Sigourney Weaver

Sigourney Weaver (born Susan Alexandra Weaver, 8.10.1949)

Sigourney Weaver is an American actress, perhaps best known for her role in the 1980s blockbuster film series Alien.

Sigourney Weaver: Childhood

Sigourney Weaver was born to Elizabeth Inglis and Pat Weaver in New York City. Her mother was an English actress and her father was a television executive for NBC. She chose the name Sigourney for herself, after reading F. Scott Fitzgerald' The Great Gatsby.

As a child, Sigourney Weaver attended the Ethel Walker School, followed by the Chaplin School. She went on to graduate from Stanford University with a BA in English. She went on to gain a Master if Fine Arts degree at Yale University's School of Drama, where she appeared in a production of Stephen Sondheim's Frogs.

Sigourney Weaver: Acting Career

In 1977, Sigourney Weaver landed a role in Woody Allen's Annie Hall; a role that would go on to earn her a great deal of critical acclaim. The film also starred Allen himself, as well as Diane Keaton and Shelley Duvall.

It was two years later, though, that Sigourney Weaver became a household name, when she starred in Ridley Scott's blockbuster action sci-fi film, Alien. Alien also starred Tom Skerritt and Veronica Cartwright. Weaver was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her performance, but lost out to Mary Steenburgen in Time After Time. Sigourney Weaver reprised her role as Ellen Ripley in the subsequent films in the franchise. Aliens, the first sequel, was not directed by Ridley Scott but by James Cameron and the third was directed by David Fincher. Alien Resurrection was released after a break, in 1997 and was directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. It also starred Winona Ryder.

The Year of Living Dangerously, released in 1983, starred Sigourney Weaver alongside Mel Gibson, Linda Hunt and Michael Murphy.

In 1984, Sigourney Weaver appeared in the popular science fiction comedy Ghostbusters, with Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Harold Ramis. She also appeared in the sequel, Ghostbusters II.

1988 was a pivotal year for Sigourney Weaver, as she appeared firstly in Working Girl, with Harrison Ford, Melanie Griffith and Alec Baldwin. Next, she starred in Gorillas in the Mist, playing the role of the naturalist Dian Fossey. She was nominated for Academy Awards for both roles but lost out to Jodie Foster and Geena Davis. Weaver did, however, win a Golden Globe award for both of her performances.

1993 saw Sigourney Weaver star in Dave, a comedy-drama film starring Frank Langella, Ving Rhames and Kevin Kline. This was followed, two years later, with an appearance in 1995's Copycat, in which she played the role of Helen Hudson, an agoraphobic criminal psychologist.

Weaver then focused on a number of smaller roles, in films such as A Map of the World and Snow Cake before appearing in Ang Lee's The Ice Storm, which also featured performances from Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, Joan Allen and Tobey Maguire. In 2001, she worked with Jennifer Love Hewitt on the comedy film Heartbreakers.

In 2008, Sigourney Weaver provided the voice for the computer in Disney's WALL*E.

Weaver's first performance in a 'made for TV' movie came in 2009, when she starred in Prayers for Bobby. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her performance in the film, which also starred Ryan Kelley. Later that year, James Cameron's epic 3-D film Avatar was released, with Sigourney Weaver joining Sam Worthington and Michelle Rodriguez in the title roles. The film was nominated for a huge number of awards and was noted for its groundbreaking cinematic technology.

Sigourney Weaver: Personal Life

In 1967, Sigourney Weaver was engaged to the reporter Aaron Latham. In 1984, she married Jim Simpson, a filmmaker, with whom she has a daughter, Charlotte.