Jennifer Jason Leigh

Sweety or bitch? I just waqtched this podcast but can't decide.

Would the more judgmental people please chiime in. (I'll go with the consensus.)

Nuts.

But if bitchy, totally allowed. You would be too if your husband knocked you up at such an advanced age, then left you for Greta Gerwig.

She seems perfectly fine here.

She is starting to get Joker face. Did she have work done? She is the last person I would expect to get plastic surgery.

Yeah, she looks like Sandy Bernhard there.

She's better off r2, she got a baby when she probably thought she was too old and judging by his films Noah Bombast is not a lot of fun.

Walton Goggins kissed her when she lost the Critic's Choice Award. Are they a couple?

I think so r4. She looks a little filler face in the link. Not sure if it is surgery. Probably injections.

Clearly a wack-job, but she's an actress, and a good one, and as the stereotype says that usually goes hand in hand

Worked with her about 15 years ago. She was constantly sullen and bitchy and humorless. No fun at all.

She's had a tough life. Her father, actor Vic Morrow, who was famously and tragically killed filming the Twilight Zone (shockingly the footage is on YouTube) left her something like $100 in his will and the rest of his estate to her sister. That's messed up.

I like her - she may be nuts, but you know when she's at all those award shows, she's thinking "suck it Greta!" She obviously had some work done, but it's not bad. At least she doesn't look embalmed like Nicole Kidman.

[quote]left her something like $100 in his will and the rest of his estate to her sister.

Is that the drug addict sister?

Catch her in Deloris Claiborne. Terrific actress.

I've heard she is very nice.

I always felt it sad that never quite had a hair color that enhanced her skin tone.

It is crazy to think this year is her first Oscar nomination after great performances in Last Exit to Brooklyn, Georgia. Miami Blues, Margot at the Wedding and many more.

Mrs. Parker was the real surprise non-nomination. She won lots of critics stuff and then somehow got overlooked. (and bland stuff like Susans Sarandon in The Client and Winona Ryder in Little Women got in.)

I adore her. I think she's one of the best actresses of our time and I'm thrilled she's finally getting her due. Did anyone else see her in Cabaret on Broadway? I thought she was a damn near definitive Sally Bowles.

I think her portrayal of Dorothy Parker was intellectually astute but didn't really work as a performance. It was too interior as if it was only meant for herself. But I was surprised she went unacknowledged for Georgia - which received a nomination for Mare Winningham, so clearly was seen. Georgia was a real tour de force where all of her gifts as an actress came together in a very potent way. I often think of Sadie, her character in the film, and different scenes including her musical performances. How JJL could go from searing revelation to indulgent atonal mess in the span of minutes...she was really dedicated to that character. I liked her in Margot At The Wedding as well (I'm one of the few people who like that film) and a number of other performances.

Saw her in Proof on Broadway, she seemed to just be walking through a Sunday matinee. It could've been the play though, which was real dinner theatre type stuff, "let's wander off into the wings while we pretend to talk about complicated maths" kind of dreck. It was like no one had ever heard of Tom Stoppard.

I think for decades she's come across as an intensely private person, focused on her work. I don't think she's ever sought the kind of validation/attention that other actresses do in the media. I remember her saying how satisfying it was for her to be able to buy a small work of art and also about how, at the time (late '90s, probably), she was often invited to the Apple campus. She was a big Photoshop fan (pre-CS) and how she could spend all day working/playing with that programme. I liked that film she did with Alan Cummings, that had a real distinct sensibility. She seems a good sort.

I don't think JJL has a bitchy bone in her body, she's just a little awkward in interviews. A fellow movie buff friend of mine used to refer to her as a "space case". I was an extra in one of her films, and I spoke to her as she passed by me and she waved back.

She's clearly not the type of actress who seeks the spotlight, but she is gifted and one of the greatest actresses of her generation. I find it commendable that she consistently takes on gritty roles that some A-list actresses would never dare tackle. It's a crime that she's just getting an Oscar mom after years of astounding performances, but better late than never, I suppose. I never thought she'd start messing with her face, but I guess that's par for the course these days with actresses over 40.

[quote]Did anyone else see her in Cabaret on Broadway? I thought she was a damn near definitive Sally Bowles.

I didn't like her. She was really small. To small for a big Bway theater. Plus her costars were bad. Cumming was on leave when I saw it. Blair Brown was too young and pretty and John Benjamin Hickey was childish and mannered as always. I liked other casts I saw better. It also seemed like she was playing the Georgia character.

