Jennifer Beals (born December 19, 1963) is an American actress and a former teen model. She is known for her roles as Alexandra "Alex" Owens in the 1983 film Flashdance, and as Bette Porter on the Showtime drama series The L Word. She earned an NAACP Image Award and a Golden Globe Award nomination for the former. She has appeared in more than 50 films.
Jennifer Beals (born December 19, 1963) is an American actress and a former teen model. She is known for her roles as Alexandra "Alex" Owens in the 1983 film Flashdance, and as Bette Porter on the Showtime drama series The L Word. She earned an NAACP Image Award and a Golden Globe Award nomination for the former. She has appeared in more than 50 films.
Beals was born on the South Side of Chicago, the daughter of Jeanne (née Anderson), an elementary school teacher, and Alfred Beals, who owned grocery stores. She is multiracial; her father was African American, and her mother is Irish American. She has two brothers, Bobby and Gregory.Her father died when Beals was nine years old, and her mother married Edward Cohen in 1981. Beals has said her biracial heritage had some effect on her, as she "always lived sort of on the outside", with an idea "of being the other in society". She got her first job at age 13 at an ice cream store, using her height at the time (she is now nearly 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)), to convince her boss she was 16.
Beals was inspired to become an actress by two events: doing a high school production of Fiddler on the Roof and seeing Balm in Gilead with Joan Allen while volunteer-ushering at the Steppenwolf Theatre.
Beals graduated from the progressive Francis W. Parker School. She also was chosen to attend the elite Goodman Theatre Young People's Drama Workshop. Beals attended Yale University, receiving a B.A. in American literature in 1987; she deferred a term so she could film Flashdance. While at Yale, Beals was a resident of Morse College.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Jennifer Beals, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0000884
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q181229
Facebook: No data
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thejenniferbeals
Filmography (Movies)
Hello Out There
Character:Judith
Release Date:12/10/2025
Luckiest Girl Alive
Character:Lolo Vincent
Release Date:30/09/2022
After
Character:Karen Gibson
Release Date:11/04/2019
Hollywood: No Sex, Please!
Character:
Release Date:01/03/2018
The White Orchid
Character:Vivian
Release Date:01/02/2018
Before I Fall
Character:Mrs. Kingston
Release Date:02/03/2017
Manhattan Night
Character:Lisa Wren
Release Date:20/05/2016
Full Out
Character:Valorie Kondos-Field
Release Date:11/09/2015
A Wife's Nightmare
Character:Liz
Release Date:27/12/2014
Cinemanovels
Character:Clementine
Release Date:06/09/2013
A Fuller Life
Character:Self - Reader (segment "Crime Reporter")
Release Date:28/08/2013
The Night Before the Night Before Christmas
Character:Angela Fox
Release Date:20/11/2010
A Night for Dying Tigers
Character:Melanie
Release Date:10/09/2010
The Book of Eli
Character:Claudia
Release Date:14/01/2010
Queen to Play
Character:L’Américaine
Release Date:05/08/2009
Starz Inside: Fashion in Film
Character:Self
Release Date:25/11/2008
My Name Is Sarah
Character:Sarah Winston
Release Date:28/05/2007
Troubled Waters
Character:FBI Agent Beck
Release Date:21/12/2006
The Grudge 2
Character:Trish Kimble
Release Date:12/10/2006
Desolation Sound
Character:Elizabeth Storey
Release Date:27/06/2005
Break a Leg
Character:Juliet
Release Date:21/04/2005
Catch That Kid
Character:Molly Phillips
Release Date:06/02/2004
Runaway Jury
Character:Vanessa Lembeck
Release Date:16/01/2003
They Shoot Divas, Don't They?
