Jennifer Jason Leigh first caught audience’s attention as part of the talented cast of Fast Times at Ridgemont High. In the early 90’s, she became a critical darling and flirted with mainstream success. But she became bored with the roles she was offered in typical Hollywood movies and gravitated towards edgier fare. As a result, she never quite caught on with the general public.
What the hell happened?
The Family Business
Jennifer Jason Leigh was born Jennifer Leigh Morrow. Early in her career, she changed her stage name to honor family friend, Jason Robards. If that last name seems familiar, it’s because Leigh is the daughter of actor Vic Morrow. Tragically, Morrow was killed in a helicopter accident while filming Twilight Zone: The Movie in 1982.
Leigh and her family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Warner Brothers, director John Landis and producer Stephen Spielberg for Morrow’s death. The suit was settled out of court. Leigh was 20 years old at the time.
Leigh started acting herself when she was 16. She started with roles in TV shows like Baretta and The Waltons. This led to a number of TV movies. Most notably, Leigh starred as an anorexic teen in The Best Little Girl in the World in 1981.
Leigh replaced Jodie Foster who was originally slated to star. At the time, Leigh weighed 98 pounds, but she dieted to get down to 86 pounds for the role.
In 1982, Leigh appeared in the teen comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High opposite the likes of Sean Penn, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Forest Whitaker, Nicolas Cage and Anthony Edwards.
Fast Times was written by Cameron Crowe based on his book of the same name. Crowe went undercover at a San Diego high school as research. As a result, Fast Times much edgier than your average John Hughes high school comedy.
At the time, critics didn’t care for Fast Times. In a one-star review, Roger Ebert compared the movie to Porky’s and complained that it was “so raunchy” that “the audience can’t quite believe it”. Despite the negative reviews, Fast Times was a hit at the box office and propelled many of its young cast on to stardom.
Leigh tried to earn some respect (sorry, couldn’t resist) playing Rodney Dangerfield’s spoiled daughter in the comedy, Easy Money. The critics were not kind to Easy Money. But Leigh’s part was small anyway. She was paying her dues.
Leigh continued dues paying opposite Jamie Lee Curtis, Patrick Swayze and C. Thomas Howell in the 1984 comedy-drama Grandview USA. Then she appeared in director Paul Verhoven’s Flesh and Blood. She liked working with her costar, Rutger Hauer, that she agreed to star in The Hitcher to work with him again.
Leigh’s next significant role was opposite Kevin Bacon in Christopher Guests’s show biz comedy, The Big Picture.
Throughout the 80’s, Leigh struggled to find a place in mainstream Hollywood fare. But that would change as the 90’s rolled in.
In 1990, Leigh starred in two films that got her a reputation for brave performances in edgy movies. The first was Last Exit to Brooklyn, an English-language German film that adapted a controversial novel. Leigh played a prostitute in the midst of a labor dispute. The movie dealt with drugs, alcohol, prostitutes and drag queens.
Last Exit to Brooklyn got mostly positive reviews. But reviews for Leigh’s performance were univerally positive.
Leigh followed that up with another turn as a prostitute opposite Alec Baldwin in the crime drama, Miami Blues.
Neither film was a big hit at the box office. But they were both popular with critics who took notice of Leigh’s raw performances. She was still an unknown with audiences. But she was becoming a darling of film critics.
In 1991, Leigh tried to break into mainstream Hollywood with a role in Ron Howard’s summer blockbuster, Backdraft.
The firefighter drama had a talented ensemble that included Kurt Russell, Scott Glenn, Rebecca De Mornay, Donald Sutherland and Robert De Niro. Leigh played a more conventional role as William Baldwin’s supportive girl friend. She expressed disappointment with the limitations of the part.
She would go on to call Backdraft her least favorite movie role stating, “In mainstream movies, the woman’s role is mostly just to prove that the leading man is heterosexual. I’m not good at that, and I’m not interested in that.”
Later that year, Leigh returned to her gritty roots opposite Jason Patric in the crime drama, Rush.
Leigh and Patrick played undercover narcotics cops who get in over their heads. While trying to bust a drug dealer played by Gregg Allman, Patric and Leigh’s characters develop real drug additions as well as a romantic relationship. Despite their best efforts, they can’t find the evidence they need and finally resort to falsifying evidence.
