Juliette Lewis has been recognized as one of Hollywood’s most talented and versatile actors of her generation since she first stunned audiences and critics alike with her Oscar-nominated performance as “Danielle Bowden” in Cape Fear (1991). To date, she has worked with some of the most revered directors in the industry, including Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, Lasse Hallström, Oliver Stone, and Garry Marshall. Whether lending dramatic authenticity or a natural comedic flair to her roles, Lewis graces the screen with remarkable range and an original and captivating style. Most recently Lewis has wowed live audiences in the 2026 Broadway revival of Rocky Horror Picture Show, where she plays Magenta. Lewis has also thrilled audiences as the adult Natalie Thatcher in Showtimes’ hit show Yellowjackets.
At twelve, Lewis landed her first leading role in the Showtime miniseries Home Fires (1987). After appearing in several TV sitcoms including The Wonder Years (1988), she made her move to film, starring with Chevy Chase in National Lampoon’s National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) and with Jennifer Jason Leigh in the drama Crooked Hearts (1991). At 16, Lewis starred opposite Brad Pitt in the critically acclaimed television movie Too Young to Die? (1990), catching the attention of Martin Scorsese, who cast her in his thriller Cape Fear (1991). Her powerful Cape Fear performance earned her an Oscar nomination and Golden Globe nomination for “Best Supporting Actress”.
Lewis next worked with Woody Allen in Husbands and Wives (1992), and quckly followed suit with a succession of starring roles in a variety of blockbusters and critically acclaimed projects including Kalifornia (1993), Romeo Is Bleeding (1993), What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), and Natural Born Killers (1994), Oliver Stone’s controversial media satire about two mass murderers who become legendary folk heroes. Lewis’s other credits include the Nora Ephron comedy Mixed Nuts (1994), with Steve Martin and Adam Sandler; the sci-fi action film Strange Days (1995), Quentin Tarantino’s vampire tale From Dusk Till Dawn (1996); The Evening Star (1996) with Shirley MacLaine; the Garry Marshall-directed The Other Sister (1999), and Todd Phillips’ Old School (2003). In addition to her film career, Lewis has continued to add roles to her growing list of television credits with a performance in Showtime’s My Louisiana Sky (2001), for which she secured an EMMY nomination, and a starring role in the Mira Nair-directed HBO’s film Hysterical Blindness (2002), alongside Uma Thurman and Gena Rowlands.
Lewis took a six-year hiatus from film to pursue her music career exclusively, during which time she completed two full length albums and countless high profile tours and festival gigs with her band, ‘Juliette & the Licks.’ She subsequently set out on a solo career, releasing the album Terra Incognita.
Her return to acting was marked by memeorable performances in Metropia (2009), as the voice of “Nina” and the romantic comedy The Switch (2010), opposite Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, and Patrick Wilson, Sympathy for Delicious (2010), and Conviction (2010). Since then Lewis has appeared in dozens of high-profile projects including Yellowjackets, The Connors, Queer as Folk, Killing Hollywood: The Cotton Club Murders, Secrets and Lies, and The Firm.
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