Skip to content
EN — Language: English
Janet Leigh

Acting

Janet Leigh

Janet Leigh is an actress born on July 6, 1927 in Merced, California, USA. She died on October 3, 2004, aged 77. She is known for Psycho, The Fog and Touch of Evil. GloboWatch shows where to watch one of her movies and TV shows, country by country.

Known for
Acting
Born
July 6, 1927
Place of birth
Merced, California, USA
Died
October 3, 2004
Also known as
Jeanette Helen Morrison · جنت لی

Biography

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.

Filmography

  1. 2025Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Storyas Self (archive footage)
  2. 2023Pictures of Ghostsas Self (archive footage)
  3. 2021I Am Alfred Hitchcockas Self (archive footage)
  4. 2005The Making of 'Psycho'as Self
  5. 2005Bad Girls from Valley Highas Mrs. Witt
  6. 2000The American Nightmareas Self
  7. 1999Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Specialas Self
  8. 1999Family Lawas Mary Sawyer · 1 episode
  9. 1998Halloween H20: 20 Years Lateras Norma
  10. 1996E! True Hollywood Story3 episodes
  11. 1994Touched by an Angelas Vera King · 1 episode
  12. 1986Psycho IIIas Marion Crane (archive footage) (uncredited)
  13. 1985The Twilight Zoneas Barbara LeMay · 1 episode
  14. 1984Murder, She Wroteas Cornelia Montaigne Harper · 1 episode
  15. 1983Psycho IIas Marion Crane (archive footage) (uncredited)
  16. 1982Matt Houstonas Ramona · 1 episode
  17. 1980The Fogas Kathy Williams
  18. 1979Tales of the Unexpectedas Joan Stackpole · 1 episode
  19. 1977The Love Boatas Joan Philipps / Gail · 2 episodes
  20. 1972Night of the Lepusas Gerry Bennett
  21. 1971Columboas Grace Wheeler Willis · 1 episode
  22. 1969Hello Down Thereas Vivian Miller
  23. 1968Rowan & Martin's Laugh-Inas Self (uncredited) · 2 episodes
  24. 1967Grand Slamas Mary Ann
  25. 1967The Spy in the Green Hatas Miss Diketon
  26. 1966Three on a Couchas Dr Elizabeth Acord
  27. 1966Harperas Susan Harper
  28. 1964The Man from U.N.C.L.E.as Miss Diketon · 2 episodes
  29. 1963Bye Bye Birdieas Rosie DeLeon
  30. 1962The Manchurian Candidateas Eugenie Rose Chaney
  31. 1960Pepeas Janet Leigh
  32. 1960Psychoas Marion Crane
  33. 1960Who Was That Lady?as Ann Wilson
  34. 1958The Perfect Furloughas Vicki Loren
  35. 1958The Vikingsas Morgana · Executive producer
  36. 1958Touch of Evilas Susan 'Susie' Vargas
  37. 1957Jet Pilotas Lt. Anna Marladovna Shannon / Olga Orlief
  38. 1957Sweet Smell of SuccessExecutive producer
  39. 1956Safarias Linda Latham
  40. 1955My Sister Eileenas Eileen Sherwood
  41. 1955Pete Kelly's Bluesas Ivy Conrad
  42. 1954Rogue Copas Karen Stephanson
  43. 1954The Black Shield of Falworthas Lady Anne of Mackworth
  44. 1954Living It Upas Wally Cook
  45. 1954Prince Valiantas Princess Aleta
  46. 1953Houdinias Bess Houdini
  47. 1953The Oscarsas Self · 3 episodes
  48. 1953The Naked Spuras Lina Patch
  49. 1952This Is Your Lifeas Self · 1 episode
  50. 1952Scaramoucheas Aline de Gavrillac de Bourbon
  51. 1951Two Tickets to Broadwayas Nancy Peterson
  52. 1951Angels in the Outfieldas Jennifer Paige
  53. 1950The Colgate Comedy Houras Self · 3 episodes
  54. 1950What's My Line?as Self · 4 episodes
  55. 1949Holiday Affairas Connie Ennis
  56. 1949That Forsyte Womanas June Forsyte
  57. 1949Little Womenas Meg
  58. 1949Act of Violenceas Edith Enley
  59. 1948Words and Musicas Dorothy Feiner
  60. 1948Hills of Homeas Margit Mitchell