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Geena Davishit the ground running in Hollywood.
The actress made her film debut inDustin Hoffman's hit 1982 romantic comedyTootsieand quickly amassed a catalog of cult classics like 1986'sThe Flyand 1991'sThelma & Louise. For her performance in 1988'sThe Accidental Tourist, she won theOscarfor Best Supporting Actress, and she later brought her talents to television, taking home theGolden Globefor the political dramaCommander in Chiefin 2006.
Off-screen, Davis is a proud mom ofthree kids, whom she shares withex-husbandReza Jarrahy. She has also been one-half of a few A-list relationships, including a four-year marriage toJeff Goldblumfrom 1987 to 1991.
As theBeetlejuicestar celebrates her 70th birthday on Jan. 21, 2026, look back at her life and iconic career in photos.
Geena Davis' Childhood
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Virginia Elizabeth Davis was born on Jan. 21, 1956, in Wareham, Mass., to teacher's assistant Lucille and engineer William F. Davis. In her 2022 memoirDying of Politeness, she revealed that she attended Boston University to study acting but did not graduate due to insufficient credits.
"I loved BU. All of my lifelong friends are from BU. We're still very close," she told Boston University in a2022 Q&A. "I learned a lot. The only thing I didn't learn was that if you want to be in movies, you should go to LA." (She signed to New York's Zoli modeling agency post-college.)
Geena Davis in 'The Fly'
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After landing her first role in Sydney Pollack'sTootsieopposite Hoffman andJessica Lange, she appeared on TV shows such asBuffalo Bill,Remington SteeleandFamily Ties. However, it was her performance in the sci-fi thrillerThe Flyas the love interest of her future husband Goldblum that launched her into movie stardom.
Reflecting on her "fabulous experience" filming the box-office hit, Davis recalled toCollider, "I got cast because Jeff Goldblum was already cast and we had recently become an item, and he recommended me for the female part. ... I was acting with my actual real-life partner, and so we just lived and breathed that movie ever since we got cast."
Geena Davis' Marriage to Jeff Goldblum
A year afterThe Fly, Davis and Goldblum tied the knot and costarred again in 1988'sEarth Girls Are Easy. The power couple ultimately called it quits in 1990 and finalized their divorce in 1991, but Davis holds no hard feelings.
"[Our relationship] was joyful. It really was. That was a magical chapter in my life," she told PEOPLE in 2022.
At the2024 SAG Awards, the exesreunitedto present Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
Geena Davis in 'Beetlejuice'
Davis added another theatrical success to her résumé with Tim Burton's 1988 horror comedyBeetlejuice. She andAlec Baldwinportrayed the ghosts of the Maitlands, who die when their car crashes into a river, and they haunt their old home, which was sold to the Deetz family (Michael Keaton,Catherine O'HaraandWinona Ryder).
Though she expressed interest in returning for the 2024 sequel,Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Davis and Baldwin ultimately did not reprise their roles.
"My theory is that ghosts don't age. … Not that I have," she quipped toEntertainment Tonight.
Geena Davis Wins an Oscar
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She won her first Oscar at the 1989 Academy Awards, where she was nominated for her performance as animal hospital employee Muriel Pritchett inThe Accidental Tourist. In her speech, she thanked numerous people involved in the book-to-movie adaptation, including her two acting coaches — her "darling husband" Goldblum as one of them.
Geena Davis in 'Thelma & Louise'
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One of her most memorable roles came in 1991'sThelma & Louise, in which she starred alongsideSusan Sarandonas the titular duo. Davis, as housewife Thelma Dickinson, rides off into the sunset (and off a cliff) and shares a kiss with Sarandon's Louise in a legendary cinematic shot.
For their leading performances, both women were nominated for Best Actress at the 1992 Oscars.
"Thelma and Louise end up driving off a cliff, and still viewers felt exhilarated by their story," she explained toThe Hollywood Reporterin 2021. "It made me realize how few opportunities we give women to come out of a movie feeling inspired and empowered by the female characters."
Geena Davis' Marriage to Renny Harlin
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She wed her third husband, Finnish director Renny Harlin, in 1993. More than their civil partnership, the two collaborated as creatives on the action filmsCutthroat IslandandThe Long Kiss Goodnight. The commercial failure ofCutthroat Islandeventually led to Davis taking a two-year hiatus from acting. Davis filed for divorce from Harlin on Aug. 26, 1997, a day after her personal secretary gave birth to the director's child.
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
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In 2004, Davis founded her Institute on Gender in Media, a non-profit organization "championing equitable representation in the media," according to itswebsite. The actress says on the homepage that she was inspired to start the initiative after having kids.
"When I first saw kids' shows and movies through my toddler daughter's eyes, I was stunned by the lack of female characters and diversity," she writes. "Back in 2004, only 11 percent of family films had female leads."
What started as a passion project eventually evolved into her "life's mission," Davis told PEOPLE in 2020 — though she "didn't intend" for it.
Geena Davis' Pivot from Film to TV
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Into the 21st century, Davis took on less film roles and more TV work. Her transition to the small screen began with a short-lived sitcom,The Geena Davis Show, but 2005'sCommander in Chiefcemented her status as a television star. The leading lady, who portrayed the fictional first female president of the United States, won a Golden Globe for Best Actress — Television Series Drama.
AlthoughCommander in Chiefended after only one season, Davis has since had a brief recurring role onGrey's Anatomyand main billing onThe Exorcistseason 1. She will soon star in Netflix's sci-fi seriesThe Boroughs, out in 2026.
Geena Davis' 3 Kids with Ex Reza Jarrahy
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Davis and surgeon Jarrahy, who split in 2018 after 17 years of marriage, welcomed three children together: daughter Alizeh, born in 2002, and twins Kaiis and Kian, born in 2004. In the 2021 finalization of theirdivorce, the two agreed to change the surname of the twins, who were minors at the time, from Davis-Jarrahy to just Jarrahy.
On having children in her 40s, Davis said on ITV'sLoose Talkthat she was "grateful" she waited to become a mother.
"I thought, 'I'll be more evolved the longer I wait,' " she said. "I didn't have a lot of self-esteem, but I was really determined that my children would have self-esteem."
Read the original article onPeople
