Janet Leigh
Biography
Janet Leigh was an American actress born on July 6, 1927, in Merced, California, USA. She was discovered at 18 by actress Norma Shearer, who helped her secure a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Leigh made her film debut in the drama The Romance of Rosy Ridge in 1947. Her career spanned over five decades, during which she appeared in numerous films with MGM, including the crime-drama Act of Violence, the drama Little Women, and the comedy Angels in the Outfield. Leigh's acting credits total 134 known works. She passed away on October 3, 2004, at the age of 77.
Career overview
Janet Leigh began her acting career at the age of 18, when she was discovered by actress Norma Shearer. She secured a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and made her film debut in the drama The Romance of Rosy Ridge in 1947. This marked the beginning of a long and varied career in film.
During her time with MGM, Leigh appeared in a wide range of genres, including the crime-drama Act of Violence in 1948 and the drama Little Women in 1949. Her filmography also includes the comedy Angels in the Outfield in 1951, and the romance Sc, although the title of this film is not specified in the provided information.
Leigh's acting career spanned over five decades, with a total of 134 known credits. Her early discovery by Norma Shearer and subsequent contract with MGM laid the foundation for her successful and enduring career in film.
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Full filmography
- Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story (2025) as Self (archive footage)
- Pictures of Ghosts (2023) as Self (archive footage)
- Rat Pack (2022) as Self (archive footage)
- Jamie Lee Curtis: Hollywood Call of Freedom (2022) as Self (archive footage)
- I Am Alfred Hitchcock (2021) as Self (archive footage)
- Emergency: Donald Trump’s "Touch of Evil" (2019) as (archive footage)
- Hollywood: No Sex, Please! (2018)
- The Fabulous Allan Carr (2017) as Self (archive)
- Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe (2012) as Self (archive footage)
- The Making of 'Psycho' (2005) as Self
- Bad Girls from Valley High (2005) as Mrs. Witt
- Tales from the Mist: Inside 'The Fog' (2002) as Self
- The American Nightmare (2000) as Self
- Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies (2000) as Self
- Mary Pickford: A Life on Film (2000) as Self
- Cubby Broccoli: The Man Behind Bond (2000) as Herself
- Family Law (1999) as Mary Sawyer
- Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Special (1999) as Self (uncredited)
- Hitchcock: Shadow of a Genius (1999) as Self
- Rat Pack: A Conference of Cool (1999) as Self
- Anthony Perkins: A Life in the Shadows (1999) as Self
- Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) as Norma
- Unmasking the Horror (1998)
- Scene by Scene (1997) as Self
- In My Sister's Shadow (1997) as Kay Connor
- E! True Hollywood Story (1996)
- Jerry Lewis: The Last American Clown (1996) as Self - Interviewee
- Inside the Dream Factory (1995) as Self
- Charlton Heston: For All Seasons (1995) as Self
- Touched by an Angel (1994) as Vera King
- The Story of Lassie (1994) as Self
- Hitchcock: Alfred the Great (1994) as Himself
- Intimate Portrait (1993) as Self (archive footage)
- Intimate Portrait (1993) as Self
- The Egg (1993) as The egg (voice) (archive footage)
- Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood (1987) as Self
- Psycho III (1986) as Marion Crane (archive footage) (uncredited)
- The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal (1986) as Self
- The Twilight Zone (1985) as Barbara LeMay
- Night of 100 Stars II (1985) as Self
- Murder, She Wrote (1984) as Cornelia Montaigne Harper
- Psycho II (1983) as Marion Crane (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage (1983) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Matt Houston (1982) as Ramona
- Night of 100 Stars (1982) as Self
- The Fog (1980) as Kathy Williams
- Fear on Film: Inside 'The Fog' (1980) as Self
- Tales of the Unexpected (1979) as Joan Stackpole
- Boardwalk (1979) as Florence Cohen
- The Horror Show (1979) as (archive footage)
- Mirror, Mirror (1979) as Millie Gorman
- The Love Boat (1977) as Joan Philipps / Gail
- Telethon (1977) as Elaine Cotten
- Murder at the World Series (1977) as Karen Weese
- The American Film Institute Salute to ... (1973) as Self
- Murdock's Gang (1973) as Laura Talbot
- Ghost Story (1972) as Carol
- Night of the Lepus (1972) as Gerry Bennett
- One Is a Lonely Number (1972) as Gert Meredith
- Hollywood: The Dream Factory (1972) as Self (archive footage)
- Columbo (1971) as Grace Wheeler Willis
- The Deadly Dream (1971) as Laurel Hanley
- House on Greenapple Road (1970) as Marian Ord
- Hello Down There (1969) as Vivian Miller
- The Monk (1969) as Janice Barnes
- Honeymoon with a Stranger (1969) as Sandra Latham
- Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1968) as Self (uncredited)
- Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1968) as Self
- The Spy in the Green Hat (1967) as Miss Diketon
- Grand Slam (1967) as Mary Ann
- Harper (1966) as Susan Harper
- An American Dream (1966) as Cherry McMahon
- Three on a Couch (1966) as Dr Elizabeth Acord
- Kid Rodelo (1966) as Nora
- Bob Hope Christmas Show (1965) as Self
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964) as Miss Diketon
- The Hollywood Palace (1964) as Self - Host
- Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963) as Virginia Ballard
- Bye Bye Birdie (1963) as Rosie DeLeon
- Wives and Lovers (1963) as Bertie Austin
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- The Manchurian Candidate (1962) as Eugenie Rose Chaney
- Psycho (1960) as Marion Crane
- People, Hopes, Medals (1960) as Self
- Who Was That Lady? (1960) as Ann Wilson
- Pepe (1960) as Janet Leigh
- Startime (1959) Executive Producer
- Touch of Evil (1958) as Susan 'Susie' Vargas
- The Vikings (1958) as Morgana
- The Vikings (1958) Executive Producer
- The Perfect Furlough (1958) as Lt. Vicki Loren
- Sweet Smell of Success (1957) Executive Producer
- Jet Pilot (1957) as Lt. Anna Marladovna Shannon / Olga Orlief
- Safari (1956) as Linda Latham
- The Rosemary Clooney Show (1956) as Self
- Nightmare (1956) as Janet
- My Sister Eileen (1955) as Eileen Sherwood
- Pete Kelly's Blues (1955) as Ivy Conrad
- Prince Valiant (1954) as Princess Aleta
- The Black Shield of Falworth (1954) as Lady Anne of Mackworth
- Living It Up (1954) as Wally Cook
- Miss Glucksman Visits Hollywood (1954)
- A Star Is Born World Premiere (1954) as Self
- Rogue Cop (1954) as Karen Stephanson
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- Houdini (1953) as Bess Houdini
- The Naked Spur (1953) as Lina Patch
- Confidentially Connie (1953) as Connie Bedloe
- Walking My Baby Back Home (1953) as Chris Hall
- This Is Your Life (1952) as Self
- Scaramouche (1952) as Aline de Gavrillac de Bourbon
- Just This Once (1952) as Lucy Duncan
- An Eye for an Eye (1952)
- Fearless Fagan (1952) as Abby Ames
- Come Back Little Shiksa (1952)
- Angels in the Outfield (1951) as Jennifer Paige
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1951)
- Fairfax Avenue (1951)
- Two Tickets to Broadway (1951) as Nancy Peterson
- It's a Big Country (1951) as Rosa Szabo Xenophon
- The Re-Inforcer (1951) as Mary Muck
- Strictly Dishonorable (1951) as Isabelle Perry
- What's My Line? (1950) as Self
- The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950) as Self
- Little Women (1949) as Meg
- Act of Violence (1949) as Edith Enley
- Holiday Affair (1949) as Connie Ennis
- The Red Danube (1949) as Olga Alexandrova aka Maria Buhlen
- The Doctor and the Girl (1949) as Evelyn 'Taffy' Heldon
- That Forsyte Woman (1949) as June Forsyte
- How to Smuggle a Hernia Across the Border (1949)
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) as Self
- Hills of Home (1948) as Margit Mitchell
- Words and Music (1948) as Dorothy Feiner
- The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947) as Lissy Anne MacBean
- If Winter Comes (1947) as Effie Bright
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self