Sigourney Weaver Biography

The daughter of NBC president Sylvester Weaver, Sigourney Weaver (née Susan Alexandra Weaver) enjoyed a privileged upbringing that included getting degrees from both Stanford and Yale. It was at the latter school where she was told, "that I had no talent and wouldn't get anywhere." Well, she sure showed them.

After borrowing her first name from a character in The Great Gatsby, Sigourney began her acting career in off-Broadway plays before a couple early screen roles came her way. Then came the monster movie — Alien. As the only survivor (well, almost) of the ill-fated space ship in Alien, Sigourney was excellent and it was a role that she would carry with her over the next two decades.

Sigourney has, of course, also been excellent in other films, including The Year of Living Dangerously—about her co-star in that film, she said: "I've worked with some pretty good kissers, but I'd say Mel Gibson was the best."

Over the course of her career, Sigourney has won a BAFTA award for her supporting role in The Ice Storm, a 2001 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chicago International Film Festival, a 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Empire Awards, a Golden Apple as Female Star of the Year (1988), two Golden Globe awards (for Working Girl and Gorillas in the Mist) and three Academy Award nominations (for Working Girl, Gorillas in the Mist and Aliens). Her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard was unveiled on December 16, 1999.

Some of her notable films include Avatar (2009), Cedar Rapids (2011), Abduction (2011), Rampart (2011), The Cold Light of Day (2012), Red Lights (2012), Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014), and Chappie (2015).

Sigourney provided a voice for the animated sequel Finding Dory (2016), and appeared in the female-driven comedy reboot Ghostbusters (2016), the sci-fi fantasy flick A Monster Calls (2017), and the action thriller The Assignment (2017) with Michelle Rodriguez.

In 2020 Sigourney appeared in My Salinger Yearwith Margaret Qualley. The next year she reprised her role in a brief cameo in Ghostbusters: Afterlife(2021). In 2022 she returned to the role of Pandora in Avatar: The Way of Water(2022) and is set to appear in Avatar: Fire and Ash(2025), Avatar 4and Avatar 5.

Filmography:

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Master Gardener (2022)
Call Jane (2022)
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
The Good House (2021)
My Salinger Year (2020)
The Assignment (2017)
A Monster Calls (2017)
Ghostbusters (2016)
Finding Dory (2016)
Chappie (2015)
Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)
Happy Holidays, Katherine Sloane (2012)
The Cold Light of Day (2012)
Red Lights (2012)
Vamps (2012)
Rampart (2011)
Abduction (2011)
Cedar Rapids (2011)
You Again (2010)
Paul (2010)
Crazy on the Outside (2010)
Avatar (2009)
The Tale of Despereaux (2008) (voice)
WALL.E (2008) (voice)
Baby Mama (2008)
Vantage Point (2008)
Be Kind Rewind (2008)
The Girl in the Park (2007)
Happily N'Ever After (2007) (voice)
Snow Cake (2006)
Infamous (2006)
Imaginary Heroes (2005)
The Village (2004)
Holes (2003)
The Guys (2002)
Tadpole (2002)
Big Bad Love (2001) (voice)
Heartbreakers (2001)
Company Man (2000)
A Map of the World (2000)
Galaxy Quest (1999)
Company Man (1999)
Alien: Resurrection (1997)
The Ice Storm (1997)
Copycat (1995)
Jeffrey (1995)
Death and the Maiden (1994)
Dave (1993)
1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)
Alien 3 (1992)
Ghostbusters II (1989)
Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
Working Girl (1988)
Aliens (1986)
Half Moon Street (1986)
One Woman or Two (1985)
Ghostbusters (1984)
Deal of the Century (1983)
The Year of Living Dangerously (1983)
Eyewitness (1981)
Alien (1979)
Madman (1978)
Annie Hall (1977)