DesiMDB
Janet Leigh

Acting

Janet Leigh

EN, PT, FR, DE cinema · 110 credits

Born

6 July 1927

Died

3 October 2004 (aged 77)

Birthplace

Merced, California, USA

Also known as Jeanette Helen Morrison · جنت لی

Janet Leigh (born Jeanette Helen Morrison; July 6, 1927 – October 3, 2004) was an American actress, singer, dancer, and author. Her career spanned over five decades. Raised in Stockton, California, by working-class parents, Leigh was discovered at 18 by actress Norma Shearer, who helped her secure a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Leigh appeared in radio programs before her first formal foray into acting, making her film debut in the drama The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947). With MGM, she appeared in many films which spanned a wide variety of genres, which include the crime-drama Act of Violence (1948), the drama Little Women (1949), the comedy Angels in the Outfield (1951), the romance Scaramouche (1952) and the western drama The Naked Spur (1953). She played dramatic roles during the late 1950s, in such films as Safari (1956) and Orson Welles's film noir Touch of Evil (1958). With RKO Radio pictures she co-starred in the romantic comedy Holiday Affair (1949) with Robert Mitchum. Leigh achieved her biggest success starring as Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock's psychological thriller Psycho (1960). For her performance, Leigh won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Intermittently, she continued to appear in films, including Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Harper (1966), Night of the Lepus (1972), and Boardwalk (1979). She made her Broadway debut in 1975 in a production of Murder Among Friends. She would also go on to appear in two horror films with her daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis: The Fog (1980) and Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998). In addition to her work as an actress, Leigh also wrote four books between 1984 and 2002, two of which were novels. Leigh had two brief marriages as a teenager (one of which was annulled) before marrying actor Tony Curtis in 1951. The pair's highly publicized union ended in divorce in 1962, and after starring in The Manchurian Candidate that same year, Leigh remarried and scaled back her career. She died in October 2004 at age 77, following a year-long battle with vasculitis, an inflammation of the blood vessels.

Known for

Filmography

100 Years of the Idiot: A Jerry Lewis Centenary

2026

100 Years of the Idiot: A Jerry Lewis Centenary

EN · 2026Not rated

Actor

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story poster

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story

EN · 20257.5

as Self (archive footage)

Pictures of Ghosts poster

Pictures of Ghosts

PT · 20238.0

as Self (archive footage)

Rat Pack poster

Rat Pack

FR · 20229.0

as Self (archive footage)

Jamie Lee Curtis: Hollywood Call of Freedom poster

Jamie Lee Curtis: Hollywood Call of Freedom

FR · 20227.1

as Self (archive footage)

I Am Alfred Hitchcock poster

I Am Alfred Hitchcock

EN · 20217.3

as Self (archive footage)

Emergency: Donald Trump’s "Touch of Evil" poster

Emergency: Donald Trump’s "Touch of Evil"

EN · 2019Not rated

as (archive footage)

Hollywood: No Sex, Please! poster

Hollywood: No Sex, Please!

EN · 20185.5

Actor

The Fabulous Allan Carr poster

The Fabulous Allan Carr

EN · 20175.0

as Self (archive footage)

Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe poster

Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe

EN · 20127.2

as Self (archive footage)

The Making of 'Psycho' poster

The Making of 'Psycho'

EN · 20057.5

as Self

Bad Girls from Valley High poster

Bad Girls from Valley High

EN · 20054.0

as Mrs. Witt

Tales from the Mist: Inside 'The Fog' poster

Tales from the Mist: Inside 'The Fog'

