
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.
Read moreShow less
Biography from TMDB.
- February 5, 1962 (64)
- Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Actor, also producer, writer and director
- 94 on MovieCove · 120 credits in all
What are Jennifer Jason Leigh's films like?
Across their 74 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 7 · Wry 1 · Earnest 62
Light 10 · Serious 18 · Dark 42
A split, not a type: Grounded 38 · Stylized 20 · Heightened 12
A split, not a type: Gentle 5 · Charged 31 · Intense 34
Steady 19 · Shifting 39 · Whiplash 12
Straight-faced 44 · Some laughs 17 · Funny 9
A split, not a type: Slow burn 33 · Even-paced 32 · Relentless 5
Casual 17 · Engaged 37 · Full focus 16
A split, not a type: Easy watch 10 · Affecting 21 · Heavy 39
A split, not a type: Resolved 31 · Open-ended 25 · Ambiguous 14
Roles they play
Usually the Hero: 11 of 51 analyzed roles.
Show the 51 rolesHide the roles
- Heroas Casey Powell in The Best Little Girl in the World (1981)
- Heraldas Tracy Harris in Eyes of a Stranger (1981)
- Heroas Stacy Hamilton in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
- Heroas Carol Heath in Girls of the White Orchid (1983)
- Shapeshifteras Agnes in Flesh+Blood (1985)
- Allyas Nash in The Hitcher (1986)
- Shapeshifteras Lucy Bonnard in Sister, Sister (1987)
- Heroas Carol in Heart of Midnight (1988)
- Heraldas Lydia Johnson in The Big Picture (1989)
- Shadowas Tralala in Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989)
- Shadowas Joanna Goodman in Buried Alive (1990)
- Allyas Susie Waggoner in Miami Blues (1990)
- Heroas Kristen in Rush (1991)
- Shadowas Hedra Carlson in Single White Female (1992)
- Tricksteras Hedra Carlson in Single White Female (1992)
- Shapeshifteras Hedra Carlson in Single White Female (1992)
- Tricksteras Dorothy Parker in Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994)
- Allyas Amy Archer in The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
- Shadowas Dorothy Parker in Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994)
- Shadowas Sadie Flood in Georgia (1995)
- Allyas Selena St. George in Dolores Claiborne (1995)
- Shapeshifteras Anney in Bastard Out of Carolina (1996)
- Heroas Blondie O'Hara in Kansas City (1996)
- Heroas Catherine Sloper in Washington Square (1997)
- Heroas Elizabeth Whitcomb in The Love Letter (1998)
- Allyas Teri Small in Thanks of a Grateful Nation (1998)
- Mentoras Allegra Geller in eXistenZ (1999)
- Allyas Gina in The King Is Alive (2000)
- Shapeshifteras Lydia Callahan in Skipped Parts (2000)
- Heroas Sally Therrian in The Anniversary Party (2001)
- Shapeshifteras Karla Faye Tucker in Crossed Over (2002)
- Mentoras Pauline in In the Cut (2003)
- Shadowas Suzanne Burnbaum in Childstar (2004)
- Allyas Stevie in The Machinist (2004)
- Shapeshifteras Mary Josephine (MJ) Morton in Rag Tale (2005)
- Mentoras Dr. Beth Lorenson in The Jacket (2005)
- Allyas Pauline in Margot at the Wedding (2007)
- Shadowas Lee in The Moment (2013)
- Heroas Lee in The Moment (2013)
- Shadowas Kelly in Me (2014)
- Shadowas Daisy Domergue in The Hateful Eight (2015)
- Heraldas Lisa Hesselman in Anomalisa (2015)
- Allyas Lady Bird Johnson in LBJ (2016)
- Threshold guardianas Eleanor Melrose in Patrick Melrose (2018)
- Mentoras Dr. Ventress in Annihilation (2018)
- Heraldas FBI Agent Snyder in White Boy Rick (2018)
- Mentoras Girder in Possessor (2020)
- Threshold guardianas Dr. Murphy in Awake (2021)
- Threshold guardianas Marilyn in Sharp Stick (2022)
- Shadowas ? in Night Always Comes (2025)
- Heroas unknown in Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen (2026)
Moods and endings
- Happy9
- Bittersweet41
- Tragic7
- Ambiguous17
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Jennifer Jason Leigh's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 69 of their 94 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (25).
- The Hateful Eight (2015) · actor · free
- Good Time (2017) · actor · free
- The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) · actor · free
- The Jacket (2005) · actor · free
- Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989) · actor · free
- Rush (1991) · actor · free
- Flesh+Blood (1985) · actor · free
- Miami Blues (1990) · actor · free
- White Boy Rick (2018) · actor · free
- Single White Female (1992) · actor · free
- Skipped Parts (2000) · actor, producer · free
- Easy Money (1983) · actor · free
- All their movies on Tubi
- Frasier (1993) · actor · free
- The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) · actor · free
- The Jacket (2005) · actor · free
- Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989) · actor · free
- Rush (1991) · actor · free
- Flesh+Blood (1985) · actor · free
- Miami Blues (1990) · actor · free
- LBJ (2016) · actor · free
- Easy Money (1983) · actor · free
- Welcome to Me (2014) · actor · free
- Thanks of a Grateful Nation (1998) · actor · free
- Crooked Hearts (1991) · actor · free
- +5 more
- O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) · thanks
- The Affair (2014) · actor · free
- The Waltons (1972) · actor
- Crime 101 (2026) · actor
- Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989) · actor
- Angel City (1980) · actor
- Hunters (2020) · actor
- Skipped Parts (2000) · actor, producer
- Kansas City (1996) · actor
- Welcome to Me (2014) · actor
- Alex of Venice (2014) · actor
- Crossed Over (2002) · actor
- +2 more
- Twin Peaks (1990) · actor · free
- Road to Perdition (2002) · actor · free
- The Machinist (2004) · actor · free
- Frasier (1993) · actor · free
- Anomalisa (2015) · actor · free
- Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989) · actor · free
- Miami Blues (1990) · actor · free
- LBJ (2016) · actor · free
- Hateship Loveship (2013) · actor · free
- Alex of Venice (2014) · actor · free
- Jake Squared (2013) · actor · free
- Amityville: The Awakening (2017) · actor · free
- Howdy, show their 7 titles on Howdy
- MovieSphere+, show their 3 titles on MovieSphere+
- Lionsgate+, show their 2 titles on Lionsgate+
- Cinemax, show their title on Cinemax
- FilmBox+, show their title on FilmBox+
- Sony Pictures Core, show their title on Sony Pictures Core
- Sundance Now, show their title on Sundance Now
Subscription and free streaming for Jennifer Jason Leigh's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
120 credits, 94 with a MovieCove page; 15 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows
Crime 101(2026)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
All's Fair(2025)
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all shows
Night Always Comes(2025)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
High Potential(2024)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows
Poolman(2023)
Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films
Sharp Stick(2022)
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
Awake(2021)
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
Lisey's Story(2021)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all shows
The Woman in the Window(2021)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Possessor(2020)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Hunters(2020)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows
Sid & Judy(2019)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
The Hateful Eight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