The movie was an adaptation Kim Wozencraft’s 1990 novel of the same name. The novel was based on Wozencraft’s own real life experiences working as an undercover narcotics officer Texas in 1977. In real-life, Wozencraft eventually married her partner while they were awaiting trial for their crimes.
Both Patric and Leigh were seen as being rising stars at the time. But despite mostly positive reviews, audiences avoided Rush.
In 1992, Patrick and Leigh began dating in real life. That relationship lasted about two years.
In 1992, Leigh starred in another mainstream movie. This time it was opposite Bridget Fonda in Barbet Schroeder’s thriller, Single White Female.
Single White Female was released during a glut of stalkerish thrillers following the success of Fatal Attraction. There was nothing especially original about SWF, but Leigh’s performance as an unstable roommate was truly disturbing. It set the movie apart from most of the other formula thrillers of its day.
Reviews were mixed, but SWF was a modest hit. And Leigh didn’t have to prove anyone was heterosexual.
In 1993, Leigh appeared as part of a star-studded ensemble in Robert Altman’s drama, Short Cuts.
Short Cuts adapted several short stories and a poem by author, Raymond Carver. As such it told several loosely connected stories featuring a staggering 22 principle characters. Leigh’s segment co-starred Robert Downey Jr., Chris Penn and Lili Taylor.
Leigh played a phone sex operator who diapers her newborn while talking to clients. She reportedly interviewed phone sex operators as part of her research for the role. Leigh imporvised most of her own dialogue for the phone sex scenes.
The rest of the cast included Fred Ward, Anne Archer, Buck Henry, Huey Lewis, Lily Tomlin, Tom Waits, Bruce Davison, Andie MacDowell, Lyle Lovett, Jack Lemmon, Tim Robbins, Madeleine Stowe, Frances McDormand, Julianne Moore, Matthew Modine, Lori Singer and Peter Gallagher.
The film won a special Golden Globe for the best ensemble and got good reviews from critics. But it was not a box office hit.
In 1994, Leigh starred opposite Tim Robbins in the Coen brother’s screwball comedy, The Hudsucker Proxy.
Hudsucker was the Coen brother’s first real bid at mainstream success. Like Leigh, Joel and Ethan Coen had become favorites of the critics with independent movies like Miller’s Crossing and Barton Fink. They collaborated with their old friend Sam Raimi on what they hoped would be their first mainstream box office hit.
Leigh had auditioned for the Coen brother before but never been cast. Winona Ryder and Bridget Fonda were both considered for Leigh’s role in Hudsucker, but the previous auditions gave Leigh an advantage and she was eventually cast.
Unfortunately for Leigh and the Coens, Hudsucker was not the box office hit they had been hoping for. It got mixed reviews from critics who thought it was all style and no substantce. And it bombed at the box office. It has gone on to acquire a cult following with the subsequent success of the Coens.
Later that year, Leigh went on to star in Alan Rudolph’s biopic, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle.
Leigh played Dorothy Parker, a short story writer from the early 20th century. Rudolph had a difficult time convincing studios to make a movie about literate women in the 1900’s. So Leigh’s Short Cuts director, Robert Altman, stepped in as producer.
Rudolph encouraged his talented cast to improvise their dialogue which led to a chaotic shoot. The film opened to mixed reviews and was a failure at the box office.
In 1995, Leigh starred opposite Kathy Bates in Taylor Hackford’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, Dolores Claiborne.
Unlike most King novels, Dolores Claiborne was not a supernatural horror story. It was more of a gothic thriller telling the story of a family mystery. Bates played a mother who may or may not have killed her employer and Leigh played her estranged daughter who returns to town to help her mother in her hour of need.
Dolores Claiborne received positive reviews and was a modest hit at the box office.
Later that year, Leigh starred as a self-destructive punk singer opposite her real-life friend, Mare Winningham in the drama, Georgia.
Georgia was a deeply personal movie for Leigh. It was written by her mother, Barbara Turner. Leigh and her mother co-produced the film and cast family friend, Winningham, as Leigh’s older sister.
The movie was expected to earn Leigh her first-ever Oscar nomination. But instead, Leigh was passed over by the Academy and Winningham was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Despite good reviews and some awards attention, Georgia was a failure at the box office.
