Sigourney Weaver (born
Susan Alexandra Weaver; October 8, 1949) is an American actress and film producer. Following her film debut as a minor character in
Annie Hall (1977), she quickly came to prominence in 1979 with her first lead role as
Ellen Ripley in
Alien. She reprised the role in three sequels:
Aliens (1986), for which she was nominated for the
Academy Award Best Actress;
Alien 3 (1992), and (1997). She is also known for her starring roles in the box-office hits
Ghostbusters (1984),
Ghostbusters II (1989), and
Avatar (2009).