Sigourney Weaver
American actress known for pioneering action heroines and independent film roles.
Sigourney Weaver was born Susan Alexandra Weaver on October 8, 1949, in New York City. Her mother was English actress Elizabeth Inglis, and her father, Pat Weaver, was a television executive who served as president of NBC and created *The Today Show*. At 14, she adopted the name “Sigourney” from a minor character in *The Great Gatsby*. After attending several schools in New York and Connecticut, she developed an early interest in performing, though her height—she reached six feet by age 11—hurt her self-esteem; she recalled feeling like “a giant spider” and lacking confidence to pursue acting. She volunteered on an Israeli kibbutz in 1967 before studying at Sarah Lawrence College and then Stanford University, where she graduated with a BA in English in 1972. She initially planned to enter a PhD program in English but grew frustrated with the coursework. She instead applied to the Yale School of Drama, performing Bertolt Brecht’s *Saint Joan of the Stockyards* at her audition, and was accepted. At Yale, she struggled, with some teachers calling her “talentless” and advising her to stick to comedy. She persevered through work at the Yale Cabaret and with friend Christopher Durang, who cast her in his plays. She earned an MFA in 1974. Her screen debut came in the romantic comedy *Annie Hall* (1977), followed by her breakthrough as Ellen Ripley in the science fiction horror film *Alien* (1979). She reprised the role in *Aliens* (1986), earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, and in two further franchise installments; Ripley is considered a landmark female protagonist. She also played Dana Barrett in the *Ghostbusters* films and Dr. Grace Augustine and Kiri in the *Avatar* series. In 1989, she won two Golden Globes and received two simultaneous Oscar nominations for her roles as Dian Fossey in *Gorillas in the Mist* and as an executive in *Working Girl* (both 1988), becoming the first actor to win two Golden Globes for acting in the same year. She later won a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress for *The Ice Storm* (1997). Her other film credits include *The Year of Living Dangerously*, *Copycat*, *Galaxy Quest*, *Heartbreakers*, *The Village*, *Vantage Point*, *Chappie*, *A Monster Calls*, and *The Gorge*. She voiced roles in Pixar’s *WALL-E* and *Finding Dory*. On Broadway, she performed in *The Constant Wife*, *Hurlyburly* (earning a Tony nomination
- born
- October 8, 1949
- field
- Actress
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Portraying Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise, Dana Barrett in Ghostbusters, an
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Weaver was born in New York City to American television executive Pat Weaver and English actress Elizabeth Inglis. At age 14, she adopted the name 'Sigourney' from a minor character in The Great Gatsby. She attended the Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, Connecticut, where she developed an early interest in performing. She graduated from Stanford University in 1972 with a BA in English and earned an MFA from the Yale School of Drama in 1974. She made her screen debut with a minor role in Annie Hall (1977) before landing her breakthrough role as Ellen Ripley in Alien (1979). She reprised the role in Aliens (1986), earning a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress, and in two more films for the franchise. Her other franchise roles include Dana Barrett in the Ghostbusters films (1984–2021) and Dr. Grace Augustine and Kiri in the Avatar film series (2009–present). In 1989, she won two Golden Globes and received two simultaneous Oscar nominations for her roles as Dian Fossey in Gorillas in the Mist and as an executive in Working Girl (both 1988); she also became the first actor to win two Golden Globes for acting in the same year.
Reader's Guide
Sigourney Weaver's significance lies in her pioneering portrayals of action heroines, particularly Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise, a character regarded as a significant female protagonist in cinema history. Her career spans blockbusters and independent films, earning her critical acclaim and numerous awards, including a British Academy Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for The Ice Storm (1997). She has also received nominations for three Academy Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award for her Broadway performance in Hurlyburly (1984). Her work in the Ghostbusters and Avatar franchises further cemented her status in popular culture. On television, she earned Emmy nominations for roles in Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1998), Prayers for Bobby (2009), Political Animals (2013), and for narrating Secrets of the Whales (2021). Her legacy includes being the first actor to win two Golden Globes in the same year and her continued influence in both mainstream and independent cinema.
Did You Know?
- At age 14, Weaver began using the name 'Sigourney' after taking it from a minor character in The Great Gatsby.
- She reportedly reached 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) by age 11, which she said made her feel like 'a giant spider' and hurt her self-esteem.
- In 1967, shortly before turning 18, she visited Israel and volunteered on a kibbutz for several months.
- At Stanford, she performed with a group called The Company, doing Shakespeare and commedia dell'arte in a covered wagon around the Bay Area, and once 'dressed like an elf and lived in a tree house'.
- She became the first actor to win two Golden Globes for acting in the same year, in 1989 for Gorillas in the Mist and Working Girl.
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