Biography
The older sister of actress
Page Hannah and niece of cinematographer
Haskell Wexler, athletic, blonde leading lady Daryl Hannah trained for the ballet before switching to acting at the Goodman Theatre. Taking the stage would prove quite a daunting task for the girl who suffered from agoraphobia and was once such a wallflower that she was diagnosed as borderline autistic, and though it would take Hannah a few years to become truly comfortable in front of an audience, she eventually overcame her fear to stunning results. In addition to ballet Hannah also exuded a certain grace on the high school soccer field. Her interest in film was sparked by a severe case of insomnia early in life, and young Hannah would spend hours on end soaking in film into the wee hours of the night. Before completing her theatrical training under the guidance of
Stella Adler, the young hopeful appeared in the
Brian De Palma film
The Fury (1978) at the age of 18 . After delivering a remarkable performance as a tough android in
Blade Runner (1982), Hannah achieved full stardom with her winsome portrayal of a mermaid in
Splash (1983). Not all of her subsequent films -- nor her performances -- have been as successful, though she was highly praised for her interpretation of a nerdish hairdresser in
Steel Magnolias, and was treated kindly by the press and public for her characterization in the title role of the made-for-TV Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman (1992).
Her often turbulent private life achieved an even keel with her long-term relationship with lawyer/ publisher John F. Kennedy Jr. Sadly, their relationship was doomed from the start due to Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis' disapproval of her son marrying an actor, the two eventually parted ways. In 1996 Kennedy wed Carolyn Besette, and the rest of their story is history. Despite public perception that Hannah withdrew from acting in the later 1990s, it was simply an unfortunate series of career missteps that kept the enigmatic actress out of the multiplexes and in such mediocre fare as
The Last Days of Frankie the Fly and
Gun (both 1997). Of course not all was lost during the 1990s, and audiences could indeed catch memorable performances by Hannah in
Grumpy Old Men (1993) (as well as that film's 1995 sequel), the Emmy-nominated mini-series
The Last Don and the
Robert Altman thriller
The Gingerbread Man.
As the millennium turned Hannah was still stuck in a sort of celluliod limbo, though such edgy efforts as
Cord and
Dancing at the Blue Iguana (both 2000) showed the actress had a fearless side that had been left virtually unexplored since her days in
The Fury and
Blade Runner. Of course Hannah still had a soft spot, and following a supporting performance in Mark and Michael Polish's quirky 2001 drama
Jackpot she went family friendly with the mini-series Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story and the comparitively earnest and innocent teen drama
A Walk to Remember (2002). Having formed a friendly working relationship with the Polish brothers with
Jackpot, Hannah returned to the screen for the filmmakers in their acclaimed 2003 drama
Northfork. The critical success of
Northfork marked the beginning of a critical year for the veteran actress. A turn as a contract killer with a conscience followed with
The Job, and after a trip to the middle of nowhere in
The Big Empty Hannah aspired to adopt a Mexican orphan in
John Sayles Casa de los Babys. Teamed with a powerhouse cast that included
Lili Taylor,
Maggie Gyllenhaal and
Marcia Gay Harden, the critically acclaimed drama cemented the comeback that would continue with Kill Bill Vol. 1 just a few short months later. Cast as deadly assassin Elle Driver (Codename: California Mountain Snake), Hannah's eye-patch wearing killer was inspired by the exploitation roughie
Thriller (also known as They Call Her One Eye). Though Hannah was still breathing at the end of Kill Bill Vol. 1, audiences held their breath to discover the ultimate fate of her viscous character until the release of Kill Bill Vol. 2 four months later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide