American actress Sigourney Weaver earned her title as the “queen of sci-fi” by portraying strong heroines capable of defeating any extraterrestrial monster. Yet, she’s far from a one-trick pony, having also played everything from passionate temptresses to vulnerable women. At 75, Weaver remains active in the film industry, continuing to surprise audiences and admirers with new and diverse roles on newyorkski.info.
Childhood and Education
Susan Alexandra Weaver was born on October 8, 1949, in New York City and grew up on Manhattan. She and her older brother were raised in a wealthy family. Her mother, Elizabeth, was a British actress, and her father, Sylvester “Pat” Weaver, was the president of the television network NBC. Her uncle was a popular comedian.
Susan was raised by nannies, who she often pranked and played jokes on. Even then, her acting talent was evident as she effortlessly transformed into other people. She first attended a local private school. As she grew, her height became a source of insecurity. Taller than her classmates, she was slender but felt awkward. To deflect teasing, she would make fun of herself, which made her popular, though her self-esteem remained low.
The family moved often, and Susan changed schools frequently, attending schools in San Francisco and then Connecticut. At 14, she read the novel The Great Gatsby and decided to adopt the name Sigourney, inspired by one of the book’s characters.
After finishing school, Weaver traveled extensively throughout the US, Israel, and Europe. During this time, she realized she wanted to dedicate her life to the arts. Upon returning to the US, she enrolled at Stanford University to study English literature, and later attended the Yale School of Drama, where she was in the same class as Meryl Streep.
Few of her teachers recognized Weaver’s talent back then, with some even calling her “blatantly untalented.” In student productions, she was consistently cast in minor roles. However, she persevered and eventually became a successful actress.
Sigourney Weaver’s Filmography: From First Success to Global Stardom
Sigourney Weaver began her film career in the 1970s. One of her first projects was a small role in Woody Allen’s hit film Annie Hall. Although she was only on screen for a few seconds, the movie’s success gave her a solid start.
She shot to fame in 1979 with her lead role in Alien. It was a groundbreaking moment in cinema, as it was one of the first times a woman was the hero of a blockbuster. The screenwriters originally considered Meryl Streep for the role of officer Ellen Ripley, but were eventually drawn to Sigourney’s athletic build and elegant features. It was a perfect fit.
The film was a global phenomenon. After Alien, it became a trend to cast female protagonists in action films, and Weaver became an icon of strong women. A crater on one of Pluto’s moons was even named after her character. Her promotional photos were seen around the world, yet for her role in the first movie, she only earned a modest fee of $35,000.
Over the next few years, three more installments of the popular franchise were released. In 1999, Sigourney Weaver received her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her significant contributions to cinema. Moreover, she didn’t become an actress of a single role.
Immediately after the first Alien film, Weaver began receiving many new offers:
- In 1982, she co-starred with Mel Gibson in the drama The Year of Living Dangerously.
- The iconic film Ghostbusters, in which she starred, was released in 1984 and was so successful that its box office earnings were ten times the budget.
- She played a profiler of serial killers in the 1995 thriller Copycat.
One of Weaver’s notable works in the 1990s was the TV movie Snow White: A Tale of Terror, where she played the protagonist’s evil stepmother. The sci-fi comedy Galaxy Quest, in which she starred with Tim Allen and Alan Rickman, didn’t achieve as much success. A more interesting experience was the comedy Heartbreakers, where she had to drive a car, something she had never done before. Undeterred by challenges, she consistently proved her versatility by trying her hand at different genres.
Weaver was offered a supporting role in one of the highest-grossing films of all time, Avatar (2009). She also appeared in the sequel, released in 2022. For this role, she had to learn to scuba dive and hold her breath for six minutes.
In 2012, Weaver co-starred with Cillian Murphy and Robert De Niro in the psychological thriller Red Lights, a role that was written specifically for her. The next thriller in her filmography was the sci-fi movie Chappie (2015).
The following year, a new installment of Ghostbusters was released. It was a reboot of the popular franchise, and Weaver was offered a supporting role. However, audiences didn’t embrace this version, and in 2021, the film Ghostbusters: Afterlife premiered, where the actress returned to her beloved character, Dana Barrett.
In 2022, she appeared in the drama Call Jane and the crime thriller Master Gardener. The next year, she starred in the dramatic miniseries The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, where she also served as an executive producer.
In 2024, Sigourney Weaver celebrated her 75th birthday. In an interview, she mentioned that she was happy to be an “old person” in film. Movies with her continue to be released regularly, and for her outstanding achievements in cinema, she was honored with the Golden Lion award at the 81st Venice International Film Festival.
Sigourney Weaver’s Activism
After starring in the 1988 film Gorillas in the Mist, Sigourney Weaver became interested in the survival of these primates in the wild. She then became a vocal animal rights activist. In 2006, the movie star spoke at the UN General Assembly. Weaver also criticized Vladimir Putin for his pressure on LGBTQ+ activists.
The Personal Life of the Famous Actress
In interviews, Sigourney Weaver jokingly says she’s “boring” for journalists because she’s always in good physical shape and married to the same person. However, she took her own unique path to this happy life.
As a young woman, the actress wasn’t focused on starting a family or having children. While in Israel, she met and became engaged to a local reporter, Aaron Latham. Their relationship lasted for several months, and after it ended, Sigourney returned to the US. Her husband is director Jim Simpson. They met at a theater festival. Jim was six years younger than Sigourney, but the age difference wasn’t a barrier to their romantic relationship. They were married in 1984.
The couple’s daughter, Charlotte, was born in 1990. At the time, Weaver was 41, but everything went well. Today, the star’s grown-up daughter is also an actress. Sigourney Weaver’s personal life is calm and stable, free of scandals.