Jennifer Jason Leigh (born February 5, 1962) is an American actress. Leigh began her career as a teenager in the 1970s, guest-starring on several television shows. Her film breakthrough came in 1982 for her performance as Stacy Hamilton in
Fast Times at Ridgemont High. She continued performing as an adult, receiving critical praise for her roles in the 1990 films
Miami Blues and
Last Exit to Brooklyn. In 1991 she appeared in
Ron Howard's
Backdraft, and in 1992 she starred in the drama-thriller
Single White Female. In 1993 she appeared in the ensemble film
Short Cuts, directed by
Robert Altman, and in 1994 she starred in the
Coen brothers'
The Hudsucker Proxy. She was nominated for a
Golden Globe for her portrayal of
Dorothy Parker in
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994). In 1995, she starred in a film written by her mother, screenwriter
Barbara Turner, titled
Georgia. In 2001, she co-directed a film with
Alan Cumming titled
The Anniversary Party.