Jennifer Beals
Acting
Jennifer Beals (born December 19, 1963) is an American actress and a former teen model. She is known for her roles as Alexandra "Alex" Owens in the 1983 film Flashdance, and as Bette Porter on the Showtime drama series The L Word. She earned an NAACP Image Award and a Golden Globe Award nomination for the former. She has appeared in more than 50 films. Beals was born on the South Side of Chicago, the daughter of Jeanne (née Anderson), an elementary school teacher, and Alfred Beals, who owned grocery stores. She is multiracial; her father was African American, and her mother is Irish American. She has two brothers, Bobby and Gregory.Her father died when Beals was nine years old, and her mother married Edward Cohen in 1981. Beals has said her biracial heritage had some effect on her, as she "always lived sort of on the outside", with an idea "of being the other in society". She got her first job at age 13 at an ice cream store, using her height at the time (she is now nearly 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)), to convince her boss she was 16. Beals was inspired to become an actress by two events: doing a high school production of Fiddler on the Roof and seeing Balm in Gilead with Joan Allen while volunteer-ushering at the Steppenwolf Theatre. Beals graduated from the progressive Francis W. Parker School. She also was chosen to attend the elite Goodman Theatre Young People's Drama Workshop. Beals attended Yale University, receiving a B.A. in American literature in 1987; she deferred a term so she could film Flashdance. While at Yale, Beals was a resident of Morse College. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jennifer Beals, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known for
Acting101
NCIS: New York
2026
Robyn Wells
movieHello Out There
2025
Judith
movieLuckiest Girl Alive
2022
Lolo Vincent
tvThe Book of Boba Fett
2021
Garsa Fwip
tvLaw & Order: Organized Crime
2021
Cassandra Webb
tvThe L Word: Generation Q
2019
Bette Porter
tvSwamp Thing
2019
Lucilia Cable
movieAfter
2019
Karen Gibson
movieBefore I Fall
2017
Mrs. Kingston
tvTaken
2017
Christina Hart
movieManhattan Night
2016
Lisa Wren
movieFull Out
2015
Coach Valorie Kondos-Field
tvProof
2015
Dr. Carolyn Tyler
tvThe Night Shift
2014
Dr. Syd Jennings
tvThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
Self - Guest
movieCinemanovels
2013
Clementine
movieA Fuller Life
2013
Self - Reader (segment "Crime Reporter")
tvMotive
2013
Sophia Balfour
tvThe Chicago Code
2011
Teresa Colvin
movieThe Book of Eli
2010
Claudia
movieQueen to Play
2009
L’Américaine
tvWatch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009
Self - Guest
tvCastle
2009
Sophia Turner
tvLie to Me
2009
Zoe Landau
movieMy Name Is Sarah
2007
Sarah Winston
movieTroubled Waters
2006
FBI Agent Beck
movieThe Grudge 2
2006
Trish Kimble
movieDesolation Sound
2005
Elizabeth Storey
movieBreak a Leg
2005
Juliet
movieCatch That Kid
2004
Molly Phillips
tvThe L Word
2004
Bette Porter
tvJimmy Kimmel Live!
2003
Self - Guest
movieRunaway Jury
2003
Vanessa Lembeck
movieThey Shoot Divas, Don't They?
2002
Sloan McBride
movieRoger Dodger
2002
Sophie
movieOut of Line
2001
Officer Jenny Capitanas
movieFeast of All Saints
2001
Dolly Rose
movieThe Anniversary Party
2001
Gina Taylor
movieMilitia
2000
Julie Sanders
movieA House Divided
2000
Amanda Dickson
movieWithout Malice
2000
Samantha Wilkes
movieWishful Thinking
1999
Elizabeth
movieThe Spree
1998
Xinia Kelly
movieThe Prophecy II
1998
Valerie Rosales
tvNothing Sacred
1997
Justine Madsen Judd
tvThe View
1997
Self
tvThe Hunger
1997
Jane
movieThe Twilight of the Golds
1996
Suzanne Stein
movieFour Rooms
1995
Angela
movieLet It Be Me
1995
Emily Taylor
movieDevil in a Blue Dress
1995
Daphne Monet
tvThe Outer Limits
1995
Robin Dysart
movieDead on Sight
1994
Rebecca Darcy
movieMrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle
1994
Gertrude Benchley
movieCaro diario
1993
Jennifer Beals
movieThe Thief and the Cobbler
1993
Princess YumYum (voice)
tvFrasier
1993
Dr. Anne Ranberg
movieNight Owl
1993
Julia
movieThe Big Pardon 2
1992
Joyce Ferranti
movieIn the Soup
1992
Angelica Pena
movieIndecency
1992
Ellie Shaw
tv2000 Malibu Road
1992
Perry Quinn
tvLaw & Order
1990
Sofia Archer
movieThe Madonna and the Dragon
1990
Patty Meredith
movieDr. M
1990
Sonja Vogler
movieSons
1990
Transvestite
movieVampire's Kiss
1989
Rachel
movieThe Gamble
1988
Lady Olivia Candioni
movieSplit Decisions
1988
Barbara Uribe
movieCinderella
1985
Cinderella
movieThat's Dancing!
1985
Self (archive footage)
movieFlashdance
1983
Alex Owens
tvFaerie Tale Theatre
1982
Cinderella
movieMy Bodyguard
1980
Clifford's Friend (uncredited)
tvGolden Globe Awards
1944
Self / Self - Nominee
Joy Will Prevail
Esther Kahn
Production3
movieSweet Thing
2020
Producer
tvThe L Word: Generation Q
2019
Executive Producer
movieManhattan Night
2016
Co-Producer
Crew1
moviePulp Fiction
1994
Thanks