien (1979), in a role initially designated to co-star British-born actress Veronica Cartwright until a late change in casting. Cartwright stated to World Entertainment News Network (WENN) that she was in England ready to start work on Alien when she discovered that she would be playing the navigator Lambert in the project, and Weaver had been given the lead role of Ellen Ripley.[30]
She next appeared opposite Mel Gibson as British Embassy officer Jill Bryant in the Peter Weir directed romantic drama The Year of Living Dangerously (1982) which was released to critical acclaim.[31] Roger Ebert opined, "Weaver has a less interesting role but is always an interesting actress".[32] In 1984 she returned to Broadway acting in the David Rabe play Hurlyburly acting opposite William Hurt, Harvey Keitel, Cynthia Nixon, Jerry Stiller, Ron Silver, and Judith Ivey.[33] The production was directed by Mike Nichols with Weaver taking on the role of Darlene, a scatterbrained photojournalist who gets involved with two roommates.[34] The role earned Weaver a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.[35] That same year she took the female leading role Dana Barrett in the comedy films Ghostbusters (1984) and reprised her role in Ghostbusters II (1988) acting alongside Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis.[26]
Weaver reprised the role of Ellen Ripley seven years later in the sequel to Alien, similarly titled Aliens (1986) directed by James Cameron. Critic Roger Ebert wrote "Weaver, who is onscreen almost all the time, comes through with a very strong, sympathetic performance: She's the thread that holds everything together."[36] For Aliens, she won the Saturn Award for Best Actress and earned her first nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.
In 1988, Weaver starred as primatologist Dian Fossey in the biographical drama Gorillas in the Mist. The same year, she appeared opposite Harrison Ford in a supporting role as main antagonist Katharine Parker in the comedy-drama Working Girl. Both these films earned Weaver Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture for her two roles that year. At the Golden Globes that year, Weaver was one of three actresses to win in Best Actress, alongside Jodie Foster and Shirley MacLaine, in a three-way tie. Weaver received simultaneous Academy Award nominations in 1988—Best Actress for Gorillas in the Mist and Best Supporting Actress for Working Girl.[37] She was the first of four actresses (as of 2023) to have won two Golden Globes in the same year.
Weaver returned to the big screen with Alien 3 (1992) and Ridley Scott's 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) in which she played the role of Queen Isabella. In the early 1990s, Weaver appeared in several films including Dave opposite Kevin Kline and Frank Langella. In 1994, she starred in Roman Polanski's drama Death and the Maiden as Paulina Escobar.[38] She played the role of agoraphobic criminal psychologist Helen Hudson in the film Copycat (1995).[39] Weaver also concentrated on smaller and supporting roles such as Jeffrey (1994) with Nathan Lane and Patrick Stewart.[40]
In 1997, she appeared in Ang Lee's The Ice Storm.[41] For role in The Ice Storm as Janey Carver, a bored but stylish housewife trapped in a failed marriage, she earned her second nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture, and won her the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.[42][43] In 1999, she co-starred as Gwen DeMarco in the science fiction comedy Galaxy Quest[44] and as Alice Goodwin, a mother and school nurse whose negligence results in the accidental drowning of a friend's toddler in the drama A Map of the World, earning her a third nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for the latter.[42]
In 2001, Weaver appeared in the comedy Heartbreakers playing the lead role of a con-artist alongside Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ray Liotta, Gene Hackman and Anne Bancroft. She appeared in several films throughout the decade including Holes (2003), the M. Night Shyamalan horror film The Village (2004), Vantage Point (2008), and Baby Mama (2008). In February 2002, she featured as a guest role in the Futurama episode "Love and Rocket", playing the female Planet Express Ship.[45] In 2006, she was the narrator for the American version of the BBC Emmy Award-winning documentary series Planet Earth; the original British series version was narrated by David Attenborough.[46] In 2007, Weaver returned to Rwanda for the BBC special Gorillas Revisited, in which Weaver reunites with the Rwandan apes from the film Gorillas in the Mist, some 20 years later.[47] She has done voice work in various television series and in animated feature films.
