Jennifer Connelly American actress

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Academy Awards

2001: Best Supporting Actress

Jennifer Connelly as Alicia Nash in A Beautiful Mind

Other Nominees

• Helen Mirren as Mrs. Wilson in Gosford Park
• Maggie Smith as Constance, Countess of Trentham, in Gosford Park
• Marisa Tomei as Natalie Strout in In the Bedroom
• Kate Winslet as Young Iris Murdoch in Iris

Jennifer Connelly, who began modeling as a child in print and television advertising, appeared briefly in Sergio Leone’s epic Once Upon a Time in America (1984), her first serious film. She went to Yale and Stanford universities and, at the latter, studied theater. She was cast in teen roles in some of her early films and as a mature ingenue in others. She attracted notice with leading parts in The Rocketeer (1991), a pulp fiction adventure, and Requiem for a Dream (2000), about drug addiction. She was given the Academy Award for her supporting role in A Beautiful Mind (2001), in which she portrayed the wife of the brilliant but schizophrenic math professor John F. Nash. Playing Alicia Nash opposite Russell Crowe (AAN), she struggles to be sympathetic as her husband declines into mental illness. She followed that success with two costarring roles in 2003: in Hulk and House of Sand and Fog.

Disappearing act: Jennifer Connelly displays thin face and gaunt figure as she films homeless role for husband Paul Bettany's new movie

She has always possessed an enviably slim figure.

But Jennifer Connelly looked positively gaunt on Saturday as she filmed new scenes as a homeless woman in forthcoming movie Shelter. 

The 42-year-old actress showed off a distinctly thinner face as she sat in the street brandishing a sign which read: 'I used to be someone.'

Who's that girl? Jennifer Connelly looks gaunt and thin, playing a homeless woman begging in New York on the set of her new film Shelter on Saturday

Looking a far cry from her usual glamorous self, the actress sported a unfashionable jacket, scruffy trousers and trainers as she sat on the New York City sidewalk with a large cup of Starbucks coffee. 

In fact the clothes appeared to be hanging off her extremely slim frame as she filmed scenes for husband Paul Bettany's directorial début.  

Wearing no make-up and with her dark hair pulled under a baseball cap, Jennifer's natural beauty still shone through.

Down and out: Jennifer wore a green sweater, blue trousers, scruffy trainers and a baseball cap for her street role

Unrecognisable: Make-up free Jennifer looked a far cry from her usually glamorous self 

At the helm: Paul Bettany took a break from directing actor Anthony Mackie who held drum sticks 

Slightly bigger: Jennifer looked fuller in the face last year in contrast to her appearance 

Bettany, 42, meanwhile looked happy and relaxed on set, and at one point gave actor Anthony Mackie a few pointers as he sat on the sidewalk with drum sticks. 

Sporting a black leather jacket, jeans and suede brown shoes, he stood on a box to shout commands to his cast and crew. 

The British actor has also written the script for Shelter, whose plot remains a closely guarded secret. 

However, he did tell The Telegraph earlier this year that the film is a 'love story set among the homeless living on the streets of Manhattan.’

Bettany and Connelly married back in 2003 and have two children together - Stellan, nine and Agnes, 22 months, while Connelly has a son Kai from a previous relationship.  

Bettany met Connelley on the set of 2001’s A Beautiful Mind.

The moment he met his future wife he was struck by her beauty.

The actor told The Telegraph in May:  'I remember looking across that enormous table and seeing Jennifer. Thank God I’d learnt my part. I’d never been that close to someone that beautiful before.’

Adding: ‘It was really quite shocking.’

But things did not heat up instantly as it took a scare for the actor to realize his feelings for Jennifer: 'I was in Tuscany when 9/11 happened and I found myself repetitively ringing her up because I knew she lived in downtown New York and I couldn’t get through to her. 

'I thought to myself, “Why have I been calling this woman for three days?” Then suddenly it dawned on me.’

Two years later saw the couple marrying in Scotland in front of eight witnesses.
But once the pair had their first child everything changed for the Wimbledon star.

Living it: The actress looked to be engaging in some Method techniques to embody her character

Digging for the good stuff: The A Beautiful Mind star looked quite convincing as she foraged for food

Teaming up: Jennifer is working with her husband of ten years in his directorial début 

Juggling act: Jennifer and Paul have three children together and balance their working and family lives 

Quiet on set: Bettany is making his debut behind the camera for the film whose script he has also penned

'It was when my son was born that I had this moment of realisation,’ he admitted. 
'Suddenly I thought to myself, “F*** all this. The world is precarious and I’m going to make my children as safe as possible - with dough.” 


