Vanessa Nakate to Open Giving Black Conference 2026 With Climate Justice Keynote
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United States Geena Davis is an Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning actor known for her impactful roles in film and television, and her dedicated advocacy for gender equality in media.
Coca-Cola partnered with Geena Davis to showcase aspiring filmmakers' work and promote diversity in cinema through their Refreshing Films program.
The Geena Davis Institute launched a YouTube campaign, #ShesGotDrive, with Ford to fight unconscious gender bias in media.
Geena Davis and David Yurman partnered on a new documentary looking at gender in Hollywood and launched a product collaboration, the 'Intersectionality' Unisex Bracelet, in tandem with the 'This Changes Everything' documentary.
Geena Davis unveiled a new partnership with Walt Disney Studios using 'Spell Check for Bias' to address gender representation in scripts.
Geena Davis meets with ad agencies like J. Walter Thompson to discuss how they can promote women in advertising.
Everywoman Studios and Change Content partnered with P&G and its Always and Secret brands to launch a gender equality impact campaign, involving the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.
Born in Wareham, Massachusetts, on January 21, 1956, Geena Davis, whose birth name is Virginia Elizabeth Davis, harbored early dreams of acting. Despite feeling self-conscious about her height in high school, she pursued her passion, studying drama at New England College and Boston University. Her career began unconventionally in New York, working retail and eventually modeling for the Zoli Agency, including a feature in the Victoria Secret’s Catalogue. This modeling work led to her breakthrough, being discovered by director Sydney Pollack and cast in her film debut, “Tootsie” (1982). Following positive reviews, Davis moved to Los Angeles, landing roles in television series like “Buffalo Bill” (1983) and “Sara” (1985), and films such as “Fletch” (1985) and “Transylvania 6-5000” (1985).
Davis continued to build her film career throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, achieving significant critical and commercial success. Her role in “The Fly” (1986) with then-husband Jeff Goldblum solidified her presence. She then gained widespread recognition for her work in Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice” (1988) and earned an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for “The Accidental Tourist” (1988). The early 90s saw her star in iconic films like “Thelma & Louise” (1991), which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, and “A League of Their Own” (1992), garnering a Golden Globe nomination. Later in the 90s, after a period of less successful films like “Cutthroat Island” (1995) and “The Long Kiss Goodnight” (1996), she took a hiatus from major film roles.
Returning to acting, Davis found success in the “Stuart Little” franchise (1999-2005) and made a notable return to television as the first female U.S. President in “Commander in Chief” (2005-2006), winning a Golden Globe for the role. This period also marked a professional expansion beyond acting, as she founded the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media in 2004. The Institute is dedicated to increasing on-screen female representation and challenging stereotypes, leading to initiatives like the Bentonville Film Festival and the documentary “This Changes Everything” (2018). Her advocacy and sustained career were recognized with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2019 and the Governors Award in 2022.
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