Profile of the Day: Sigourney Weaver

Posted October 8, 2021 by Amanda | No Comment

Happy birthday to Sigourney Weaver! Today the star turns 72.

Image: Sigourney Weaver / Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Sigourney Weaver was born Susan Alexandra Weaver on October 8, 1949 in New York City, New York. Her mother, Elizabeth Inglis, was an English actress and her father, Sylvester “Pat” Weaver, was the former president of NBC. By the age of 14, Weaver began going by the name “Sigourney” after discovering the name in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.

She discovered her passion for acting while a student at Stanford University. After receiving a degree in English, Weaver enrolled in Yale School of Drama where she was classmates with future star Meryl Streep.

In 1979, Weaver landed the role of Ellen Ripley in the blockbuster film, Alien. The part would become one of the most iconic roles of her career and turn her into an instant star. Weaver would go on to reprise the role in three more films in the Alien franchise and land her first Academy Award nomination in 1986 for the sequel, Aliens. Since catapulting to stardom, Weaver has starred in many classic and popular films including Ghostbuster, Working Girl, and Avatar.

What’s your favorite film?

Explore Sigourney Weaver’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re related to the actress!