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Janet Leigh

Also known as Janet Lee, Jeanette Helen Morrison

Born
Jul 6, 1927
height
5'5" (or 165 cm)
body type
Slim
nationality
American

Career

Active 1947 – 2004

Biography

About Janet Leigh

Edited by the community

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

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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).

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