Juliette Lewis

Juliette Lewis has been recognized as one of Hollywood's most talented
and versatile actors of her generation since she first stunned
audiences and critics alike with her Oscar-nominated performance as
"Danielle Bowden" in Cape Fear (1991).
To date, she has worked with some of the most revered directors in the
industry, including Martin Scorsese,
Woody Allen,
Lasse Hallström,
Oliver Stone and
Garry Marshall. Whether lending dramatic
authenticity or a natural comedic flair to her roles, Lewis graces the
screen with remarkable range and an original and captivating style.Lewis was born in Los Angeles, Californa, to Glenis (Duggan) Batley, a graphic designer, and Geoffrey Lewis, an actor. By the age of six, she knew she wanted to be a performer. At twelve, Lewis landed her first leading role in the
Showtime miniseries
Home Fires (1987). After
appearing in several TV sitcoms including
The Wonder Years (1988), she
made her move to film, starring with
Chevy Chase in National Lampoon's
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) and
with Jennifer Jason Leigh in the
drama Crooked Hearts (1991). At
16, Lewis starred opposite Brad Pitt in the
critically acclaimed television movie
Too Young to Die? (1990),
catching the attention of
Martin Scorsese, who cast her in his
thriller Cape Fear (1991). Her powerful
scenes with Robert De Niro captured the
quiet complexities of adolescence and earned her an Oscar nomination
and Golden Globe nomination for "Best Supporting Actress". Her
auditorium scene with De Niro went down in movie history as one
of cinema's classic scenes.Lewis next worked with Woody Allen in
Husbands and Wives (1992),
playing a self-assured college coed with a penchant for older men and,
particularly, her married professor. She quickly followed suit with a
succession of starring roles in a variety of blockbusters and
critically acclaimed projects including
Kalifornia (1993),
Romeo Is Bleeding (1993),
What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
and
Natural Born Killers (1994),
Oliver Stone's controversial media
satire about two mass murderers who become legendary folk heroes.
Lewis's other credits include the
Nora Ephron comedy
Mixed Nuts (1994), with
Steve Martin and
Adam Sandler; the sci-fi action
film Strange Days (1995) with
Ralph Fiennes and
Angela Bassett;
Quentin Tarantino's vampire tale
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
with George Clooney;
The Evening Star (1996) with
Shirley MacLaine; the
Garry Marshall-directed
The Other Sister (1999), and
Todd Phillips'
Old School (2003), co-starring
opposite Luke Wilson,
Vince Vaughn, and
Will Ferrell as well as
Starsky & Hutch (2004).
In addition to her film career, Lewis has continued to add roles to her
growing list of television credits with a performance in Showtime's
My Louisiana Sky (2001),
for which she secured an EMMY nomination, and a starring role in the
Mira Nair-directed HBO's film
Hysterical Blindness (2002),
alongside Uma Thurman and
Gena Rowlands.After a six-year hiatus from film to pursue her burgeoning music career
exclusively, Lewis announced her return to acting with a handful of
upcoming movies.
Juliette starred alongside Elliot Page,
Marcia Gay Harden,
Kristen Wiig and
Jimmy Fallon in the comedy
Whip It (2009). The film was released by
Fox Searchlight on October 2nd, 2009. Directed by
Drew Barrymore, the film tells
the story of an ex-beauty pageant contestant that leaves her crowns
behind after joining a roller derby team. Lewis plays "Iron Maven", the
star of a top derby team. Next, she joined the cast of the acclaimed
European animated thriller
Metropia (2009), as the voice of "Nina".
She also appeared in the romantic comedy
The Switch (2010), opposite
Jennifer Aniston,
Jason Bateman and
Patrick Wilson. The film tells
the story of a single mother (Aniston) who decides to have a child
using a sperm donor. Juliette plays "Debbie Epstein", the best friend
of Aniston's character. Lewis also appears in
Sympathy for Delicious (2010),
Mark Ruffalo's directorial debut. The film
follows a paralyzed DJ, struggling to survive on the streets of LA who
turns to faith healing and mysteriously develops the ability to cure
the sick. Juliette plays "Ariel", costarring alongside
Orlando Bloom,
Mark Ruffalo and
Laura Linney. The film took home the US
Dramatic Special Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Most
recently, Juliette Lewis appears in the indie-drama
Conviction (2010), which stars
Hilary Swank,
Melissa Leo,
Minnie Driver and
Sam Rockwell. She plays "Roseanna Perry" in
the true story of an unemployed single mother (Swank) who saw her
brother begin serving a life sentence in 1983 for murder and robbery.
The role has won Lewis praise from audiences and critics, alike, for
her performance, with USA Today saying, "Juliette Lewis has an
indelible role" and the San Francisco Chronicle saying "Her character
work should be studied in schools. Just remarkable".
In addition to
Conviction (2010), Lewis also
makes a cameo in Todd Phillips'
comedy, Due Date (2010), starring
Robert Downey Jr.,
Michelle Monaghan and
Zach Galifianakis.Beginning in 2004, Juliette took a hiatus from acting to embark on a
musical journey. After six years, two full length albums and countless
high profile tours and festival gigs with her band, 'Juliette & the
Licks', Juliette set out on a solo career. Releasing "Terra Incognita"
last fall, the album has taken her all across the world from Europe to
Japan to Turkey, Australia, North America and Canada. For more
information on Juliette Lewis' music, please visit her MySpace page.
Juliette Lewis resides in Los Angeles.