In 1996, Leigh reunited with director Robert Altman for the jazz-infused crime drama, Kansas City.
She also starred in a Showtime original movie about child abuse, Bastard Out of Carolina directed by Angelica Huston. Neither film was noticed by mainstream audiences.
In 1997, Leigh appeared in a supporting role opposite Michelle Pfeiffer and Jessica Lange in A Thousand Acres.
A Thousand Acres came out during what I call Pfeiffer’s Oprah Book Club period. Pfeiffer starred in quite a few adaptations of popular women’s novels during this time. But most of them were failures both critically and commercially. A Thousand Acres was no exception.
That same year, Leigh starred opposite Albert Finney in Washington Square. Once again, critics raved and audiences stayed home.
In 1999, Leigh starred opposite Jude Law in David Cronenberg’s trippy sci-fi thriller, Existenz.
In the past, I have gotten grief for recommending Existenz to friends. I have finally come to the conclusion that there are two kinds of people in the world; those who “get” Cronenberg and those who don’t. If you’re a Cronenberg fan, odds are you have already seen and enjoyed Existenz. Otherwise, it’s probably not going to be your cup of tea.
Leigh plays a video game designer who has created a virtual reality game that uses an organic interface instead of a controller. The movie blurs the line between what is real and what isn’t.
While critics generally liked Existenz, it was a bomb at the box office.
Leigh had also filmed a scene for Stanley Kubrick’s erotic drama, Eyes Wide Shut. The film, which starred Tom Cruise, was in development for years and was released after the legendary director’s death. Leigh’s scene was cut from the final film.
Leigh continued working in smaller and smaller movies. In 2001, she had an uncredited role in the Coen brothers’ drama, The Man Who Wasn’t There. She also co-starred, co-wrote and co-produced The Anniversary Party with Alan Cumming.
The Anniversary Party was very well reviewed and was nominated for several Independent Spirit Awards. But it was not noticed by mainstream audiences.
In 2002, Leigh returned to mainstream movies with a small role opposite Tom Hanks in Sam Mendes’ crime drama, The Road to Perdition.
Leigh played Hanks’ doomed wife whose death sets Hanks on a path of bloody revenge. On the upside, Perdition was a rare mainstream hit for Leigh. Unfortunately, her role in it is very small.
The next year, Leigh starred opposite Meg Ryan in Jane Campion’s erotic thriller, In the Cut.
In the Cut was a last ditch effort by Ryan to reinvent herself after tabloid scandal cut short her career in romantic comedies. It is a fascinating movie to watch for the raw performances by Ryan, Leigh and Mark Ruffalo. But it is also a messy and disjointed movie. Frankly, it can be hard to watch.
Audiences and critics alike were ready to savage both Ryan and Campion. In the Cut was a failure. But an interesting one.
In 2004, Leigh starred opposite an emaciated Christian Bale in The Machinst.
The Machinst was another small, critically acclaimed drama. Bale’s dramatic weight loss got the movie some attention. But it was not a mainstream hit.
In 2005, Leigh appeared opposite Adrien Brody and Kiera Knightley in the psyhchological thriller, The Jacket.
Reviews were mixed and the movie flopped.
In 2007, Leigh starred opposite Nicole Kidman and Jack Black in the arthouse tragicomedy, Margot at the Wedding.
Kidman played a successful writer who goes to visit her sister on the eve of her wedding. Leigh played the free-spirited sister who is preparing to marry Black’s character. Tensions arise because Kidman’s character doesn’t approve. Can you blame her? If your sister was Jennifer Jason Leigh and she was about to marry Jack Black, wouldn’t you object?
Margot received mixed reviews and barely registered at the box office.
In 2008, Leigh appeared opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman in Charlie Kaufman’s drama, Synecdoche, New York.
Kaufman has a history of writing bizarre movies that are beloved by critics. Synecdoche was Kaufman’s directorial debut and it polarized critics. Generally, reaction was favorable. But it was far from the love-fest of Kaufman’s earlier scripts.
From 2009-2012, Leigh has been appearing as a guest star on Showtime’s hit cable series, Weeds.
