Trivia

Is fluent in French and Italian.

Met husband-to-be Paul Bettany on the set of A Beautiful Mind (2001). The couple later married without ever dating in the interim.

Named her son Stellan after Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård.

Cut a single in Japan, which she sang in phonetic Japanese. She says her agent made up the idea that she is semi-fluent in the language.

According to Marvel producer Kevin Feige, the choice to have her voice the A.I. suit in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) was done as an homage to her appearance in John Hughes productions, which the superhero film pays tribute to, and as a meta joke as her husband Paul Bettany voices the A.I. suit of Iron Man within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The character Veronica Sawyer in Heathers (1989) was originally written with her in mind, but she turned the role down.

Princess Jasmine's appearance in the Disney animated film Aladdin (1992) was based and influenced on her, as well as the sister of her animator, Mark Henn.

In three of her movies (Dark City (1998), Requiem for a Dream (2000) and House of Sand and Fog (2003)), she appears standing at the end of a pier in a striking image. All three directors created the shots for different reasons, and they are not an homage or reference to each other, just a coincidence.

Her father was of Irish and Norwegian heritage. Her mother was from an Ashkenazi Jewish family (from Poland and Russia).

Enrolled at Yale University as an English major, then transferred two years later to Stanford University.

As of 2019, she was residing in Brooklyn (NY), four blocks from where she grew up and where her children attend her childhood school.

Gave birth to her daughter Agnes Lark Bettany, with husband Paul Bettany, at home in New York via scheduled water birth (5/31/11).

Has twice played a character named Sarah Williams. First was in Labyrinth (1986), second was in Waking the Dead (2000).

Has a son, Kai Dugan (b. 7/10/97), with photographer David Dugan.

First child with husband Paul Bettany, son Stellan Bettany (b. 8/5/03). Stellan's godfather is Charlie Condou, Paul's best friend.

Was the 120th actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for A Beautiful Mind (2001) at The 74th Annual Academy Awards (2002) on March 24, 2002.

Was considered for the role of Catherine Tramell in Basic Instinct (1992), which went to Sharon Stone.

Was named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in the World (2002).

Replaced Uma Thurman as Gloria Harper in The Hot Spot (1990).

Auditioned for the title role of Firestarter (1984), which went to Drew Barrymore.

As of 2023, she appeared in two films that were Oscar nominated for Best Picture: A Beautiful Mind (2001) and Top Gun: Maverick (2022), with the former being a winner in the category.

She was nearly cast as Diane Court in Cameron Crowe's Say Anything (1989). Ione Skye got the role instead.

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#54) (2007).

Returned to work seven months after giving birth to her son Kai in order to begin filming Waking the Dead (2000).

Is one of 14 actresses who won their Best Supporting Actress Oscars in a movie that also won the Best Picture Oscar (she won for A Beautiful Mind (2001)). The others are Hattie McDaniel for Gone with the Wind (1939), Teresa Wright for Mrs. Miniver (1942), Celeste Holm for Gentleman's Agreement (1947), Mercedes McCambridge for All the King's Men (1949), Donna Reed for From Here to Eternity (1953), Eva Marie Saint for On the Waterfront (1954), Rita Moreno for West Side Story (1961), Meryl Streep for Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), Juliette Binoche for The English Patient (1996), Judi Dench for Shakespeare in Love (1998), Catherine Zeta-Jones for Chicago (2002),Lupita Nyong'o for 12 Years a Slave (2013) and Jamie Lee Curtis for Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022).

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008), in which she starred, opened on her 38th birthday (12/12/08).

Ranked #14 in Celebrity Sleuth magazine's "25 Sexiest Women of 1993" list.

Ranked #88 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" special supplement (2005).

Returned to work five months after giving birth to her son Stellan in order to begin filming Dark Water (2005).

Returned to work ten months after giving birth to her daughter Agnes to begin filming Stuck in Love. (2012).

Ranked #74 in FHM-USA magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World" list (2002).

Ranked #53 in Stuff magazine's "103 Sexiest Women in the World" list (2003).

Daughter-in-law of Thane Bettany and Anne Kettle.

She learned Spanish while she spent time in Argentina filming Of Love and Shadows (1994).

Ranked #85 in AskMen's "Most Desirable Woman" list (2002).

Is one of 22 Oscar-winning actresses to have been born in the state of New York. The others are Alice Brady, Teresa Wright, Anne Revere, Celeste Holm, Claire Trevor, Judy Holliday, Shirley Booth, Susan Hayward, Patty Duke, Anne Bancroft, Barbra Streisand, Jane Fonda, Lee Grant, Beatrice Straight, Whoopi Goldberg, Mercedes Ruehl, Marisa Tomei, Mira Sorvino, Susan Sarandon, Melissa Leo and Anne Hathaway.

With A Beautiful Mind (2001) and Reservation Road (2007), has now played the wife of Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix, who both appeared in Gladiator (2000)--Crowe as the hero and Phoenix as the villain.

She enjoys going barefoot and also does so in many of her movies like House of Sand and Fog.

Auditioned for Firestarter (1984).

The 1995 horror game Clock Tower is based on the 1985 film Phenomena, in which Jennifer stars. The game's protagonist is heavily inspired by Connelly's appearance, and her character's name is also Jennifer, just like in Phenomena.

Was not yet 15 during filming of 'Labyrinth' (1985). Costar David Bowie was impressed with her maturity and professionalism.