After feeling that she was shut out of directing because she's a woman, she became an activist. Also with us is director Maria Giese, who's featured in the film, too. She's receiving an honorary Oscar this year, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, at a special ceremony in October. She is an executive producer of and is featured in the new documentary "This Changes Everything," about how women in Hollywood are pushing for more representation in front of and behind the camera. In 2004, she founded the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media to get the actual data comparing the number and types of male and female roles and to use that data to convince the industry of the need for change. In 2008, after being missed from the big screen for some years, Geena ventured to Sydney, Australia, playing the foul-mouthed mother of Harry Cook and Harrison Gilbertson to shoot the dark comedy Accidents Happen (2009)." But when she got older and roles started to dry up, she realized how unempowered women were in Hollywood. Both shows were canceled after one season, but she won a Golden Globe for the latter. She's also returned to TV, headlining The Geena Davis Show (2000) and Commander in Chief (2005). Geena has since starred in the thriller The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) and played Eleanor Little in Stuart Little (1999) and Stuart Little 2 (2002). Undeterred, Renny decided to film the big-budget Cutthroat Island (1995), starring Geena as pirate leader Morgan, which also flopped. Their first film was Speechless (1994), which flopped at the box office. Then she married director Renny Harlin and they set up a production and development company called "The Forge". A League of Their Own (1992), with Tom Hanks and directed by Penny Marshall, was the turning point as her next film, Hero (1992), was only average. The very successful Thelma & Louise (1991), directed by Ridley Scott, again garnered nominations for the Academy Award and Golden Globe. More fun movies followed with the flying-saucer-in-the-pool Earth Girls Are Easy (1988) and everyone-loves-a-clown Quick Change (1990) with Bill Murray. For the last film, she was the surprise winner of the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. More successful were Tim Burton's dark comedy Beetlejuice (1988) and The Accidental Tourist (1988). From there on, she was on a roll with second husband Jeff Goldblum in the horror remake The Fly (1986). Geena then returned to the big screen in the below-average Transylvania 6-5000 (1985) followed by the successful Chevy Chase movie Fletch (1985). Her next appearance on television was in her own series Sara (1985), which was also good, but soon canceled. A starter marriage to restaurant manager Richard Emmolo dissolved around this time. With good reviews, Geena moved to Los Angeles where she was cast as Wendy in the short-lived but critically acclaimed television series Buffalo Bill (1983) with Dabney Coleman. Ever vigilant, Sydney Pollack was looking for new talent in the catalog when he spotted Geena and cast her in Tootsie (1982). ![]() ![]() Eventually signed by the Zoli Agency, she wound up as a model in the Victoria Secret's Catalogue. She worked at Ann Taylor, where she eventually rose to Saturday window mannequin while trying to get a job with a modeling agency. Her career consisted of sales clerk and waitress. In 1977, she left BU and moved to New York to start her career. After high school graduation, Geena entered New England College in New Hampshire and then transferred the next year to Boston University, where she majored in drama. While in high school, she felt left out and had low self-esteem because, at 6 feet, she was the tallest girl in school. As a child, Geena dreamed of being an actress.
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