Janet Leigh
Also known as Janet Lee, Jeanette Helen Morrison
Career
Active 1947 – 2004
Biography
About Janet Leigh
Actress Janet Leigh was an American performer whose career spanned more than five decades. Born on July 6, 1927, in Merced, California, she was raised in Stockton by working-class parents. At 18, she was discovered by actress Norma Shearer, who helped her secure a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Leigh made her film debut in The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947), and she went on to appear in a wide variety of films with MGM, including the crime-drama Act of Violence (1948), the drama Little Women (1949), the comedy Angels in the Outfield (1951), the romance Scaramouche (1952), and the western The Naked Spur (1953). She also co-starred with Robert Mitchum in the romantic comedy Holiday Affair (1949) for RKO Radio Pictures.
Leigh achieved her greatest success playing Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock's thriller Psycho (1960). For that role, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and earned an Academy Award nomination. Her career continued with films such as Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Harper (1966), Night of the Lepus (1972), and Boardwalk (1979). She made her Broadway debut in 1975 in Murder Among Friends. Later, she appeared in two horror films with her daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis: The Fog (1980) and Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998).
Beyond acting, Leigh wrote four books between 1984 and 2002, two of which were novels. She had two brief marriages as a teenager, one of which was annulled, before marrying actor Tony Curtis in 1951. Their highly publicized union ended in divorce in 1962. After starring in The Manchurian Candidate that same year, she remarried and scaled back her career. She died on October 3, 2004, at age 77, after a year-long battle with vasculitis. She had brown hair and blue eyes. She stood 5'5" with a slim build.
Record
Profile details
Personal
- Died
- Sunday 3rd of October 2004 (age 77)
- Years Active
- 1947-2004 (started around 19 years old; 57 years active)
- Birthplace
- Merced, California, United States
- Ethnicity
- Caucasian
- Sexuality
- Straight
Body
- Hair Color
- Brown
- Eye Color
- Blue
- Weight
- 119 lbs (or 54 kg)
- Measurements
- 37–23–35 (B–W–H) · WHR 0.66
- Bra/Cup Size
- 36C show conversions - UK: 36C, EU: 80C, AU: 14C, JP: 80C
- Boobs
- Real/Natural
Frequently asked
How did Janet Leigh get her start in acting?
She was discovered at 18 by actress Norma Shearer, who helped her secure a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, leading to her film debut in The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947).
What recognition did Leigh receive for her role in Psycho?
She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Did Janet Leigh appear in any films with her daughter Jamie Lee Curtis?
Yes, they co-starred in The Fog (1980) and Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998).
Did you know
- Leigh was born Jeanette Helen Morrison, but is known professionally as Janet Leigh.
- She wrote four books between 1984 and 2002, including two novels.
- She had two brief marriages as a teenager before marrying Tony Curtis, with one of those marriages annulled.
- She died after a year-long battle with vasculitis.
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