Acting
Jennifer Beals
Jennifer Beals (born December 19, 1963) 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. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jennifer Beals, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
Joy Will Prevail
Film · 2026
NCIS: New York
Series · 2026
Hello Out There
Film · 2025
Luckiest Girl Alive
Film · 2022
The Book of Boba Fett
Series · 2021
Law & Order: Organized Crime
Series · 2021
After
Film · 2019
The L Word: Generation Q
Series · 2019
Swamp Thing
Series · 2019
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Series · 2019
The White Orchid
Film · 2018
Hollywood: No Sex, Please!
Film · 2018
Before I Fall
Film · 2017
Taken
Series · 2017
Manhattan Night
Film · 2016
Full Out
Film · 2015
Proof
Series · 2015
A Wife's Nightmare
Film · 2014
The Night Shift
Series · 2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Series · 2014
Off Camera with Sam Jones
Series · 2014
Cinemanovels
Film · 2013
A Fuller Life
Film · 2013
Motive
Series · 2013
The Chicago Code
Series · 2011
The Book of Eli
Film · 2010
The Night Before the Night Before Christmas
Film · 2010
A Night for Dying Tigers
Film · 2010
Queen to Play
Film · 2009
Castle
Series · 2009
Lie to Me
Series · 2009
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Series · 2009
Starz Inside: Fashion in Film
Film · 2008
My Name Is Sarah
Film · 2007
The Grudge 2
Film · 2006
Troubled Waters
Film · 2006
Desolation Sound
Film · 2005
Break a Leg
Film · 2005
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Series · 2005
Catch That Kid
Film · 2004
Best Week Ever
Series · 2004
The L Word
Series · 2004
Runaway Jury
Film · 2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Series · 2003
Roger Dodger
Film · 2002
13 Moons
Film · 2002
They Shoot Divas, Don't They?
Film · 2002
The Anniversary Party
Film · 2001
Feast of All Saints
Film · 2001
Out of Line
Film · 2001
Militia
Film · 2000
Body and Soul
Film · 2000
A House Divided
Film · 2000
Without Malice
Film · 2000
Something More
Film · 2000
Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying
Film · 1999
Wishful Thinking
Film · 1999
Where Are They Now?
Series · 1999
The Prophecy II
Film · 1998
The Last Days of Disco
Film · 1998
The Spree
Film · 1998
The View
Series · 1997
The Hunger
Series · 1997
Nothing Sacred
Series · 1997
The Twilight of the Golds
Film · 1996
The Daily Show
Series · 1996
E! True Hollywood Story
Series · 1996
Four Rooms
Film · 1995
Devil in a Blue Dress
Film · 1995
Let It Be Me
Film · 1995
The Outer Limits
Series · 1995
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle
Film · 1994
Dead on Sight
Film · 1994
The Search for One-eye Jimmy
Film · 1994
Caro diario
Film · 1993
The Thief and the Cobbler
Film · 1993
Night Owl
Film · 1993
Frasier
Series · 1993
The Big Pardon 2
Film · 1992
In the Soup
Film · 1992
Terror Stalks the Class Reunion
Film · 1992
Indecency
Film · 1992
2000 Malibu Road
Series · 1992
Blood and Concrete
Film · 1991
Dr. M
Film · 1990
The Madonna and the Dragon
Film · 1990
Sons
Film · 1990
Law & Order
Series · 1990
The Word
Series · 1990
Vampire's Kiss
Film · 1989
Split Decisions
Film · 1988
The Gamble
Film · 1988
Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute
Film · 1988
Seitenblicke
Series · 1987
The Bride
Film · 1985
Cinderella
Film · 1985
That's Dancing!
Film · 1985
That's Dancing!
Film · 1985
Flashdance
Film · 1983
Faerie Tale Theatre
Series · 1982
My Bodyguard
Film · 1980
Golden Globe Awards
Series · 1944
Golden Globe Awards
Series · 1944
Murder in Cold Country
Film