Susan Alexandra Weaver aka Sigourney biography

Real biography: Introduction

Whether it's comedy, action or drama, few actors have had more success and even fewers can boast a more impressive resume than Sigourney Weaver.

Life Story

Her father, legendary television producer Pat Weaver, revolutionized the industry and created two of the longest running and most successful shows in history: "The Today Show" and the "Tonight Show". She was born, Susan Alexandra Weaver in New York City. When she was 14 she changed her name to Sigourney, after the character "Sigourney Howard" in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. She majored in English Literature at Stanford and attended the Yale School of Drama.

Career

She began her career on stage then made her film debut with a small role in Annie Hall. Since then she has put together one of the most impressive list of credits in cinema history. She earned her first Academy Award nomination playing 'Ripley' in Alien, a role that she would reprise three more times. In 1988 she was nominated for two Oscars, Best Actress for Gorilla's in the Mist and Best Supporting Actress for Working Girl. She has been in Ghostbusters, Galaxy Quest, Holes and Ice Storm. She is however, not perfect, as evidenced by her appearance in The Village.