And in 2010, Leigh co-produced and co-starred in the comedy-drama, Greenberg, which starred Ben Stiller in a rare dramatic role.
Greenberg got mostly favorable reviews. It was a small film, but Stiller’s presence brought it some attention at the box office.
So, what the hell happened?
Nothing really. She’s still making the kinds of movies she prefers to make. She’s still beloved by critics even if most audiences are unfamiliar with her work. It is really surprising how consistent her career has remained over such a long period of time. And nobody seems to notice that she’s still going strong.
I literally have not thought of Leigh in years.
Hitcher was awesome, Flesh and Bone was a dirty, realistic film with a very convincing rape scene. I, of course, noticed her first in Fast Times – I was 15 at the time, and very interested in boobs. (still am, in fact)
Interestingly, her dad’s death (and the 2 children killed) probably had the greatest effect on movie set safety.
It seems she takes on roles that attract a female audience. I don’t remember her in Perdition or Weeds, but maybe I just didn’t recognize her.
She always seems moody whether in films or in the few interviews I’ve seen and I wonder if her dad’s death has something to do with it.
it certainly could have….
You know, the way Vic morrow died, I wouldn’t feel all kind either. I lost my mother this year, and it kind of wrecked me, so I haven’t always been in the mood for things either (Christmas and Star Shower are a bust; why bother?). I couldn’t imagine a young Jennifer Jason Leigh losing her father that way, no matter how close or not so close they were (close enough for me).
I’ve heard that Jennifer Jason Leigh has always been disliked by Hollywood. The main reason for this is that she doesn’t “play the game”. What that means is that she’s purely in it for the work, not for the stardom, validation or attention. Therefore, she just does the bare minimum to promote a film (unless it’s something that she put her whole heart and soul behind like Georgia). She’s one of those actresses who feels the work should stand on its own.
A career like Leigh’s makes me very happy. There are so many undertalented, looks only “stars” and “starlets” who never seem to make the effort to break out of typical boring Hollywood fare. The fact that someone who cared enough to pursue her craft on her own terms was able to maintain a long and strong career is heartening indeed. Her work has been consistently good accross a wide variety of styles, and she was personally crushable in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Big Picture, and Georgia. To me, her fate in Road to Perdition was shocking because it… Read more »
Okay, Perdition is another film I need to rewatch and pay closer attention
I agree.
I had sort of assumed that Leigh had tried harder to break into the A-list and failed. But it seems pretty obvious to me now that is not the case. She set about a different career path and succeeded spectacuarily.
While she may have less commercial success than anyone else I have profiled to date, she has succeeded on her own terms. I bet a lot of other actresses I have profiled would happily trade places with her.
She’s like an American version of Kristen Scott Thomas!
I saw her in Palindromes- boy- was she NOT going for mainstream success with that- a Todd Solondz film.
No. Solondz is NOT the road to mainstream success.
According to this web-page, she tried really hard to break into the mainstream:
http://www.notstarring.com/actors/leigh-jennifer-jason
Also, she was one of the actresses considered for the role of Lorraine in Back to the Future (which was executively produced by the same guy who she pressed charges against).
I checked that out, and sure, maybe early on she vied for more commercial roles, but I think the longer she was in the business, the less interested she became in taking that route. I think she would’ve done well even if she went strictly mainstream (which I highly doubt she would), but I like where her career went.
I have always like her- but not at all as Dorothy Parker- I thought she was awful- it is also odd to me that while she and her mother sued landis and spielberg- she dropped his name- you’d think she would want to honor it- she was great in Claiborne- one of my favorite movies ever- and stellar in so many smaller good parts- thanks to TV and it’s good revival and audience- many of the former film actors can now do good work with good writing and acting- it seems to be using almost all of them
She dropped his surname to avoid being accused of nepotism ala Nicolas Cage. Furthermore, she was annoyed by the fact that Vic refused to let her be in The Blue Lagoon. They were still estranged before he died.
She’s not interested in mainstream success and mainstream recognition. She’s only interested in roles that satisfy her.
It’s pretty to see actress like Leigh, or Tilda Swinton and Cate Blanchett (even if Swinton and Blanchett are much more known by the general audience) that are not driven by box-office but only by passion
There was a time when she flirted with mainstream success. But it does seem pretty obvious that it didn’t interest her. It is a shame though that she was never honored by her peers at the Academy for her stellar work.
