# List of Sigourney Weaver performances
[Sigourney Weaver](https://www.edgepedia.org/sigourney-weaver) is the stage name of Susan "Sigourney" Weaver (born New York City, 1949), an American actress whose screen work runs from a brief appearance in *Annie Hall* (1977) to the *Avatar* sequels, and who is best known for playing [Ellen Ripley](https://www.edgepedia.org/ellen-ripley) in the four *Alien* films.[1](https://goldenglobes.com/person/sigourney-weaver/) After studying at Stanford University and the [Yale School of Drama](https://www.edgepedia.org/yale-school-of-drama), she acted frequently on stage and occasionally on television in the 1970s; a small role in *Annie Hall* led Ridley Scott to cast her as Ripley in *Alien* (1979), the role that made her career.[2](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/sigourney-weaver/) • [3](http://cinema.encyclopedie.personnalites.bifi.fr/index.php?pk=48061) In 2024 she received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival.[2](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/sigourney-weaver/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Susan "Sigourney" Weaver, New York City, 1949[1](https://goldenglobes.com/person/sigourney-weaver/) |
| Signature role | Ellen Ripley in *Alien* (1979), *Aliens* (1986), *Alien 3* (1992), and *Alien: Resurrection* (1997); Academy Award nomination for *Aliens* in 1986[1](https://goldenglobes.com/person/sigourney-weaver/) • [4](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10205-sigourney-weaver?language=en-US) |
| 1988 double | Dian Fossey in *Gorillas in the Mist* and Katharine Parker in *Working Girl*; Academy Award nominations for both[3](http://cinema.encyclopedie.personnalites.bifi.fr/index.php?pk=48061) • [4](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10205-sigourney-weaver?language=en-US) |
| Golden Globes | Won Best Actress (Drama) and Best Supporting Actress for those two films, the first person to win two acting Golden Globes in the same year; seven-time nominee[4](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10205-sigourney-weaver?language=en-US) |
| Other awards | BAFTA Best Actress in a Supporting Role for *The Ice Storm* (1997); Tony nomination for *Hurlyburly* (1984); Chicago International Film Festival career award (2001)[4](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10205-sigourney-weaver?language=en-US) • [3](http://cinema.encyclopedie.personnalites.bifi.fr/index.php?pk=48061) |
| Recent honors | Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, Venice, 2024[2](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/sigourney-weaver/) |
| Franchise work | Grace Augustine and Kiri in the *Avatar* films, including *Avatar: The Way of Water* (2022) and *Avatar: Fire and Ash* (2025)[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000244/) • [6](https://www.svenskfilmdatabas.se/en/item/?itemid=72760&type=person) |
## Film performances
Weaver's first film appearance was a brief part as Alvy's date outside the theater in [Woody Allen](https://www.edgepedia.org/woody-allen)'s *Annie Hall* (1977).[7](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/240758-Sigourney-Weaver) • [3](http://cinema.encyclopedie.personnalites.bifi.fr/index.php?pk=48061) [Ridley Scott](https://www.edgepedia.org/ridley-scott) then cast her as Ellen Ripley in *Alien* (1979), and she returned to the character three times: in [James Cameron](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-cameron)'s *Aliens* (1986), David Fincher's *Alien 3* (1992), and Jean-Pierre Jeunet's *Alien: Resurrection* (1997).[3](http://cinema.encyclopedie.personnalites.bifi.fr/index.php?pk=48061) The Swedish Film Database credits her as co-producer on *Alien³* (1992).[6](https://www.svenskfilmdatabas.se/en/item/?itemid=72760&type=person)
Through the 1980s and 1990s she worked across genres. Credited roles include Lauren Slaughter in *Half Moon Street* (1986), Dana Barrett in *Ghostbusters* (1984) and *Ghostbusters II* (1989), [Dian Fossey](https://www.edgepedia.org/dian-fossey) in *Gorillas in the Mist* (1988) and Katharine Parker in [Mike Nichols](https://www.edgepedia.org/mike-nichols)'s *Working Girl* (1988), Queen Isabel in *1492: Conquest of Paradise* (1992), and Ellen Mitchell in *Dave* (1993).[7](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/240758-Sigourney-Weaver) • [3](http://cinema.encyclopedie.personnalites.bifi.fr/index.php?pk=48061) Treccani's film list adds *Eyewitness* (1981), *The Year of Living Dangerously* (1982), *Death and the Maiden* (1994), *Copycat* (1995), *The Ice Storm* (1997), *A Map of the World* (1999), *Galaxy Quest* (1999), *Heartbreakers* (2001), *[Holes](https://www.edgepedia.org/holes-film)* (2003), *The Village* (2004), *Infamous* (2006), *Baby Mama* (2008), and *Avatar* (2009), in which she played Grace Augustine.[2](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/sigourney-weaver/) • [3](http://cinema.encyclopedie.personnalites.bifi.fr/index.php?pk=48061)
Later credits include *Snow White: A Tale of Terror* (1997), *The Cabin in the Woods* (2012), *Exodus: Gods and Kings* (2013), *Chappie* (2014), *[A Monster Calls](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-monster-calls-film)* (2016), *Ghostbusters: Afterlife* (2021, again as Dana Barrett), and *Master Gardener* (2022).[6](https://www.svenskfilmdatabas.se/en/item/?itemid=72760&type=person) • [3](http://cinema.encyclopedie.personnalites.bifi.fr/index.php?pk=48061) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000244/) In James Cameron's *Avatar: The Way of Water* (2022) she played Kiri, and she also appeared in *Call Jane* (2022) as Virginia.[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000244/)
