Juliette Lake Lewis (born June 21, 1973) is an American actress, singer and musician. She is known for her portrayals of offbeat characters, often in films with dark plots, themes and settings.[2] Lewis gained prominence in American cinema during the early 1990s, appearing in variousindependent andarthouse films.[3] She has receivedvarious accolades, including nominations for anAcademy Award, aGolden Globe Award and twoPrimetime Emmy Awards.
Juliette Lake Lewis was born June 21, 1973, inLos Angeles, California, to actorGeoffrey Lewis and his first wife, Glenis (née Duggan) Batley, a graphic designer.[4] She has eight siblings, which include a step-sister.[5][6][7][8]
Lewis' parents divorced when she was two years old, and she spent her childhood living between both their homes in the Los Angeles area.[4] She also lived for a brief period with actressKaren Black, who was a mentor to her.[9] Lewis dropped out of high school at age 15.[9]
Following an uncredited role inBronco Billy (1980), Lewis made her first major screen appearance in the television filmHome Fires (1987).[10] Howard Rosenberg of theLos Angeles Times praised her performance in the latter, writing that she "lights up the screen".[10] She then starred as Kate Farrell on theABC sitcomI Married Dora, which ran between 1987 and 1988.[11] At age 14, she waslegally emancipated from her parents—with their approval—enabling her to work more freely.[12] She later recalled, "I know that sounds all radical, but when you start acting when you're younger, you talk to other actor kids and their moms, and they're like, 'Yeah, if you want to get a job, they like [your] resume to say emancipated minor versus minor, because you then can work [longer hours]'".[12]
Lewis had a minor part in the science fiction comedyMy Stepmother Is an Alien (1988)—playing Lexie, the best friend of main character Jessie—before landing her first major supporting role as Audrey Griswold inNational Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989),[13] which is now regarded as a "classic" inits genre.[14] Regarding her involvement with the film and the opportunity to work with co-starChevy Chase, Lewis later reflected, "even at [age] 15, I knew it was a big deal".[14] She followed this with appearances in the comediesMeet the Hollowheads andThe Runnin' Kind,[15] as well as a guest-starring role as Delores on the coming-of-age drama seriesThe Wonder Years (all 1989).[16]
In 1990, Lewis co-starred withBrad Pitt, whom she would go on to date for four years,[17] in theLifetime television filmToo Young to Die?, a crime drama based loosely on the case ofAttina Marie Cannaday. Lewis played Amanda, a troubled teenager who falls into a world of prostitution and drugs.[18] In his review for theLos Angeles Times, Ray Loynd felt that the film worked due to its "compelling script [and Lewis'] authentic portrayal of the young and abused murderess whose first question to her public defender [is] whether he has any sugar-coated candies".[19]
Lewis garnered international attention when she beat out 500 other actresses to play Danielle Bowden,[20] the daughter of a family targeted by psychopathic criminalMax Cady, inMartin Scorsese's1991 remake ofCape Fear (1962).[21]Vincent Canby ofThe New York Times lauded her performance, calling her "a new young actress of stunning possibilities",[21] whileThe Hollywood Reporter's Duane Byrge commented, "Perhaps providing the strongest real counterbalance toDe Niro's crazy Cady is Juliette Lewis, whose [performance] shows the most sinewy fiber".[22] She went on to receiveGolden Globe andAcademy Award nominations for the role.[23][24] Retrospectively, the sequence in which her character is seduced by Cady was named one of the most unforgettable scenes in film history byEntertainment Weekly andComplex.[25][26] On working with Scorsese, Lewis has since said, "I liken that period of time to being anointed, or getting my creative wings ... [the experience] changed me [and] gave me a confidence ... It wasn't [about] the outside accolades. It was [Scorsese] nurturing my ingredients as a performer".[27]
In 1992, Lewis had a supporting role inWoody Allen'sHusbands and Wives, with Rita Kempley ofThe Washington Post describing her portrayal of Rain—a"Lolita"-esque college student— as "sumptuous".[28] She headlined the romantic dramaThat Night the same year, a coming-of-age story set in the 1960s.[29] Lewis appeared in several films in 1993, includingPeter Medak's neo-noir thrillerRomeo Is Bleeding, where she played the mistress of a corrupt cop.[30] She then reunited with Brad Pitt inKalifornia, co-starring as the girlfriend of a serial killer.[31] CriticRoger Ebert deemed Lewis' portrayal of the childlike Adele one of "the most harrowing and convincing performances I've ever seen".[31] At the time of filmingKalifornia, Lewis and Pitt had been in a relationship since 1990, though they separated the year of its release.[32] Next, she appeared as a psychiatric patient in the music video forMelissa Etheridge's "Come to My Window",[33] and starred in theLasse Hallström-directedWhat's Eating Gilbert Grape (also 1993), playing Becky, a free-spirited drifter who befriends a young man and his disabled brother in a smallMidwestern town.