White Boy Rick(2018)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Patrick Melrose(2018)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
Annihilation(2018)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
LBJ(2016)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Atypical(2017)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows
Good Time(2017)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
Morgan(2016)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Anomalisa(2015)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
The Hateful Eight(2015)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Welcome to Me(2014)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Alex of Venice(2014)
Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
Me(2014)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films
The Affair(2014)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows
Jake Squared(2013)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Fargo(2014)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows
Hateship Loveship(2013)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Open (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

Kill Your Darlings(2013)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
The Spectacular Now(2013)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
The Moment(2013)
Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films
Revenge(2011)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows
Greenberg(2010)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Synecdoche, New York(2008)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Margot at the Wedding(2007)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
The Making of 'Last Exit to Brooklyn' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

Rag Tale(2005)
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
Weeds(2005)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows
Easter Sunday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

Palindromes(2004)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
The Jacket(2005)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
The Machinist(2004)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Childstar(2004)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
In the Cut(2003)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Road to Perdition(2002)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Hey Arnold! The Movie(2002)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Crossed Over(2002)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
The Man Who Wasn't There(2001)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
The Quickie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

The Anniversary Party(2001)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Skipped Parts(2000)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
The King Is Alive(2000)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Mission Hill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

eXistenZ(1999)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Hercules(1998)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
The Love Letter(1998)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Twitch City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

Washington Square(1997)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
A Thousand Acres(1997)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Spawn(1997)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows
King of the Hill(1997)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows
Bastard Out of Carolina(1996)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
Kansas City(1996)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Tracey Takes On... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

Georgia(1995)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Dolores Claiborne(1995)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
The Hudsucker Proxy(1994)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Short Cuts(1993)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Frasier(1993)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
Single White Female(1992)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
HBO First Look (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

The Prom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

Rush(1991)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Crooked Hearts(1991)
Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
Backdraft(1991)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Partners in Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

Buried Alive(1990)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Miami Blues(1990)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Twin Peaks(1990)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
The Big Picture(1989)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Last Exit to Brooklyn(1989)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Heart of Midnight(1988)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Live with Kelly and Mark(1988)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all shows
Under Cover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

Sister, Sister(1987)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
Picnic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

The Men's Club(1986)
Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films
The Hitcher(1986)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Flesh+Blood(1985)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Grandview, U.S.A.(1984)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
Easy Money(1983)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Have You Ever Been Ashamed of Your Parents? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

The First Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Wrong Is Right(1982)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
I Think I'm Having A Baby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

Eyes of a Stranger(1981)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Angel City(1980)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Trapper John, M.D. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

The Young Runaways (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

The Spy Who Never Was (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

Baretta (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

The Waltons(1972)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows
The Wonderful World of Disney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)
Bishop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

Deep Cuts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
New England Toys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 120 titles, 117 of them dated from 1951 to 2026; peak year 1995.