‘And I went about doing that. It was ludicrous, of course, because they were safe. My wife and I make enough money to ensure their safety, but there I was hammering bits of wood against the window as though there were a zombie apocalypse coming.’

Adding: ‘It sounds neurotic, but it’s not, because the tap can turn off. I know great actors whom nothing has ever happened for.’ 

Chilling with her man: The couple sat curbside during a break on set

Her best friend: The star cuddled up to a shaggy pooch

Getting some love: The smart canine got in a kiss

Stealing a smoke: The healthy actress puffed casually on a cigarette

Hell for leather: The actor sported a black jacket, jeans and suede shoes as he filmed

'I don't want to erase my history on my face': Jennifer Connelly, 44, reveals why she'll never get plastic surgery or Botox

It's easy for Jennifer Connelly to bemoan plastic surgery with her chiseled bone structure, flawless complexion, and model thin 5ft7in figure.

But the unquestionably gorgeous 44-year-old explained why she wouldn't go under the knife in the November edition of More Magazine - on newsstands now.

'We equate beauty for women with youth, and that's sad. It's a shame it's so hard for so many of us to appreciate the beauty of an older woman and to accept it in ourselves. I don't want to erase my history on my face,' the Oscar winner told the mag.

Thighs the limit! It's easy for Jennifer Connelly to bemoan plastic surgery with her chiseled bone structure, flawless complexion, and model thin 5ft7in figure

'There's a window of time, a hump to get over, because it's inevitable. I love that Radiohead song Fake Plastic Trees: "He used to do surgery for girls in the '80s, but gravity always wins." 'It's certainly a dialogue I have with myself. And I don't judge; every woman has to make her own choice. But for me it's more beautiful to see the person.'

If you ask Jennifer's husband of 12 years, Paul Bettany it's easier to understand her unconscious mindset.

'Jennifer is wildly beautiful, but she has no investment in it. Our two sons spend more time in the bathroom in the morning than she does. That pressure to be attractive hasn't ever landed on her,' the 44-year-old Englishman explained.  

On newsstands now! But the unquestionably gorgeous 44-year-old explained why she wouldn't go under the knife in the November edition of More Magazine

The Oscar winner told the mag: 'We equate beauty for women with youth, and that's sad. I don't want to erase my history on my face'

She continued: 'There's a window of time, a hump to get over, because it's inevitable. I love that Radiohead song Fake Plastic Trees: "He used to do surgery for girls in the '80s, but gravity always wins"'

'Our two sons spend more time in the bathroom in the morning than she does!' If you ask Jennifer's husband of 12 years, Paul Bettany it's easier to understand her unconscious mindset

The attractive couple are parents to daughter Agnes, 4, and son Stellan, 12, and Connelly also has an 18-year-old son Kai with photographer David Dugan.

'It's inevitable I'm going to screw up, no matter how much I try. I want them to know they can tell me, "This thing you do makes me feel this way." I'd love to have the opportunity to address things,' Connelly admitted.

The Aloft actress and the Avengers actor met on the set of A Beautiful Mind in 2001, but she boasted their bond was 'equally powerful now.'  

'It's inevitable I'm going to screw up': The attractive couple are parents to daughter Agnes, 4, and son Stellan, 12, (pictured September 7) and Connelly also has an 18-year-old son Kai with photographer David Dugan

'It's a different pitch than the beginning': The Aloft actress and the Avengers actor met on the set of A Beautiful Mind in 2001, but she boasted their bond was 'equally powerful now' (pictured in 2002)

The Noah actress gushed: '[The things I fell in love with] are still the things I love. [Paul] is a very convivial, open, generous person. Very funny. Very respectful of women, sensitive to injustice' (pictured May 18)

'It's a different pitch than the beginning, which was much more fevered. [There's] an understanding that you are where you want to be. A real acceptance. Little things that perhaps in earlier days could be incendiary become like (shrugs). "Why go there when I know in 20 minutes we'll be past it and cooking dinner together and laughing?" Daily life becomes more gentle,' the Noah actress said.

'[The things I fell in love with] are still the things I love. [Paul] is a very convivial, open, generous person. Very funny. Very respectful of women, sensitive to injustice.'

Bettany wrote, directed, and produced Jennifer's next film about a homeless drug addict in Manhattan who abandoned her child. 

'Working with him feels so organic. It was wonderful having that degree of trust,' the Louis Vuitton spokesmodel noted. 

At the helm: Bettany wrote, directed, and produced Jennifer's next film about a homeless drug addict in Manhattan who abandoned her child

The Louis Vuitton spokesmodel noted: 'Working with him feels so organic. It was wonderful having that degree of trust'

In the drama, the Golden Globe winner's character Hannah has a second chance at love with homeless musician Tahir (Anthony Mackie).

