Born in Los Angeles, Jennifer Jason Leigh - the daughter of actor Vic Morrow - worked in her first film at the age of nine, in a nonspeaking role for the film Death of a Stranger (The Spy Who Never Was). At 14 she attended summer acting workshops given by Lee Strasberg and landed a role in the Disney TV movie The Young Runaways, and received her Screen Actors Guild membership in an episode of the TV series Baretta when she was 16. Jennifer performed in several TV movies and dropped out of Pacific Palisades High School six weeks short of graduation for her major role in the film Eyes of a Stranger. Her first major success came as the female lead in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
Daughter of actor Vic Morrow and actress-screenwriter Barbara Turner. Won two 1990 Critic Society awards for her portrayal of Tralala in Last Exit to Brooklyn and as Susan Waggoner in Miami Blues. Selected as one of "America's 10 Most Beautiful Women" by Harper's Bazaar Magazine, 1989. Has a sister, Carrie Morrow, and a half-sister, actress Mina Badie. Her stepfather is director Reza Badiyi. Well-known in Hollywood for the exhausting research she does for each of her portrayals and for her affinity of playing lurid roles. Had a part filmed for Eyes Wide Shut. When director Stanley Kubrick wanted to do re-shoots, she was unavailable and her entire part was redone with another actress. Born at 12:33pm-PST. She went down to a weight of 86 lbs for her role as an anorexic teenager in the TV movie The Best Little Girl in the World. In 1997, she appeared in Faith No More's music video of "Last Cup of Sorrow," the plot of which was a modification of Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo. Father, Vic Morrow, died while filming Twilight Zone: The Movie due to a tragic accident on the set. Measurements: 34B-23-34 1/2 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine). After reading the script for Backdraft, she reportedly told director Ron Howard that she wished she was the fire because it has the best part. She attended the infamous "Stagedoor Manor," which is an upstate New York summer camp that trains teenagers in acting, singing and dancing. Her fellow alumni include sitcom actor Zach Braff from NBC's Scrubs, the writer and director Todd Graff (who made a film about the camp), and the pop star Mandy Moore. Is of Russian descent. She is good friends with actress/model Phoebe Cates; they met while filming Fast Times at Ridgemont High together. Frequently works with maverick director Robert Altman who, before his maverick days, worked with her father, Vic Morrow on the sixties televison series Combat!. Lived with Eric Stoltz for 5 years in the 80s One of her best friends is Paul Thomas Anderson. Took the name 'Jason' from family friend actor Jason Robards. She has worked with three of the four Baldwin brother in five different movies. Miami Blues and Lymelife (2005) with Alec Baldwin, Last Exit to Brooklyn and Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle with Stephen Baldwin and Backdraft with William Baldwin. Member of the jury at the Venice Film Festival in 2000. Auditioned for the role of Sarah Connor in The Terminator (1984) but lost out to Linda Hamilton. The song "Jennifer Jason Leigh" by the punk band J Church has lyrics made up from interview quotes. Turned down both "Pretty Woman" (1990) and "Men in Black II" (2002).