Jennifer Beals' Main TV Roles Show Character(s) The L Word Bette Porter The Chicago Code Superintend… 2000 Malibu Road Perry Quinn

Main Movie Roles 2010 - The Book of Eli 2006 - The Grudge 2 2004 - Catch That Kid 2003 - Runaway Jury 2002 - Roger Dodger 2001 - The Anniversary Party 2000 - Militia 1998 - The Last Days of Disco 1995 - Devil in a Blue Dress 1995 - Four Rooms 1993 - Caro Diario 1990 - Dr. M 1988 - Vampire's Kiss 1985 - That's Dancing! 1985 - The Bride 1983 - Flashdance 1980 - My Bodyguard

BIOGRAPHY:

Jennifer Beals was born in December 1963 in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in the city. With a life-long desire for acting, Beals first appeared in small high school plays and even got an uncredited bit part in My Bodyguard (1980) in 1980. After graduation, she enrolled in college at Yale University, studying American literature. She appeared in her first starring role in the movie Flashdance (1983) while still a freshman at Yale. While at Yale, she also starred in Franc Roddam's The Bride (1985). After graduation from Yale, Beals married independent filmmaker Alexandre Rockwell in the mid-80s, and has appeared in several of his films. Most notably, she starred in his In the Soup (1992), which won the 1992 Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Deauville Film Festival.

Beals continued to find acting work in various movies and TV productions through the 1990s, in lead and supporting roles. Her most recent and notable role came in early 2004 with her appearing as a regular on the Showtime TV-cable series "The L Word" (2004) playing a lesbian art gallery manager named "Bette Porter".


TRIVIA:

• Gave birth to her first child, a girl, in October, 2005.
• She put her career on hold to graduate from Yale.
• Stepmother to her husband, Ken Dixon's, two children.
• Close friend of 'Quentin Tarantino' (qv). He often stayed at her home while struggling as a director before making _Pulp Fiction (1994)_ (qv).
• In _Flashdance (1983)_ (qv), the birth date that she fills out on the application form is her actual birth date in real life.
• She and her character on _"The L Word" (2004)_ (qv), "Bette Porter", are both Yale graduates with an African-American father and a Caucasian mother.
• Daughter of Alfred Beals (an African-American grocery store owner) and Jeanne Cohen (an Irish elementary school teacher).
• Good friends with 'Elizabeth Berkley' (qv). The each appeared in a 'Joe Eszterhas' (qv)-written film (Berkley: _Showgirls (1995)_ (qv); Beals: _Flashdance (1983)_ (qv)), and they appeared together in _Roger Dodger (2002)_ (qv).