Lewis received thePasinetti Award for Best Actress at the 1994Venice Film Festival for her portrayal of Mallory Knox,[34] a murderous woman who embarks on a killing spree with her psychotic lover, inOliver Stone'ssatiric, controversial crime filmNatural Born Killers.[35] Though criticized for its excessive violence and influencing of copycat crimes,[36] with Lewis later admitting that playing a woman who displays such "volatility and repulsive behavior" had had a detrimental effect on her career,[37] her performance inKillers was roundly praised,[38] withRolling Stone'sPeter Travers deeming it "sensational":
Mickey and Mallory are a Bonnie and Clyde for the '90s, Stone's '90s; they're damaged goods — haunted, horny and out for blood.Harrelson and Lewis ... play the dysfunctional hell out of them ... Women don't [usually] dominate Stone films [but] Lewis towers overKillers, finding the wildcat and the bruised child in Mallory.[39]
In 1996, Lewis had supporting roles in comedy-dramaThe Evening Star—a sequel toTerms of Endearment (1983)—and theQuentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez action horror filmFrom Dusk till Dawn. Writing forThe New York Times,Janet Maslin pointed out that the role of "clean-living ingenue" Kate Fuller inDawn was an ironic departure for Lewis.[44] She next appeared in the romantic comedySome Girl (1998),[45] followed byThe Other Sister (1999), in which she portrayed anautistic woman attempting to achieve independence. The film received largely unfavorable reviews,[46] thoughStephen Holden ofThe New York Times felt that it was "beautifully acted", noting, "Carla is played by Ms. Lewis with enormous heart and sensitivity, and with body language so precise that you soon forget it is a performance".[47] Lewis later admitted to having been "scared" by the challenge of portraying somebody with a neurological disorder, saying that it was "the hardest role I have ever had to play".[48]
Lewis received praise for her performance inThe Way of the Gun (2000), the directorial debut ofChristopher McQuarrie.[49] Writing forThe Austin Chronicle, Marjorie Baumgarten felt her portrayal of pregnant kidnap victim Robin was imbued "with rich veins of honesty and truth".[50] That same year, she provided vocals for the track "Bad Brother" byInfidels, which featured on thesoundtrack toThe Crow: Salvation.[51] She then headlined the neo-noir crime filmPicture Claire (2001),[52] followed by a supporting role in the independent lesbian-themed comedyGaudi Afternoon (2001). The latter received unfavorable reviews, with A. O. Scott ofThe New York Times writing that Lewis and co-starLili Taylor "overact like second-string sketch performers onSaturday Night Live".[53] Next, she played the concerned best friend of a woman trapped in a violent relationship inEnough (2002), a big-budget thriller directed byMichael Apted.[54]
Lewis had supporting parts in two comedies released in 2006:The Darwin Awards andCatch and Release.[67] Around the same time, Juliette and the Licks recorded their second studio album—Four on the Floor—which was released in 2007.[68] Lewis appeared inRockstar Games'Grand Theft Auto IV the following year, providing the voice of "Juliette", the host of fictional radio station Radio Broker.[69] Next, she played a key role inDrew Barrymore's directorial debut, the 2009 comedy-dramaWhip It!,[70] and provided voice work for the animated science fiction filmMetropia (also 2009), directed byTarik Saleh.[71] Describing her portrayal of an aggressiveroller derby captain inWhip It,The Guardian commented that Lewis was "all grimy attitude and slinky rock-chick insouciance".[72] She released her first solo studio album that same year, titledTerra Incognita, throughThe End Records.[73]