Character:Sloan McBride
Release Date:05/10/2002
13 Moons
Character:Suzi
Release Date:30/08/2002
Roger Dodger
Character:Sophie
Release Date:09/05/2002
Out of Line
Character:Officer Jenny Capitanas
Release Date:20/11/2001
Feast of All Saints
Character:Dolly Rose
Release Date:11/11/2001
The Anniversary Party
Character:Gina Taylor
Release Date:09/06/2001
Something More
Character:Lisa
Release Date:28/11/2000
Militia
Character:Julie Sanders
Release Date:17/10/2000
Body and Soul
Character:Gina
Release Date:01/09/2000
A House Divided
Character:Amanda Dickson
Release Date:30/07/2000
Without Malice
Character:Samantha Wilkes
Release Date:01/01/2000
Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying
Character:Jessica
Release Date:27/12/1999
Wishful Thinking
Character:Elizabeth
Release Date:09/07/1999
The Last Days of Disco
Character:Nina
Release Date:29/05/1998
The Spree
Character:Xinia Kelly
Release Date:18/04/1998
The Prophecy II
Character:Valerie Rosales
Release Date:20/01/1998
The Twilight of the Golds
Character:Suzanne Stein
Release Date:10/10/1996
Four Rooms
Character:Angela
Release Date:09/12/1995
Let It Be Me
Character:Emily Taylor
Release Date:17/11/1995
Devil in a Blue Dress
Character:Daphne Monet
Release Date:29/09/1995
The Search for One-eye Jimmy
Character:Ellen
Release Date:09/11/1994
Dead on Sight
Character:Rebecca Darcy
Release Date:12/10/1994
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle
Character:Gertrude Benchley
Release Date:07/09/1994
Dear Diary
Character:Self
Release Date:12/11/1993
The Thief and the Cobbler
Character:Princess YumYum (voice)
Release Date:23/09/1993
Night Owl
Character:Julia
Release Date:19/08/1993
The Big Pardon 2
Character:Joyce Ferranti
Release Date:09/12/1992
In the Soup
Character:Angelica Pena
Release Date:23/10/1992
Indecency
Character:Ellie Shaw
Release Date:16/09/1992
Terror Stalks the Class Reunion
Character:Virginia
Release Date:12/06/1992
Blood and Concrete
Character:Mona
Release Date:13/09/1991
The Madonna and the Dragon
Character:Patty Meredith
Release Date:01/09/1990
Dr. M
Character:Sonja Vogler
Release Date:24/05/1990
Sons
Character:Transvestite
Release Date:01/01/1990
Vampire's Kiss
Character:Rachel
Release Date:02/06/1989
The Gamble
Character:Lady Olivia Candioni
Release Date:28/10/1988
Split Decisions
Character:Barbara Uribe
Release Date:11/06/1988
The Bride
Character:Eva
Release Date:16/08/1985
Cinderella
Character:Cinderella
Release Date:14/08/1985
Faerie Tale Theatre: Cinderella
Character:Cinderella
Release Date:08/08/1985
That's Dancing!
Character:
Release Date:18/01/1985
That's Dancing!
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:18/01/1985
Flashdance
Character:Alex Owens
Release Date:14/04/1983
My Bodyguard
Character:Clifford's Friend (uncredited)
Release Date:11/07/1980
Television Appearances
The Book of Boba Fett
Character:Garsa Fwip
Law & Order: Organized Crime
Character:Cassandra Webb
The L Word: Generation Q
Character:Bette Porter
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Character:Self
Swamp Thing
Character:Lucilia Cable
Taken
Character:Christina Hart
Proof
Character:Dr. Carolyn Tyler
The Night Shift
Character:Dr. Syd Jennings
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Character:Self - Guest
Off Camera with Sam Jones
Character:Self
Motive
Character:Sophia Balfour
The Chicago Code
Character:Teresa Colvin
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Character:Self - Guest
Castle
Character:Sophia Turner
Lie to Me
Character:Zoe Landau
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Character:Self
Best Week Ever
Character:
The L Word
Character:Bette Porter
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Character:Self
Where Are They Now?
Character:Self
Nothing Sacred
Character:Justine Madsen Judd
The View
Character:Self
The Hunger
Character:Jane
E! True Hollywood Story
Character:
The Daily Show
Character:Self
The Outer Limits
Character:Robin Dysart
Frasier
Character:Dr. Anne Ranberg
2000 Malibu Road
Character:Perry Quinn
Law & Order
Character:Sofia Archer
Seitenblicke
Character:self
Faerie Tale Theatre
Character:Cinderella
Golden Globe Awards
Character:Self
Golden Globe Awards
Character:Self - Nominee
Images
