
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

Castle
2009
as Sophia Turner

The Kelly Clarkson Show
2019
as Self

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 Outer Limits
1995
as Robin Dysart

The L Word
2004
as Bette Porter

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 Night Shift
2014
as Dr. Syd Jennings

The Hunger
1997
as Jane

Best Week Ever
2004
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

Nothing Sacred
1997
as Justine Madsen Judd

Proof
2015
as Dr. Carolyn Tyler

E! True Hollywood Story
1996

2000 Malibu Road
1992
as Perry Quinn
Movies (67)

After
2019
as Karen Gibson

The Book of Eli
2010
as Claudia

Flashdance
1983
as Alex Owens

Four Rooms
1995
as Angela

Runaway Jury
2003
as Vanessa Lembeck

Before I Fall
2017
as Mrs. Kingston

The Grudge 2
2006
as Trish Kimble

Luckiest Girl Alive
2022
as Lolo Vincent

A Wife's Nightmare
2014
as Liz

Devil in a Blue Dress
1995
as Daphne Monet

Vampire's Kiss
1989
as Rachel

13 Moons
2002
as Suzi

The Prophecy II
1998
as Valerie Rosales

Cinemanovels
2013
as Clementine

Manhattan Night
2016
as Lisa Wren

My Bodyguard
1980
as Clifford's Friend (uncredited)

Catch That Kid
2004
as Molly Phillips

The Spree
1998
as Xinia Kelly

The Bride
1985
as Eva

Roger Dodger
2002
as Sophie

Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle
1994
as Gertrude Benchley

The Last Days of Disco
1998
as Nina

Feast of All Saints
2001
as Dolly Rose

Caro diario
1993
as Jennifer Beals

The Thief and the Cobbler
1993
as Princess YumYum (voice)

The Anniversary Party
2001
as Gina Taylor

Full Out
2015
as Coach Valorie Kondos-Field

Dr. M
1990
as Sonja Vogler

Break a Leg
2005
as Juliet

In the Soup
1992
as Angelica Pena

The White Orchid
2018
as Vivian

The Twilight of the Golds
1996
as Suzanne Stein

Blood and Concrete
1991
as Mona

The Search for One-eye Jimmy
1994
as Ellen

Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying
1999
as Jessica

Split Decisions
1988
as Barbara Uribe

The Night Before the Night Before Christmas
2010
as Angela Fox

Militia
2000
as Julie Sanders

Indecency
1992
as Ellie Shaw

Hollywood: No Sex, Please!
2018
Joy Will Prevail
as Esther Kahn

Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute
1988
as Self

Sons
1990
as Transvestite

That's Dancing!
1985
as Self (archive footage)

Cinderella
1985
as Cinderella

A Night for Dying Tigers
2010
as Melanie

Queen to Play
2009
as L’Américaine

My Name Is Sarah
2007
as Sarah Winston

The Gamble
1988
as Lady Olivia Candioni

They Shoot Divas, Don't They?
2002
as Sloan McBride

Dead on Sight
1994
as Rebecca Darcy

The Big Pardon 2
1992
as Joyce Ferranti

Let It Be Me
1995
as Emily Taylor

Troubled Waters
2006
as FBI Agent Beck

A Fuller Life
2013
as Self - Reader (segment "Crime Reporter")

Body and Soul
2000
as Gina

Wishful Thinking
1999
as Elizabeth

Desolation Sound
2005
as Elizabeth Storey

Out of Line
2001
as Officer Jenny Capitanas

A House Divided
2000
as Amanda Dickson

Terror Stalks the Class Reunion
1992
as Virginia

Without Malice
2000
as Samantha Wilkes

Hello Out There
2025
as Judith

Something More
2000
as Lisa
Starz Inside: Fashion in Film
2008
as Self

Night Owl
1993
as Julia

The Madonna and the Dragon
1990
as Patty Meredith
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 HinFlix, 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
- Flashdance (1983) — as Alex Owens
- Four Rooms (1995) — as Angela
- Runaway Jury (2003) — as Vanessa Lembeck
Where to Watch Jennifer Beals Films
Most Jennifer Beals movies and series are available to stream on HinFlix 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.