Geena Davis: Age, Net Worth, Family, Children

Geena Davis became one of the biggest stars in Hollywood during the 1980s and 1990s. The Academy Award-winning actress starred in the classic film Thelma & Louise, among others, and it seemed like her career couldn’t go anywhere but up.

Then, suddenly, Geena pretty much disappeared from the spotlight, at least in terms of the big screen. So what happened to her?

Here’s all you need to know about Geena Davis – and her pretty surprising career today.

Geena Davis knew from the very beginning that she wanted to be an actor. Just likely not the actor that she eventually became.

Geena Davis – early life

Born on January 21, 1958, in Wareham, Massachusetts, Davis had a peaceful life with her parents.

“My parents are both from Vermont, very old-fashioned New England,” she explained. “We heated our house with wood my father chopped. My mom grew all of our food. We were very underexposed to everything.”

Geena loved watching films when she was young. By age 3, she knew she wanted to work as an actor.

She explained: “I was three years old, and how I even knew it was a job, I have no idea, because we were only allowed to watch Disney movies, which were animated.”

Perhaps those dreams of becoming an actor remained, but as Davis grew up, she turned to athletics.

In high school, she was the tallest among the girls. Yet instead of empowering her, it hurt her self-esteem.

“They always wanted me on the basketball team, but I wasn’t too good,” she told The Chilliwack Progress in 1985. “Track was my thing. I did high jumps and hurdles on the girls’ team. But it was hopeless if you were taller than everybody else.

“I had one date in high school, I lied about my height when I started modeling because, believe it or not, you can be considered too tall.

“I would wear high heels on job interviews so they wouldn’t know my actual height, I said I was 5-foot-10, but I’m actually 6 feet tall.”

Modeling career

In high school, Geena also played the flute in the marching band, and during her senior year, she left to study abroad in Sweden. As a result, she speaks fluent Swedish.

She studied at New England College in New Hampshire and later transferred to Boston University, majoring in drama.

Following her graduation in 1977, Geena moved to New York City, where she served as a mannequin in store windows and a sales clerk and waitress.

Davis wanted to become a model at this point, and worked hard to make it happen. Eventually, she signed with the Zoli Agency and was featured as a model in the famous Victoria Secret Catalog.

After being featured in the catalog, Davis’ transition into the film business was only a short leap away.

“I knew I wanted to be in movies, as opposed to theater,” she told NPR.

“I decided that I would try becoming a model first because, at that time, Christie Brinkley and Lauren Hutton were being offered parts in movies. And I thought, OK, well, I’ll just become a model, and then they’ll just offer me parts because obviously, it’s so much easier to become a supermodel.

“It ultimately all worked out for me, but the likelihood of becoming a famous model was actually pretty slim, and I didn’t,” she added.

“I did get work, and it was through my model agency that I got my first acting job.

According to IMDB, film director Sydney Pollack searched the catalog to find new talents. He spotted Geena and decided to cast her in his 1982 film Tootsie.