Sigourney Weaver

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Weaver at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con
Born
Susan Alexandra Weaver

(1949-10-08) October 8, 1949 (age 71)
New York City, U.S.
Education
  • Sarah Lawrence College
  • Stanford University (BA)
  • Yale University (MFA)
OccupationActress
Years active1971–present
Spouse(s)
Jim Simpson
​
(m. 1984)​
Children1
Parent(s)Pat Weaver
Elizabeth Inglis
RelativesDoodles Weaver (uncle)
AwardsFull list

Susan Alexandra "Sigourney" Weaver (/sɪˈɡɔːrni/;[1] born October 8, 1949) is an American actress. Considered a pioneer of action heroines in science fiction films,[2] Weaver played Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise, who is often regarded as one of the most significant female protagonists in cinema history.[3] She has earned several accolades, including an Academy Award nomination for the franchise's second installment in 1986.

A seven-time Golden Globe Award nominee, Weaver won both Best Actress in Drama and Best Supporting Actress in 1988 for her work in the films Gorillas in the Mist and Working Girl, becoming the first person to win two acting Golden Globes in the same year. She also received Academy Award nominations for both films. For her role in the film The Ice Storm (1997), she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She also received a Tony Award nomination for her work in the 1984 Broadway play Hurlyburly.

Weaver's other film roles include Ghostbusters (1984), Ghostbusters II (1989), Dave (1993), Death and the Maiden (1994), Copycat (1995), Galaxy Quest (1999), Holes (2003), WALL-E (2008), Avatar (2009), Prayers for Bobby (2009), Paul (2011), The Cabin in the Woods (2012), and A Monster Calls (2016); and the television miniseries Political Animals (2012) and The Defenders (2017).

In 2003, Weaver was voted Number 20 in Channel 4's countdown of the 100 Greatest Movie Stars of All Time, being one of only two women in the Top 20.[4]

Early life[]

Susan Alexandra Weaver was born in New York City on October 8, 1949.[5] Her mother, Elizabeth Inglis (born Desiree Mary Lucy Hawkins), was an English actress and a native of Colchester, England.[6] Her father, Pat Weaver, was an American television executive born in Los Angeles, who served as president of NBC between 1953 and 1955 and created NBC's Today Show in 1952.[7][8] Her uncle, Doodles Weaver, was a comedian and contributor to Mad.[9] Her father's American family was of Dutch, English, Scots-Irish, and Scottish ancestry.[10][11]

At the age of 14, Weaver began using the name "Sigourney", taking it from a minor character in The Great Gatsby.[12] She briefly attended the Brearley School and Chapin School in New York before arriving at the Ethel Walker School (Walker's) in Simsbury, Connecticut, where she developed an early interest in performance art.[13] One of her early roles was in a school adaptation of the poem "The Highwayman", and on another occasion she played a Rudolph Valentino character in an adaptation of The Sheik. She was also involved in theatrical productions of A Streetcar Named Desire and You Can't Take It with You during one summer at Southbury, Connecticut.[13] Weaver reportedly reached the height of 5 ft 10+1⁄2 in (179 cm) by the age of 11, which had a negative impact on her self-esteem. She recalled feeling like "a giant spider" and never having "the confidence to ever think I could act."[14]

In 1967, shortly before turning 18, Weaver visited Israel and volunteered on a kibbutz for several months.[15] On her return to the United States, she attended Sarah Lawrence College. After her freshman year, she transferred to Stanford University as an English major.[16] At Stanford, Weaver was extensively involved in theater. She performed in a group named the "Palo Alto Company", doing Shakespeare plays and "commedia dell'arte in a covered wagon" around the Bay Area, the nature of which she considered "outrageous". She avoided Stanford's drama department, as she believed their productions were too "stuffy" and "safe".[15][16] Weaver had planned to enter Stanford's Ph.D. English program and eventually pursue a career as a writer or a journalist, but changed her mind after getting frustrated by the "deadly dry" honors courses. She eventually graduated in 1972 with a B.A. in English.[13][16] Weaver subsequently applied to Yale University's School of Drama, performing Bertolt Brecht's Saint Joan of the Stockyards at her audition, and was accepted.[15]

Weaver admitted that she had a difficult time at Yale. She was not fond of the shows at Yale Repertory Theatre,[13] and had little luck getting lead roles in school productions.[17] Some acting teachers referred to her as "talentless" and advised her to stick to comedy.[18] Weaver credited her friends such as Christopher Durang, who kept hiring her for his plays, as well as her time at the Yale Cabaret, as crucial in helping her pull through.[13] She graduated from Yale with a Master of Fine Arts in 1974.[15] Before leaving Yale, she performed in the first production of the Stephen Sondheim musical The Frogs, alongside Larry Blyden and fellow students Meryl Streep and Durang.[19]

