By Erin Free
WHO? Though she’s now settled into low key supporting roles and television work, Jennifer Jason Leigh still stands tall as one of the greatest actresses in modern American cinema. Alternately vulnerable and powerful, and essaying a wide variety of roles in a career that has now spanned over thirty years, this unconventionally beautiful performer has made more bold and utterly uncompromising career choices (occasionally to her detriment) than most actresses could only dream about. Born in Los Angeles in 1962 to hard working character actor, Vic Morrow, and actress-screenwriter, Barbara Turner, Jennifer Jason Leigh appeared in her first film (1976’s Death Of A Stranger) at the age of nine, and at fourteen, attended summer acting workshops given by the legendary Lee Strasberg. She made guest appearances in a number of TV series (Baretta, Family, The Waltons) before booking three major roles in 1981: the horror flick, Eyes Of A Stranger, and two exceptional television films, The Killing Of Randy Webster and The Best Little Girl In The World. Leigh’s first major success, however, came when Amy Heckerling cast her as the female lead in 1982’s hit Cameron Crowe-scripted teen flick, Fast Times At Ridgemont High.
JENNIFER JASON LEIGH’S BEST Jennifer Jason Leigh has literally given so many extraordinary, richly varied performances that all you can really do is list them: Flesh + Blood, The Hitcher, Last Exit To Brooklyn, Miami Blues, Rush, Single White Female, Short Cuts, The Hudsucker Proxy, Mrs. Parker And The Vicious Circle, Delores Claibourne, Georgia, Kansas City, Bastard Out Of Carolina, Washington Square, The King Is Alive, Palindromes, Margot At The Wedding, the voice of Lisa in Anomalisa, Hateful Eight and the upcoming Good Time.
WHAT MAKES HER SO SPECIAL She takes it to the edge, every time.
LIP SERVICE “I could never play the ingenue, the girl next door, or the successful young doctor. That would be a bore.”
“People can have so many ill-conceived ideas about me based on the parts that I play. They expect some kind of dramatic, crazy person – and that’s just not me.”
“I think I live in this mythical world where doing the parts that I do is not going to hurt me, and telling people my age is not going to hurt me. And it actually does. It’s a bit sick-making, but I can’t change who I am.”
THE LAST WORD The 20th century’s actress’ actress.
