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Jennifer Jason Leigh

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Actor, also producer, writer and director · Born February 5, 1962 (64) · Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Golden Globe winner · Oscar nominee · BAFTA Award nominee · 4 other major award bodies

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 more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 5, 1962 (64)
From
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Actor, also producer, writer and director
Titles
94 on MovieCove · 120 credits in all
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 22% in 30 days

What are Jennifer Jason Leigh's films like?

Across their 74 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

What they feel like to watch

their average across 70 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

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

51 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 11 of 51 analyzed roles.

Hero
11 of 51
Shadow
10 of 51
Ally
9 of 51
Shapeshifter
7 of 51
Mentor
5 of 51
Herald
4 of 51
Threshold guardian
3 of 51
Trickster
2 of 51
Show the 51 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
54
Melancholic
42
Dread
28
Contemplative
16
Absurd
13
Other
60

How their films end · 16 with a twist

  • 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).

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.

  • Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen(2026)

    Show 8 episodes · as Victoria

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows
  • Crime 101(2026)

    as Angie

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
  • All's Fair(2025)

    Show 1 episode · as Cheryl Goodfader

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all shows
  • Night Always Comes(2025)

    as Doreen

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
  • High Potential(2024)

    Show 3 episodes · as Willa Quinn

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows
  • Poolman(2023)

    as Susan Kerkovish

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films
  • Sharp Stick(2022)

    as Marilyn

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
  • Awake(2021)

    as Dr. Murphy

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
  • Lisey's Story(2021)

    Show 8 episodes · as Darla Debusher

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all shows
  • The Woman in the Window(2021)

    as Jane Russell 2

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
  • Possessor(2020)

    as Girder

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
  • Hunters(2020)

    Show 8 episodes · as Chava Apfelbaum

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows
  • Sid & Judy(2019)

    as Judy Garland (voice)

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
  • The Hateful Eight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 4 episodes · as Daisy Domergue

  • White Boy Rick(2018)

    as Alex Snyder

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
  • Patrick Melrose(2018)

    Show 5 episodes · as Eleanor Melrose

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
  • Annihilation(2018)

    as Dr Ventress

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
  • LBJ(2016)

    as Lady Bird Johnson

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
  • Atypical(2017)

    Show 38 episodes · Producer · as Elsa Gardner

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows
  • Good Time(2017)

    as Corey Ellman

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
  • Amityville: The Awakening(2017)

    as Joan Walker

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
  • Morgan(2016)

    as Dr. Kathy Grieff

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
  • Anomalisa(2015)

    as Lisa Hesselman (voice)

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
  • The Hateful Eight(2015)

    as Daisy Domergue

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
  • Welcome to Me(2014)

    as Deb Moseley

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
  • Alex of Venice(2014)

    as Maureen

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
  • Me(2014)

    as Kelly

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films
  • The Affair(2014)

    Show 2 episodes · as Adeline

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows
  • Jake Squared(2013)

    as Sheryl

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
  • Fargo(2014)

    Show 10 episodes · as Lorraine Lyon

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows
  • Hateship Loveship(2013)

    as Chloe

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
  • Open (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Holly

  • Kill Your Darlings(2013)

    as Naomi Ginsberg

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
  • The Spectacular Now(2013)

    as Sara Keely

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
  • The Moment(2013)

    as Lee

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films
  • Revenge(2011)

    Show 7 episodes · as Kara Wallace Clarke

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows
  • Greenberg(2010)

    Producer · Story · as Beth (Beller's Party)

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
  • Synecdoche, New York(2008)

    as Maria

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
  • Margot at the Wedding(2007)

    as Pauline

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
  • The Making of 'Last Exit to Brooklyn' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Actor

  • Rag Tale(2005)

    Writer · as Mary Josephine 'MJ' Morton

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
  • Weeds(2005)

    Show 52 episodes · as Jill Price-Grey

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows
  • Easter Sunday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Mother

  • Palindromes(2004)

    as 'Mark' Aviva

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
  • The Jacket(2005)

    as Dr. Beth Lorenson

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
  • The Machinist(2004)

    as Stevie

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
  • Childstar(2004)

    as Suzanne

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
  • In the Cut(2003)

    as Pauline

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
  • Road to Perdition(2002)

    as Annie Sullivan

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
  • Hey Arnold! The Movie(2002)

    as Bridget (voice)

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
  • Crossed Over(2002)

    as Karla Faye Tucker

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
  • The Man Who Wasn't There(2001)

    Thanks · as Female Inmate (voice) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
  • The Quickie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Lisa

  • The Anniversary Party(2001)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Sally Nash Therrian

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
  • Skipped Parts(2000)

    Co-Producer · as Lydia Callahan

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
  • The King Is Alive(2000)

    as Gina

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
  • Mission Hill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Eunice 'Weirdie' Eulmeyer (voice)