'I'm interested in lives that are different from mine, [people who] make different choices than I think I would make,' Connelly offered.

'Not because [those characters] reflect who I am. The opposite. I'm intrigued by a point of view that I don't understand yet. I want to learn about it, think about it. And find a way to have empathy and love for the person, even though on paper I might have no tolerance for the choices she's made.'

Shelter hits US theaters/VOD on November 13 and UK theaters on November 25.

'I'm interested in lives that are different from mine': In the drama, the Golden Globe winner's character Hannah has a second chance at love with homeless musician Tahir (Anthony Mackie, R)

'[I want to] find a way to have empathy and love for the person': Shelter hits US theaters/VOD on November 13 and UK theaters on November 25

House of Sand and Fog

House of Sand and Fog is a 2003 American drama film directed by Vadim Perelman. The screenplay by Perelman and Shawn Lawrence Otto is based on the novel of the same name by Andre Dubus III.
The story concerns the battle between a young woman and an immigrant Iranian family over the ownership of a house in Northern California, which ultimately leads to the destruction of four lives. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, Best Actor (Ben Kingsley), Best Supporting Actress (Shohreh Aghdashloo), and Best Original Score (James Horner).

Abandoned by her husband, recovering drug addict Kathy Nicolo, living alone in a small house near San Francisco Bay Area, ignores eviction notices erroneously sent to her for nonpayment of county taxes. Assuming the misunderstanding was cleared up months ago, she is surprised when Sheriff's Deputy Lester Burdon arrives to forcibly evict her. Telling Kathy that her home is to be auctioned off, Burdon feels sympathy for her, helps her move out and advises her to seek legal assistance to regain her house.

A former Imperial Iranian Army Colonel Massoud Amir Behrani who fled his homeland with his family, now lives in the Bay Area working multiple menial jobs. Living beyond his means, he maintains the façade of a respectable businessman so as not to shame his wife Nadereh, son Esmail, and daughter Soraya.

Seeing the auction of Kathy's house in the newspaper, he buys it for a quarter of its actual value, intending to improve and sell the house. While driving by, Kathy is angered to see her house being renovated and confronts the workers, injuring her foot. Nadereh and Esmail treat her wound, but her jealousy at seeing how the Behranis have settled in only makes her more determined to get her house back.

Taking Lester's advice, Kathy finds an attorney who assures her that because of the county's mistake, they will return Massoud's money and the house will be restored to her. Massoud, having already spent money on improving the house, is unwilling to accept anything less than the much higher appraised value of the property, which the county refuses to pay. Informed that her only option is to sue the county, Kathy instead tries to convince Massoud to sell back the house for what he paid by telling him she and her brother inherited it from their father. Massoud refuses and angrily forces Kathy back into her car.

Desperate for help, Kathy seeks out Lester and seduces him into abandoning his wife and children and becoming her protector. Using a pseudonym, Lester confronts Massoud and threatens to have him deported if he refuses to sell the house back to the county. Massoud reports this to the police and identifies Lester from a photo, resulting in a reprimand by internal affairs, and gives Kathy a furious warning to back off and leave him and his family alone. Now aware that Lester is in trouble, Kathy calls her brother Frank, but cannot bring herself to admit that she is homeless, and he is unable to help her.

Despondent, Kathy first considers driving to the house and burning it, but after becoming drunk attempts suicide in the driveway with Lester's sidearm instead. Massoud finds her in her car drunkenly unable to discharge the gun, and brings her inside. Kathy again tries to kill herself with pills, but Nadereh saves her by inducing her to vomit. As she and her husband carry Kathy to the bedroom, Lester breaks into the house, retrieves his sidearm, sees Kathy unconscious, and locks the Behranis in their own bathroom, refusing to let them out until Massoud agrees to relinquish the house. Massoud eventually offers to sell the house back to the county for the price he paid and will give Kathy the money in exchange for her putting the house in his name. Lester agrees to take Massoud and Esmail to the county office to finalize the transaction, and Kathy reluctantly goes along with the plan.

Outside the office, Lester begins to manhandle Massoud and Esmail seizes Lester's gun and aims it at him. Massoud grabs hold of Lester and screams for help, drawing the attention of nearby police officers who misinterpret the situation and shoot Esmail. Massoud is arrested but is released after Lester confesses, and is incarcerated.

