| BIOGRAPHY
Once described as resembling a teenage Elizabeth Taylor, one
gets the feeling that Jennifer Connelly may, with her winning
of the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in A Beautiful
Mind (2001), have finally found what she once referred to as,
"the film I'm really proud of and really love." And
though she has graced the screens of theaters since 1984, Connelly
remains a capable and versatile actress undefined by any single
role or film.
Born in the Catskill Mountains of mid-state New York in December
of 1970, and raised in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of New
York City, Connelly got her start in show business as a model
at the age of ten. Quickly coming into high demand due to her
striking beauty, Connelly often traveled abroad, where she eventually
made her acting debut. The burgeoning actress landed her first
role in an episode of the British horror anthology Tales of the
Unexpected, and soon found work in small roles such as the Duran
Duran music video for "Union of the Snake" before making
her feature debut in Sergio Leone's sprawling gangster epic Once
Upon a Time in America.
Connelly's next film role, as a gifted schoolgirl who teams with
an entomologist to solve a string of murders in Dario Argento's
Phenomena, proved that the young actress was well capable of handling
leading roles. After a memorable Dorothy-esque turn in Jim Henson's
fantasy adventure Labyrinth (1986), in which she must rescue her
brother from Goblin King David Bowie, Connelly seemed to almost
disappear for a short while. Subsequent appearances in such forgettable
films as The Hot Spot and The Rocketeer, while frequent and helping
the actress to maintain visibility, remained unchallenging and
did little to advance her career.
Things began to look up for the talented actress in the mid-'90s.
Maturing into an actress capable of taking on challenging roles,
Connelly's portrayal of a sensitive lesbian who befriends college
freshman Kristy Swanson in John Singleton's Higher Learning hinted
at abilities previously unexplored. After small roles in such
well-received films as Lee Tamahori's Mulholland Falls and Alex
Proyas' Dark City, Connelly was nominated for an Independent Spirit
award for her portrayal of a burned-out junkie in Darren Aronofsky's
emotionally jarring Requiem for a Dream (2000).
In addition, 2000 brought Connelly her first recurring television
role, in the fast-paced Wall Street weekly The $treet, and a role
in Ed Harris' directing debut, the Jackson Pollock biopic Pollock.
The following year found Connelly at a turning point in director
Ron Howard's A Beautiful Mind. As the loyal wife of famed mathematician
turned paranoid schizophrenic John Forbes Nash Jr. (portrayed
in the film by Gladiator star Russell Crowe), Connelly once again
showed her versatility and ability to gracefully shine amidst
such notable talents as Crowe and Howard.
With her roles in the early 2000s increasing in both emotional
scope and dimension, Connellywould next appear in acclaimed director
Ang Lee's eagerly anticipated The Hulk before taking the female
lead in The House of Sand and Fog (both 2003). |
FILMOGRAPHY
• House of Sand and Fog (2003)
• The Hulk (2003)
• A Beautiful Mind (2001)
• Dark Crystal/ Labyrinth (2000)
• Pollock (2000)
• Requiem for a Dream (2000)
• Waking the Dead (2000)
• Dark City (1998)
• Inventing the Abbotts (1997)
• Far Harbor (1996)
• Mulholland Falls (1996)
• Of Love and Shadows (1996)
• Higher Learning (1994)
• Career Opportunities (1991)
• The Rocketeer (1991)
• The Hot Spot (1990)
• Some Girls (1988)
• Labyrinth (1986)
• Seven Minutes in Heaven (1986)
• Phenomena (1985)
• Once Upon a Time in America (1984) |
