Jennifer Connelly Biography
Jennifer Connelly is a celebrated American actress who has shined in films like "Requiem for a Dream," "Dark Water," "Creation," and "Noah." For her role as Alicia Nash in the iconic Hollywood picture "A Beautiful Mind," she swept three major awards for Best Supporting Actress: the Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA.In 2022, one of Hollywood's most beautiful leading ladies delighted fans once again, appearing on screen as Penny Benjamin in Joseph Kosinski's action thriller "Top Gun: Maverick."
Childhood and First Roles
Jennifer Lynn Connelly (the actress's full name) was born in the winter of 1970 to Gerard and Eileen Connelly, who lived in the Catskill Mountains, a mountainous region of New York State.The family later moved to Woodstock (a town in New York State), where her mother, a Jewish woman with Russian-Polish roots, opened an antique shop. Her father, a descendant of Irish and Norwegian immigrants, worked at a New York textile factory that produced children's clothing.
The girl's parents were friends with someone who worked at an advertising agency. He was the one who suggested they take the strikingly beautiful Jennifer to a children's modeling casting. That's how ten-year-old Connelly started working with Ford Agency, participating in photo shoots and commercial campaigns.
Eileen was tireless, ambitious, and desperately wanted to see her daughter become famous. The actress recalled:
Despite her teenage struggles, Jennifer managed to appear in several films before finishing high school. First came the TV series "Tales of the Unexpected," then Sergio Leone invited her to the gangster drama "Once Upon a Time in America" (1984), where she played the young Deborah. Connelly was incredibly nervous—it was the first time she'd seen world-famous stars up close: Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern.My mom would take me to auditions after school. Acting in movies wasn't my dream. I can't say I didn't enjoy it, but I won't push my own kids into acting. Believe it or not, my brain still blocks out memories of those childhood shoots, which says something about the stress level. I almost killed my husband when he showed our son Stellan "Labyrinth," which I did when I was about fifteen. I played a girl who accidentally gives her baby brother to the Goblin King, played by David Bowie. I realized I couldn't watch myself at that age, hear my own voice.
Next came leading roles in the horror thriller "Phenomena" (Jennifer Corvino) and the musical fantasy "Labyrinth" (Sarah). After working together, David Bowie himself had glowing things to say about the girl: "Jennifer is a damn talented actress. She's a pleasure to work with. And she's blessed with extraordinary beauty, like a young Elizabeth Taylor."
After that, Connelly disappeared from screens for a couple of years: she enrolled at Yale University, where she studied English, literature, dramatic arts, painting, and philosophy.I hate people who think I'm showing off, who think I'm now a step above them. I just got lucky. I still can't believe it—it all feels like a dream, and one day I'll wake up. But I don't think I'd be too upset—I'm always dreaming about something anyway...
Soon Jennifer transferred to Stanford University, taking acting lessons from the legendary Roy London, Howard Fine, and Harold Guskin. She never finished Stanford – the film industry had completely captured her.
Acting Career
In the late eighties, Connelly headed to Italy. Director Peter Del Monte offered her the lead role in the fantasy thriller "Etoile" – playing aspiring ballerina Claire Hamilton.The early nineties brought a starring role in the crime melodrama "The Hot Spot," where the actress worked opposite Don Johnson. A professional challenge for Jennifer came with the role of journalist Irene in the drama "Of Love and Shadows" (1994). With her partner Antonio Banderas, they played two lovers caught in serious trouble in Chile under Pinochet's regime.
The actress became recognizable after the release of Darren Aronofsky's drama "Requiem for a Dream" (2000). Based on Hubert Selby's novel, the film made an impression not only on critics but on audiences too. The tragic fate of drug addict Marion Silver, trying to push away from rock bottom but failing, left no one indifferent.
Another standout role for the actress – Kathy Nicolo in the drama based on Andre Dubus's novella "House of Sand and Fog," where she starred opposite Ben Kingsley (Iranian immigrant Colonel Behrani). It's a story about how people nearly lost their humanity over the notorious "housing question," American-style. For her talented performance, the actress won the Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award and earned a Satellite Award nomination.
About how she landed the role in "Dark Water," the actress shared:
Working on her husband Paul Bettany's directorial debut "Shelter" became an interesting experience for the actress. He also wrote the screenplay: a love story between two homeless people, Hannah and Tahir. Preparing for the role, Jennifer carried "addict accessories" everywhere to get into character and lost significant weight: men's jeans and a faded coat hung on her like a hanger.I was intrigued by this mysterious story about a single mother drowning in memories of her own childhood as much as in her water-flooded apartment. But I was a bit afraid to step into unfamiliar territory that triggers nightmares... I've always steered clear of anything mystical. But this screenplay moved me, and I cried reading it... What attracted me to "Dark Water" was Rafael Yglesias's wonderful script and the chance to work with director Walter Salles, whose work I'd always admired... It was a privilege to work with someone I respect so much. I felt the same way about Ron Howard on "A Beautiful Mind." But in this film, I had more opportunities to explore the human psyche since I was in practically every scene.
