Jennifer Sue Beals is an American actress and former model, born on 19 December 1963 in Chicago, Illinois to an Irish-American mother and African-American father. She is still perhaps best known for playing Alex Owens in the 1983 movie “Flashdance”, and Bette Porter in the 2004 series “The L Word”.
So just how rich is Jennifer Beals? According to sources, she has acquired a net worth over $6 million, as of early 2016. Her wealth has been established during her long acting and modeling career.
Jennifer Beals Net Worth $6 Million
After her father died when Beals was 10, her family moved to North Chicago where she attended the progressive Francis W. Parker School. She started to work at an ice cream store when she was 13, and in order to earn some extra money, she was also babysitting. When she turned 16 she started modeling, first for some Chicago stores and magazines, and later for various magazines in New York and Paris.
Her interest in acting was born when she was a teenager volunteering at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago as an usher, and she went on to attend the Goodman School of Drama at DePaul University. During her high school days, Beals appeared in small school plays and later got an uncredited bit part in the 1980 movie “My Bodyguard”. She matriculated from high school in 1982 and the following year entered Yale University. During her freshman year she was chosen to play Alex Owens in “Flashdance”, which on release turned into a pop culture sensation, establishing the young actress in instant fame, making her a fashion icon and bringing her a nomination for a Golden Globe.
Although Beals’ net worth started to rise, she decided to return to study. In the time of her summer breaks, she starred in a gothic horror “The Bride” and she also appeared in “Faerie Tale Theatre”, an episode of “Cindarella”. She was offered several other roles, however, she decided to turn them down and focus on studying. She graduated from Yale University in 1987 with a BA in American Literature.
She went on with her modeling career, promoting a $3 million ad campaign for fashion designers Marithé and François Girbaud, and Shiseido cosmetics, steadily increasing her net worth. Beals resumed her acting career, and along with Nicolas Cage appeared in the 1989 movie “Vampire Kiss”. She starred in several movies directed by her then-husband Alexandre Rockwell, such as the 1990 “Sons”, the1992 “In the Soup” and in the film “The Four Rooms” in 1995. The same year, along with Denzel Washington, she starred in “Devil in a Blue Dress”, a thriller based on the book written by her favorite author Walter Mosley. In 2003 Beals appeared as a jury member in “Runaway Jury” and in 2006 she took the leading role in “The Grudge 2”, a sequel to the popular horror film. 2010 saw Beals in the action drama “The Book of Elli”, again with Denzel Washington. She also appeared in the 2015 movie “Fall Out”, based on the life story of the American gymnast Ariana Berlin.
Aside from being successful in the movie industry, Beals has also appeared in various television series, one of the most notable being the 2004 drama “The L Word”, about a circle of West Hollywood lesbian women. Beals’ impressive portrayal of lesbian art gallery manager Bette Porter made the actress a gay icon and a respected spokeswoman for LGBT rights, and brought her nominations for multiple NAACP Image Awards, and considerably added to her wealth. Her other notable television appearances include the series “Lie to Me’, “The Chicago Code”, “Westside” and “Proof”. In 2012 she appeared in the web series “Lauren” for YouTube channel WIGS. Beals has now appeared in more than 50 films and TV productions.
In her personal life, he actress was married to the director Alexandre Rockwell from 1986 to 1996. She then married Canadian entrepreneur Ken Dixon in 1998; the couple has one daughter together, and Beals has two stepchildren from Dixon’s previous marriage.
Beals is known as a philanthropist and a huge supporter of LGBT community and rights. Her favorite hobby is photography – her photographs have often been shown, including in many charity events. Beals is also a tri-athlete, and her other hobbies include salsa dancing, ballet and belly dancing. She is a student of many religions and practices Buddhism.
