Jennifer Beals
Known for Acting · 101 credits
- Born
- 1963-12-19 (age 62)
- Place of birth
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
Biography
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.
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Known For
TV Shows (34)
Law & Order
1990
as Sofia Archer
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009
as Self - Guest
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
as Self - Guest
The Daily Show
1996
as Self
Frasier
1993
as Dr. Anne Ranberg
The Kelly Clarkson Show
2019
as Self
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
2005
as Self
Castle
2009
as Sophia Turner
Golden Globe Awards
1944
as Self / Self - Nominee
The View
1997
as Self
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003
as Self - Guest
Law & Order: Organized Crime
2021
as Cassandra Webb
Lie to Me
2009
as Zoe Landau
The Outer Limits
1995
as Robin Dysart
The L Word
2004
as Bette Porter
Taken
2017
as Christina Hart
Off Camera with Sam Jones
2014
as Self
The Book of Boba Fett
2021
as Garsa Fwip
Motive
2013
as Sophia Balfour
The Hunger
1997
as Jane
Faerie Tale Theatre
1982
as Cinderella
The Night Shift
2014
as Dr. Syd Jennings
The L Word: Generation Q
2019
as Bette Porter
Where Are They Now?
1999
as Self
Swamp Thing
2019
as Lucilia Cable
Best Week Ever
2004
The Word
1990
Seitenblicke
1987
as self
The Chicago Code
2011
as Teresa Colvin
Proof
2015
as Dr. Carolyn Tyler
E! True Hollywood Story
1996
2000 Malibu Road
1992
as Perry Quinn
Nothing Sacred
1997
as Justine Madsen Judd
NCIS: New York
2026
as Robyn Wells
Movies (67)
After
2019
as Karen Gibson
The Book of Eli
2010
as Claudia
Before I Fall
2017
as Mrs. Kingston
Flashdance
1983
as Alex Owens
Runaway Jury
2003
as Vanessa Lembeck
Four Rooms
1995
as Angela
Luckiest Girl Alive
2022
as Lolo Vincent
Devil in a Blue Dress
1995
as Daphne Monet
The Grudge 2
2006
as Trish Kimble
My Bodyguard
1980
as Clifford's Friend (uncredited)
Vampire's Kiss
1989
as Rachel
The Last Days of Disco
1998
as Nina
Troubled Waters
2006
as FBI Agent Beck
The Thief and the Cobbler
1993
as Princess YumYum (voice)
Manhattan Night
2016
as Lisa Wren
A Wife's Nightmare
2014
as Liz
A Night for Dying Tigers
2010
as Melanie
The Bride
1985
as Eva
Dr. M
1990
as Sonja Vogler
Feast of All Saints
2001
as Dolly Rose
The Anniversary Party
2001
as Gina Taylor
Hollywood: No Sex, Please!
2018
Blood and Concrete
1991
as Mona
Indecency
1992
as Ellie Shaw
Catch That Kid
2004
as Molly Phillips
Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying
1999
as Jessica
The Prophecy II
1998
as Valerie Rosales
Caro diario
1993
as Jennifer Beals
The White Orchid
2018
as Vivian
Queen to Play
2009
as L’Américaine
Wishful Thinking
1999
as Elizabeth
The Twilight of the Golds
1996
as Suzanne Stein
Body and Soul
2000
as Gina
Full Out
2015
as Coach Valorie Kondos-Field
That's Dancing!
1985
as Self (archive footage)
A Fuller Life
2013
as Self - Reader (segment "Crime Reporter")
Out of Line
2001
as Officer Jenny Capitanas
Cinderella
1985
as Cinderella
My Name Is Sarah
2007
as Sarah Winston
The Spree
1998
as Xinia Kelly
A House Divided
2000
as Amanda Dickson
Roger Dodger
2002
as Sophie
The Search for One-eye Jimmy
1994
as Ellen
Break a Leg
2005
as Juliet
Militia
2000
as Julie Sanders
Hello Out There
2025
as Judith
Without Malice
2000
as Samantha Wilkes
Split Decisions
1988
as Barbara Uribe
The Big Pardon 2
1992
as Joyce Ferranti
Joy Will Prevail
as Esther Kahn
13 Moons
2002
as Suzi
Let It Be Me
1995
as Emily Taylor
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle
1994
as Gertrude Benchley
Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute
1988
as Self
In the Soup
1992
as Angelica Pena
Desolation Sound
2005
as Elizabeth Storey
They Shoot Divas, Don't They?
2002
as Sloan McBride
Dead on Sight
1994
as Rebecca Darcy
The Night Before the Night Before Christmas
2010
as Angela Fox
Starz Inside: Fashion in Film
2008
as Self
Cinemanovels
2013
as Clementine
The Gamble
1988
as Lady Olivia Candioni
Something More
2000
as Lisa
Sons
1990
as Transvestite
Night Owl
1993
as Julia
The Madonna and the Dragon
1990
as Patty Meredith
Terror Stalks the Class Reunion
1992
as Virginia
About Jennifer Beals
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 A… With 101 credits spanning from 1944 to 2026, Jennifer Beals has appeared in 67 films and 34 TV shows.
Fans searching for Jennifer Beals movies, Jennifer Beals filmography, or the latest projects starring Jennifer Beals can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Jennifer Beals Movies
- After (2019) — as Karen Gibson
- The Book of Eli (2010) — as Claudia
- Before I Fall (2017) — as Mrs. Kingston
- Flashdance (1983) — as Alex Owens
- Runaway Jury (2003) — as Vanessa Lembeck
Where to Watch Jennifer Beals Films
Most Jennifer Beals movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Jennifer Beals, check our movies catalogue and browse page.