Jennifer Connelly biography

Synopsis

Early life

Actress. Jennifer Lynn Connelly was born in New York's picturesque Catskill Mountains on December 12, 1970. An only child, Connelly was raised in Brooklyn Heights by her father Gerard, a clothing manufacturer, and her mother Eileen, an antiques dealer. Her father was Irish Catholic and her mother grew up in a very religious Jewish household. Speaking about her mixed religious background, Connelly jokes that she was "raised with a double dose of guilt."

Modeling and Acting

Connelly was noticed at a very young age for her precocious beauty and talent. She began modeling at the age of ten, appearing on the covers of such magazines as Seventeen and Muppet Magazine. She acted in her first film, Once Upon A Time in America, at the age of 11, and appeared in nine films by the time she turned 20.

Connelly initially found her niche in romantic comedies. She acted opposite Patrick Dempsey in the 1988 film Some Girls, and played a rich girl who falls in love with a janitor in the 1991 movie Career Opportunities. Thrust into the world of cinema at such a young age, Connelly had little chance to reflect upon the career she had begun. She recalled later, "I'd started working before I ever thought about whether acting was what I wanted to do."

Despite her busy life as a child model and actor, Connelly took her education very seriously. She graduated from Brooklyn's prestigious St. Ann's School and continued on to Yale University, where she studied English. After two years at Yale, she transferred to Stanford University to study drama with famed acting instructor Roy London. Connelly's education and intelligence later proved crucial as she made a successful transition from teenage heartthrob to mature actress.

Breakthrough Roles

Even with her early success, Jennifer Connelly remained relatively unknown to the general public until the 2000 film Requiem for a Dream, based on the 1978 novel of the same name by Hubert Selby, Jr. In a surprising role for a breakthrough performance, Connelly plays Marion Silver, a heroin addict and aspiring fashion designer who resorts to prostitution to feed her addiction. Connelly earned high praise for her portrayal. The New York Times raved, "Ms. Connelly has never before done anything to prepare us for how good she is here."

Connelly built on her success in Requiem for a Dream with another career-elevating performance in the acclaimed 2001 film A Beautiful Mind.