## Television performances
On television she starred in *Prayers for Bobby* (2009) and *Political Animals* (2012).[1](https://goldenglobes.com/person/sigourney-weaver/) IMDb credits her as June Hart in a 2023 television series, appearing in seven episodes.[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000244/)
## Stage performances
Weaver became a professional stage actress in 1975 and appeared in several Broadway plays before her film career began.[3](http://cinema.encyclopedie.personnalites.bifi.fr/index.php?pk=48061) Her best-documented Broadway credit is the 1984 play *Hurlyburly*, for which she received a Tony Award nomination.[4](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10205-sigourney-weaver?language=en-US)
## Voice and narration work
Voice and narration credits in the record include the animated film *Finding Dory* (2015) and the documentary *Ingrid Bergman, in Her Own Words* (2015).[3](http://cinema.encyclopedie.personnalites.bifi.fr/index.php?pk=48061) • [6](https://www.svenskfilmdatabas.se/en/item/?itemid=72760&type=person)
## Awards and recognition
Weaver received Academy Award nominations for *Gorillas in the Mist* and *Working Girl*, both from 1988.[4](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10205-sigourney-weaver?language=en-US) For the same two films she won Golden Globes as Best Actress in a Drama and Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first person to win two acting Golden Globes in the same year; she has been nominated seven times in total.[4](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10205-sigourney-weaver?language=en-US) Sources date the two wins differently: the Cinémathèque française record lists both as awarded in 1989, while TMDB dates them to 1988; the discrepancy is not resolved here.[3](http://cinema.encyclopedie.personnalites.bifi.fr/index.php?pk=48061) • [4](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10205-sigourney-weaver?language=en-US) She won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for *The Ice Storm* (1997) and received a career award at the Chicago International Film Festival in 2001.[4](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10205-sigourney-weaver?language=en-US) • [3](http://cinema.encyclopedie.personnalites.bifi.fr/index.php?pk=48061) In 2024 the [Venice Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/venice-film-festival) awarded her the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.[2](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/sigourney-weaver/)
## Career pattern and recurring collaborators
Weaver's stardom was built on an androgynous look and her height, deployed in action films such as [Peter Weir](https://www.edgepedia.org/peter-weir)'s *The Year of Living Dangerously* (1982) as well as in comedies.[3](http://cinema.encyclopedie.personnalites.bifi.fr/index.php?pk=48061) She is considered a pioneer of action heroines in science fiction films, and her Ripley performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for *Aliens*.[4](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10205-sigourney-weaver?language=en-US) After 2005 she no longer headlined films, taking supporting roles in comedies, fantasy, and action films.[3](http://cinema.encyclopedie.personnalites.bifi.fr/index.php?pk=48061)
Her recurring collaborators include Ridley Scott, who cast her in *Alien*; James Cameron, who directed *Aliens* and the *Avatar* films; [Jean-Pierre Jeunet](https://www.edgepedia.org/jean-pierre-jeunet) (*Alien: Resurrection*); [David Fincher](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-fincher) (*Alien 3*); Mike Nichols (*Working Girl*); and [Jason Reitman](https://www.edgepedia.org/jason-reitman) (*Ghostbusters: Afterlife*).[3](http://cinema.encyclopedie.personnalites.bifi.fr/index.php?pk=48061) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000244/)
## What has changed since 2023
Since late 2023, the record shows two developments. In 2024 she received the Venice Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.[2](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/sigourney-weaver/) The Swedish Film Database lists her in the cast of *Avatar: Fire and Ash* (2025), whose described storyline follows Jake and Neytiri's family after Neteyam's death as they encounter the Ash People, a new aggressive Na'vi tribe, while the conflict on Pandora escalates.[6](https://www.svenskfilmdatabas.se/en/item/?itemid=72760&type=person) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000244/)
## References
1. [Sigourney Weaver, Golden Globes](https://goldenglobes.com/person/sigourney-weaver/)
2. [Weaver, Sigourney, Treccani Enciclopedia](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/sigourney-weaver/)
3. [Sigourney Weaver, Cinémathèque française / Bifi](http://cinema.encyclopedie.personnalites.bifi.fr/index.php?pk=48061)
4. [Sigourney Weaver, The Movie Database](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10205-sigourney-weaver?language=en-US)
5. [Sigourney Weaver, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000244/)
6. [Sigourney Weaver, Svensk Filmdatabas (Swedish Film Institute)](https://www.svenskfilmdatabas.se/en/item/?itemid=72760&type=person)
7. [Sigourney Weaver, AFI Catalog](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/240758-Sigourney-Weaver)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Actor filmographies and performer list articles › Surnames M to T*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license