In 2008, Weaver was featured as the voice of the ship's computer in the Pixar and Disney release WALL•E.[48][49] In 2008, she voiced a narrating role in the animated film The Tale of Despereaux (2008), based on the novel by Kate DiCamillo. The film opens with Weaver as narrator recounting the story of the pastel-hued Kingdom of Dor.[50] She also made a rare guest appearance on television playing herself in season 2 episode of the television series Eli Stone in the fall of 2008.[51] In 2009, Weaver starred as Mary Griffith in her first TV movie Prayers for Bobby, for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award,[52] Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award. Weaver reunited with Aliens director James Cameron for his film Avatar (2009), playing a major role as Dr. Grace Augustine, leader of the AVTR (avatar) program on the film's fictional moon Pandora, which is the highest-grossing film of all time.[53][54][55]
Weaver has hosted two episodes of the long-running NBC sketch show Saturday Night Live: once on the 12th-season premiere in 1986, and again, on a season 35 episode in January 2010. In March 2010, she was cast for the lead role as Queen of the Vampires in Amy Heckerling's Vamps.[56] She was honored at the 2010 Scream Awards earning The Heroine Award which honored her work in science fiction, horror and fantasy films.[57] In December 2013, Weaver was a guest narrator at Disney's Candlelight Processional at Walt Disney World.[58]
In 2012 she took a leading role as Elaine Barrish, the recently divorced Secretary of State and former First Lady and Governor of Illinois who fights various political opponents in the USA Network political miniseries Political Animals acting opposite Carla Gugino, Sebastian Stan, Ciaran Hinds, and Ellen Burstyn.[59][60] When talking about the character Weaver told The Hollywood Reporter, "She sort of has some superficial resemblance, obviously, to Hillary Clinton but really Elaine has made some decisions that distinguish her from Mrs. Clinton — who we all admire".[61] Critic Brian Lowry of Variety praised it's ensemble, specifically Weaver citing her as "representing an inspired choice to portray Elaine, someone brimming with integrity, pain and grit all at once."[62] For her performance she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, Critics' Choice Television Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries or Movie.[63] That following year, Weaver returned to Broadway in the Christopher Durang play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (2013) alongside David Hyde Pierce, Kristine Nielsen, and Billy Magnussen at the John Golden Theatre.[64] Charles Isherwood of The New York Times wrote "Ms. Weaver holds her own amid this skilled comic company".[65] Marilyn Stasio of Variety wrote, "Weaver, as funny as you’ve ever seen her".[66] The production went onto the Tony Award for Best Play at the 67th Tony Awards.[67]
In 2014, Weaver reprised the role of Ripley for the first time in 17 years by voicing the character in the video game Alien: Isolation. Her character has a voice cameo in the main story, and has a central role in the two DLCs set during the events of Alien, with most of the original cast voicing their respective characters.[68][69] Weaver appeared in the film Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) playing Tuya, directed by Ridley Scott, alongside Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton and Ben Kingsley.[70] In 2015, she co-starred in Neill Blomkamp's science-fiction film Chappie, and stated that she would agree to appear in an Alien sequel, provided that Blomkamp directs.[71] On February 18, 2015, it was officially announced that an Alien sequel would be made, with Blomkamp slated to direct.[72]
On February 25, 2015, Weaver confirmed that she would reprise her role as Ellen Ripley in the new Alien film.[73] In 2016, Weaver voiced herself in a cameo in the Pixar film Finding Dory.[74] On January 21, 2017, in response to a fan question on Twitter asking what the chances were of his Alien project actually happening, Blomkamp responded "slim".[75][76] Weaver played Alexandra, the leader of the Hand, in Netflix and Marvel's miniseries The Defenders, released in 2017.
On June 7, 2019, Weaver confirmed that she would reprise her role as Dana Barrett in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which was released on November 19, 2021.[77][78] On September 23, 2019, Variety reported that Weaver and Kevin Kline are set to reunite again (after Dave and The Ice Storm) for The Good House, a drama from Steven Spielberg's Amblin Partners and Universal Pictures.[79] Her voice has been used for audiobooks, film soundtracks, and video games including James Cameron's Avatar: The Game (2009) and Alien: Isolation (2014). She has also voiced roles for Futurama, Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero, and SpongeBob SquarePants.
In September 2011, it was confirmed that Weaver would be returning to Avatar: The Way of Water, with James Cameron stating that "no one ever dies in science fiction."[80] The Way of Water, alike to its predecessor, was released to critical and commercial success.[81] Principal photography for Avatar: The Way of Water and Avatar 3 started simultaneously on September 25, 2017; Weaver portrayed Kiri, Jake and Neytiri's daughter, and reprised her role as Dr. Grace Augustine.[82][83][84] The film became the third-highest-grossing film of all time, and it received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
In 2023, Weaver starred in and executive-produced the Australian miniseries The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart.[85] Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times wrote: "it’s a special treat to see Weaver, who does not overplay her assumed Australian accent, in such a substantial part; if the series seems a little long, one may at least appreciate the greater time it affords us to spend in her company."[86] At the 13th AACTA Awards, Weaver was nominated for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama.[87]
In 2024, the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain awarded her with the International Goya Award for "her impressive career full of unforgettable films and inspiring us by creating complex and strong female characters."[88] She will receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, alongside Peter Weir.[89][90]
Weaver has been married to stage director Jim Simpson since October 1, 1984.[91] They live in Manhattan[18] and have one child, Charlotte, born in 1990.[92][93] Together, the couple founded The Flea Theater in 1996.
Weaver is a friend of Jamie Lee Curtis, with whom she starred in the romantic comedy You Again (2010). In a 2015 interview together, Curtis admitted to Weaver that she never saw Alien in its entirety because she was too scared.[26] Weaver appeared in two episodes of the UK television series Doc Martin in 2015 and 2017 playing an American tourist.[94] She revealed that the reason behind her appearances was her 40-year friendship with Doc Martin star Selina Cadell.[95]
After making Gorillas in the Mist, Weaver became a supporter of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, and later its honorary chairperson.[96] She was honored by the Explorers Club for this work, and is considered to be an environmentalist.[97] In October 2006, she gave a news conference at the start of a United Nations General Assembly policy deliberation where she outlined the threat to ocean habitats posed by deep-sea trawling, an industrial method for catching fish.[98] On April 8, 2008, in the Rainbow Room, she hosted the annual gala of the Trickle Up Program, a non-profit organization focusing on those in extreme poverty, mainly women and disabled people.[99]
Weaver's most acclaimed films, according to the review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes and a number of media rankings, include:[100][101][102][103]
Weaver has received three Academy Award nominations, three BAFTA nominations, seven Golden Globe Award nominations, one Grammy Award nomination, four Primetime Emmy Award nominations, three SAG nominations and a Tony Award nomination. From these, she has won a BAFTA, a Grammy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards.
I was reading The Great Gatsby and I picked it out of the book," she told CBC talk show host Bob McLean in 1981
Feature films |
|
---|---|
Television |
|
Characters | |
Music |
|
Video games |
|
Comics |
|
Related | |
International | |
---|---|
National | |
Academics | |
Artists | |
People | |
Other |