Biography for
Geena Davis More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

21 January 1956, Wareham, Massachusetts, USA

Birth Name

Virginia Elizabeth Davis

Height

6' (1.83 m)

Mini Biography

As a child, Geena dreamed of being an actress. While in high school, she felt left out and had low self-esteem because, at 6 feet, she was the tallest girl in school. After high school, Geena entered New England College in New Hampshire and then transferred the next year to Boston University, where she majored in drama. In 1979, she graduated and moved to New York to start her career. Her career consisted of sales clerk and waitress. She worked at Ann Taylor, where she eventually rose to Saturday window mannequin while trying to get a job with a modeling agency. Eventually signed by the Zoli Agency at the advanced age of 23, she wound up as a model in the Victoria Secret's Catalogue. Ever vigilant, Sydney Pollack was looking for new talent in the catalogue when he spotted Geena and cast her in Tootsie (1982). With good reviews, Geena moved to Los Angeles where she was cast as Wendy in the short-lived but critically acclaimed television series "Buffalo Bill" (1983). Her next appearance on television was in her own show "Sara" (1985), which was also good, but soon canceled. She then returned to the big screen in the below-average Transylvania 6-5000 (1985) followed by the successful Chevy Chase movie Fletch (1985). From there on, she was on a roll with future husband Jeff Goldblum in the horror remake of The Fly (1986). More successful were Tim Burton's dark comedy Beetle Juice (1988) and The Accidental Tourist (1988). For the last film, she was the surprise winner of the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. More fun movies followed with the flying-saucer-in-the-pool Earth Girls Are Easy (1988) and everyone-loves-a-clown Quick Change (1990) with Bill Murray. The very successful Thelma & Louise (1991), directed by Ridley Scott, again garnered nominations for the Academy Award and Golden Globe. A League of Their Own (1992), with Tom Hanks and directed by Penny Marshall, was the turning point as her next film, Hero (1992/I), was only average. Then she married director Renny Harlin and they set up a production and development company called "The Forge." Their first film was Speechless (1994), which flopped at the box office. Undeterred, Renny decided to film the big-budget Cutthroat Island (1995), starring pirate Geena, which also flopped. Geena has since starred in the thriller, The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) and played Eleanor Little in Stuart Little (1999) and Stuart Little 2 (2002). In 2008, after being missed from the big screen for some years, she ventured to Sydney, Australia, playing the foul-mouthed mom of Harry Cook and Harrison Gilbertson to shoot the dark comedy Accidents Happen (2009).

IMDb Mini Biography By: Tony Fontana

Spouse

Dr. Reza Jarrahy	(1 September 2001 - present) 3 children
Renny Harlin	(18 September 1993 - 21 June 1998) (divorced)
Jeff Goldblum	(1 November 1987 - 17 October 1990) (divorced)
Richard Emmolo	(25 March 1982 - 26 February 1983) (divorced)

Trivia

Placed 24th out of 28 semi-finalists for Olympic Archery team. [21 August 1999]

Ranked #61 in Empire (UK) magazine's Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time list. [October 1997]

Is a member of Mensa (as are James Woods, Alan Rachins, Cy Frost, Ben Rollins and Chino XL).

She speaks Swedish, and attended school in Sweden as an exchange student.

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#31). [1995]

Was considered for the lead in Runaway Bride (1999).

Was considered for the lead role of Kate McQueen in Fair Game (1995). The part eventually went to Cindy Crawford.

In 1996, was the top contender for the role of the evil Queen Beryl in a proposed Sailor Moon live action movie. The project was later scrapped.

Gave birth to baby daughter, Alizeh Keshvar Davis Jarrahy, in Los Angeles, April 10, 2002.

Was assistant organist in her church in her hometown in Massachusetts.

Measurements: 34-25-35 (on her Zoli modeling card; ideal for her start as an underwear model) (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)

Her current husband, Dr. Reza Jarrahy, a plastic surgeon, is Iranian. His last name, Jarrahy, means "surgery" in Farsi.

Born at 12:06 am-EST.

Appeared alongside ex-husband Jeff Goldblum in three films: Transylvania 6-5000 (1985), The Fly (1986) and Earth Girls Are Easy (1988).

Wears a size 12 shoe.

Her publicist, Paul Bloch, announced in December 2003 that, at 47 years old, she is pregnant with twins which are due to be born in the spring of 2004.

Graduate of Wareham High School (Wareham, Massachusetts) Class of 1974 who voted her "Most Talented."

Her publicist, Paul Bloch, announced that the actress's sons, Kian William and Kaiis Steven, were born in Los Angeles on May 6, 2004. The 48-year-old actress and her plastic surgeon husband, Reza Jarrahy, who married in September 2001, are already parents of a daughter, two-year-old Alizeh Keshvar.

Her second husband, actor Jeff Goldblum, says that he and Geena have remained good friends in the years since their divorce.

Auditioned for a regular cast member spot on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" (1975) in 1982 to replace Christine Ebersole, but lost out to Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

After graduating from Boston U. she worked as a window mannequin.

Is an expert archer and tried out for the 1996 Summer Olympics. She finished out of the competition.

Said that her Accidents Happen (2009) co-stars and on-screen sons Harry Cook and Harrison Gilbertson looked very much like her two twin boys in real life and felt a great friendship and connection to the both of them.

Said that Accidents Happen (2009) was the most fun she had ever had on a movie.

Was turned down by Martin Scorsese for the role of Iris in Taxi Driver (1976). This was Davis' first film audition. The part went to child actress Jodie Foster.

Turned down the role of Princess Leia Organa in Star Wars (1977). She was the runner-up to Carrie Fisher for the part.

Auditioned five times for Randal Kleiser for the role of Emmeline in The Blue Lagoon (1980), a role that ultimately went to Brooke Shields.

Auditioned for the role of Sarah Connor in The Terminator (1984) but lost out to Linda Hamilton.

Turned down the role that made famous to Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct (1992).

Turned down the Demi Moore role in Ghost (1990).

Turned down the role that later went to Jodie Foster in The Silence of the Lambs (1991).

Turned down the role that made famous to Sandra Bullock in Speed (1994/I).

Turned down the role that went to Kelly McGillis in The Accused (1988).

Turned down the role of Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction (1987).

Turned down the role of Annie in Sleepless in Seattle (1993).

Was considered for a role in a film adaptation of the TV series "Sailor Moon" (1995) which was never made.

Turned down the role of Kit de Luca in Pretty Woman (1990).

Turned down the role that later went to Kyra Sedgwick in Singles (1992).

Friend of Glenn Close, Jodie Foster, Michelle Pfeiffer, Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson.

Two of her ex-husbands have also been romantically involved with Laura Dern: Renny Harlin and Jeff Goldblum.

Personal Quotes

I have an elbow that bends the wrong way, and I'd do things like stand in an elevator and the doors would close, and I'd pretend that my arm had got caught in it, and then I'd scream, "Ow, ow, put it back!"

[talking about the shows her children watch] As I watched kids' programs with them, I became concerned about gender balance and stereotypes. Boys take up much more space on TV than in real life.

Salary

Cutthroat Island (1995)

$7,000,000

Where Are They Now

(December 2003) Publicist announces she is pregnant with twins.

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