Line #12 Creator/JenniferConnelly


1	[[quoteright:290:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jennifer-connelly.jpg]]
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3	->''"I didn't expect to win the Oscar. You grow up watching the Oscars on TV and you think it happens to fancy people. It was really surreal."''
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5	Jennifer Lynn Connelly (born December 12, 1970 in Cairo, New York) is an American actress.
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7	After beginning her career as a child model, Connelly made her film debut at the age of 13 in ''Film/OnceUponATimeInAmerica'', in which she played the younger version of Creator/ElizabethMcGovern's character. But she soon transitioned to leading roles, including in the horror film ''Film/{{Phenomena}}'' and alongside Music/DavidBowie in the cult hit ''{{Film/Labyrinth}}''. Despite critics being lukewarm to her early performances, more leading roles followed. And she started to win critics over with roles like ''Film/TheHotSpot''. Success didn't come that quickly, however; she found herself typecast in {{Fanservice}} roles. For most of the '90s and early 2000s, Connelly was [[MsFanservice heavily associated with nudity or titillation in her films]], regardless of the quality of her performances. The latter were usually acclaimed, leading critics to sigh about wasted potential.
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9	Things started to turn in her favor with a turn in the well-acclaimed CyberPunk film ''Film/DarkCity''. But it was with ''Film/RequiemForADream'' that she started to make the switch from MsFanservice to serious actress. More roles like ''Film/WakingTheDead'' kept earning her critical acclaim, and she managed to win an Oscar for ''Film/ABeautifulMind''. Nowadays she's a very respected actress with lots of accolades to her name. She's also got Marvel Comics cred due to her role in Ang Lee's ''{{Film/Hulk}}'' where she played Betty Ross as well as voicing the AI "Karen" in ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming''.
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11	As a fun fact, she's done three films that all feature the same exact shot: Jennifer's character stands at the end of a pier looking out to the sea. ''Film/DarkCity'', ''Film/RequiemForADream'', and ''Film/HouseOfSandAndFog'' all feature this shot.
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13	She is married to Creator/PaulBettany, and they have two children. Connelly also has another son from a previous relationship with photographer David Dugan.
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16	!!Selected Filmography:
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18	* ''Film/OnceUponATimeInAmerica'' (1984)
19	* ''Film/{{Phenomena}}'' (1985)
20	* ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'' (1986)
21	* ''Film/SomeGirls'' (1988)
22	* ''Film/TheHotSpot'' (1990)
23	* ''Film/CareerOpportunities'' (1991)
24	* ''Film/TheRocketeer'' (1991)
25	* ''Film/TheHeartOfJustice'' (1992)
26	* ''Film/HigherLearning'' (1995)
27	* ''Film/MulhollandFalls'' (1996)
28	* ''Film/DarkCity'' (1998)
29	* ''Film/WakingTheDead'' (2000)
30	* ''Film/RequiemForADream'' (2000)
31	* ''Film/{{Pollock}}'' (2000)
32	* ''Series/TheStreet'' (2000-01)
33	* ''Film/ABeautifulMind'' (2001) - Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
34	* ''Film/{{Hulk}}'' (2003)
35	* ''Film/HouseOfSandAndFog'' (2003)
36	* ''Film/DarkWater'' (2005)
37	* ''Film/LittleChildren'' (2006)
38	* ''Film/BloodDiamond'' (2006)
39	* ''Film/ReservationRoad'' (2007)
40	* ''[[Film/TheDayTheEarthStoodStill2008 The Day the Earth Stood Still]]'' (2008)
41	* ''Film/{{Inkheart}}'' (2008)
42	* ''Film/HesJustNotThatIntoYou'' (2009)
43	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Nine}}'' (2009)
44	* ''Film/{{Creation}}'' (2009)
45	* ''Film/StuckInLove'' (2012)
46	* ''{{Film/Noah}}'' (2014)
47	* ''Film/AmericanPastoral'' (2016)
48	* ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'' (2017)
49	* ''Film/OnlyTheBrave'' (2017)
50	* ''Film/AlitaBattleAngel'' (2019)
51	* ''Series/{{Snowpiercer}}'' (2020-23)
52	* ''Film/TopGunMaverick'' (2022)
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55	!!Tropes associated with her:
56	* AbilityOverAppearance: Inverted. Despite having no ballet training, she was cast in ''Film/OnceUponATimeInAmerica'' precisely because of her resemblance to Elizabeth [=McGovern=]. Of course they liked her performance too. [[invoked]]
57	* ActorAllusion: Three films feature the same specific shot where Jennifer's character stands at the end of a pier looking out to the sea: ''Film/DarkCity'', ''Film/RequiemForADream'', and ''Film/HouseOfSandAndFog''. While filming the third, her reaction was "How many times have I done this already?"
58	* ActorSharedBackground: Both she and her character Marion in ''Film/RequiemForADream'' had fathers who worked in the fashion industry. [[invoked]]
59	%%* AloofDarkHairedGirl: She gets cast as a lot of these.
60	* CareerResurrection: ''Film/RequiemForADream'' marked the point where Jennifer transitioned from MsFanservice roles to more serious, respected characters. [[invoked]]
61	* CastingGag:
62	** In two films she has played the devoted wife to a brilliant but insane Russell Crowe-- ''Film/ABeautifulMind'' and ''{{Film/Noah}}''.
63	** She's played a 'Sarah Williams' in both ''{{Film/Labyrinth}}'' and ''Film/WakingTheDead''.
64	* TheChanteuse: Having appeared in ''Film/DarkCity'', she is the page image.
65	* ComicBookFantasyCasting: Princess Jasmine in ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' resembles an Arabian version of Connelly.
66	* CreatorBacklash: She's slightly embarrassed by her performance in ''{{Film/Labyrinth}}'', not helped by critics ripping it to shreds when the film was first released. But this seems to have diminished with time; she participated in the 30th anniversary DVD release's new bonus features and filmed a special introduction for the Fathom Events two-night theatrical reissue in September 2016.
67	* CreatorCouple: She and husband Paul Bettany worked together on ''Shelter'' and ''Film/{{Creation}}''. As of 2017, they are also both playing characters in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. [[invoked]]
68	* TheDanza: She plays Jenny in ''Film/TheRocketeer'', and Jennifer in ''Phenomena''. [[invoked]]
69	* DyeingForYourArt: [[invoked]]
70	** She normally has long hair, but cut it rather drastically into a bob for the movie ''Crime/Fly''.
71	** She also lost weight to play a homeless woman in ''Shelter''.
72	** Dyed her normally dark brown hair blonde for ''Virginia''.
73	* FakeBrit: Sort of in ''{{Film/Noah}}''. She uses an English-sounding accent to blend in with her cast members. Earlier, she played Emma Darwin with a passable English accent in ''Creation'' opposite husband Paul Bettany as Charles Darwin. [[invoked]]
74	* FormerChildStar: {{Averted}}. She has come a long way from ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'' and other teen roles to become the respected adult actress she is today.
75	* MsFanservice: Many of her roles as an adult in the 1990s, particularly ''Film/TheRocketeer'', where she spends the final act in a low-cut 1930s evening gown.
76	* NonSingingVoice: Her singing is dubbed in the theatrical release of ''Film/DarkCity'', but her actual voice is used in the Director's Cut.
77	* PlayingAgainstType:
78	** ''Film/HesJustNotThatIntoYou'' is the only time she's done a RomanticComedy.
79	** Voicing the AI Karen in ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'' is also incredibly different.
80	* RomanceOnTheSet: With Paul Bettany during ''Film/ABeautifulMind''. They married without dating in the interim. [[invoked]]
81	* SeparatedAtBirthCasting:
82	** ''Film/OnceUponATimeInAmerica'' sees her playing [[TimeShiftedActor the younger version of Elizabeth McGovern]]. The two look very alike. [[invoked]]
83	** ''Film/StuckInLove'' has Creator/LilyCollins play her daughter. They look close enough to each other that it's quite believable.
84	* ThoseTwoActors: [[invoked]]
85	** Jennifer Connelly acted with Josh Lucas in both ''Film/ABeautifulMind'' and ''Film/{{Hulk}}''.
86	** Connelly also acted with Creator/NickNolte in ''Film/MulhollandFalls'', ''Film/{{Hulk}}'' and ''Film/{{Noah}}''.
87	* ThrowItIn: Jennifer prepared for ''Film/RequiemForADream'' by making her own clothes - as Marion is a dress designer. She ended up wearing most of her own wardrobe in the film. [[invoked]]
88	* TypeCasting:[[invoked]] In the 90s Jennifer was cast in lots of films playing 1930s-50s era women - ''Film/TheRocketeer'', ''Film/MulhollandFalls'', ''The Hot Spot'', ''Inventing The Abbots'' and technically ''Film/DarkCity''.[[note]]Which isn't really set in the 1930s but has the aesthetic of the era.[[/note]] That glossy dark hair of hers is remarkably well-suited for vintage hairstyles.
89	* WhatCouldHaveBeen: [[invoked]]
90	** Veronica in ''{{Film/Heathers}}'' was written for her, but she turned it down, and Creator/WinonaRyder played the part.
91	** She auditioned for Sarah in ''Film/TheAccused'', Charlie in ''{{Film/Firestarter}}'' and Diane Court in ''Film/SayAnything''.
92	** A love scene was filmed for ''Film/ABeautifulMind'', but cut from the final film.
93	* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Having a longtime fear of flying, she was less than thrilled to find out that she would, in fact, be flying in a plane for the final shots of ''Film/TopGunMaverick''. However, those shots were filmed with Creator/TomCruise personally piloting her in his own P-51 Mustang, and she credits Cruise's obvious competence and meticulous attention to detail as a pilot with helping to ease that fear considerably.
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Context Creator / JenniferConnelly