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Engraved portrait of Geena Davis
Film & Screen · 1980s

Geena Davis

Still with us 1956–present
6 feet (1.83 m), unusually tall for a leading ladyHeight
One Academy Award from two nominationsOscars
Semi-finalist for the 2000 U.S. Olympic archery teamArchery
Became fluent in Swedish as an exchange studentLanguages
Founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in MediaAdvocacy
The Turning Point

After her film debut in Tootsie (1982) and a star turn in Beetlejuice, Geena Davis won the 1989 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for The Accidental Tourist. The win, in 1989, vaulted the former model into the front rank of leading ladies and set up her run of iconic early-'90s roles.

Massachusetts to Manhattan

Virginia Elizabeth Davis was born in Wareham, Massachusetts, to a civil-engineer father and a teacher's-assistant mother. She modeled in New York before landing her first film role, a small part in Tootsie.

Oscar and a Golden Era

Her 1989 Oscar for The Accidental Tourist launched a remarkable stretch including Thelma & Louise and A League of Their Own. These roles made her a symbol of strong, independent women on screen.

Advocate and Honoree

In 2004 she founded an institute studying gender representation in media, a cause that earned her the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. The Academy later recognized her advocacy with its Governors Award.

Career Timeline

  1. 1982Film debut in Tootsie opposite Dustin Hoffman
  2. 1988Stars in Tim Burton's hit Beetlejuice
  3. 1989Wins Best Supporting Actress for The Accidental Tourist
  4. 1991Thelma & Louise earns Best Actress nomination
  5. 1992Plays Dottie Hinson in A League of Their Own
  6. 1995Headlines pirate epic Cutthroat Island
  7. 2004Founds Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
  8. 2005Stars as TV president in Commander in Chief
  9. 2006Wins Golden Globe for Commander in Chief
  10. 2019Receives Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
  11. 2022Honored with the Academy's Governors Award

Biggest Hits

1988
The Accidental TouristQuirky dog trainer role won her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar
1988
BeetlejuicePlays a recently deceased homeowner in Tim Burton comedy
1991
Thelma & LouiseRoad-trip drama brought a Best Actress nomination
1992
A League of Their OwnStar catcher Dottie in beloved baseball comedy
1986
The FlyCo-stars with Jeff Goldblum in Cronenberg horror remake
Did You Know
  • She was a near-Olympian in archery, taking up the sport in her 40s and reaching the semi-finals of the U.S. team trials for the 2000 Games.
  • A skilled musician, she played organ at her Congregational church in Wareham, Massachusetts, as a teenager.

Portrait: itupictures · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

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