After Yale, Weaver pursued a career in theater and appeared in a number of plays in New York.[14] She was briefly an understudy in a John Gielgud production of Captain Brassbound's Conversion.[13] She also acted in original plays by Durang. She appeared in an off-Broadway production of Durang's comedy Beyond Therapy in 1981, which was directed by then-fledgling director Jerry Zaks.[13][20]

Career[]

Weaver with her father Pat Weaver at the 1989 Academy Awards

1977–1988: Debut and breakthrough[]

Before her on-screen breakthrough, Weaver had primarily worked in theater and only did commercials, a few television roles (including an appearance in the soap opera Somerset), and a small part in the 1977 Woody Allen comedy Annie Hall.[21][22][23] Her originally more substantial Annie Hall role was scaled back due to her commitment to the Durang play Titanic.[24]

Weaver appeared two years later as Warrant Officer / Lieutenant Ripley in Ridley Scott's blockbuster film Alien (1979), in a role initially designated to co-star British-born actress, Veronica Cartwright, until a late change in casting. Cartwright stated to World Entertainment News Network (WENN) that she was in England ready to start work on Alien when she discovered that she would be playing the navigator Lambert in the project, and Weaver had been given the lead role of Ripley.[25] Weaver reprised the role in the three sequels of the Alien movie franchise, Aliens, Alien 3, and Alien Resurrection. Ty Burr of The Boston Globe states, "One of the real pleasures of Alien is to watch the emergence of both Ellen Ripley as a character and Sigourney Weaver as a star."[26]

In the sequel Aliens directed by James Cameron, critic Roger Ebert wrote, "Weaver, who is onscreen almost all the time, comes through with a very strong, sympathetic performance: She's the thread that holds everything together."[27] She followed the success of Alien appearing opposite Mel Gibson in The Year of Living Dangerously released to critical acclaim and as Dana Barrett in Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II.[21]

1988–2008: Continued success[]

By the end of the 1980s, Weaver appeared in two of her most memorable and critically acclaimed performances. In 1988, she starred as primatologist Dian Fossey in Gorillas in the Mist. The same year, she appeared opposite Harrison Ford in a supporting role as Katharine Parker in the film Working Girl. Weaver won Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress for her two roles that year. She received two Academy Award nominations in 1988, for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Working Girl and Best Actress for Gorillas in the Mist.[28]

She gave birth to a daughter in 1990, taking a few years' break from the movie business and focusing on her family. She returned to the big screen with Alien 3 (1992) and Ridley Scott's 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) in which she played the role of Queen Isabella. In the early 1990s, Weaver appeared in several films including Dave opposite Kevin Kline and Frank Langella. In 1994, she starred in Roman Polanski's drama Death and the Maiden as Paulina Escobar.[29] She played the role of agoraphobic criminal psychologist Helen Hudson in the movie Copycat (1995).[30]

Throughout the 1990s, Weaver also concentrated on smaller and supporting roles such as Jeffrey (1994) with Nathan Lane and Patrick Stewart.[31] In 1997, she appeared in Ang Lee's The Ice Storm.[32] Her role in The Ice Storm as Janey Carver, earned her another Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress (1997), and won her a BAFTA Award for Actress in a Supporting Role.[33][34] In 1999, she co-starred in the science fiction comedy Galaxy Quest[35] and the drama A Map of the World, earning her another Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress, for the latter film.[33]

In 2001, Weaver appeared in the comedy Heartbreakers playing the lead role of a con-artist alongside Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ray Liotta, Gene Hackman and Anne Bancroft. She appeared in several films throughout the decade including Holes (2003), the M. Night Shyamalan horror film The Village (2004), Vantage Point (2008), and Baby Mama (2008).

