This statuesque actress initially began her career in her early twenties as a fashion model. In 1982, she debuted on the silver screen in
Tootsie, showcasing her model looks and acting finesse in the role of a zany soap opera star. Into the late 80s, she built up a steady repertoire of parts in comedies and dramas, impressing with performances in
The Fly (1986),
The Accidental Tourist (1988), and
Earth Girls Are Easy (1988). She was busy off-screen as well, marrying
The Fly co-star Jeff Goldblum. Though the union fizzled a few years later, she won a prominent place in Hollywood with two high-profile films. First, she captivated audiences as a housewife-on-the-run opposite Susan Sarandon in the revolutionary
Thelma & Louise (1991). Next, she charmed in the warm-hearted baseball flick
A League of their Own (1991) Stardom continued to follow her until the mid-'90s when her new spouse, Renny Harlin, directed her in two bloated action movies (
The Long Kiss Goodnight and
Cutthroat Island). The films both flopped, as did the couple's marriage. Finding a new focus in her forties, Davis took up athletics and acquired a fourth husband, Dr. Reza Jarrahy. The pair settled into family life with the birth of their children. Meanwhile, she continued to work, trying her hand at television with a short-lived ABC sitcom
The Geena Davis Show. In 2006, her second attempt at a series,
Commander in Chief, had her playing the groundbreaking role of the first female President of the United States. The show thrust her back into the spotlight and earned her a Golden Globe, but it had trouble finding an audience and was canceled after one season. She spends her time these days enjoying domesticity, acting opportunities, and her non-profit organization, the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.
Geena Davis Fast Facts:
- Was an exchange student in Sweden during her senior year of high school.
- Member of Mensa with an IQ reportedly over 140.
- Director Sydney Pollack cast her in 1982's Tootsie after seeing her in a Victoria's Secret catalogue.
- Costarred in three movies with ex-husband Jeff Goldblum: Transylvania 6-5000, The Fly and Earth Girls Are Easy.
- She's Hollywood's straightest arrow, the quip goes, because she tried out for the U.S. archery team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She came in 24th out of 28 women in a qualifying competition.
- Founded the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, which seeks to improve the portrayal and visibility of girls and women in media.
- Geena Davis Relationships:
- Alizeh Keshvar Jarrahy - Daughter
- Dan Davis - Brother
- Jeff Goldblum - Ex-husband
- Kaiis Steven Jarrahy - Son
- Kian William Jarrahy - Son
- Lucille Davis - Mother
- Renny Harlin - Ex-husband
- Reza Jarrahy - Husband
- Richard Emmolo - Ex-husband
- William Davis - Father
- Geena Davis Awards:
- 2006 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1993 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 1995 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 1992 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
- 2006 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama - Winner
- 1991 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 1988 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Winner
- 1991 BAFTA Awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2005 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- College:
- Attended New England College, Henniker, NH; Boston University, Boston, MA (BFA in Drama, 1979)