The Beginning
Geena was born Virgina Elizabeth Davis in Wareham, Massachusetts USA, the daughter of Lucille, a teacher's assistant, and William Davis, a civil engineer; she has a brother named Dan. At an early age, she became interested in music. She learned piano, flute, drums and organ. Davis graduated with a bachelor's degree in drama from Boston University in 1979. After graduating, Davis signed with New York's Zoli modelling agency and served as a window mannequin for Ann Taylor.
The Movie Star
With a height of six feet and a shoe size of 9. She was working as a model when director Sydney Pollack spotted her and cast her in Tootsie (1982). She followed this up with roles in the short-lived television series Buffalo Bill (1983–1984) and Sara (1985). Davis made a breakthrough with The Fly and Beetlejuice. She received an Oscar as Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Accidental Tourist (1988) and a Best Actress nomination for her role in Thelma and Louise (1991). Davis replaced Debra Winger for the lead in A League of Their Own. Following this, Davis teamed up with then husband Renny Harlin for the box office disasters Cutthroat Island and The Long Kiss Goodnight. In 2009, Geena played the razor-tongued Gloria Conway in the the indy comedy Accidents Happen.
The Television Star
Davis starred in the short-lived sitcom The Geena Davis Show (2000–2001). In early 2004, she guest-starred as Grace Adler's sister Janet on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace. She most recently starred in the ABC television series Commander in Chief as the first female President of the United States. This role garnered her a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series in 2006, and she also was nominated for a SAG Award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Drama Series and an Emmy Award.
The Athlete
In 1999, Geena Davis was a semi-finalist in tryouts for the United States' Olympic Archery team. She placed twenty-fourth out of twenty-eight.
The Feminist
In 2004, Geena Davis sat with her pre-school age daughter watching TV and movies, and they began to notice something: a lack of female characters. Davis thought, if my daughter notices, then what message does this send to all children? She went on to raise funds for the largest research project ever undertaken on gender in children's entertainment.
The research results shocked Davis and led her to found The Geena Davis Institute.
The Wife and Mother
Davis has been married four times, including her current marriage. Her ex-husbands include Jeff Goldblum (with whom she co-starred in three films, including The Fly and Earth Girls Are Easy) from 1987 to 1990 and Renny Harlin (who directed her in Cutthroat Island as well as The Long Kiss Goodnight) from 1993 to 1998. She has been married to Iranian-American Dr. Reza Jarrahy age 34 since September 1, 2001, with whom she has three children: daughter Alizeh Keshvar (born April 10, 2002) and fraternal twins Kian William Jarrahy and Kaiis Steven Jarrahy (delivered by Cesarean section on May 9, 2004).
| Eye Color: | Brown |
| Height: | 6' (183 cm) |
| Notable Features: | Overbite |
| Nicknames: | Geena is her nickname. Her birth name is Virginia. |
| Education: | Bachelor's degree in drama from Boston University in 1979. |
| Family: | Three children. One daughter and twin boys. |
| Resides In: | Northern California |
| Personal Interest: | Member of American Mensa, the society of persons with IQ scores in the statistical top 2%, with an IQ of 140 |
| Athletics/Hobbies: | Archery |
| Languages: | Bilingual; she is fluent in English and Swedish. |
| Star Sign: | Aquarius |
| Musical Talents: | Plays the piano, flute and drums. |
The Accidental Tourist
Best Supporting Actress for the role of Muriel Pritchett
