She lit up the 1980s with her talent, rising from model to Oscar-winning actress seemingly overnight. But behind the glitz, Geena Davis carried childhood struggles that shaped the woman—and icon—she would become.
A sheltered New England childhood
Born January 21, 1958, in Wareham, Massachusetts, Geena grew up in a strict, old-fashioned household.
Her parents, Bill and Lucille, valued politeness and propriety above all else. “We heated our house with wood my father chopped. My mom grew all of our food,” she reflected. Even as a child, she knew her path was unconventional: performing called to her long before she fully understood it.
But her early years weren’t without trauma. At 8, she narrowly survived a reckless drive with her 99-year-old great-uncle.
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