Weaver at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival

In 2007, Weaver returned to Rwanda for the BBC special Gorillas Revisited, in which Weaver reunites with the Rwandan apes from the film Gorillas in the Mist, some 20 years later.[36]

Weaver has done voice work in various television series and in animated feature films. In February 2002, she featured as a guest role in the Futurama episode "Love and Rocket", playing the female Planet Express Ship.[37] In 2006, she was the narrator for the American version of the BBC Emmy Award-winning nature documentary series Planet Earth, with the original British series version was narrated by David Attenborough.[38] In 2008, Weaver was featured as the voice of the ship's computer in the Pixar and Disney release, WALL•E.[39][40] In 2008, she voiced a narrating role in the computer-animated film, The Tale of Despereaux (2008), based on the novel by Kate DiCamillo. The film opens with Weaver as narrator recounting the story of the pastel-hued Kingdom of Dor.[41]

2008–present: Avatar and beyond[]

In 2009, Weaver starred as Mary Griffith in her first made-for-TV movie, Prayers for Bobby, for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award,[42] Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award. She also made a rare guest appearance on television playing herself in season 2 episode of the television series Eli Stone in the fall of 2008.[43]

Weaver reunited with Aliens director James Cameron for his film Avatar (2009), with Weaver playing a major role as Dr. Grace Augustine, leader of the AVTR (avatar) program on the film's fictional moon Pandora.[44][45] In September 2011, it was confirmed that Weaver would be returning to Avatar 2, with James Cameron stating that "no one ever dies in science fiction."[46] In 2014, he revealed that she would be featured in all three sequels.[47] Principal photography for Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 started on September 25, 2017, with Weaver returning; however, she stated that she would portray a different, currently unknown character.[48][49][50]

Weaver has hosted two episodes of the long-running NBC sketch show Saturday Night Live: once on the 12th-season premiere in 1986, and again, on a season 35 episode in January 2010. In March 2010, she was cast for the lead role as Queen of the Vampires in Amy Heckerling's Vamps.[51] She was honored at the 2010 Scream Awards earning The Heroine Award which honored her work in science fiction, horror and fantasy films.[52]

Weaver at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Baby Mama

In 2014, Weaver reprised the role of Ripley for the first time in 17 years by voicing the character in the video game Alien: Isolation. Her character has a voice cameo in the main story, and has a central role in the two DLCs set during the events of Alien, with most of the original cast voicing their respective characters.[53][54]

Weaver appeared in the film Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) playing Tuya, directed by Ridley Scott, alongside Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton and Ben Kingsley.[55]

In 2015, she co-starred in Neill Blomkamp's science-fiction film Chappie, and stated that she would agree to appear in an Alien sequel, provided that Blomkamp directs.[56] On February 18, 2015, it was officially announced that an Alien sequel would be made, with Blomkamp slated to direct.[57] On February 25, 2015, Weaver confirmed that she would reprise her role as Ellen Ripley in the new Alien film.[58] On January 21, 2017, in response to a fan question on Twitter asking what the chances were of his Alien project actually happening, Blomkamp responded "slim".[59][60]

On June 7, 2019, Weaver confirmed that she would reprise her role as Dana Barrett in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which is due for release in November 2021.[61][62] On September 23, 2019, Variety reported that Weaver and Kevin Kline are set to reunite again (after Dave and The Ice Storm) for The Good House, a drama from Steven Spielberg's Amblin Partners and Universal Pictures.[63]

Personal life[]

Weaver has been married to stage director Jim Simpson since October 1, 1984.[64] The couple lives in Manhattan.[14] They have one daughter, Charlotte, born in 1990.[65]

Sigourney Weaver, President Ronald Reagan, and King Fahd of Saudi Arabia in 1985.

After making Gorillas in the Mist, Weaver became a supporter of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and is now its honorary chairwoman.[66] She was honored by the Explorers Club for this work, and is considered to be an environmentalist.[67] In October 2006, she drew international attention through a news conference at the start of a United Nations General Assembly policy deliberation. She outlined the widespread threat to ocean habitats posed by deep-sea trawling, an industrial method for catching fish.[68] On April 8, 2008, she hosted the annual gala of the Trickle Up Program, a non-profit organization focusing on those in extreme poverty, mainly women and disabled people, in the Rainbow Room.[69]

In 2009, Weaver signed a petition in support of Roman Polanski, calling for his release after he was arrested in Switzerland in relation to his 1977 charge for drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl; she had previously starred in his 1994 film Death and the Maiden.[70]

Weaver in December 2009

Weaver is a longtime friend of Jamie Lee Curtis, with whom she starred in the romantic comedy You Again (2010). In a 2015 interview together, Curtis admitted to Weaver that she never saw Alien in its entirety because she was too scared.[21] In 2017, Weaver made a cameo on the UK television series Doc Martin. She revealed that the reason behind her appearance was her 40-year friendship with Doc Martin star Selina Cadell.[71]

Filmography and awards[]

Main articles: List of Sigourney Weaver performances and List of awards and nominations received by Sigourney Weaver