I think the Georgia overlook was just because of a really crowed year. Nicole Kidman in To Die For got left out too. Sharon Stone somehow rode her Golden Globe to a nomination. I guess she was pretty good in Casino. I don't remember it too well. I remember her big freak out scene.

I know her, but not too well. She is very close with some family friends of mine. I heard about the Noah Greta thing secondhand often as it happened. Noah insisted she have a baby, even at her age. He seems like a piece of shit, but I only met him once when I was younger. Jennifer is reserved and shy, and I think she can come across as subtlety abrasive and off putting to people as a result. She is very serious about her work but id never call her a bitch. And the circumstances she lost her father under are haunting.

Did she know her father? I thought he abandoned them.

JJL now looks like Vic Morrow in drag. Which is a quite frightful thought as she wasn't this scary when she was younger. It is amazing as to what bad plastic surgery and facial fillers can do to one's face when applied incorrectly. What didn't look good on a man(her dad,Vic Morrow) doesn't look good on a woman.

Like R18, I adore her. I just do. I am not blind about what works or doesn't. But she is the most fascinating and determined and surprising actress. She has something in mind that I can't predict...sometimes I don't get it, but I never feel fucked with.

The plastic surgery is so damn sad. She of all people doesn't need to do that. Damn.

[quote] Mrs. Parker was the real surprise non-nomination. She won lots of critics stuff and then somehow got overlooked. (and bland stuff like Susans Sarandon in The Client and Winona Ryder in Little Women got in.)

JJL has always been disliked by Hollywood. And the reason is she doesn't play the game. She's in it for the work, not for the stardom, and she does the bare minimum to promote a film (unless it's something like Georgia, which was a family project). And it's not because she's a bitch, it's because she feels the work should stand on its own. By rights that woman should be on at least her 6th nomination at this point. She's done nomination worthy work in Fast Times, Last Exit, Miami Blues, Mrs. Parker, Dolores Claiborne, (Georgia- I thought she went a bit too far, but...), and Margot at the Wedding. And in a year like 1992 when they were scraping the bottom of the barrel to find candidates for Best Actress, Leigh should have gotten in for Single White Female over the likes of Pfieffer and Sarandon. One could even make a case for her in The Hudsucker Proxy (especially in 1994, when both female acting categories had several slot fillers). But the fact is, she doesn't play the game and Hollywood ignores her, which pisses me off as she's clearly got more talent in her left tit than both Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence, and those two bitches have 9 nominations between them.

She is one of my favorite actresses too. Whatever role I saw her in, it stayed with me. She has a haunting, memorable presence about her and it makes me respect her more that she doesn't play the Hollywood game, although I hate seeing actresses winning awards when they're not nearly as talented as JJL.

One scene that always brought tears to my eyes is in RUSH when Jason Patric's character is dying. So many good, solid performances by her that I will never forget.

She and Noah lived in the building next to mine in NYC. I used to see them all the time walking their dog (but always individually, literally never together) and her pushing her son in a stroller. I once complimented her on a Bway performance I'd just seen (House of Blue Leaves - she was not good and got bad reviews but I lied and I said I'd like her in the play). She gave me a very sweet and sincere thank you.

She and Noah split and I still see him with the dog but never with Greta. He always is walking quickly and looks very intense.

I don't know why she'd a filmed interview with an audience looking as she does in R1's link....with the silly hair. She looks mad.

She can look great and did in Margot at The Wedding, in which she was so good.

That was a wonderful interview. She really has been severely overlooked by the Academy. And how cool is it that she realizes how much she looks, walks and talks like her late father.

My favorite JJL film is "Existenz," one of the rare films that I've watched more than once and will watch again at some point. I, too, think she's a fine, under-appreciated actress, although a resume like hers is its own reward.

One of the many, many actresses who had a relationship with Eric Stoltz. She was acting with Bridget Fonda in 'Single White Female' while Fonda was living with Stoltz, must have been uncomfortable but maybe it contributed to her brilliant performance.

I too saw her on Cabaret, R18, but would've preferred to see Natasha. She is, indeed, too small. Loved her as dorothy parker. But she was terrible in Weeds.

R29 she has always lived in LA, even during the marriage. only in NYC sometimes. nor that I don't believe you but just saying that's why they were never together in addition to haiting each other. my only test for you: is the apt above or below 42nd street? this is how I'll know if you're lying

They lived (and NB still does) at the corner of 11th and 5th. Why would I lie about something like this? I've got no skin in the game. She was on Bway for months in House of Blue Leaves so she had to live somewhere.

[quote][R29] she has always lived in LA, even during the marriage. only in NYC sometimes

That's strange because Noah said in the 'Greenberg' extras that he lived in NYC & he wrote the movie from an NYC outsider's perspective.

** 'Greenberg' being about a New Yorker in LA.

I agree with everything r26 said about JLL but I don't know why people have to put down one actress to praise another. JLaw and Amy Adams are great in their own ways. I always got the impression that she is introverted and painfully shy and doesn't want too much known about her private life because that starts to intrude on suspension of disbelief. Just my opinion.

I came upon this short film by accident. It linked to Picnic and it's quite good. I enjoyed her in Georgia. Watching her sing in that movie made me feel as though I were on stage with her...hitting all the false notes myself.

damn R29. You did nail the area, though I thought 12th st. Sorry for having doubted you!

Weird, R9. I worked with her around the same time and I found her to be lovely. Goes to show how different sets can produce different attitudes, no?

"I always felt it sad that never quite had a hair color that enhanced her skin tone."

Is there one? She's so pasty...

I wonder if she'll win the Oscar. If "Hateful" was a better films she'd be a lock. If anyone deserves recognition for their body of work, a lá the Leo sentiment/rationale, it's her. Love "Mrs. Parker", I think it's her best role

r44 Good point. She definitely is the "career Oscar" this year, although there was a good case for Rampling until she fucked it up.

[quote]She definitely is the "career Oscar" this year, although there was a good case for Rampling until she fucked it up.

They are in different categories.

and I played that card first.

It's funny you say she was too small in Cabaret. The same thing was said of the much maligned DL fave Linda Lavin when she did Gypsy, but if you watch video of her in that show and JJL in Cabaret, their performances are soooooooo much better and full of life, filled with fascinating nuances on the small screen. Maybe some just aren't meant for the stage.

I'll agree with the previous poster who found her Sally Bowles definitive (although, shockingly, Emma Stone recently gave her a run for her money). There's video of her singing the title song on YouTube and it's a haunting performance. She's a brilliant actress.

I loved her in Frances Ha and Greenberg. Such a talented young beauty. Noah Baumbach is a lucky guy.

I was next to her at Amoeba Records in Hollywood a few months ago for a few minutes before realizing she was there. It was actually her growly, low voice that tipped me off.

She was wearing a hat that covered her entire head and most of her face, and seemed very concerned about no one recognizing her.

It was a weeknight, and not very busy, so it was a little more than necessary considering I was probably the only person in the whole place who seemed to know who she was.

r52 What records did she buy?

She is one of the few famous actresses who doesn't seem to want attention, not just in private but in general. In the interview at R1 I can see how she could come off as R9 saw her but she seemed really nice to me.

I don't know why but I was a little surprised that she and Phoebe Cates are still friends. I always wondered why Phoebe just disappeared from Hollywood.

r54 I am guessing Kevin Kline prefers his wife not to work or Cates, like Bridget Fonda as discussed in the Bridget Fonda thread, realized roles were drying up and she could afford not to work and raise her kids.

Cates was in the Anniversary Party. I guess as a favour to JJL.

R54 Phoebe had big Hollywood connections but marginal acting talent. The Kline decision was the right one

Phoebe owns a store on the UES. DLers would love her actually, she's very funny in kind of a mean way. I've met her several times.

I've met Kevin too and it seems odd to say "prefers his wife not to work." I mean... he is old but he's certainly more progressive than that phrasing would lead you to believe.

R55 Cates was joined by her husband Kline in that. I remember thinking their children were so cute. their son was in "The Squid and the Whale" too. I don't remember his role much besides the fact that he was always whacking off. Much different than The Anniversary Party!

r58 I didn't mean to make it sound like it's truth, just a theory/guess in response to the previous question about why Cates stopped working. But I didn't know she has a store and she has a biting sense of humour. That's cool to hear.

They seem to have had a long and happy marriage.

I sat next to Jennifer and Noah at the premiere of Margot at the Wedding. I didn't know it until the movie ended and they put a spotlight on them for an audience applause.

I'm just thinking out loud, but I wonder if she thought he'd be good for her career. I haven't seen a Noah Baumbach movie since.

Cates' mom was on American Greed on MSNBC. She was scammed by an investment scam. She seems like a very unassuming Chinese/Filipino woman.

There was another thread where people felt pride about certain actors' Yiddish roots. Both Cates(real family name Katz) and JJL have Jewish ancestry. Kline does too but he wasn't in Fast Times!

