Sigourney Weaver

Background

Sigourney Weaver was born Susan Alexandra Weaver on October 8, 1949, in New York City to Sylvester Weaver Jr., a television executive, and Elizabeth Inglis, an actress. When she was 14, Susan adopted the name “Sigourney” from a character in “The Great Gatsby.” While attending the Ethel Walker School in Connecticut, Weaver developed an interest in the performing arts and participated in the school theatre. She became even more involved in theater at Stanford University, where she majored in English. Following her graduation in 1972, she enrolled in Yale University’s School of Drama. However, she did not receive encouragement from mentors and teachers. Nevertheless, with the assistance of friends and the Yale Cabaret Group, she graduated with a master’s degree in Fine Arts in 1974.

Before getting the acting assignment that led her to fame and success, she had appeared only in commercials and minor roles. Her role as ‘Ellen Ripley’ in Ridley Scott’s science fiction movie, “Alien” (1979), was her turning point and made her a household name. With a long and stellar career, Weaver has appeared in more than 60 movies. Between 1986 and 1997, she appeared in three more sequels of the movie “Aliens” and also played a significant role in “Ghostbusters” and “Avatar” series. She has also done roles on television; hosted S.N.L. twice; did voice-overs for many animations; worked in several documentaries; and lent her voice to audiobooks, soundtracks, and video games. Weaver has been nominated for three Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, three British Academy Film Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards, one Tony Award, and one Drama Desk Award.

Weaver married stage director Jim Simpson in 1984, and they have a daughter. She supports several causes and is the honorary Chairwoman of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. In October 2006, she drew international attention to the damage done by deep-sea trawling to ocean habitats.