I’m also pretty surprised that such a critical darling has never been nominated for an Academy. But I think her time will come. She’s still critically acclaimed so I think the Acadamey will give her a chance.
I have a theory on that which I didn’t specifically bring up because I figured we could discuss it in comments.
I think there may be some jealousy issue, hurt feelings and/or politics involved. Leigh turned her back on a mainstream Hollywood career. The Academy members are for the most part the establishment she walked away from. I think their attitude is that she can be satisfied with all her critics’ awards and Indpependent Spirit Awards. I think she will need to do a mainstream picture before the Academy awards her.
I mean, they have never even nominated her.
Interesting theory Lebeau and one I strongly subscribe to. I lost interest in the Academy Awards many years ago, but after reading this article, I do find it bizarre that an actress of the quality of JJL hasn’t received a single nomination. Especially in the light of some of the performances that have won the best actress award in the last 10 years. Still on the subject of Jennifer Jason Leigh, perusing my tv guide last night I noticed that In the Cut is showing on Film 4 here in the UK later this week. I haven’t watched that film… Read more »
It really seems to me like nominating Mare Winningham and not JJL for Georgia was the Academy sending a message. I can see why they may have passed her over for Rush and some of her earlier works thinking she’d be around for a long time and they would have many chances to nominate her. That’s how the Academy operates. But by this point, she has been turning out quality work for decades. There’s really no excuse for shutting her out of nominations completely. I look forward to your thoughts on In the Cut. I feel like it was unfairly… Read more »
Sometimes I feel like the Oscars can’t really win no matter what they do. Every single year I hear people complain that they’ve never heard of many of the nominees. Well whose fault is that? Yes, the Academy often nominates or gives out statues for longtime favorites, but they also promote films and performers that the mainstream has absolutely no interest in. Actresses nominated over the last 5 years: Janet McTeer-“Albert Nobbs,” Jacki Weaver-“Animal Kingdom,” Jennifer Lawrence-“Winter’s Bone,” Gibourney Sdobe-“Precious,” Melissa Leo-“Frozen River,” Marion Cotillard-“La Vie en Rose” How many of these performers had people heard of before these nominations?… Read more »
I have a longer response I am going to put together regarding your larger arguments. You make some good counter-points and for the most part I agree with you.
Playing the what-if game, I would trade in Streep’s nomination for Bridges first. And then I’d still trade out Stone for Casino.
In a little while, I’m going to make some time to explain why I over-stated my “sending a message” position and what I really mean by that.
Okay, here’s the long response. I agree that the Oscars can’t win. The general public complains because they have never heard of half the nominees. I also agree that is the fault of the viewers, but the Academy has a show to put on. I don’t blame them for wanting to nominate higher profile movies and actors. It’s their awards show. They can do whatever they want with it. Are they ahead of the curve? I suppose so. I give them more credit than the People’s Choice Awards. And a bit more than the Golden Globes although I have always… Read more »
re: Every single year I hear people complain that they’ve never heard of many of the nominees. Well whose fault is that? Good point…what a lot of people – well, the Academy, film critics, film geeks/nerds, etc. – don’t acknowledge that for a good-size chunk of the movie audience, “going to the movies” means going to see movies wherein good-looking hetero humans either kiss, dance-with, and/or shoot-at each other…not to sound like a snob, but for lots of the multiplex crowd, “good acting” and “thought-provoking” subject matter are not big priorities. Hey, SOMEBODY is keeping Adam Sandler in business and… Read more »
There’s a reason the People’s Choice Awards don’t overlap with any industry or critics awards. Most people have terrible taste in movies. Which isn’t fair, but it’s true. Here’s my take on it. Most people don’t view movies as an artform. They aren’t looking to be challenged. A lot of people tell me they don’t like movies where they have to “think too hard”. People work hard for their money. Their time is short. Their lives are hard. They want movies that easily transport them away from their problems. I get that. Who doesn’t love escapism. But lazy story-telling ruins… Read more »
I like to think that we promote quality pop culture 🙂 For the most part you’re not going to find a lot of coverage of art house and foreign film here, but there continues to be a lot of utter crap that the public supports which we here at Le Blog pretty much ignore. When it comes down to it, most art, film, music, etc is supposed to be entertaining. This means different things to different people. It appears that for some folks that means explosions, crass humor, Alpha male posturing, and not much else. But it’s that last part… Read more »