Massoud rushes to the hospital and while he is there he prays, begging God to save his son and vowing to make whatever changes he needs to in his life. But he finds his son did not survive. Distraught and grief-stricken, Massoud goes home and, believing they have nothing left to live for, kills Nadereh by lacing her tea with pills. He then dons his old military uniform, tapes a plastic dust cover over his head, and asphyxiates himself while clutching his wife's hand. Kathy eventually discovers the couple and frantically attempts to resuscitate Massoud but she is too late. As the bodies of Massoud and Nadereh are taken away by paramedics, a policeman asks Kathy if the house is hers. After a long pause, she quietly replies, "No, it's not my house."

Jennifer Connelly Biography

Jennifer Connelly is an Academy Award-winning actress with roles in Requiem for a Dream, A Beautiful Mind, The House of Sand and Fog and The Hulk, among many others.

Synopsis

Born on December 12, 1970, in Catskill, New York, Jennifer Connelly worked as a model before embarking on a film career with parts in Labyrinth, Requiem for a Dream and Pollock. She won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for another biopic, A Beautiful Mind, with a later lead role in The House of Sand and Fog. Other projects have included The Hulk, Little Children and The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Early life

Actress Jennifer Lynn Connelly was born in New York's picturesque Catskill Mountains on December 12, 1970. An only child, Connelly was raised in Brooklyn Heights by her father Gerard, a clothing manufacturer, and her mother Eileen, an antiques dealer. Her father was Irish Catholic and her mother grew up in a very religious Jewish household. Speaking about her mixed religious background, Connelly jokes that she was "raised with a double dose of guilt."

Modeling and Acting

Connelly was noticed at a very young age for her precocious beauty and talent. She began modeling at the age of ten, appearing on the covers of such magazines as Seventeen and Muppet Magazine. She acted in her first film, Once Upon A Time in America (1984), at the age of 11, and appeared in nine films by the time she turned 20.

Connelly initially found her niche in romantic comedies. She acted opposite Patrick Dempsey in the 1988 film Some Girls, and played a rich girl who falls in love with a janitor in the 1991 movie Career Opportunities. Thrust into the world of cinema at such a young age, Connelly had little chance to reflect upon the career she had begun. She recalled later, "I'd started working before I ever thought about whether acting was what I wanted to do."

Despite her busy life as a child model and actor, Connelly took her education very seriously. She graduated from Brooklyn's prestigious St. Ann's School and continued on to Yale University, where she studied English. After two years at Yale, she transferred to Stanford University to study drama with famed acting instructor Roy London. Connelly's education and intelligence later proved crucial as she made a successful transition from teenage heartthrob to mature actress.

Breakthrough Roles

Even with her early success, Connelly remained relatively unknown to the general public until the 2000 film Requiem for a Dream, based on the 1978 novel of the same name by Hubert Selby, Jr. In a surprising role for a breakthrough performance, Connelly plays Marion Silver, a heroin addict and aspiring fashion designer who resorts to prostitution to feed her addiction. Connelly earned high praise for her portrayal. The New York Times raved, "Ms. Connelly has never before done anything to prepare us for how good she is here."

Connelly built on her success in Requiem for a Dream with another career-elevating performance in the acclaimed 2001 film A Beautiful Mind. The film, based on Sylvia Nasar's 1998 book, follows the life of Nobel Prize-winning economist John Forbes Nash, Jr. Connelly plays the loving wife of the schizophrenic professor (played by Russell Crowe). The film won four Academy Awards including Best Picture, and Connelly won 10 separate honors for her performance, including a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Since achieving stardom through Requiem for a Dream and A Beautiful Mind, Connelly has gone on to star in other acclaimed and popular films. In 2003, she played love interest Betty Ross in The Hulk, based on the famous Marvel comic book character. That same year, she again portrayed a struggling drug addict in House of Sand and Fog.

In 2006, she starred opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in the well-reviewed Blood Diamond as an American journalist attempting to expose corrupt diamond companies in war-torn Sierra Leone. Connelly even tried a foray into the world of blockbuster effects-laden epics in 2008, co-starring with Keanu Reeves in The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Personal Life

Connelly, who describes herself as a private person who enjoys spending time alone, says that her life was transformed by the birth of her son Kai in 1997. "I feel more comfortable in my own skin now than I ever have," she said after the birth of her son. "It's changed the way I feel as a citizen of the world." Having a child also changed the way Connelly approaches her selection of roles: "It's really important to me to feel good about what I'm working on, to justify the number of hours I'd have to be away from him." In 2003, Connelly married A Beautiful Mind co-star Paul Bettany. The couple's son, Stellan, was born on August 5, 2003.

Decades after she burst into the entertainment world as a child actor and model, Connelly has fully transformed herself into a mature and well-regarded actress. And she looks forward to continuing to expand her acting repertoire. Asked what she'd like to try in the future, Connelly said, "I'd like to play someone who isn't particularly well educated. I keep playing scientists and smart girls."