A veteran of over 50 productions for both television and film, Jennifer Beals struck pay dirt early with her performance as Alex Owens in “Flashdance” in 1983. Not yet 20-years-old at the time of the film’s release, Jennifer’s abilities caught the eye of Prince, who sought her for the role of Apollonia for his film debut “Purple Rain.” Jennifer, however, wanted to get through school first. She graduated Yale with an American Literature degree in 1986.
Born in Chicago to an African-American father and an Irish-American mother, Jennifer’s father died when she was 10. Working as both a teen model and at Baskin-Robbins, “Flashdance” opened the door to the entertainment world for Jennifer, providing a steady career of both offbeat and mainstream projects, including “The Last Days of Disco,” “Rodger Dodger,” as well as “Runaway Jury” and “The Grudge 2.”
Jennifer found a cult following when she took on the roll of Bette Porter in the Showtime series “The L Word” in 2004. To both critics and audiences alike, Jennifer has thrived as the Ivy League-educated lesbian, and as an actress Jennifer has shown range – yet another example of a middle-aged actress reaching her peak while in her 40s. Throughout her three-plus decades in show business, Jennifer has shown both durability and a curiosity for trying new things that have only proven to benefit her as well as the fans who follow every new turn.
Jennifer on the Screen
Jennifer’s breakout, 1983’s “Flashdance,” also earned her a Golden Globe nomination in 1984. Since then it’s been an interesting career, with a supporting role in the Gene Hackman boxing picture “Split Decisions” in 1988, the comedy “In the Soup” (directed by then-husband Alexandre Rockwell), the Denzel Washington mystery-thriller “Devil in a Blue Dress” in 1995, the Civil War TV event “A House Divided” in 2000, and as Bette Porter on “The L Word.”
Jennifer on Video
Interview from 1983
Jennifer looks young and amazing in this clip.
Jennifer Says
On being famous:
“I can’t imagine being Julia Roberts. I don’t have the fortitude to withstand that kind of attention.”
On Eddie Vedder:
“A couple of years ago I had a big crush on Eddie Vedder. I told my husband, ‘Do not let me be in the same room with Eddie Vedder.’ He said, ‘Don’t worry. I won’t.”
Jennifer Beals in “The L Word”
She still looks amazing . . .
