Science Fiction Icon Sigourney Weaver Celebrates Her Birthday

Actress Sigourney Weaver – she who saved the world from unparalleled horrors originating in far-flung space and survived the machinations of a demonic herald – stands poised to celebrate a very special milestone,

Happy Birthday, Sigourney Weaver!

And that’s because she was born on October 8, 1949, in New York City, New York, which means that this talented performer is turning 71 years old today! Susan Alexandra Weaver, the only daughter of television executive Sylvester Weaver (the progenitor of The Today Show and The Tonight Show) and English actress Elizabeth Inglis, took to using the name Sigourney in her youth.

She became interested in acting in 1972, which eventually led to her enrolling at Yale University’s School of Drama where she obtained a Master of Fine Arts degree. During her tenure, Weaver appeared as part of the chorus in a production of Stephen Sondheim’s The Frogs. In another, she portrayed a Roman soldier alongside future Academy Award winner Meryl Streep.

Her first professional credit was Avis Ryan, a character in the daytime soap opera Somerset in 1976. The following year, Weaver made her film debut with a nonspeaking cameo in the Woody Allen effort Annie Hall.

Two years later, Weaver obtained the lead role of Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley in Ridley Scott’s science-fiction horror film Alien – a part that had originally been intended for British-born actress, Veronica Cartwright, who also appeared in the film.

The film was a financial success and a mainstream breakthrough which resulted in Weaver receiving an Academy Award nomination. She would subsequently reprise the role of Ripley in a further three films – Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992), and Alien: Resurrection (1997) – as well as a video game sequel entitled Alien: Isolation.

Buoyed by the success of the first successful entry in the franchise, Weaver immediately began filming The Year of Living Dangerously. Afterward, she played Dana Barrett in Ghostbusters.

Weaver closed the 1980s by appearing in three of her most well-regarded films: Gorillas in the Mist (which earned her a Golden Globe in the Best Actress category), Working Girl (which netted her a Golden Globe in the Best Supporting Actress category), and Ghostbusters II.

After a brief hiatus from acting, Weaver returned to the big screen, first in the aforementioned Alien 3 and then in 1492: Conquest of Paradise. Throughout the 1990s, Weaver appeared in a number of films including Dave, Death and the Maiden, Copycat, and The Ice Storm. She closed the decade with her role in the comedy film Galaxy Quest.

Weaver’s other professional credits include the features The Village, Vantage Point, Avatar, Cedar Rapids, and The Cabin in the Woods, as well as the made-for-television movie Snow White: A Tale of Terror.

Other small-screen roles are starring parts in mini-series such as Political Animals and The Defenders, as well as episodes of Eli Stone, Doc Martin, and Call My Agent! She has worked as a voice actress in a number of projects including WALL*E, Futurama, SpongeBob SquarePants, and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

Entertainment Hub would like to wish Sigourney Weaver a very happy birthday and many more.