In the long lineage of badass super-smart feminist women in cinema, Geena Davis is one of the greatest. She’s weathered a long career in Hollywood, which can be hazardous for women (especially as they age), and has still come out on top. With her recent appearance as Stacy in Zoë Kravitz’s ferocious directorial debut “Blink Twice,” Davis has reminded us all that she’s one of the best to ever do it, bringing some unnerving levity to the film’s deeply claustrophobic tone. She can tell an entire story just with her eyes and is an incredible performer, but for many years she was all but absent from the silver screen. So, what happened? How did one of Hollywood’s biggest stars just sort of disappear from the limelight for nearly two decades, only appearing in the occasional small movie role or on an ill-fated television series?
There were a number of factors that contributed to Davis stepping back from the moviemaking world for a bit, including her starring in a series of stinkers, facing age discrimination, and even taking the time to train as an Olympian archer. The actor’s life has honestly been as interesting as any movie she’s starred in, so maybe the next Geena Davis movie should be about her instead of starring her. After all, people who grew up with her in “Beetlejuice” might want to know where she went, and fans just discovering her work could be interested in where she came from. Here’s a bit more about the impressive life and career of the marvelous Geena Davis, who honestly only gets better with age.