Jennifer Connelly Biography
Jennifer Connelly was born December 12, 1970, in Catskill Mountains, New York. Her father, Gerard, is a clothing manufacturer and mother, Eileen, an antique dealer. She looked very thin and tiny in her childhood but at the age of ten she was perfect to be adorned a magazine's cover as a "seventeen year girl" after a friend of her father's recommended that the model. Signed with Ford models, Jennifer did her share of print and television before appearing in front of cameras as an actress. While as student at St. Ann's School, she landed a role as a young Elisabeth McGovern for a flashback sequence in the mobster film, Once Upon a Time in America, starring Robert De Niro. Then she had her lead role opposite David Bowie in Jim Henson and George Lucas' 1986 film, Labyrinth. Her role placed her into the spotlight, so much so that she is even recognized by children today. By the time she had graduated high school, Jennifer had appeared in a video for Roy Orbison's "I Drove All Night" with Jason Priestly; appeared in television commercials in Japan; and even released a single in Japan entitled, "Monologue of Love," in which she sings in Japanese. But Jennifer's career choice left her in a maze of disappointment after disappointment, with roles in 1990's The Hot Spot and Career Opportunities. Balancing work and school, Jennifer attended Yale and then transferred to Stanford, but decided to make acting her number one priority when she was cast in the lead of Disney's The Rocketeer. The movie not only raised Jennifer to new heights, but it also led to a long-term romance with her co-star, Billy Campbell. In 1995, Jennifer was cast as a lesbian in Higher Learning, co-starring Tyra Banks, and the following year she appeared in Mulholland Falls and starred in Far Harbor. The green-eyed beauty then had a streak, with 1997's Inventing the Abbotts, as the sister of Liv Tyler, and less commercial films like Dark City, Waking the Dead, the critically-acclaimed Requiem for a Dream, in a convincing turn as a heroine addict, and Pollock. Jennifer tried her hand at television, with a starring role in the poorly rated The $treet, and although it was canceled, Jennifer is keeping busy with a lead role in the upcoming A Beautiful Mind,
Her 12th Birthday
Jennifer celebrated her 12th birthday in Rome, on the set of “Once Upon A Time in America.” She loved it - it was far preferable to having her picture taken as she remained very reserved, even shy. So, when the opportunity arose to act once more in Italy, she said YES, despite the oddness of the role. And it was very odd, even judged by the crazy standards of Italian cinema.
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