Jennifer Jason Leigh

Biography

Jennifer Jason Leigh (born Jennifer Leigh Morrow; February 5, 1962) is an American actress. She began her career on television during the 1970s before making her film breakthrough in the teen film Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). She received critical praise for her performances in Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989), Miami Blues (1990), Backdraft (1991), Single White Female (1992), and The Hudsucker Proxy (1994). She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Dorothy Parker in Mrs Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994). Leigh starred in a 1995 film written by her mother, screenwriter Barbara Turner, titled Georgia. She co-wrote and co-directed a film with Alan Cumming titled The Anniversary Party (2001). Leigh starred in the crime drama Road to Perdition (2002) and the family drama Margot at the Wedding (2007). She had a recurring role on the Showtime comedy-drama series Weeds (2009–2012). She received critical acclaim for her voice work in Charlie Kaufman's Anomalisa (2015). For her role as fugitive Daisy Domergue in The Hateful Eight (2015), she was nominated for the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. From 2017 to 2021, she starred in the Netflix comedy-drama series Atypical while featuring in the science fiction films Annihilation (2018) and Possessor (2020). She has since starred in the fifth season of the crime drama series Fargo (2023). For her stage work, Leigh was nominated for a Drama Desk award for her off-Broadway performance as Beverly Moss in Mike Leigh's Abigail's Party. Her Broadway debut occurred in 1998 when she became the replacement for the role of Sally Bowles in the musical Cabaret.

Known For

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

High Potential

Fargo

King of the Hill

Frasier

Twin Peaks

Crime 101

The Waltons

All Movies (99)

• Crime 1012026 · as Angie
• Night Always Comes2025 · as Doreen
• Poolman2024 · as Susan Kerkovish
• Sharp Stick2022 · as Marilyn
• Awake2021 · as Dr. Murphy
• The Woman in the Window2021 · as Jane Russell 2
• Possessor2020 · as Girder
• QT8: The First Eight2019 · as Self
• Sid & Judy2019 · as Judy Garland (voice)
• White Boy Rick2018 · as Alex Snyder
• Annihilation2018 · as Dr Ventress
• LBJ2017 · as Lady Bird Johnson
• Good Time2017 · as Corey Ellman
• Amityville: The Awakening2017 · as Joan Walker
• Morgan2016 · as Dr. Kathy Grieff
• None of Them Are You: Crafting Anomalisa2016 · as Self
• Anomalisa2015 · as Lisa Hesselman (voice)
• The Hateful Eight2015 · as Daisy Domergue
• Welcome to Me2015 · as Deb Moseley
• Alex of Venice2015 · as Maureen
• Me2014 · as Kelly
• Jake Squared2014 · as Sheryl
• Hateship Loveship2014 · as Chloe
• Open2014 · as Holly
• Kill Your Darlings2013 · as Naomi Ginsberg
• The Spectacular Now2013 · as Sara Keely
• The Moment2013 · as Lee
• Greenberg2010 · as Beth (Beller's Party)
• Der Regisseur Uli Edel - Fakten und Fiktion2009 · as Self
• Synecdoche, New York2008 · as Maria
• Margot at the Wedding2007 · as Pauline
• The Making of 'Last Exit to Brooklyn'2006
• Rag Tale2005 · as Mary Josephine 'MJ' Morton
• Easter Sunday2005 · as Mother
• Palindromes2005 · as 'Mark' Aviva
• The Jacket2005 · as Dr. Beth Lorenson
• The Machinist2004 · as Stevie
• Childstar2004 · as Suzanne
• In the Cut2003 · as Pauline
• Celebrity Naked Ambition2003 · as Self (archive footage)
• Searching for Debra Winger2002 · as Self (uncredited)
• Road to Perdition2002 · as Annie Sullivan
• Hey Arnold! The Movie2002 · as Bridget (voice)
• Crossed Over2002 · as Karla Faye Tucker
• The Man Who Wasn't There2001 · as Female Inmate (voice) (uncredited)
• The Quickie2001 · as Lisa
• The Anniversary Party2001 · as Sally Nash Therrian
• Skipped Parts2000 · as Lydia Callahan
• The King Is Alive2000 · as Gina
• Frame by Frame: The Invisible Art of Production Designer Carol Spier2000 · as Self
• eXistenZ1999 · as Allegra Geller
• Thanks of a Grateful Nation1998 · as Teri Small
• The Love Letter1998 · as Lizzie Whitcomb
• Washington Square1997 · as Catherine Sloper
• A Thousand Acres1997 · as Caroline Cook
• Cinema Cinema1997 · as Herself
• Bastard Out of Carolina1996 · as Anney Boatwright
• Kansas City1996 · as Blondie O'Hara
• The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies1995 · as Self
• Georgia1995 · as Sadie Flood
• Dolores Claiborne1995 · as Selena St. George
• Would You Kindly Direct Me to Hell?: The Infamous Dorothy Parker1994 · as Self
• Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle1994 · as Dorothy Parker
• The Hudsucker Proxy1994 · as Amy Archer
• Short Cuts1993 · as Lois Kaiser
• Luck, Trust & Ketchup: Robert Altman in Carver Country1993 · as Self
• Single White Female1992 · as Hedra 'Hedy' Carlson
• The Prom1992 · as Lana
• Rush1991 · as Kristen Cates
• Crooked Hearts1991 · as Marriet Hoffman
• Backdraft1991 · as Jennifer Vaitkus
• Partners in Life1990 · as Blossom
• Buried Alive1990 · as Joanna Goodman
• Miami Blues1990 · as Susie Waggoner
• The Big Picture1989 · as Lydia Johnson
• Last Exit to Brooklyn1989 · as Tralala
• Heart of Midnight1988 · as Carol
• Under Cover1987 · as Tanille Laroux
• Sister, Sister1987 · as Lucy Bonnard
• Picnic1986 · as Madge Owens
• The Men's Club1986 · as Teensy
• The Hitcher1986 · as Nash
• Flesh + Blood1985 · as Agnes
• Grandview, U.S.A.1984 · as Candy Webster
• Girls of the White Orchid1983 · as Carol Heath
• Easy Money1983 · as Allison Capuletti
• Have You Ever Been Ashamed Of Your Parents?1983 · as Andrea Fairchild
• The First Time1982 · as Bonnie Dillon
• Fast Times at Ridgemont High1982 · as Stacy Hamilton
• Wrong Is Right1982 · as Young Girl
• The Best Little Girl in the World1981 · as Casey Powell
• The Killing of Randy Webster1981 · as Amy Wheeler
• I Think I'm Having A Baby1981 · as Laurie Mcintyre
• Eyes of a Stranger1981 · as Tracy Harris
• Angel City1980 · as Kristy Teeter
• The Young Runaways1978 · as Heather
• The Spy Who Never Was1976 · as Girl Playing with Ball (uncredited)
• New England Toys—
• Deep Cuts—

