Amy Irving
An actress of serene intensity who delivered a haunting, Oscar-nominated turn as a woman scorned in a classic Hollywood rivalry.
Born 1953 (age 73)·American actress and singer·Birthday: September 10·Baby Boomers
Biography
Amy Irving, born into a theatrical family, seemed destined for the stage and screen. She first captured attention with her ethereal presence in Brian De Palma's 'Carrie,' holding her own against the film's fiery climax. Her career is marked by a preference for complex, often quietly resilient characters, a choice that led to her most celebrated performance as the dignified ex-wife in 'Yentl,' a role that earned her an Academy Award nomination. While she navigated major studio films, her heart often seemed closer to the theater, where she won an Obie Award and performed in everything from Shakespeare to new works. Her life off-screen, including a high-profile marriage to Steven Spielberg, placed her in the Hollywood spotlight, but her artistic legacy rests on a body of work defined by intelligent subtlety.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Amy was born in 1953, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Amy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1953
#1 Movie
Peter Pan
Best Picture
From Here to Eternity
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Amy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1953Born
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1958Started school
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1966Became a teenager
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Could drive
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1971Could vote
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Turned 21
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1983Turned 30
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 40
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 50
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 60
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 70
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 73 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Hadass in 'Yentl' (1983).
- Won an Obie Award for her distinguished performance in the Off-Broadway play 'The Road to Mecca.'
- Voiced the character of Jessica Lovejoy in the iconic animated series 'The Simpsons' episode 'Bart's Girlfriend.'
- Starred as Anna in the Broadway production of 'Amadeus,' a role she performed for over a year.
- Played a leading role in the film 'The Competition,' a drama about pianists that was a notable box office success.
Did You Know?
Her mother, Priscilla Pointer, is an actress, and her father, Jules Irving, was a director and the former head of the Repertory Theater of Lincoln Center.
She was married to director Steven Spielberg from 1985 to 1989.
She is a trained singer and performed her own vocals in the film 'Yentl.'
She turned down the role of Princess Leia in 'Star Wars,' which ultimately went to Carrie Fisher.
She is a longtime practitioner and advocate of Transcendental Meditation.
“I never wanted to be a star; I wanted to be a working actress.”
