Knowra Geena Davis Geena Davis Geena Davis is an American actor and activist whose film roles include Thelma & Louise, A League of Their Own, and The Accidental Tourist. She founded the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.
Thelma & Louise : A 1991 film about two friends whose road trip becomes a flight from the law. Davis’s performance as Thelma helped make this film a landmark in portrayals of women on screen.
Susan Sarandon : An American actor whose films include Thelma & Louise, Dead Man Walking, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Sarandon played Louise opposite Davis’s Thelma, forming the film’s central partnership.
Gender representation in media : The distribution and portrayal of genders across media roles, stories, and production. Davis’s advocacy focuses on how often women appear and how they are depicted on screen.
Modeling : The work of posing for photographs, art, or commercial presentations of clothing and products. Davis worked as a model before turning to acting.
Action film : A film genre centered on physical feats, conflict, and sequences of pursuit or combat. Davis’s leading roles in action films challenged expectations about who could carry the genre.
A League of Their Own : A 1992 comedy-drama about women who play professional baseball during World War II. Davis played catcher Dottie Hinson, a central character in this story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
Ridley Scott : An English film director and producer known for films including Alien, Blade Runner, and Gladiator. Scott directed Thelma & Louise, the film that paired Davis and Sarandon on their landmark road journey.
Media content analysis : A systematic method for examining patterns in media messages and representations. The institute she founded uses research on screen content to ground its advocacy.
Tootsie : A 1982 comedy film about an actor who disguises himself as a woman to find work. Davis made her film debut in this comedy, playing April Page.
Cutthroat Island : A 1995 pirate adventure film starring Geena Davis as a woman searching for buried treasure. Its costly commercial failure contrasts with the acclaim Davis received for several earlier performances.
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