Jennifer Beals
Known for Acting · 99 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 (32)
Law & Order
1990
as Sofia Archer
The Daily Show
1996
as Self
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
as Self - Guest
Castle
2009
as Sophia Turner
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009
as Self - Guest
The Kelly Clarkson Show
2019
as Self
Frasier
1993
as Dr. Anne Ranberg
Golden Globe Awards
1944
as Self / Self - Nominee
The View
1997
as Self
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
2005
as Self
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003
as Self - Guest
Law & Order: Organized Crime
2021
as Cassandra Webb
The Outer Limits
1995
as Robin Dysart
Lie to Me
2009
as Zoe Landau
The L Word
2004
as Bette Porter
Taken
2017
as Christina Hart
Motive
2013
as Sophia Balfour
Faerie Tale Theatre
1982
as Cinderella
The Book of Boba Fett
2021
as Garsa Fwip
Off Camera with Sam Jones
2014
as Self
The Night Shift
2014
as Dr. Syd Jennings
Best Week Ever
2004
The Hunger
1997
as Jane
The L Word: Generation Q
2019
as Bette Porter
Where Are They Now?
1999
as Self
Swamp Thing
2019
as Lucilia Cable
Seitenblicke
1987
as self
The Chicago Code
2011
as Teresa Colvin
Nothing Sacred
1997
as Justine Madsen Judd
Proof
2015
as Dr. Carolyn Tyler
2000 Malibu Road
1992
as Perry Quinn
E! True Hollywood Story
1996
Movies (67)
After
2019
as Karen Gibson
The Book of Eli
2010
as Claudia
The Grudge 2
2006
as Trish Kimble
Flashdance
1983
as Alex Owens
Four Rooms
1995
as Angela
A Wife's Nightmare
2014
as Liz
Runaway Jury
2003
as Vanessa Lembeck
Luckiest Girl Alive
2022
as Lolo Vincent
Before I Fall
2017
as Mrs. Kingston
Vampire's Kiss
1989
as Rachel
Devil in a Blue Dress
1995
as Daphne Monet
Catch That Kid
2004
as Molly Phillips
Manhattan Night
2016
as Lisa Wren
The Prophecy II
1998
as Valerie Rosales
The Thief and the Cobbler
1993
as Princess YumYum (voice)
In the Soup
1992
as Angelica Pena
Dear Diary
1993
as Self
Full Out
2015
as Coach Valorie Kondos-Field
My Bodyguard
1980
as Clifford's Friend (uncredited)
The Bride
1985
as Eva
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle
1994
as Gertrude Benchley
The Last Days of Disco
1998
as Nina
13 Moons
2002
as Suzi
Roger Dodger
2002
as Sophie
The White Orchid
2018
as Vivian
Hollywood: No Sex, Please!
2018
The Anniversary Party
2001
as Gina Taylor
That's Dancing!
1985
as Self (archive footage)
The Search for One-eye Jimmy
1994
as Ellen
Cinderella
1985
as Cinderella
Indecency
1992
as Ellie Shaw
Break a Leg
2005
as Juliet
Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute
1988
as Self
Feast of All Saints
2001
as Dolly Rose
Split Decisions
1988
as Barbara Uribe
Sons
1990
as Transvestite
Blood and Concrete
1991
as Mona
Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying
1999
as Jessica
Militia
2000
as Julie Sanders
Dr. M
1990
as Sonja Vogler
Wishful Thinking
1999
as Elizabeth
My Name Is Sarah
2007
as Sarah Winston
Queen to Play
2009
as L’Américaine
Troubled Waters
2006
as FBI Agent Beck
The Gamble
1988
as Lady Olivia Candioni
A Fuller Life
2013
as Self - Reader (segment "Crime Reporter")
The Spree
1998
as Xinia Kelly
Dead on Sight
1994
as Rebecca Darcy
They Shoot Divas, Don't They?
2002
as Sloan McBride
Let It Be Me
1995
as Emily Taylor
The Twilight of the Golds
1996
as Suzanne Stein
Body and Soul
2000
as Gina
A House Divided
2000
as Amanda Dickson
Joy Will Prevail
as Esther Kahn
The Night Before the Night Before Christmas
2010
as Angela Fox
Night Owl
1993
as Julia
Cinemanovels
2013
as Clementine
The Big Pardon 2
1992
as Joyce Ferranti
Starz Inside: Fashion in Film
2008
as Self
Hello Out There
2025
as Judith
Without Malice
2000
as Samantha Wilkes
Desolation Sound
2005
as Elizabeth Storey
Terror Stalks the Class Reunion
1992
as Virginia
The Madonna and the Dragon
1990
as Patty Meredith
A Night for Dying Tigers
2010
as Melanie
Something More
2000
as Lisa
Out of Line
2001
as Officer Jenny Capitanas
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 99 credits spanning from 1944 to 2025, Jennifer Beals has appeared in 67 films and 32 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
- The Grudge 2 (2006) — as Trish Kimble
- Flashdance (1983) — as Alex Owens
- Four Rooms (1995) — as Angela
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.