References[]

  1. ^ "Say How: W". National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  2. ^ "After "Alien," was Ripley the defining game changer for women's portrayals in scifi and horror". ScreenPrism. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  3. ^ "Sigourney Weaver". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  4. ^ Muir, Hugh (May 6, 2003). "Pacino, godfather of movie stars". The Guardian.
  5. ^ "Sigourney Weaver". Biography. April 2, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  6. ^ "Elizabeth Inglis, 94, an actress who appeared..." The Los Angeles Times. September 7, 2007. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  7. ^ Lueck, Thomas J. (March 18, 2002). "Sylvester Weaver, 93, Dies; Created 'Today' and 'Tonight'". The New York Times. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  8. ^ "Sylvester L. "Pat" Weaver". Television Academy. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  9. ^ Brady, Tara (December 17, 2016). "Sigourney Weaver: 'I want to do an Irish accent'". The Irish Times. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  10. ^ Interview by Sigourney Weaver, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, August 25, 2008.
  11. ^ "Sigourney Weaver – Weaver's Scottish Ancestry Mix-Up". Contactmusic.com. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
  12. ^ Lipworth, Elaine (May 1, 2010). "Sigourney Weaver: My family values". The Guardian. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Durang, Christopher (July 9, 2012). "New Again: Sigourney Weaver". Interview. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b c Reinstein, Mara (June 7, 2019). "Sigourney Weaver Reminisces on Her Career, Alien, Avatar and the New Ghostbusters". Parade. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Grant, Drew (December 21, 2016). "The Badass: Sigourney Weaver Still Larger Than Life". Observer. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Throwback Thursday: Sigourney Weaver on campus protests (Nov. 6, 1989)". February 19, 2015. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  17. ^ Proudfit, Scott (February 21, 2001). "Out From The Shadows - Action star and comedienne Sigourney Weaver finally earns her rightful title - dramatic lead actress - with A Map of the World". Backstage. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  18. ^ Bruni, Frank (October 19, 2020). "Sigourney Weaver Goes Her Own Way". The New York Times. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  19. ^ Rothstein, Mervyn (July 22, 2020). "Flashback to When Nathan Lane Resurrected Stephen Sondheim's The Frogs". Playbill. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  20. ^ Gussow, Mel (January 6, 1981). "Stage:'Beyond Therapy by Durang at Phoenix". The New York Times. p. C11. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  21. ^ Jump up to: a b c Curtis, Jamie Lee (March 2015). "Sigourney Weaver profile". Interview. Archived from the original on February 26, 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  22. ^ Lack, Hannah (May 13, 2020). "From the Archive: Sigourney Weaver on Her Most Iconic Roles". Another Magazine. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  23. ^ Levine, Stuart (March 6, 2012). "Sigourney Weaver set for 'Animals'". Variety. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  24. ^ Shaw, Dorsey (September 28, 2010). "Last Night on Late Night: Sigourney Weaver Turned Down Woody Allen To Hide a Hedgehog in Her Vagina". Vulture. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  25. ^ "Veronica Cartwright still puzzled about Alien snub". July 8, 2011 – via www.newshub.co.nz.
  26. ^ Burr, Ty October 29, 2003 The Boston Globe 'Alien' director's cut oozes gore and greatness, Boston.com; retrieved September 21, 2010.
  27. ^ Ebert, Roger July 18, 1986 Sun Times Aliens review by Roger Ebert, suntimes.com; retrieved September 21, 2010.
  28. ^ Hoffman, Jordan (February 25, 2016). "20 Stars Who've Never Won Oscars". Rolling Stone.
  29. ^ Ebert, Roger. "Death And The Maiden Movie Review (1995) – Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com.
  30. ^ McCarthy, Todd (October 16, 1995). "Dogged Weaver, Smart 'Copycat'".
  31. ^ Travers, Peter (August 18, 1995). "Jeffrey".
  32. ^ Travers, Peter (September 27, 1997). "The Ice Storm".
  33. ^ Jump up to: a b "Sigourney Weaver". www.goldenglobes.com.
  34. ^ "BAFTA Awards Search – BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org.
  35. ^ "Sigourney Weaver Reflects on Her Pop Culture Legacy, From 'Alien' to 'Avatar". Entertainment Weekly.
  36. ^ Kalina, Paul (April 26, 2007). "Gorillas she missed". The Age.
  37. ^ Handlen, Zack. "Futurama: "Love And Rocket"/"Less Than Hero"". TV Club.
  38. ^ Skipworth, Hunter (June 9, 2010). "Attenborough victorious in the battle of narrators" – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  39. ^ "Sigourney Weaver voices a ship's computer in 'WALL-E'". latimes.com.