Agreed all the way around. The last movie I watched was The Lego Movie. And I enjoyed the heck out of it. How big of a film snob can I possibly be? We cover Walt Disney World more extensively than some Disney World sites. That’s hardly high brow stuff. We’re talking super heroes and big summer movies here. Yeah, if Pearl Harbor comes up, we’re going to trash it. Because it’s garbage. But it’s not like we’re talking film theory. We may occasionally veer off into something offbeat, but mostly we’re discussing mainstream pop culture. The last article I wrote… Read more »
Speaking here as a screenwriter and filmmaker, I can agree with these sentiments. I can enjoy a good action movie as much as the next guy (Die Hard, Face/Off). But when they’re just mind numbing noise with no point to it, it doesn’t work. Consider that the two I just named are still watched decades after their release. Will the Transformers mvoies still be watched in 20 years? I doubt it. Most of the current big blockbusters are poorly written and try to cover it up. It’s like building a house without a foundation. It might look nice. But once… Read more »
I hate making top ten lists. But that’s a good list of movies you have compiled. I haven’t seen Precious, so I can’t comment. But I like the other 9 quite well. I’m not sure what my top 10 would like like, but I’m pretty sure Jaws and Pulp Fiction would be on it. And I’ll take Alien over Aliens. But I can respect going for Cameron over Scott. Goodfellas is just a great movie and Holy Grail cracks me up. It’s been a long time since I have watched Blue Velvet. But I am a Lynch fan and I… Read more »
re: But I also feel like the studios have created a system where a new blockbuster opens every week and is forgotten the following weekend when the next big movie is released. You got a point….also about the big cheeses coming up with a release date BEFORE THEY HAVE A (good) SCRIPT. My 2 cents: The Big Studios tend to spend MILLIONS on special f/x and/or actors’ salaries but $1.98 on the SCRIPT. As I’ve said many times: You can have the greatest/coolest cast and director, but if the script SUCKS, ya got nuthin.’ My 3RD cent: I got nuthin’… Read more »
Agreed. Scripts are undervalued as are screen writers. They are almost an afterthought. A good script should be top priority, but it rarely ever is. Because studio heads know that they can release a piece of crap, but if they release it under the right circumstances with the right marketing, they will make a lot of money anyway. Plus, who knows, maybe the creative types will figure it out and come up with something decent.
I like yr Top Ten, Jeffthewildman! Hey, I like a good shoot-’em-up meself once in a while, but it’s REALLY nice when there is a decent story & memorable characters to go with it, dig? As for mainstream fare: “Mad Money” got mostly negative reviews but I thought it was an entertaining movie – certainly no classic, but I got a few yuks out of it…and that’s more than I can say for the indie/art house disaster “The Ten” – go on, look it up – it’s the only movie after which I was actually ANGRY at the actors, writers,… Read more »
If I had a buck for every time someone told me something along the lines of “I don’t like movies that make me think” I’d have a lot of bucks. No one enjoys good escapism more than me. I’m an escapism addict. But I also love it when a movie challenges me. Movies that linger in my subconscious for days or weeks after I watched them. These may not be the most fund to watch, but they are more satisfying than disposable movies I can barely remember by the time I reach the parking lot.
complaints from adults that a good movie is “boring” often makes me think of a line from the song “Flagpole Sitta”: “If you’re bored, then you’re boring.” When it comes down to it, movies can sometimes only illicit what is already there. If an audience member does not know anything about a certain time or place or subject, then the wonderful references made to them in film will completely go over their heads. At times this will result in that audience member only viewing the film on its surface level. If the surface level is all you can see, then… Read more »
I agree with Le Beau. I think JJL needs some mainstream work to earn an Academy nomination. Tilda Swinton earned her first nomination (and won) for “Michael Clayton” which is one of her rare break into the mainstream. I think she need something like that to convince the Academy. I’m not speaking about a box office smash hit, but just a mainstream drama with modest domestic gross could be the right one. It’s true the Academy has awarded lots of performances for little seen movies, let’s think to Marcia Gay Harden for “Pollock” and Halle Berry for “Monster”, but probabily… Read more »
I find it peculiar that she’s set to guest star on Revenge, a popular primetime TV show, given how much of a contrarian she’s been throughout the majority of her career.