All TV Shows (34)

• Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen2026 · as Victoria
• All's Fair2025 · as Cheryl Goodfader
• High Potential2024 · as Willa Quinn
• Lisey's Story2021 · as Darla Debusher
• Hunters2020 · as Chava Apfelbaum
• The Hateful Eight2019 · as Daisy Domergue
• Patrick Melrose2018 · as Eleanor Melrose
• Atypical2017 · as Elsa Gardner
• Variety Studio: Actors on Actors2014 · as Self
• The Affair2014 · as Adeline
• Fargo2014 · as Lorraine Lyon
• Revenge2011 · as Kara Wallace Clarke
• Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen2009 · as Self - Guest
• Weeds2005 · as Jill Price-Grey
• Mission Hill1999 · as Eunice 'Weirdie' Eulmeyer (voice)
• Where Are They Now?1999 · as Self
• Hercules1998 · as Tempest (voice)
• Twitch City1998 · as Faith
• Spawn1997
• King of the Hill1997 · as Amy (voice)
• Superman: The Animated Series1996 · as Cetea (voice)
• Tracey Takes On...1996 · as Paige Garland
• Inside the Actors Studio1994 · as Self
• Frasier1993 · as Estelle (voice)
• HBO First Look1992
• Twin Peaks1990 · as Chantal Hutchens
• LIVE with Kelly and Mark1988
• Trapper John, M.D.1979 · as Karen McCall
• Family1976 · as Jenny Blair
• Baretta1975 · as Marcie (as Jennifer Leigh)
• The Waltons1972 · as Kathy Seals
• The Wonderful World of Disney1954 · as Heather
• Hallmark Hall of Fame1951 · as Elizabeth Whitcomb
• Bishop— · as Jillian Graves