Rebecca De Mornay
Edit
Enlarge Image
Early Life and Education
Rebecca De Mornay was born as Rebecca Jane Pearch in 1959 in Santa Rosa, California. Her parents were George Walter Pearch, better known as Wally George, and Julie Eager. Her father began his career as a disc jockey and later became a well-known television host. De Mornay’s paternal grandmother, Eugenia Clinchard, was a vaudeville performer and child actress.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 29 Aug, 1959
- Age
- 60 yrs
- Citizenship
- United States of America
Show all facts
- Birth Place
- Santa Rosa
- Education
- Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute
- Gender
- Female
- Description
- American actress
- Spouse
- Bruce Wagner[1986-1990]
Patrick O'Neal[1995-2002] - Net Worth 2021
- 11 million
People Mentioned in This Biography
After her parents divorced when she was two years old, Rebecca began using the surname of her stepfather, De Mornay, by the time she was five. She received her early education at the independent Summerhill School in Leiston, Suffolk, England. Later, she studied acting at the prestigious Lee Strasberg Institute in New York City, laying a strong foundation for her future career in film and television.
Breakthrough in Hollywood
De Mornay made her screen debut with a small role in Francis Ford Coppola's film One from the Heart. During that time, she was in a relationship with co-star Harry Dean Stanton. Her breakthrough came in 1983 with the film Risky Business, in which she portrayed Lana, a call girl opposite Tom Cruise. The role launched her into mainstream success and garnered widespread attention.
She continued her Hollywood ascent with critically recognized performances in notable films. In Runaway Train, she played Sara; in The Trip to Bountiful, she portrayed Thelma; in Ron Howard’s firefighting drama Backdraft, she starred as Helen McCaffrey; and in the psychological thriller The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, she played the villainous nanny, Peyton Flanders—one of her most iconic performances.