Good point.
Maybe she’s a fan of the show? Or maybe she’s decided to finally take the plunge into mainstream entertainment?
Perhaps she’s just being ironic.
Also, it’s worth noting that, with 4 films due to be released, 2013 is set to be her most prolific year yet.
Absolutely. I was legitimately surprised to see just how vital her career is these days. It’s like a stealth career. She’s really on top of her game. It’s just not a game most people follow.
It’s a really good show, and there are plenty of strong, morally ambiguous female characters in it, which I think is exactly what JJL is looking for in a role. The women on that show are not supportive girlfriends or nagging wives or nurturing motherly types, or hopeless romantics who change and sacrifice for love. Most of the time, they actually chose their own agenda over their relationships, and sometimes it works out well for them, sometimes it doesn’t. Yeah it’s campy as hell, but despite all the soapy clichees, it’s still one of the few shows where women aren’t… Read more »
She was allegedly hated by the cast of Revenge. She kept saying how stupid her character was, wanted re-writes and basically shunned everyone.
JJL seems quite an odd choice for this series, which is mostly about big stars who have fallen from sight. JJL is always around, always doing something interesting.
Every now and then, I spotlight actors or actresses showed promise but never quite hit the A-list. I have to admit, I didn’t realize how steady her output had been until I actually wrote the article. Sometimes I go in with a certain set of expectations and then realize I didn’t know the whole story. That was definitely the case with JJL. I had assumed she tried to cross over into the mainstream and failed. But the truth was that she quickly realized it didn’t interest her and she went another way. Very successfully. Still, a unique and interesting career… Read more »
Whatever Happened To …. The Cast of Fast Times at Ridgemont High?:
http://www.pajiba.com/seriously_random_lists/whatever-happened-to-the-cast-of-fast-times-at-ridgemont-high.php
Jennifer Jason Leigh (as Stacy Hamilton): Of late, she’s been wallowing (relatively speaking) in television land with “Revenge” and “Weeds,” but otherwise, she’s worked very steadily in movies for the entirety of her career. Debatable career highlight? Rush.
Her Next Move: Reminding people that she’s not the same person as Elisabeth Shue.
“They collaborated with their old friend Sam Raimi on what they hoped would be their first mainstream box office hit.”
Slight correction — the three men wrote this movie in the ’80’s, along with ‘Crimewave’, while living in a house together (and Holly Hunter and Frances McDormand). But the Coens couldn’t get the money until ‘Barton Fink’ raised their profile a bit.
Why Has Jennifer Jason Leigh Never Been Nominated for an Oscar?: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/post/168160-why-in-the-hell-has-jennifer-jason-leigh-never-been-nominated-for-an/ That Jennifer Jason Leigh, who took her second name from family friend Jason Robards, has missed out on even a single Oscar nomination during her courageous and lauded career simply does not make sense. JJL started off her career strongly, with a performance in the television film The Best Little Girl in the World that showed a ferocious commitment to using her body as a tool to show not only her character’s specific physicality, but also their complete history. This Strasbergian talent for transforming has become something of… Read more »
What happened to Thora Birch?–and other actors that seemed to disappear for no reason…:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15154713&postcount=82
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tangent
Bridget Fonda stopped acting completely about a decade ago.
Ah, crap, I knew I wanted to mention someone else, but couldn’t remember who. Bridget Fonda, that’s who.
I’ll add Jennifer Jason Leigh, who’s had a few jobs since the 90s ended, notably in The Machinist, but otherwise not much in the way of big parts.
Also, in the same line as Rick Moranis, Martin Short also essentially disappeared from the spotlight, though he’s apparently still working.
If the parts that got away from Kilmer was bad,check Jen’s IMDB & check out the flicks she
either passed on or was passed over…….outta make that your next WMHB,BTW!!!!
I ran into a bunch of that writing the WMHB:Meg Ryan article. It seems like every actress was up for the same parts! Not surprising given how few good roles there are for actresses. JJL will definitely get the WMHB treatment.