  • eXistenZ(1999)

    as Allegra Geller

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
  • Hercules(1998)

    Show as Tempest (voice)

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows
  • Thanks of a Grateful Nation(1998)

    as Teri Small

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
  • The Love Letter(1998)

    as Lizzie Whitcomb

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
  • Twitch City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Faith

  • Washington Square(1997)

    as Catherine Sloper

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
  • A Thousand Acres(1997)

    as Caroline Cook

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
  • Spawn(1997)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows
  • King of the Hill(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Amy (voice)

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows
  • Bastard Out of Carolina(1996)

    as Anney Boatwright

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
  • Superman: The Animated Series(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as Cetea (voice)

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
  • Kansas City(1996)

    as Blondie O'Hara

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
  • Tracey Takes On... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as Paige Garland

  • Georgia(1995)

    Producer · as Sadie Flood

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
  • Dolores Claiborne(1995)

    as Selena St. George

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
  • Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle(1994)

    as Dorothy Parker

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
  • The Hudsucker Proxy(1994)

    as Amy Archer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
  • Short Cuts(1993)

    as Lois Kaiser

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
  • Frasier(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Estelle (voice)

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
  • Single White Female(1992)

    as Hedra 'Hedy' Carlson

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
  • HBO First Look (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

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

    as Lana

  • Rush(1991)

    as Kristen Cates

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
  • Crooked Hearts(1991)

    as Marriet Hoffman

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
  • Backdraft(1991)

    as Jennifer Vaitkus

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
  • Partners in Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Blossom

  • Buried Alive(1990)

    as Joanna Goodman

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
  • Miami Blues(1990)

    as Susie Waggoner

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
  • Twin Peaks(1990)

    Show 6 episodes · as Chantal Hutchens

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
  • The Big Picture(1989)

    as Lydia Johnson

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
  • Last Exit to Brooklyn(1989)

    as Tralala

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
  • Heart of Midnight(1988)

    as Carol

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
  • Live with Kelly and Mark(1988)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all shows
  • Under Cover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Tanille Laroux

  • Sister, Sister(1987)

    as Lucy Bonnard

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

    as Madge Owens

  • The Men's Club(1986)

    as Teensy

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films
  • The Hitcher(1986)

    as Nash

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
  • Flesh+Blood(1985)

    as Agnes

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
  • Grandview, U.S.A.(1984)

    as Candy Webster

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
  • Girls of the White Orchid(1983)

    as Carol Heath

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
  • Easy Money(1983)

    as Allison Capuletti

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
  • Have You Ever Been Ashamed of Your Parents? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Andrea Fairchild

  • The First Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Bonnie Dillon

  • Fast Times at Ridgemont High(1982)

    as Stacy Hamilton

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
  • Wrong Is Right(1982)

    as Young Girl

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
  • The Killing of Randy Webster(1981)

    as Amy Wheeler

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
  • I Think I'm Having A Baby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Laurie Mcintyre

  • Eyes of a Stranger(1981)

    as Tracy Harris

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
  • Angel City(1980)

    as Kristy Teeter

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
  • Trapper John, M.D. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as Karen McCall

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

    as Heather

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

    as Girl Playing with Ball (uncredited)

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

    Show 1 episode · as Jenny Blair

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

    Show 1 episode · as Marcie (as Jennifer Leigh)

  • The Waltons(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Kathy Seals

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

    Show 1 episode · as Heather

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

    Show 1 episode · as Elizabeth Whitcomb

  • Bishop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · as Jillian Graves

  • Deep Cuts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • New England Toys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

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.

Film career

MilestoneAward winNomination
19512026

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.

Show 1 more milestone

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting119 of 120: 113 only acting, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score60thDirecting1 of 120: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting2 of 120: 0 only writing, 2 with another roleProducing5 of 120: 0 only producing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score55thOther crew2 of 120: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

120 titles, 6 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 5 of them.

By decade

1950s2 · acting1970s6 · acting1980s22 · acting1990s30 · 30 acting · 1 crew2000s20 · 19 acting · 4 crew2010s25 · 25 acting · 2 crew2020s12 · acting

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 12% of 59 roles
8186919601061621

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.

WinNomination
  1. 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
  2. 2011
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Feature
  3. 2009
    • Independent Spirit Award, won
  4. 2008
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Supporting Female
  5. 2002
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best First Feature
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best First Screenplay
  6. 2001
    • Cannes award, nominated ×2
  7. 1996
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Female Lead
  8. 1995
    • 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 years
  1. 1994
    • Golden Globe, won
  2. 1993
    • 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.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 70

Approval · how many liked their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 70

Reach · how many have seen their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 70

Midcredits score across 94 titles, by percentile

  • 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.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore37 titles21–90 · median 65 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity47 titles19–76 · median 51 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity38 titles52–83 · median 64 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs36 titles28–82 · median 45 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense35 titles25–82 · median 64 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

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

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles