Sigourney Weaver achieved fame battling bug-like monsters as Ellen Ripley in Alien (1979), a role she reprised in Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992), and Alien Resurrection (1997). In these action films, Weaver impressed audiences and critics by demonstrating that a woman can be a fierce warrior without sacrificing her femininity. In her other work, Weaver has proven herself in genres ranging from comedies such as Ghostbusters (1984) and Working Girl (1988) to intensely dramatic roles such as Gorillas in the Mist (1988) and Death and the Maiden (1994).

Further Reading:

Maguffee, T. D. Sigourney Weaver. New York, St. Martin's Press, 1989.