Actor
Janet Leigh
Born 6 July 1927 · Merced, California, USA — died 3 October 2004
Janet Leigh (1927–2004) was an American actress who worked at MGM and other studios across genres from the late 1940s onward. She is best remembered as Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, whose shower scene became one of cinema's most famous sequences. She also appeared in Touch of Evil and The Manchurian Candidate.
Key films
Psycho (1960)On Cinespective
Her defining role as Marion Crane brought an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe, and the film reshaped the thriller.
Touch of Evil (1958)
Played Susan Vargas in Orson Welles's celebrated film noir, showing her dramatic range.
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Appeared in John Frankenheimer's acclaimed Cold War political thriller.
The Naked Spur (1953)
Co-starred in Anthony Mann's well-regarded western, a highlight of her MGM years.
Little Women (1949)
Early MGM prestige literary adaptation in which she played Meg, helping establish her as a studio leading lady.
Key awards
- 1960 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress (Psycho)
- 1960 Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress (Psycho)
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 109
- 1947If Winter Comes · as Effie BrightActor
- 1947The Romance of Rosy Ridge · as Lissy Anne MacBeanActor
- 1948Words and Music · as Dorothy FeinerActor
- 1948Hills of Home · as Margit MitchellActor
- 1949Little Women · as MegActor
- 1949Act of Violence · as Edith EnleyActor
- 1949Holiday Affair · as Connie EnnisActor
- 1949That Forsyte Woman · as June ForsyteActor
- 1949The Red Danube · as Olga Alexandrova aka Maria BuhlenActor
- 1949The Doctor and the Girl · as Evelyn 'Taffy' HeldonActor
- 1949How to Smuggle a Hernia Across the BorderActor
- 1951Angels in the Outfield · as Jennifer PaigeActor
- 1951Two Tickets to Broadway · as Nancy PetersonActor
- 1951It's a Big Country · as Rosa Szabo XenophonActor
- 1951Strictly Dishonorable · as Isabelle PerryActor
- 1951The Re-Inforcer · as Mary MuckActor
- 1951A Spot In The ShadeActor
- 1951NightmareActor
- 1951Fairfax AvenueActor
- 1951Watch On The LimeActor
- 1952Scaramouche · as Aline de Gavrillac de BourbonActor
- 1952Fearless Fagan · as Abby AmesActor
- 1952Just This Once · as Lucy DuncanActor
- 1952Come Back Little ShiksaActor
- 1952An Eye for an EyeActor
- 1953The Naked Spur · as Lina PatchActor
- 1953Houdini · as Bess HoudiniActor
- 1953Confidentially Connie · as Connie BedloeActor
- 1953Walking My Baby Back Home · as Chris HallActor
- 1954Prince Valiant · as Princess AletaActor
- 1954Living It Up · as Wally CookActor
- 1954The Black Shield of Falworth · as Lady Anne of MackworthActor
- 1954Rogue Cop · as Karen StephansonActor
- 1954A Star Is Born World Premiere · as SelfActor
- 1954Miss Glucksman Visits HollywoodActor
- 1955Pete Kelly's Blues · as Ivy ConradActor
- 1955My Sister Eileen · as Eileen SherwoodActor
- 1956Safari · as Linda LathamActor
- 1956Nightmare · as JanetActor
- 1957Jet Pilot · as Lt. Anna Marladovna Shannon / Olga OrliefActor
- 1958Touch of Evil · as Susan 'Susie' VargasActor
- 1958The Vikings · as MorganaActor
- 1958The Perfect Furlough · as Vicki LorenActor
- 1960Psycho · as Marion CraneActor
- 1960Pepe · as Janet LeighActor
- 1960Who Was That Lady? · as Ann WilsonActor
- 1960People, Hopes, Medals · as SelfActor
- 1962The Manchurian Candidate · as Eugenie Rose ChaneyActor
- 1963Bye Bye Birdie · as Rosie DeLeonActor
- 1963Wives and Lovers · as Bertie AustinActor
- 1965Bob Hope Christmas Show · as SelfActor
- 1966Harper · as Susan HarperActor
- 1966Three on a Couch · as Dr Elizabeth AcordActor
- 1966An American Dream · as Cherry McMahonActor
- 1966Kid Rodelo · as NoraActor
- 1967Grand Slam · as Mary AnnActor
- 1967The Spy in the Green Hat · as Miss DiketonActor
- 1969Hello Down There · as Vivian MillerActor
- 1969Honeymoon with a Stranger · as Sandra LathamActor
- 1969The Monk · as Janice BarnesActor
- 1970House on Greenapple Road · as Marian OrdActor
- 1971The Deadly Dream · as Laurel HanleyActor
- 1972Night of the Lepus · as Gerry BennettActor
- 1972One Is a Lonely Number · as Gert MeredithActor
- 1972Hollywood: The Dream Factory · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1973Murdock's Gang · as Laura TalbotActor
- 1977Telethon · as Elaine CottenActor
- 1977Murder at the World Series · as Karen WeeseActor
- 1979The Horror Show · as (archive footage)Actor
- 1979Boardwalk · as Florence CohenActor
- 1979Mirror, Mirror · as Millie GormanActor
- 1980The Fog · as Kathy WilliamsActor
- 1982Night of 100 Stars · as SelfActor
- 1983Psycho II · as Marion Crane (archive footage) (uncredited)Actor
- 1983Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)Actor
- 1985Night of 100 Stars II · as SelfActor
- 1986Psycho III · as Marion Crane (archive footage) (uncredited)Actor
- 1986The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal · as SelfActor
- 1986The Making Of Psycho III · as Marion Crane (archive footage)Actor
- 1987Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood · as SelfActor
- 1993The Egg · as The egg (voice) (archive footage)Actor
- 1994Hitchcock: Alfred the Great · as SelfActor
- 1994The Story of Lassie · as SelfActor
- 1995Charlton Heston: For All Seasons · as SelfActor
- 1995Inside the Dream Factory · as SelfActor
- 1996Jerry Lewis: The Last American Clown · as Self - IntervieweeActor
- 1997In My Sister's Shadow · as Kay ConnorActor
- 1998Halloween H20: 20 Years Later · as NormaActor
- 1999Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Special · as SelfActor
- 1999Hitchcock: Shadow of a Genius · as SelfActor
- 1999Anthony Perkins: A Life in the Shadows · as SelfActor
- 1999Rat Pack: A Conference of Cool · as SelfActor
- 2000The American Nightmare · as SelfActor
- 2000Cubby Broccoli: The Man Behind Bond · as HerselfActor
- 2000Mary Pickford: A Life on Film · as SelfActor
- 2000Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies · as SelfActor
- 2002Tales from the Mist: Inside 'The Fog' · as SelfActor
- 2005The Making of 'Psycho' · as SelfActor
- 2005Bad Girls from Valley High · as Mrs. WittActor
- 2012Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2017The Fabulous Allan Carr · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2018Hollywood: No Sex, Please!Actor
- 2019Emergency: Donald Trump’s "Touch of Evil" · as (archive footage)Actor
- 2021I Am Alfred Hitchcock · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2022Jamie Lee Curtis: Hollywood Call of Freedom · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2022Rat Pack · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2023Pictures of Ghosts · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2025Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2026100 Years of the Idiot: A Jerry Lewis CentenaryActor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.