After a quiet period, the actress returned to the screen. In 2022, the third season of the sci-fi series "Snowpiercer" premiered, with Connelly reprising her role as Melanie Cavill. Her character, cut off from the safety of the train, survives in the extreme conditions of a frozen wasteland. Fans noted that the actress looks phenomenal for her age.
Another project Jennifer worked on with Tom Cruise was Joseph Kosinski's action drama "Top Gun: Maverick." Her character – Penny Benjamin – is the protagonist's longtime love interest. Reflecting on working with her co-star, the actress said Cruise is incredibly professional and meticulous in every scene, and "just a wonderful actor, so working with him is pure pleasure."
Jennifer Connelly's Personal Life
In 1990, while filming the adventure movie "The Rocketeer," the actress grew close to lead actor Bill Campbell. Disney, the studio behind the film, made sure audiences knew about the romance between the two stars both on-screen and off. The actors' relationship lasted three years.In 1997, Jennifer gave birth to a boy named Kai. The father was photographer David Dugan, whom Connelly met through their shared passion for rock climbing. The actress soon split from him, and just seven months after her son's birth, she was back at work.
Connelly's love story with her husband, actor Paul Bettany, began on the set of "A Beautiful Mind": the charming Scot played the main character's imaginary friend. While Paul immediately decided Jennifer would be his wife, the actress had a boyfriend waiting at home – actor Josh Charles.
Their relationship wasn't exactly smooth sailing. Josh was jealous of his girlfriend. The final straw came as a gift from Russell Crowe when filming wrapped: an antique Buick with a card reading "Jen from Rusty for a great performance." Charles threw an ugly jealous fit, and Jennifer broke it off.
But she didn't start dating Paul right away. Their first date happened during one of America's darkest moments. From her living room window, Jennifer watched planes crash into the World Trade Center towers. For three days, she and her son were practically cut off from the world until phone service was restored in the affected area. When she could finally check her messages, she found calls from family and friends – and from Bettany, who'd been desperately worried about her.
They married in 2002. In 2003, they welcomed a son, Stellan, named after Bettany's friend, actor Stellan Skarsgård. Another friend, Charlie Condou, became the boy's godfather.
The actress starred alongside her husband in John Amiel's biographical film about Charles Darwin's life and love, titled "Creation." The couple looked incredibly natural on screen: Paul as the great scientist, Jennifer as his devoted companion.When Stellan arrived, Paul and I tried taking turns working, but that approach didn't really work because projects in Hollywood rarely stick to their original schedules. So whoever's free grabs the kids and flies to wherever the other one's working. We try not to spend more than two weeks apart. Our life involves a lot of planes. Not great for the environment, but good for the family.
In 2011, the couple had their long-awaited daughter. Connelly went the trendy route: a home water birth, surrounded by specialists and with her husband present. They named their little girl Agnes Lark. The happy parents hope their children will choose different paths in life to avoid the disappointments that come with their profession.
Jennifer Connelly Now
Alongside Joel Edgerton and Alice Braga, the actress starred in the sci-fi series "Dark Matter," which premiered in May 2024 on Apple TV+. The series, which launched on May 8, gave Connelly the opportunity to play multiple versions of one character, artist Daniela Dessen, whose life unfolds across parallel realities.The show's creators admitted that Connelly was their only choice for the role from the very beginning. When author Blake Crouch first spoke with her over Zoom, his hair stood on end at how perfectly she matched the character he'd been thinking about for ten years.
Source:
IMDb
In summer 2024, the indie project "Bad Behaviour," directed by Alice Englert, hit theaters. Connelly played Lucy, a former child star who heads to a spiritual retreat hoping to find enlightenment.
Source:
IMDb
Fun Facts
- Since 2002, Jennifer Connelly has consistently been named one of the most beautiful women in the world by various publications.
- Her face served as the model for Jasmine, Aladdin's friend in the famous Disney animated film.
- The actress has been an ambassador for major brands including Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, Revlon, and Shiseido.
- While preparing to play Naameh, the wife of the main character in "Noah," Connelly reread the Book of Genesis, but learning anything about her character from it proved difficult due to the scarcity of information. So the actress focused on her own feelings of love and fear, maternal instincts, and other emotions—and her Naameh came alive, becoming more than just "a character on screen."
- Jennifer Connelly has plenty of interests. Besides rock climbing, she's into quantum physics and philosophy, painting, and sports. When traveling with her husband and kids, she prefers staying at roadside campgrounds rather than expensive hotels. She speaks French and Italian fluently.
- In one interview, Connelly admitted she doesn't want to be taken too seriously. She's quite critical of herself. The actress dreams of starring in a comedy project but worries that audiences won't accept her and will say, "We knew she was only good for playing suicidal characters."
- Jennifer Connelly is vegan. That, along with swimming, gymnastics, and bike rides, helps her stay in amazing shape.
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Stella Herrera
2021-05-09 20:44:59
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Juan Jonathan Washington
2021-04-24 12:15:15
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Sharon Roberts
2021-03-27 13:55:56
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Lisa Ballard
2021-03-19 23:00:56
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Richard Evan Patterson
2021-03-15 18:25:01
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