Not to mention had she taken some of those,she might’ve had an Oscar or 2 by now!!!!
Or at least a nomination.
DWMCGUFF, here’s one for your next Oscar article! I think most people assume Jennifer Jason Leigh has a trophy case full of statues by now. Not so much as a single nomination.
I think quite honestly for many years the film critics didn’t know what to think of JJL because after Fast Times she really went outside the box. At that time there just wasn’t another female actress that was consistently taking on the gritty type of roles she was. I must have watched Flesh and Blood a hundred times when it came to cable (it never came to the theater where I lived). I was always on the lookout for anything she was doing, and she was always doing something different. I think of JJL as one of the original “indie”… Read more »
JLL’s choices have confounded pretty much everyone. Every time you expect her to zig, she zags. It’s almost like she was trying to avoid being a Hollywood star. Maybe that was exactly what she was trying to do. She could have been a bigger star if she had accepted certain roles. But that clearly didn’t interest her all that much. I agree that she is always interesting to watch. It’s a shame so many people missed so much of her work.
Kinda like the female version of her Rush castmate Jason Patric,to a point!!!
I always liked Jennifer Jason Leigh and the interesting roles that she has taken over the years. She isn’t afraid to dig deep and get dirty within a character, and plays by her own rules.
Also, I’m glad i stumbled upon this site, it’s a real crown jewel.
Oh, this guy? The OTHER me. When I didn’t know what I was doing with wordpress, I set up two accounts. I don’t use this one, plus there’s no profile photo like on the account I mostly use (I mean, where’s the basketball jersey of my man Tracy McGrady?). However, I still stand by the comment my darker half (just like Timothy Hutton! Well, not really) made.
JJL will be in the latest Amityville installment alongside a popular Disney starlet……..
http://thewrap.com/disney-channel-star-bella-thorne-set-new-amityville-movie-exclusive/
Film ‘stars’ you thought were going to be massive, and really weren’t:
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showpost.php?p=72697041&postcount=63
I don’t see how anyone could see her as a potential film star though. Jennifer is what you call an actress, not a film star. She has always been about the acting, not for her name and face to sell tickets. She has done tons of projects which all generate acclaim for her performances. She is often regarded as one of the most underrated working actresses in cinema.
JJL has always presented herself in a very professional manner. She gives off an aura of intelligence and strength. I think she chooses her roles based on her personal desires and motives, not on popularity or money. Her father, Vic Morrow, was in the industry for years and probably taught her many things before his premature passing. In addition, there is no way to assess the things she learned about the industry from the lawsuit after her father’s death. I know from personal experience that traumatic events are merciless teachers. They force a person to remove the blinders of childhood… Read more »
Could not agree more. She clearly came up surrounded by an appreciation for art and acting. She puts her craft first which is extremely refreshing. She could have gone commercial. But she probably would have had a short career filled with dull girlfriend roles like the one she hated in Backdraft. The route she chose was far more interesting.
I have to agree as; the adventurous path she chose is more interesting, and I think it makes her roles stand out.
Cool beans; still, Jennifer Jason Leigh does fine work.
Quentin Tarantino Has Found His HATEFUL EIGHT: http://thisisinfamous.com/quentin-tarantino-found-hateful-eight/ Quentin Tarantino has found his HATEFUL EIGHT. The majority of the cast has been known for awhile, but Jennifer Jason Leigh has now been cast in the lead female role. Tarantino’s upcoming western is getting ready to start production in the next couple of months with an ensemble of actors that already includes Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Walter Goggins, Denis Ménochet, and Bruce Dern. Leigh is currently the only actor who has joined the project so far that has not worked with Tarantino in the past. THE… Read more »
Yeah, I received an e-mail from thewrap about this as well; sounds like a promising project.
Even though Jennifer was nominated for an Oscar for “The Hateful Eight” (if I have my facts correct), it’s hard not to deny how blatantly misogynistic the whole movie was. In the first ten minutes Jennifer’s nose is broken and she is beaten unconscious all to get a few laughs. Of course it doesn’t end there. *****SPOILER***** She is eventually killed but not without her suffering more pain and humiliation.
There’s a lot of pain and suffering in that movie to go around.