Biggest box office
Road to Perdition (2002)

Highest rated
The Hateful Eight (2015)

Most popular right now
Crime 101 (2026)
Film career
Peak 1995 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 41 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1981Screen debut· Eyes of a Stranger
- 1988First top-billed film· Heart of Midnight
- 1994Golden Globe nomination· Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle
- 1999Career best· eXistenZ
- 2008Independent Spirit Award win· Synecdoche, New York
- 2015Oscar nomination· The Hateful Eight
Show 1 more milestoneShow fewer
- 2017Career best· Atypical
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.
Awards
a Golden Globe and 2 other major awards from 17 major nominations, 1993–2016.
- Oscar, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actress
+2 other major bodies · 2 nominations
- Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actress
- Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Supporting Female
- Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Feature
- Independent Spirit Award, won
- Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Supporting Female
- Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best First Feature
- Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best First Screenplay
- Cannes award, nominated ×2
- Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Female Lead
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Female Lead
Show 2 earlier yearsShow fewer
- Golden Globe, won
- Venice award, won
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Jennifer Jason Leigh's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 55th percentile, the median of all 75; across their 70 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 58th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up33
- 50th to 74th23
- 25th to 49th25
- Below 25th13
Shape of the crowd
40 of their 94 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved15
- Universally Panned1
- Divisive2
- Cult Classic2
- Crowd Pleaser40
- Broadly Agreed11
- Mixed23
Reviewers score the acting 74/100 in their films, across 68 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 52. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Jennifer Jason Leigh's work okay for kids?
Across up to 47 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Jennifer Jason Leigh work with?
People who share at least 2 of Jennifer Jason Leigh's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Scott Rudin shares the most, 4.
Directors
- Charlie KaufmanShared titles: Anomalisa (2015), Synecdoche, New York (2008)See all 2 shared titles with Charlie Kaufman

- Noah BaumbachShared titles: Greenberg (2010), Margot at the Wedding (2007)See all 2 shared titles with Noah Baumbach

Writers
- Stephen KingShared titles: Lisey's Story (2021), Dolores Claiborne (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Stephen King

Actors
- Julianne MooreShared titles: Lisey's Story (2021), The Woman in the Window (2021), Luck, Trust & Ketchup: Robert Altman in Carver Country (1993)See all 3 shared titles with Julianne Moore

- Bruce DernShared titles: QT8: The First Eight (2019), White Boy Rick (2018), The Hateful Eight (2015)See all 3 shared titles with Bruce Dern

- C. Thomas HowellShared titles: LBJ (2016), The Hitcher (1986), Grandview, U.S.A. (1984)See all 3 shared titles with C. Thomas Howell

- Tom NoonanShared titles: Anomalisa (2015), Synecdoche, New York (2008), Easy Money (1983)See all 3 shared titles with Tom Noonan

Composers and cinematographers
- Tak FujimotoShared titles: A Thousand Acres (1997), Crooked Hearts (1991), Miami Blues (1990)See all 3 shared titles with Tak Fujimoto

- Mark IshamShared titles: Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994), Crooked Hearts (1991), The Hitcher (1986)See all 3 shared titles with Mark Isham

- Danny ElfmanShared titles: The Woman in the Window (2021), Dolores Claiborne (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Danny Elfman

- Max RichterShared titles: White Boy Rick (2018), Morgan (2016)See all 2 shared titles with Max Richter

Producers
- Scott RudinShared titles: The Woman in the Window (2021), Annihilation (2018), Greenberg (2010), Margot at the Wedding (2007)See all 4 shared titles with Scott Rudin

- Robert AltmanShared titles: Kansas City (1996), Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994), Luck, Trust & Ketchup: Robert Altman in Carver Country (1993)See all 3 shared titles with Robert Altman

- Eric FellnerShared titles: Crime 101 (2026), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)See all 2 shared titles with Eric Fellner

- Tim BevanShared titles: Crime 101 (2026), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)See all 2 shared titles with Tim Bevan

Mixed roles
- Quentin TarantinoShared titles: QT8: The First Eight (2019), The Hateful Eight (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Quentin Tarantino

- Nicole KidmanShared titles: Margot at the Wedding (2007), In the Cut (2003)See all 2 shared titles with Nicole Kidman





