Jennifer Beals
Known for Acting · 99 credits
- Born
- 1963-12-19 (age 62)
- Place of birth
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
Biography
Jennifer Beals (born December 19, 1963) is an American actress and a former teen model. She is known for her roles as Alexandra "Alex" Owens in the 1983 film Flashdance, and as Bette Porter on the Showtime drama series The L Word. She earned an NAACP Image Award and a Golden Globe Award nomination for the former. She has appeared in more than 50 films.
Beals was born on the South Side of Chicago, the daughter of Jeanne (née Anderson), an elementary school teacher, and Alfred Beals, who owned grocery stores. She is multiracial; her father was African American, and her mother is Irish American. She has two brothers, Bobby and Gregory.Her father died when Beals was nine years old, and her mother married Edward Cohen in 1981. Beals has said her biracial heritage had some effect on her, as she "always lived sort of on the outside", with an idea "of being the other in society". She got her first job at age 13 at an ice cream store, using her height at the time (she is now nearly 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)), to convince her boss she was 16.
Beals was inspired to become an actress by two events: doing a high school production of Fiddler on the Roof and seeing Balm in Gilead with Joan Allen while volunteer-ushering at the Steppenwolf Theatre.
Beals graduated from the progressive Francis W. Parker School. She also was chosen to attend the elite Goodman Theatre Young People's Drama Workshop. Beals attended Yale University, receiving a B.A. in American literature in 1987; she deferred a term so she could film Flashdance. While at Yale, Beals was a resident of Morse College.
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Known For
TV Shows (32)
Law & Order
1990
as Sofia Archer
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009
as Self - Guest
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
as Self - Guest
The Daily Show
1996
as Self
The Kelly Clarkson Show
2019
as Self
Castle
2009
as Sophia Turner
Frasier
1993
as Dr. Anne Ranberg
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
2005
as Self
The View
1997
as Self
Golden Globe Awards
1944
as Self / Self - Nominee
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003
as Self - Guest
Law & Order: Organized Crime
2021
as Cassandra Webb
Lie to Me
2009
as Zoe Landau
The L Word
2004
as Bette Porter
The Outer Limits
1995
as Robin Dysart
Off Camera with Sam Jones
2014
as Self
Taken
2017
as Christina Hart
Motive
2013
as Sophia Balfour
The Book of Boba Fett
2021
as Garsa Fwip
Faerie Tale Theatre
1982
as Cinderella
The Hunger
1997
as Jane
Best Week Ever
2004
The Night Shift
2014
as Dr. Syd Jennings
Where Are They Now?
1999
as Self
The L Word: Generation Q
2019
as Bette Porter
Swamp Thing
2019
as Lucilia Cable
Seitenblicke
1987
as self
The Chicago Code
2011
as Teresa Colvin
Proof
2015
as Dr. Carolyn Tyler
E! True Hollywood Story
1996
Nothing Sacred
1997
as Justine Madsen Judd
2000 Malibu Road
1992
as Perry Quinn
Movies (67)
After
2019
as Karen Gibson
The Book of Eli
2010
as Claudia
Four Rooms
1995
as Angela
Flashdance
1983
as Alex Owens
Runaway Jury
2003
as Vanessa Lembeck
Luckiest Girl Alive
2022
as Lolo Vincent
A Wife's Nightmare
2014
as Liz
Devil in a Blue Dress
1995
as Daphne Monet
Before I Fall
2017
as Mrs. Kingston
The Grudge 2
2006
as Trish Kimble
Vampire's Kiss
1989
as Rachel
My Bodyguard
1980
as Clifford's Friend (uncredited)
Manhattan Night
2016
as Lisa Wren
Catch That Kid
2004
as Molly Phillips
The Prophecy II
1998
as Valerie Rosales
13 Moons
2002
as Suzi
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle
1994
as Gertrude Benchley
Feast of All Saints
2001
as Dolly Rose
The Anniversary Party
2001
as Gina Taylor
Roger Dodger
2002
as Sophie
The Thief and the Cobbler
1993
as Princess YumYum (voice)
Caro diario
1993
as Jennifer Beals
Dr. M
1990
as Sonja Vogler
The Last Days of Disco
1998
as Nina
Full Out
2015
as Coach Valorie Kondos-Field
The Bride
1985
as Eva
Cinemanovels
2013
as Clementine
The Spree
1998
as Xinia Kelly
Split Decisions
1988
as Barbara Uribe
The White Orchid
2018
as Vivian
Blood and Concrete
1991
as Mona
Militia
2000
as Julie Sanders
In the Soup
1992
as Angelica Pena
That's Dancing!
1985
as Self (archive footage)
The Search for One-eye Jimmy
1994
as Ellen
Indecency
1992
as Ellie Shaw
Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying
1999
as Jessica
Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute
1988
as Self
Break a Leg
2005
as Juliet
Queen to Play
2009
as L’Américaine
A Night for Dying Tigers
2010
as Melanie
The Big Pardon 2
1992
as Joyce Ferranti
Cinderella
1985
as Cinderella
They Shoot Divas, Don't They?
2002
as Sloan McBride
Body and Soul
2000
as Gina
The Gamble
1988
as Lady Olivia Candioni
Troubled Waters
2006
as FBI Agent Beck
My Name Is Sarah
2007
as Sarah Winston
The Twilight of the Golds
1996
as Suzanne Stein
Let It Be Me
1995
as Emily Taylor
The Night Before the Night Before Christmas
2010
as Angela Fox
A Fuller Life
2013
as Self - Reader (segment "Crime Reporter")
Wishful Thinking
1999
as Elizabeth
Hollywood: No Sex, Please!
2018
Sons
1990
as Transvestite
Dead on Sight
1994
as Rebecca Darcy
Joy Will Prevail
as Esther Kahn
Desolation Sound
2005
as Elizabeth Storey
A House Divided
2000
as Amanda Dickson
Out of Line
2001
as Officer Jenny Capitanas
Terror Stalks the Class Reunion
1992
as Virginia
Night Owl
1993
as Julia
Without Malice
2000
as Samantha Wilkes
Hello Out There
2025
as Judith
Something More
2000
as Lisa
The Madonna and the Dragon
1990
as Patty Meredith
Starz Inside: Fashion in Film
2008
as Self
About Jennifer Beals
Jennifer Beals (born December 19, 1963) is an American actress and a former teen model. She is known for her roles as Alexandra "Alex" Owens in the 1983 film Flashdance, and as Bette Porter on the Showtime drama series The L Word. She earned an NAACP Image Award and a Golden Globe Award nomination for the former. She has appeared in more than 50 films. Beals was born on the South Side of Chicago, the daughter of Jeanne (née Anderson), an elementary school teacher, and Alfred Beals, who owned grocery stores. She is multiracial; her father was A… With 99 credits spanning from 1944 to 2025, Jennifer Beals has appeared in 67 films and 32 TV shows.
Fans searching for Jennifer Beals movies, Jennifer Beals filmography, or the latest projects starring Jennifer Beals can stream many of these titles on CineFlixo, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Jennifer Beals Movies
- After (2019) — as Karen Gibson
- The Book of Eli (2010) — as Claudia
- Four Rooms (1995) — as Angela
- Flashdance (1983) — as Alex Owens
- Runaway Jury (2003) — as Vanessa Lembeck
Where to Watch Jennifer Beals Films
Most Jennifer Beals movies and series are available to stream on CineFlixo in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Jennifer Beals, check our movies catalogue and browse page.