Jennifer Beals
Jennifer Beals (born December 19, 1963, height 5' 8½" (1,74 m)) is an American actress and a former teen model. She is known for her roles as Alexandra "Alex" Owens in the 1983 film Flashdance, and as Bette Porter on the Showtime drama series The L Word. She earned an NAACP Image Award and a Golden Globe Award nomination for the former. She has appeared in more than 50 films.
Beals was born on the South Side of Chicago, the daughter of Jeanne (née Anderson), an elementary school teacher, and Alfred Beals, who owned grocery stores. She is multiracial; her father was African American, and her mother is Irish American. She has two brothers, Bobby and Gregory.Her father died when Beals was nine years old, and her mother married Edward Cohen in 1981. Beals has said her biracial heritage had some effect on her, as she "always lived sort of on the outside", with an idea "of being the other in society". She got her first job at age 13 at an ice cream store, using her height at the time (she is now nearly 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)), to convince her boss she was 16.
Beals was inspired to become an actress by two events: doing a high school production of Fiddler on the Roof and seeing Balm in Gilead with Joan Allen while volunteer-ushering at the Steppenwolf Theatre.
Beals graduated from the progressive Francis W. Parker School. She also was chosen to attend the elite Goodman Theatre Young People's Drama Workshop. Beals attended Yale University, receiving a B.A. in American literature in 1987; she deferred a term so she could film Flashdance. While at Yale, Beals was a resident of Morse College.
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Acted in
Luckiest Girl Alive
2022
as Lolo Vincent
The Book of Boba Fett
2021
as Garsa Fwip
Law & Order: Organized Crime
2021
as Cassandra Webb
The L Word: Generation Q
2019
as Bette Porter
Swamp Thing
2019
as Lucilia Cable
After
2019
as Karen Gibson
The White Orchid
2018
as Vivian
Before I Fall
2017
as Mrs. Kingston
Taken
2017
as Christina Hart
Manhattan Night
2016
as Lisa Wren
Full Out
2015
as Valorie Kondos-Field
Proof
2015
as Dr. Carolyn Tyler
A Wife's Nightmare
2014
as Liz
The Night Shift
2014
as Dr. Syd Jennings
Cinemanovels
2013
as Clementine
A Fuller Life
2013
as Self - Reader (segment "Crime Reporter")
Motive
2013
as Sophia Balfour
The Chicago Code
2011
as Teresa Colvin
The Night Before the Night Before Christmas
2010
as Angela Fox
A Night for Dying Tigers
2010
as Melanie
The Book of Eli
2010
as Claudia
Queen to Play
2009
as L’Américaine
Castle
2009
as Sophia Turner
Lie to Me
2009
as Zoe Landau
My Name Is Sarah
2007
as Sarah Winston
Troubled Waters
2006
as FBI Agent Beck
The Grudge 2
2006
as Trish Kimble
Desolation Sound
2005
as Elizabeth Storey
Break a Leg
2005
as Juliet
Catch That Kid
2004
as Molly Phillips
The L Word
2004
as Bette Porter
Runaway Jury
2003
as Vanessa Lembeck
They Shoot Divas, Don't They?
2002
as Sloan McBride
13 Moons
2002
as Suzi
Roger Dodger
2002
as Sophie
Out of Line
2001
as Officer Jenny Capitanas
Feast of All Saints
2001
as Dolly Rose
The Anniversary Party
2001
as Gina Taylor
Something More
2000
as Lisa
Militia
2000
as Julie Sanders
Body and Soul
2000
as Gina
A House Divided
2000
as Amanda Dickson
Without Malice
2000
as Samantha Wilkes
Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying
1999
as Jessica
Wishful Thinking
1999
as Elizabeth
Where Are They Now?
1999
as Self
The Last Days of Disco
1998
as Nina
The Spree
1998
as Xinia Kelly
The Prophecy II
1998
as Valerie Rosales
Nothing Sacred
1997
as Justine Madsen Judd
The Hunger
1997
as Jane
The Twilight of the Golds
1996
as Suzanne Stein
E! True Hollywood Story
1996
Four Rooms
1995
as Angela
Let It Be Me
1995
as Emily Taylor
Devil in a Blue Dress
1995
as Daphne Monet
The Outer Limits
1995
as Robin Dysart
The Search for One-eye Jimmy
1994
as Ellen
Dead on Sight
1994
as Rebecca Darcy
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle
1994
as Gertrude Benchley
Caro diario
1993
as Self
The Thief and the Cobbler
1993
as Princess YumYum (voice)
Frasier
1993
as Dr. Anne Ranberg
Night Owl
1993
as Julia
The Big Pardon 2
1992
as Joyce Ferranti
In the Soup
1992
as Angelica Pena
Indecency
1992
as Ellie Shaw
2000 Malibu Road
1992
as Perry Quinn
Terror Stalks the Class Reunion
1992
as Virginia
Blood and Concrete
1991
as Mona
Law & Order
1990
as Sofia Archer
The Madonna and the Dragon
1990
as Patty Meredith
Dr. M
1990
as Sonja Vogler
Sons
1990
as Transvestite
The Gamble
1988
as Lady Olivia Candioni
Vampire's Kiss
1988
as Rachel
Split Decisions
1988
as Barbara Uribe
Seitenblicke
1987
as self
The Bride
1985
as Eva
Cinderella
1985
as Cinderella
That's Dancing!
1985
Flashdance
1983
as Alex Owens
Faerie Tale Theatre
1982
as Cinderella
My Bodyguard
1980
as Clifford's Friend (uncredited)
Hello Out There
as Judith
The L Word: New York
as Bette Porter