Jennifer Lynn Connelly is an American actress. She began her career as a child model before making her acting debut in the 1984 crime film Once Upon a Time in America. After a few more years of modeling, she began to concentrate on acting, starring in a variety of films including the horror film Phenomena (1985), the musical fantasy film Labyrinth (1986), the romantic thriller The Hot Spot (1990), the romantic comedy Career Opportunities (1991), and the period superhero film The Rocketeer (1991). She received praise for her performance in the science fiction film Dark City (1998) and playing a drug addict in Darren Aronofsky's drama film Requiem for a Dream (2000).
Connelly won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Alicia Nash in the John Nash biopic A Beautiful Mind (2001), directed by Ron Howard. Her subsequent films include the superhero film Hulk (2003), the drama House of Sand and Fog (2003), the horror film Dark Water (2005), the psychological drama Little Children (2006), the thriller Blood Diamond (2006), the science fiction film The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008), and the romantic comedy He's Just Not That Into You (2009).