Jennifer Jason Leigh has a remarkable ability to transform herself, both physically and psychologically. Her fearlessness allows her to abandon her own introspective nature and fully become the characters she portrays. Few actors disappear so completely into their characters or strip away the need for viewer empathy, yet Leigh, in a career spanning 42 years, has freed herself to explore this gulf. She has consistently pursued risky roles, working with directors such as Robert Altman, David Cronenberg, Alan Rudolph, the Coen brothers, Jane Campion, Charlie Kaufman, the Safdie Brothers, and Quentin Tarantino.
Jennifer Jason Leigh's ability to vanish into her roles is unparalleled; while she excels in various genres, it's her affinity for unsettling characters that stands out. People often label this as bravery, but it's more an act of raw honesty and, as such, feels powerfully modern. Leigh has no inclination for sentimentality, and her insistence that the audience feel her character’s pain has resulted in perceptive, vividly detailed portrayals that burn with heart and soul, and sear the viewer’s conscience.
Among these performances are IN THE CUT by Jane Campion, GOOD TIME by The Safdie Brothers, ANOMALISA and SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK by Charlie Kaufman, SHORT CUTS and KANSAS CITY by Robert Altman, ROAD TO PERDITION by Sam Mendes, DOLORES CLAIBORNE by Taylor Hackford, WASHINGTON SQUARE by Agnieska Holand, EXISTENZ by David Cronenberg, SINGLE WHITE FEMALE by Barbet Schroeder, MARGOT AT THE WEDDING and GREENBERG by Noah Baumbach, GEORGIA by Ula Grossbard, and RUSH by Lili Zanuck, FLESH AND BLOOD by Paul Verhoeven.
In 1990 Leigh won the New York and Boston Film Critics' Awards for both her performance in LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN and MIAMI BLUES. In 1994 she starred in the Coen Brothers' film THE HUDSUCKER PROXY, and as Dorothy Parker in the biographical film MRS. PARKER AND THE VICIOUS CIRCLE. This film earned her numerous awards and a Golden Globe nomination. A year later, she starred in GEORGIA, a film she also produced, earning her another New York Film Critics Circle Award and a Montreal World Film Festival award, as well as an Independent Spirit Award nomination.
In 2001, she made her directorial debut with THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY (co-directed with Alan Cumming), which was screened in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards – Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay and won The National Board of Review Excellence in Filmmaking Award.
In 2015, she was nominated for an Oscar and a BAFTA for her role in Quentin Tarantino's THE HATEFUL EIGHT for which she also won a Best Supporting Actress Award from the National Board of Review. Subsequently, Leigh has collaborated with some of the most exciting filmmakers working today including Brandon Cronenberg, Alex Garland and Lena Dunham. This year, she also received acclaim for her performance in the new season of the anthology series, FARGO created by Noah Hawley.
We are proud and excited to present this year's Achievement Award to Jennifer Jason Leigh whose body of work is brave and astonishing.