EN · 20026.3

as Self

The American Nightmare poster

The American Nightmare

EN · 20006.8

as Self

Mary Pickford: A Life on Film poster

Mary Pickford: A Life on Film

EN · 20007.0

as Self

Cubby Broccoli: The Man Behind Bond poster

Cubby Broccoli: The Man Behind Bond

EN · 20006.5

as Herself

Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies poster

Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies

EN · 20009.0

as Self

Anthony Perkins: A Life in the Shadows

1999

Anthony Perkins: A Life in the Shadows

EN · 19998.0

as Self

Rat Pack: A Conference of Cool

1999

Rat Pack: A Conference of Cool

EN · 1999Not rated

as Self

Hitchcock: Shadow of a Genius poster

Hitchcock: Shadow of a Genius

EN · 19998.5

as Self

Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Special poster

Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Special

EN · 19996.9

as Self

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later poster

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

EN · 19986.0

as Norma

In My Sister's Shadow poster

In My Sister's Shadow

EN · 19976.2

as Kay Connor

Jerry Lewis: The Last American Clown

1996

Jerry Lewis: The Last American Clown

EN · 19966.0

as Self - Interviewee

Charlton Heston: For All Seasons poster

Charlton Heston: For All Seasons

EN · 19955.0

as Self

Inside the Dream Factory poster

Inside the Dream Factory

EN · 19958.0

as Self

The Story of Lassie poster

The Story of Lassie

EN · 19948.0

as Self

Hitchcock: Alfred the Great poster

Hitchcock: Alfred the Great

EN · 19947.0

as Self

The Egg poster

The Egg

DE · 19937.0

as The egg (voice) (archive footage)

Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood poster

Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood

EN · 19876.0

as Self

The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal poster

The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal

EN · 19867.2

as Self

Psycho III poster

Psycho III

EN · 19865.7

as Marion Crane (archive footage) (uncredited)

The Making Of Psycho III poster

The Making Of Psycho III

EN · 1986Not rated

as Marion Crane (archive footage)

Night of 100 Stars II poster

Night of 100 Stars II

EN · 19856.8

as Self

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage poster

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

EN · 19837.0

as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Psycho II poster

Psycho II

EN · 19836.5

as Marion Crane (archive footage) (uncredited)

Night of 100 Stars poster

Night of 100 Stars

EN · 19825.8

as Self

The Fog poster

The Fog

EN · 19806.7

as Kathy Williams

The Horror Show poster

The Horror Show

EN · 19793.4

as (archive footage)

Mirror, Mirror poster

Mirror, Mirror

EN · 19798.0

as Millie Gorman

Boardwalk poster

Boardwalk

EN · 19796.9

as Florence Cohen

Telethon poster

Telethon

EN · 19776.0

as Elaine Cotten

Murder at the World Series poster

Murder at the World Series

EN · 19776.7

as Karen Weese

Murdock's Gang poster

Murdock's Gang

EN · 19737.5

as Laura Talbot

Night of the Lepus poster

Night of the Lepus

EN · 19724.4

as Gerry Bennett

One Is a Lonely Number poster

One Is a Lonely Number

EN · 19725.1

as Gert Meredith

Hollywood: The Dream Factory poster

Hollywood: The Dream Factory

EN · 19727.4

as Self (archive footage)

The Deadly Dream poster

The Deadly Dream

EN · 19717.0

as Laurel Hanley

House on Greenapple Road poster

House on Greenapple Road

EN · 19707.4

as Marian Ord

Hello Down There poster

Hello Down There

EN · 19695.8

as Vivian Miller

Honeymoon with a Stranger poster

Honeymoon with a Stranger

EN · 19697.0

as Sandra Latham

The Monk poster

The Monk

EN · 19697.8

as Janice Barnes

Grand Slam poster

Grand Slam

EN · 19677.1

as Mary Ann

The Spy in the Green Hat poster

The Spy in the Green Hat

EN · 19676.5

as Miss Diketon

Harper poster

Harper

EN · 19666.7

as Susan Harper

Three on a Couch poster

Three on a Couch

EN · 19665.4

as Dr Elizabeth Acord

Kid Rodelo poster

Kid Rodelo

EN · 19668.0

as Nora

An American Dream poster

An American Dream

EN · 19665.0

as Cherry McMahon

Bob Hope Christmas Show poster

Bob Hope Christmas Show

EN · 19657.0

as Self

Bye Bye Birdie poster

Bye Bye Birdie

EN · 19635.9

as Rosie DeLeon

Wives and Lovers poster

Wives and Lovers

EN · 19634.4

as Bertie Austin

The Manchurian Candidate poster

The Manchurian Candidate

EN · 19627.5

as Eugenie Rose Chaney

Psycho poster

Psycho

EN · 19608.4

as Marion Crane

People, Hopes, Medals poster

People, Hopes, Medals

DE · 19604.6

as Self

Pepe poster

Pepe

EN · 19606.4

as Janet Leigh

Who Was That Lady? poster

Who Was That Lady?

EN · 19606.4

as Ann Wilson

Touch of Evil poster

Touch of Evil

EN · 19587.7

as Susan 'Susie' Vargas

The Vikings poster

The Vikings

EN · 19587.0

as Morgana, Executive Producer

The Perfect Furlough poster

The Perfect Furlough

EN · 19586.7

as Vicki Loren

Jet Pilot poster

Jet Pilot

EN · 19575.5

as Lt. Anna Marladovna Shannon / Olga Orlief

Sweet Smell of Success poster

Sweet Smell of Success

EN · 19577.6

Executive Producer

Safari poster

Safari

EN · 19565.6

as Linda Latham

Nightmare

1956

Nightmare

EN · 1956Not rated

as Janet

Pete Kelly's Blues poster

Pete Kelly's Blues

EN · 19556.3

as Ivy Conrad

My Sister Eileen poster

My Sister Eileen

EN · 19556.6

as Eileen Sherwood

Rogue Cop poster

Rogue Cop

EN · 19545.7

as Karen Stephanson

The Black Shield of Falworth poster

The Black Shield of Falworth

EN · 19546.4

as Lady Anne of Mackworth

Prince Valiant poster

Prince Valiant

EN · 19546.1

as Princess Aleta

Living It Up poster

Living It Up

EN · 19546.5

as Wally Cook

A Star Is Born World Premiere poster

A Star Is Born World Premiere

EN · 19548.0

as Self

Miss Glucksman Visits Hollywood poster

Miss Glucksman Visits Hollywood

EN · 1954Not rated

Actor

The Naked Spur poster

The Naked Spur

EN · 19537.0

as Lina Patch

Houdini poster

Houdini

EN · 19536.6

as Bess Houdini

Walking My Baby Back Home poster

Walking My Baby Back Home

EN · 19539.0

as Chris Hall

Confidentially Connie poster

Confidentially Connie

EN · 19535.8

as Connie Bedloe

Scaramouche poster

Scaramouche

EN · 19527.0

as Aline de Gavrillac de Bourbon

Fearless Fagan poster

Fearless Fagan

EN · 19525.2

as Abby Ames

Just This Once poster

Just This Once

EN · 19524.4

as Lucy Duncan

Come Back Little Shiksa poster

Come Back Little Shiksa

EN · 1952Not rated

Actor

An Eye for an Eye

1952

An Eye for an Eye

EN · 1952Not rated

Actor

Angels in the Outfield poster

Angels in the Outfield

EN · 19517.0

as Jennifer Paige

It's a Big Country poster

It's a Big Country

EN · 19515.9

as Rosa Szabo Xenophon

Two Tickets to Broadway poster

Two Tickets to Broadway

EN · 19514.6

as Nancy Peterson

Strictly Dishonorable poster

Strictly Dishonorable

EN · 19515.0

as Isabelle Perry

Fairfax Avenue

1951

Fairfax Avenue

EN · 1951Not rated

Actor

The Re-Inforcer poster

The Re-Inforcer

EN · 19515.5

as Mary Muck

A Spot In The Shade

1951

A Spot In The Shade

EN · 1951Not rated

Actor

Nightmare

1951

Nightmare

EN · 1951Not rated

Actor

Watch On The Lime

1951

Watch On The Lime

EN · 1951Not rated

Actor

Holiday Affair poster

Holiday Affair

EN · 19496.9

as Connie Ennis

Act of Violence poster

Act of Violence

EN · 19496.9

as Edith Enley

The Red Danube poster

The Red Danube

EN · 19496.7

as Olga Alexandrova aka Maria Buhlen

That Forsyte Woman poster

That Forsyte Woman

EN · 19496.0

as June Forsyte

Little Women poster

Little Women

EN · 19497.4

as Meg

The Doctor and the Girl poster

The Doctor and the Girl

EN · 19495.9

as Evelyn 'Taffy' Heldon

How to Smuggle a Hernia Across the Border poster

How to Smuggle a Hernia Across the Border

EN · 19498.0

Actor

Hills of Home poster

Hills of Home

EN · 19486.9

as Margit Mitchell

Words and Music poster

Words and Music

EN · 19485.9

as Dorothy Feiner

If Winter Comes poster

If Winter Comes

EN · 19476.7

as Effie Bright

The Romance of Rosy Ridge poster

The Romance of Rosy Ridge

EN · 19476.7

as Lissy Anne MacBean