Lewis' first film of 2011 was the independent dramaHick, in which she starred as the alcoholic mother of a young girl in 1980s Nebraska.[79] She subsequently had a minor role in the Canadian dramaForeverland,[80] followed by the 2012 thrillerOpen Road and the short-livedNBC legal drama seriesThe Firm, on which she co-starred as secretary Tammy Hemphill.[81] Next, Lewis had a central role inAugust: Osage County (2013), playing one of several sisters who reunite with their dysfunctional mother in the wake of their father's suicide.[82] Atragicomedy based on theTracy Lettsplay of the same name, the film was met with mixed reviews,[83] but critics singled out Lewis as one of its strengths, withSFGate'sMick LaSalle feeling that her portrayal of youngest sibling Karen was the only performance to have "a complete grasp of the material's proper tone".[84]Osage was a box-office success, grossing over $74 million worldwide.[85]
Lewis was involved in musical projects in 2013, providing backing vocals onJoseph Arthur's albumThe Ballad of Boogie Christ and appearing in the music video for "City of Angels" byThirty Seconds to Mars.[86] Her next film roles were the 2014 independent featuresHellion, for which she received positive notices,[87][88] andKelly & Cal, where she starred as a punk rocker-turned-suburban housewife. Her portrayal of Kelly in the latter was particularly well received,[89] withThe New York Times commenting that it "crackle[s] with authenticity", adding:
The distance between riot grrrl and suburban mom is quite a stretch. But as middle age approaches, time has a way of landing mouthy young rebels in roles they never expected to inhabit. Take Juliette Lewis, the personification of scary defiance [in]Natural Born Killers ... InKelly & Cal, [she] conveys the excruciating discomfort of a slightly crumpled former upstart struggling to adapt to a staid, middle-class existence. That means reining in the anarchic impulses of her youth and tolerating polite, buttoned-up in-laws.[90]
Lewis' next role was inJem and the Holograms (2015), an adaptation of the 1980s animated seriesJem,[91] where she played a music producer. The film was a financial disappointment forUniversal and received a largely negative response from critics.[91][92] She followed this with a starring role as a small-town detective on the ABC crime drama seriesSecrets and Lies, which ran for two seasons. The show received a mixed reception, withNeil Genzlinger commenting in his review forThe New York Times, "Ms. Lewis's dour detective character, Andrea Cornell, is a cliché stretched beyond the point of believability".[93] Next, she had a recurring guest role on the first season of the science fiction mystery seriesWayward Pines (2015),[94] contributed vocals to the song "Stickup" byKarma Fields andMorten,[95] and played the mother of a high schooler in techno-thrillerNerve (2016).[96]
In November 2016, the independently released EPFuture Deep marked Lewis' first solo musical project in seven years.[97] She guest-starred as Bailey Todd on the second season ofEpix'sGraves the following year, and subsequently appeared as a fun-lovingreiki healer on theHBO comedy seriesCamping (2018), a remake of theBritish show of the same name.[98] Judy Berman ofTime gave the latter an unfavorable review, writing that Lewis is "underutilized, as usual".[98] She co-starred in the independent featureBack Roads that same year, a drama about a young man trapped by circumstance in rural Pennsylvania after his mother—Lewis—murders his father. Writing forThe Hollywood Reporter,Frank Scheck said it offered "many powerful moments" and featured an "excellent" performance from Lewis.[99] Next, she played a supporting role inSam Taylor-Johnson'sA Million Little Pieces, adapted from thebook of the same name.[100] In late 2018, Lewis was cast in the recurring role of Blue on the debut season of ABC'sThe Conners—a spin-off fromRoseanne—where she appeared for three episodes.[101]
InTate Taylor's 2019 psychological horror filmMa, Lewis played the mother of a teenage girl who grows close to a disturbed woman in their neighborhood.[102] TheBlumhouse production was a box-office success, grossing over $60 million worldwide.[103] Lewis reunited with Taylor for the same year'sBreaking News in Yuba County, co-starring as Gloria Michaels,[104] and appeared in the guest role of Kathy onHulu's strongly reviewed crime seriesThe Act,[105] a drama based on themurder of Dee Dee Blanchard.[106]