  40. ^ Ide, Wendy (July 17, 2008). "Sigourney Weaver in WALL E: the sci fi legend Ripley, believe it or not" – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
  41. ^ Dargis, Manohla (December 18, 2008). "Matthew Broderick Provides the Hero's Voice in the Screen Version of Kate DiCamillo's Book" – via NYTimes.com.
  42. ^ "Sigourney Weaver Emmy Nominated". Emmys.com. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  43. ^ "Sigourney Weaver Puts Eli Stone on the Couch". TV Guide. August 15, 2008. Retrieved August 15, 2008.
  44. ^ Gritten, Interview by David (December 8, 2009). "Sigourney Weaver interview for Avatar" – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  45. ^ "Sigourney Weaver Says There's a 'Very Good Reason' Why There Are 4 'Avatar' Sequels". Entertainment Weekly. July 4, 2017.
  46. ^ "BBC News – Sigourney Weaver Avatar 2 role confirmed". BBC News. September 18, 2011. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  47. ^ "Avatar 2 Movie Spoilers, Release Date: Sigourney Weaver Alive, Will Play Crucial Role in New Trilogy". BreatheCast. September 16, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  48. ^ "BBC News – Sigourney Weaver Avatar 2 role confirmed". BBC News. September 18, 2011. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  49. ^ "Avatar 2 Movie Spoilers, Release Date: Sigourney Weaver Alive, Will Play Crucial Role in New Trilogy". BreatheCast. September 16, 2014. Archived from the original on August 25, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  50. ^ "Avatar 2 Will See Sigourney Weaver Play a Brand New Character". Archived from the original on March 4, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  51. ^ "Sigourney Weaver Queen of the Vamps! Where Do We Sign Up to be Bitten?". Dreadcentral.com. March 17, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
  52. ^ "Sigourney Weaver". IMDb. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  53. ^ "Alien Isolation has best pre-order bonus ever: Sigourney Weaver and cast in special movie missions". Metro.
  54. ^ "Sigourney Weaver to appear in Alien Isolation video game". The Guardian. July 9, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  55. ^ "Ridley Scott In 'Exodus' Talks With Ben Kingsley, John Turturro, Sigourney Weaver, Aaron Paul". deadline.com. August 27, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
  56. ^ "More on Neill Blomkamp's Alien; Sigourney Weaver Speaks Up". deadline.com. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  57. ^ Kroll, Justin (February 18, 2015). "New 'Alien' Movie Confirmed with Director Neill Blomkamp". Variety. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  58. ^ Lesnick, Silas (February 25, 2015). "Neill Blomkamp's 'Alien' Sequel Will Give Ripley 'A Proper Ending'". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  59. ^ "Alien 5 director has eliminated all hope the sequel will happen". January 24, 2017.
  60. ^ Blomkamp, Neill [@NeillBlomkamp] (January 21, 2017). "@jamesportella slim" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  61. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (October 21, 2020). "'Ghostbusters' Sequel Moves to Summer 2021". Variety. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  62. ^ Outlaw, Kofi (June 7, 2019). "Sigourney Weaver Confirms Return for New Ghostbusters, Bill Murray Likely Involved". comicbook.com.
  63. ^ McNary, Dave (September 23, 2019). "Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver to Star in Drama 'The Good House'". Variety. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  64. ^ "Sigourney Weaver- Together they co-founded the Flea Theater in New York City. Biography". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved April 26, 2013.
  65. ^ Freydkin, Donna (April 23, 2008). "Three Movies and an Empty Nest for Sigourney Weaver". ABC News. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  66. ^ "About Dian Fossey – Info about the Life of Dian Fossey – DFGFI". Gorillafund.org. Archived from the original on June 12, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
  67. ^ "Center for Health and the Global Environment". Chge.med.harvard.edu. Archived from the original on July 23, 2005. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
  68. ^ "Press Conference on High Seas Fishing Practices". un.org. UN.
  69. ^ "Sigourney Weaver's Charity Work, Events and Causes at Look To The Stars". Looktothestars.org. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  70. ^ "Signez la pétition pour Roman Polanski !" (in French). La Règle du jeu. November 10, 2009.
  71. ^ "Doc Martin stars Sigourney Weaver and Selina Cadell reveal their 40-year friendship". Radio Times. Retrieved January 26, 2018.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""