Jennifer Jason Leigh
A fearless character actress known for immersing herself in raw, often unsettling roles that explore the darker corners of human psychology.
Born 1962 (age 64)·American actress·Birthday: February 5·Baby Boomers
Biography
Jennifer Jason Leigh built a career not on likability, but on a fearless commitment to complexity. The daughter of screenwriter Barbara Turner and actor Vic Morrow, she bypassed typical ingenue parts, instead gravitating toward flawed, vulnerable, and sometimes dangerous women. Her breakout in 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' was just a prelude to a series of daring choices in the 80s and 90s, from a heroin-addicted prostitute in 'Last Exit to Brooklyn' to a terrifyingly obsessive roommate in 'Single White Female'. Leigh's process is intensely research-driven, often disappearing into accents and physical transformations. While she has worked consistently for decades, her late-career resurgence in Quentin Tarantino's 'The Hateful Eight' and the Netflix series 'Atypical' proved her unique power to command attention through sheer, uncompromising craft.
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.
Jennifer was born in 1962, 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 Jennifer Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Jennifer's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
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
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Daisy Domergue in 'The Hateful Eight'.
- Won the Cannes Film Festival Best Actress award for her dual role in 'The Anniversary Party', which she also co-wrote and co-directed.
- Earned a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of writer Dorothy Parker in 'Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle'.
- Voiced the lead role of Cora in the critically acclaimed animated film 'Anomalisa'.
Did You Know?
She learned to play the cello for her role in 'The Anniversary Party' and performed live on camera.
She is a licensed pilot and has flown small aircraft.
She turned down the role of Catherine Tramell in 'Basic Instinct'.
Her middle name, 'Jason', was chosen in memory of family friend and actor Jason Robards.
“I'm interested in people who are struggling, who are in some kind of pain. That's what moves me.”