I think she's on the spectrum. As is Tarantino. They're a good match.

I think she will be the upset win, although it won't really be an upset because she's long deserved an Oscar.

Anyone here see her in the Tarantino movie?

R65 yes I've seen it she's a bit over the top in it. Trademark Tarantino stuff . Love her films though if there's an upset in this category I believe she will win.

She was great in Hateful 8 (though others were too) and I really hope she wins.

"I mean... he is old but he's certainly more progressive than that phrasing would lead you to believe. "

Doesn't matter, most straight men are attention whores who want the spotlight on them and the wife to be submissive, overtly or subtly so.

Should win for Hateful 8. Looks just like my French Bulldog...

Phoebe is a fairly terrible actress, but she was 100% amazing in The Anniversary Party, so goos it was award-worthy. I don't think she could have continued to do that sort of work if she kept her career going, it was a fluke, but it was great to see her not suck for once.

JJL was on The View today.

JJL is not the best actress either. There is something phony and surreal about her acting style. Actually, it grates on my nerves to watch her in anything, so I change the channel.

Wonderful. Now, do you feel better getting that off your chest, R72?

She gives the performance of her career in Amityville: The Awakening.

She may have gotten fucked in her dad's will but no worries, she won a bunch of money suing the director. No mention of "The Best Little Girl in the World"? Also, she has a great chameleon-esque face and looks gorgeous when made up. But what is her Kevin Spacey connection? Remember the young kid he had an affair with said he had her pictures everywhere and she was his girlfriend. I imagine she hasn't addressed that since she's so private but did anyone know they were a thing?

So the kids' families got 2 million, I imagine Morrow's family got more since he was a working actor so he had insurance too.

So many fine performances, an outstanding actress. She really looks a lot like her father.

Here’s a young JJL in a production of “Picnic” with Gregory Harrison, Dana Hill and DL fave Rue McClanahan.

She was hated by the cast of Revenge. She kept saying how stupid her character was, wanted re-writes and basically shunned everyone.

Can't believe Lynch wanted her for his wretched Twin Peaks revival. She was part of the ridiculous Las Vegas story which had nada to do with Twin Peaks. Her accent in that was just stupid.

She’s the best actress of her generation.

Where did you hear that she was hated by her “Revenge” costars, R81?

E83 from one of them I know well. She was supposed to be a regular and that was scrapped.

She was so pretty in fast Times .

She's gross I saw once in Wash Square Park and nearly flicked a coin at her. Looked homeless and filthy. Ironically about a week later I saw Noah and Greta on Bleecker by the Ralph Lauren store and they looked great and happy together LMAO.

Her dad’s death really damaged her. She felt tremendous guilt.

Recently watched “Washington Square” (which I’d never seen) in honor of Albert Finney’s passing. Didn’t have the resonance of “The Heiress”, but the cast was terrific, and interesting to see JJL in a period piece. She did a nice job. And a surprise to see who popped up as her pretty cousin — DL favorite Jennifer Garner!

I've always liked her and think she's a very brave actress, which has resulted in very successful and very unsuccessful performances. I prefer that to bland, safe choices and performances.

She doesn’t play the Hollywood game. Love it

Bump. I just started watching "Washington Square," 1997. Jennifer seems well cast in it, just as awkward I pictured Catherine in the novella. Olivia De Haviland was just a tad too ladylike and graceful for me. Oh look,, there's Jennifer Garner in the film. It's fun to see the story brought to life in color.

All right, "Washington Square" is already a bit ridiculous, the Catherine character is constantly falling and dropping things. We get it, she's awkward.

I don't really care how she is privately. She's had an awesome career of taking chances, doing roles other actresses would shy away from. She's one of my faves.

She reminds me of Sandy Dennis in that they both always take big risks on roles and aren't afraid of making fools of themselves if it doesn't work out. They have their little tics and mannerisms, too. They've both given some excellent performances that allow them to rank among the best of their generations, but they've also taken a lot of risks that didn't quite pay off. I admire that. They're never safe and never less than watchable in everything they do. They've been in some stinkers, but you never leave thinking "this would have been so much better with someone else in their role." You usually leave thinking "it's a shame the rest of the film/play wasn't up to their level."

Compare her to someone like Streep who's always perfectly pleasant and decent in pretty much everything she's in, but she doesn't take big risks or take on really bizarre projects or characters. Leigh isn't afraid to get a little dirty and play a really nasty or classless character.

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