Biography
Once described as resembling a teenage
Elizabeth Taylor, one gets the feeling that Jennifer Connelly may, with her winning of the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in
A Beautiful Mind (2001), have finally found what she once referred to as, "the film I'm really proud of and really love." And though she has graced the screens of theaters since 1984, Connelly remains a capable and versatile actress undefined by any single role or film.
Born in the Catskill Mountains of mid-state New York in December of 1970, and raised in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of New York City, Connelly got her start in show business as a model at the age of ten. Quickly coming into high demand due to her striking beauty, Connelly often traveled abroad, where she eventually made her acting debut. The burgeoning actress landed her first role in an episode of the British horror anthology
Tales of the Unexpected, and soon found work in small roles such as the Duran Duran music video for "Union of the Snake" before making her feature debut in
Sergio Leone's sprawling gangster epic
Once Upon a Time in America.
Connelly's next film role, as a gifted schoolgirl who teams with an entomologist to solve a string of murders in
Dario Argento's
Phenomena, proved that the young actress was well capable of handling leading roles. After a memorable Dorothy-esque turn in
Jim Henson's fantasy adventure
Labyrinth (1986), in which she must rescue her brother from Goblin King
David Bowie, Connelly seemed to almost disappear for a short while. Subsequent appearances in such forgettable films as
The Hot Spot and
The Rocketeer, while frequent and helping the actress to maintain visibility, remained unchallenging and did little to advance her career.
Things began to look up for the talented actress in the mid-'90s. Maturing into an actress capable of taking on challenging roles, Connelly's portrayal of a sensitive lesbian who befriends college freshman
Kristy Swanson in
John Singleton's
Higher Learning hinted at abilities previously unexplored. After small roles in such well-received films as
Lee Tamahori's
Mulholland Falls and
Alex Proyas'
Dark City, Connelly was nominated for an Independent Spirit award for her portrayal of a burned-out junkie in
Darren Aronofsky's emotionally jarring
Requiem for a Dream (2000). In addition, 2000 brought Connelly her first recurring television role, in the fast-paced Wall Street weekly The $treet, and a role in
Ed Harris' directing debut, the Jackson Pollock biopic
Pollock. The following year found Connelly at a turning point in director
Ron Howard's
A Beautiful Mind. As the loyal wife of famed mathematician turned paranoid schizophrenic John Forbes Nash Jr. (portrayed in the film by
Gladiator star
Russell Crowe), Connelly once again showed her versatility and ability to gracefully shine amidst such notable talents as Crowe and Howard. With her roles in the early 2000s increasing in both emotional scope and dimension, Connellywould next appear in acclaimed director
Ang Lee's eagerly anticipated
The Hulk before taking the female lead in The House of Sand and Fog (both 2003). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide