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4 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sigourney.png]] |
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6 | ->''"[[MamaBear Get away from her]], you [[ThisIsForEmphasisBitch BITCH]]!"'' |
7 | -->-- '''Sigourney Weaver''' as Ellen Ripley in ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' |
8 | |
9 | Susan Alexandra "Sigourney" Weaver (born October 8, 1949 in New York City, New York) is an American actress. |
10 | |
11 | She starred in the ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'' movies, making her one of the first actresses to headline a successful action film franchise. She even got nominated for an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Actress for the second movie, ''Film/{{Aliens}}''. Yes, a sci-fi/action/horror film, something that then and now is practically unheard of. |
12 | |
13 | Her reprise of the Ripley character is culturally significant; although mothers in films were respected before ''Film/{{Aliens}}'', after Ripley's courageous rescue of Newt from the taloned grasp of the Alien Queen in 1986 [[ActionMom filmmakers began taking mothers seriously as warriors]]. Weaver also holds a Black-Belt in Goju-Ryu karate, so she is ''not'' a MamaBear you'd want to mess with in RealLife either. |
14 | |
15 | Also played Dana Barrett in ''Film/{{Ghostbusters 1984}}'' and [[Film/GhostbustersII its sequel]], anthropologist Dian Fossey in the film adaptation of Fossey's book ''Film/GorillasInTheMist'' (for which she got another Best Actress nomination; she also got a Best Supporting Actress nomination the same year for ''Film/WorkingGirl''), Dr Helen Hudson in ''Film/{{Copycat}}'', and Grace Augustine in ''Film/{{Avatar}}''. She also has a short, but essential, role in ''Film/TheCabinInTheWoods''. In 2012 she starred as an academic professionally debunking alleged paranormal activities in ''Film/RedLights''. |
16 | |
17 | Star of ''Series/PoliticalAnimals'', a 2012 Creator/USANetwork miniseries centering on a Secretary of State who [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed could not more obviously be a redheaded version]] of UsefulNotes/HillaryRodhamClinton. |
18 | |
19 | She's also the daughter of Sylvester Weaver, who was a television pioneer and the creator of ''Series/{{Today}}''. She is married to theatre director Jim Simpson, and they have one child, daughter Charlotte. |
20 | |
21 | ---- |
22 | !!Roles: |
23 | !!!Film |
24 | |
25 | * ''Film/AnnieHall'' (1977) -- Alvy's Date Outside Theatre |
26 | * ''Film/{{Alien}}'' (1979) -- Ellen Ripley |
27 | * ''Film/TheYearOfLivingDangerously'' (1982) -- Jilly Bryant |
28 | * ''Film/DealOfTheCentury'' (1983) -- Catherine |
29 | * ''Film/{{Ghostbusters|1984}}'' (1984) -- Dana Barrett |
30 | * ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' (1986) -- Ellen Ripley |
31 | * ''Film/GorillasInTheMist'' (1988) -- Dian Fossey |
32 | * ''Film/WorkingGirl'' (1988) -- Katharine Parker |
33 | * ''Film/GhostbustersII'' (1989) -- Dana Barrett |
34 | * ''Film/{{Alien 3}}'' (1992) -- Ellen Ripley |
35 | * ''Film/FourteenNinetyTwoConquestOfParadise'' (1992) -- [[UsefulNotes/TheCatholicMonarchs Queen Isabella I of Castile]] |
36 | * ''Film/{{Dave}}'' (1993) -- Ellen Mitchell |
37 | * ''Film/DeathAndTheMaiden'' (1994) -- Paulina Escobar |
38 | * ''Film/{{Copycat}}'' (1995) -- Dr. Helen Hudson |
39 | * ''Film/TheIceStorm'' (1997) -- Janey Carver |
40 | * ''Film/SnowWhiteATaleOfTerror'' (1997) -- Claudia Hoffman |
41 | * ''Film/AlienResurrection'' (1997) -- Ripley 8 |
42 | * ''Film/GalaxyQuest'' (1999) -- Gwen [=DeMarco=] |
43 | * ''Film/{{Heartbreakers}}'' (2001) -- Max Conners |
44 | * ''Film/{{Tadpole}}'' (2002) -- Eve Grubman |
45 | * ''Film/{{Holes}}'' (2003) -- The Warden |
46 | * ''Film/{{The Village|2004}}'' (2004) -- Alice Hunt |
47 | * ''Film/SnowCake'' (2006) -- Linda Freeman |
48 | * ''Film/TheTVSet'' (2006) -- Lenny |
49 | * ''WesternAnimation/HappilyNEverAfter'' (2007) -- Frieda (voice) |
50 | * ''Film/BeKindRewind'' (2008) -- Ms. Lawson |
51 | * ''Film/BabyMama'' (2008) -- Chaffee Bicknell |
52 | * ''Film/VantagePoint'' (2008) -- Rex Brooks |
53 | * ''WesternAnimation/WallE'' (2008) -- Ship's Computer (voice) |
54 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheTaleOfDespereaux'' (2008) -- Narrator (voice) |
55 | * ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' (2009) -- Dr. Grace Augustine |
56 | * ''Film/YouAgain'' (2010) -- Ramona Clark |
57 | * ''Film/CedarRapids'' (2011) -- Marcy Vanderhei |
58 | * ''Film/{{Paul}}'' (2011) -- The Big Guy |
59 | * ''Film/{{Abduction}}'' (2011) -- Dr. Bennett |
60 | * ''Film/TheCabinInTheWoods'' (2012) -- The Director |
61 | * ''Film/RedLights'' (2012) -- Dr. Margaret Matheson |
62 | * ''Film/ExodusGodsAndKings'' (2014) -- Queen Tuya |
63 | * ''Film/{{Chappie}}'' (2015) -- Michelle Bradley |
64 | * ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'' (2016) -- [[AsHerself Sigourney Weaver]] (Voice) |
65 | * ''Film/{{Ghostbusters|2016}}'' (2016) -- Dr. Rebecca Gorin (cameo) |
66 | * ''Literature/AMonsterCalls'' (2016) -- Grandma |
67 | * ''Film/{{Rakka}}'' (2017) -- Jasper |
68 | * ''Film/GhostbustersAfterlife'' (2021) -- Dana Barrett (mid-credits cameo) |
69 | * ''Film/AvatarTheWayOfWater'' (2022) -- Kiri, Dr. Grace Augustine (cameo) |
70 | |
71 | !!!Television |
72 | |
73 | * ''Series/PlanetEarth'' (2006) -- Narrator (US version) |
74 | * ''Series/PoliticalAnimals'' (2012) -- Elaine Barrish |
75 | * ''Series/{{The Defenders|2017}}'' (2017) -- Alexandra Reid |
76 | * ''Series/TheDarkCrystalAgeOfResistance'' (2019) -- The Myth Speaker (voice) |
77 | |
78 | !!!Video Games |
79 | |
80 | * ''VideoGame/AlienIsolation'' (2014) -- Ellen Ripley (voice) |
81 | |
82 | ---- |
83 | !!Tropes: |
84 | |
85 | * ActionGirl[=/=]LadyOfWar: One of the codifiers for women as leads in action films. |
86 | * ActorAllusion: A scene in ''{{Film/Heartbreakers}}'' plays a musical theme from ''Alien'' in the background. |
87 | * ActorInspiredElement: |
88 | ** Sigourney is very anti-gun and that is the reason there is a lack of them in ''{{Film/Alien3}}''. Ripley in fact never holds a gun once in the movie. |
89 | ** It was her idea in ''{{Film/Heartbreakers}}'' to dress the housekeeper up like Mrs Danvers from ''{{Film/Rebecca|1940}}''. |
90 | * [[AsHimself As Herself]]: She's the first person to do it in a Pixar film, as the marine institute in ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'' uses her voice as an automated tour guide. Amusingly, she's actually credited as "Sigourney Weaver" rather than the usual "herself." |
91 | * AwesomeDearBoy: |
92 | ** The reason she has a cameo in ''Film/TheCabinInTheWoods''? She wanted to do a scene with [[spoiler: a werewolf]]. |
93 | ** She was convinced to do ''Film/AlienResurrection'' after reading the scene where Ripley discovers the seven failed attempts at cloning her, as well as getting a love scene with the aliens (something she had been pressing to do since the third film). |
94 | ** A major reason for signing onto ''{{Film/Heartbreakers}}'' (besides finding the script funny) was Max singing "Back in the USSR" in a Russian restaurant. |
95 | * BestKnownForTheFanservice: |
96 | ** ''Half Moon Street'' is known entirely for the plentiful nudity from Sigourney, as she plays a woman who moonlights as a hooker. |
97 | ** ''{{Film/Heartbreakers}}'' is also known for both Sigourney and Creator/JenniferLoveHewitt walking around in form-flattering dresses. |
98 | ** She spends the climax of ''Film/{{Alien}}'' in very tiny skivvies, complete with the camera dropping to crotch level. |
99 | * BillingDisplacement: Exploited for ''Alien'' where she is billed second after Tom Skerrit. She was an unknown at the time and the cast were killed off based on how [[DeadStarWalking famous they were]]. As the film turned Sigourney into a star, this effect is lost on modern viewers. |
100 | * CastingGag: |
101 | ** Sigourney's role as Dr Grace Augustine calls back to her role in ''Film/GorillasInTheMist''. Both Dian and Grace are scientists who came to study an exotic land, and end up fighting to protect the local wildlife. |
102 | ** Any contemporary appearance in the sci-fi or horror genre (such as ''Film/TheCabinInTheWoods'' or ''Film/{{Rakka}}'') is most like due to her most famous role. |
103 | * CelebrityVoiceActor: As the Planet Express Ship in an episode of ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}''. |
104 | * DoesNotLikeGuns: Caused a bit of friction on the set of ''Aliens'', and a main reason why there are none in ''Alien 3''. |
105 | * DoingItForTheArt: "I'd rather have a small part in a movie I love than a bigger part in one I don't care about." She also says she'd rather work with a first time director who's enthusiastic about the project, rather than a veteran who doesn't care. |
106 | * DyeingForYourArt: |
107 | ** Shaved her head for ''{{Film/Alien3}}''. In fact one of the reasons she signed on for the film was David Fincher suggesting Ripley be bald. But her young daughter didn't like her being bald, so she wore a wig when off set. Months later when re-shoots were to be done, her hair had grown back and she refused to shave it off again. So an expensive bald cap was made. |
108 | ** She dyed her hair red for ''{{Film/Avatar}}''. |
109 | * EveryoneWentToSchoolTogether: She and Creator/MerylStreep were classmates at Yale's Drama School. |
110 | * FakeNationality: Egyptian in ''Film/ExodusGodsAndKings'', helped by {{Brownface}}. |
111 | * HappilyMarried: Married to director Jim Simpson since 1986. We mention it primarily because he directed her in the play ''The Guys'' (about the immediate aftermath of 9/11). |
112 | * IKnowKarate: ''Literally'', as stated above, and she gets to use it to beat up Creator/SimonPegg and Creator/NickFrost single-handedly in the finale of ''Film/{{Paul}}''. |
113 | * MemeticBadass: There's a reason she's what you think of when you hear MamaBear. This was also a major reason for her playing the BigBad in ''Series/TheDefenders2017'', as Jeph Loeb stated they needed to find an actor you could believe couldn't be defeated by any less than the whole team. |
114 | * MoneyDearBoy: The other reason she gave for returning for ''Film/AlienResurrection''. The salary was $11 million, more than what the first film had cost to make. |
115 | --> "They basically drove a dump truck full of money to my house." |
116 | * MotherlyScientist: In ''Film/GorillasInTheMist'' and ''Film/{{Avatar}}''. |
117 | * PlayingAgainstType: |
118 | ** ''{{Film/Heartbreakers}}'' has her playing a MrsRobinson type con-woman. ''Film/SnowWhiteATaleOfTerror'' has her playing the WickedWitch. |
119 | ** ''{{Film/Ghostbusters1984}}'' was this too. She was known mostly for serious roles, but she had studied comedy and longed to star in one. |
120 | ** ''Film/GalaxyQuest'' was a rare foray into broad comedy, as well as a character who is overwhelmed in perilous situations to the point her key skill is RepeatToConfirm with the ship's computer. |
121 | * RealLifeRelative: Her mother Elizabeth Inglis provided the picture of Ripley's aged daughter Amanda in ''{{Film/Aliens}}''. |
122 | * ShoutOut: Her name comes from Sigourney Howard, a character from ''Literature/TheGreatGatsby''. The name "Sigourney" means "The Conqueror" in Norse. |
123 | * SoMyKidsCanWatch: She starred in ''{{Film/Holes}}'' because it is her daughter's favourite book. After finishing the book, her daughter actually ran and told her "You have to play this awful person!" |
124 | * StarMakingRole: ''{{Film/Alien}}'' got the ball rolling and ''{{Film/Aliens}}'' solidified it. |
125 | * StatuesqueStunner: One of the things that impressed Creator/RidleyScott when she auditioned for ''Film/{{Alien}}'' was her height (she's 5'11", and was wearing boots with heels to the audition), along with her confident attitude. |
126 | * ThrowItIn: She ad-libbed the "you're more like a game show host" line from ''{{Film/Ghostbusters1984}}''. |
127 | * TypeCasting: A large amount of movies in TheNewTens have featured her playing the head or someone who works for an evil organisation. |
128 | * UnkemptBeauty: She is made up this way in some of her roles, particularly when playing an ActionGirl. |
129 | * VitriolicBestBuds: With Creator/JamesCameron. She claims to have based her portrayal of Dr. Grace Augustine in ''Avatar'' on him, saying he is a real JerkWithAHeartOfGold. |
130 | * WhatCouldHaveBeen: |
131 | ** Bryan Singer's original vision for ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'' would have had Sigourney playing Emma Frost. If that's hard to picture, her character in ''{{Film/Heartbreakers}}'' is quite similar. |
132 | ** Ripley was originally going to be shown fully nude in the climax of ''{{Film/Alien}}'' as she changes into the spacesuit. The alien was even going to be DistractedByTheSexy for a moment. Producers were anxious about the film getting banned in other countries and had Ripley wearing underwear (other scripted nude scenes were cut as well). Sigourney initially felt it was a cop-out, but later said it was for the best (imagining the amount of lewd fan mail she'd have inevitably gotten). |
133 | ** An early idea for ''{{Film/Alien 3}}'' was to be a two-part movie - with Sigourney only making a cameo appearance in the first part (Ripley being left comatose) and focus switching to Creator/MichaelBiehn as Hicks. Some drafts considered dropping her altogether, as they weren't sure whether Sigourney would commit to a third film. |
134 | ** She was cast for in the sequel to ''Film/TheMortalInstrumentsCityOfBones'', reportedly being cast in the role of Imogen Herondale, before the sequel was scrapped. |
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