Lewis starred on theShowtime mystery thriller seriesYellowjackets between November 2021 and May 2023, portraying Natalie Scatorccio, a plane crash survivor haunted by painful secrets.[107][108] The show was received enthusiastically by critics,[109] withThe Guardian's Leila Latif calling Lewis "sublime", noting that "[she] stunningly performs the nuances of tentative empathy and glimmers of optimism within a deep chasm of grief".[110] Of her involvement with the series, Lewis said, "I was so in fear of being typecast that I worried people wouldn't know what goes into a character like this. Natalie is nothing like myself. But because there's certain things, like 'tough' and 'wrong side of the tracks' or whatever, people think it's something I've played before, but I haven't. [It has taken] me like 30 years for people to go, 'Wow, she does unpredictable stuff, and it's high quality'".[111] During that same period, Lewis appeared as Judy onPeacock's reboot ofQueer as Folk (2022) and co-starred in the biographical Hulu miniseriesWelcome to Chippendales (also 2022).Richard Roeper called the latter "colorful and shiny but increasingly dark and twisted" in his review for theChicago Sun-Times, adding that Lewis' portrayal of forthright costume designer Denise Coughlan was "outstanding".[112]
In 1989, Lewis was arrested at age 16 for entering a bar unlawfully, later being charged with underage drinking.[113]
Lewis was born intoScientology and started practicing it in the 1990s.[114][115] She credited Scientology'sNarconon program for helping her rehabilitate after a years-long addiction tococaine and prescription medication in her early adult years.[116][117] When asked in 2010 byVanity Fair if she was a Scientologist, Lewis responded, "I am, yeah" and went on to explain, "I'm a Christian! I think there's so much confusion because people don't understand a religion where you can be another religion but you can still practice Scientology".[118] In an interview withTime in 2015, Lewis remarked about protecting her freedom of choice and religion, and being annoyed at people's misconceptions about Scientology: "Whatever people's conceptions are of me, I think it's cute. I roll with it".[119] By 2021, she began to distance herself from Scientology, tellingThe New York Times andThe Washington Post that she is aspiritualist and does not identify as a Scientologist.[120][121]
Lewis married professional skateboarderSteve Berra in September 1999.[122] She filed for divorce in April 2003.[123] Lewis described the divorce as "amicable",[123] later commenting, "Steve would be the first to admit he was a workaholic. You have to be ready to have a partnership. And sometimes you're like, 'Whoa, this is too much. I only actually have enough steam to focus on my own thing'".[32]
Lewis has supportedLittle Kids Rock, an American nonprofit organization that works to restore and revitalize music education in disadvantaged U.S. public schools, by painting aFender Stratocaster guitar and donating it to an auction to raise money for the organization.[124]
^"Lewis loosens up".The Star Online. March 13, 2012. Archived fromthe original on December 17, 2019. RetrievedSeptember 20, 2018.
^"In pictures: Juliette Lewis".The Telegraph. March 2, 2006.Archived from the original on September 29, 2019.After that she became an It-girl for edgy American cinema in the 1990s, appearing inWhat's Eating Gilbert Grape, Strange Days, Kalifornia, The Basketball Diaries and more.
^Schneider, Steven Jay (2008).1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (5th ed.). Hauppauge, New York: Barron's Educational Series. p. 832.ISBN978-0-764-16151-3.
^"In pictures: Juliette Lewis".The Telegraph. March 2, 2006.Archived from the original on September 29, 2019.More recently, she made more questionable cinematic choices: after appearing in a number of uninspired thrillers, she starred in Blueberry, Jan Kounen's poorly-received futuristic French western
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