Began using the name Sigourney (after a character mentioned in "The Great Gatsby")

Made early stage appearances in Southbury, CT

After attending Stanford, moved to Israel and lived on a kibbutz

Returned to the US and enrolled at Yale

Appeared with Meryl Streep in the chorus of the Stephen Sondheim adaptation of "The Frogs" performed at Yale

Broadway debut (as understudy) in "The Constant Wife"

Off-Broadway debut in Christopher Durang's "The Nature and Purpose of the Universe"

With Durang, co-wrote and co-starred in "Das Lusitania Songspiel"; produced off-off-Broadway

TV debut as a regular on the NBC soap "Somerset"; appeared alongside Ted Danson and JoBeth Williams

Film acting debut in "Madman" (Israel)

Had bit part as Woody Allen's movie date in "Annie Hall"

Breakthrough film role as Ripley in Ridley Scott's "Alien"

Co-starred opposite Mel Gibson in Peter Weir's "The Year of Living Dangerously"

Had female lead of Dana Barrett in the blockbuster comedy "Ghostbusters"

Co-starred in the Broadway production of "Hurlyburly"; directed by Mike Nichols; received a Tony nomination

Reprised her role as Ripley in James Cameron's "Aliens"; earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actress

Portrayed a ruthless business woman in "Working Girl"; received one of two Oscar nominations that year for Best Supporting Actress; became the first actor nominated in two categories not to win either

Portrayed gorilla conservationist Dian Fossey in "Gorillas in the Mist"; received one of two Oscar nominations that year for Best Actress; became the first actor nominated in two categories not to win either

Reprised role of Dana Barrett in "Ghostbusters II"

Again reprised Ripley for David Fincher's "Alien3"; debuted as a producer

First onscreen teaming with Kevin Kline in "Dave"

Formed Goat Cay Productions

Appeared as an agoraphobic psychologist in "Copycat" opposite Holly Hunter

Returned to Broadway as the star of Christopher Durang's "Sex and Longing"

Re-teamed with Kline in Ang Lee's mood piece "The Ice Storm"

TV-movie debut as the wicked stepmother in "Snow White: A Tale of Terror" (original intended for theatrical release but aired on Showtime); earned an Emmy nomination

Played a clone of Ripley in "Alien Resurrection"

Teamed with Julianne Moore for the screen version of the novel "A Map of the World"

Received star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (December 16)

Had featured role in "Company Man"

With Jennifer Love Hewitt, played a mother-daughter con team in "Heartbreakers"

Returned to the NYC stage in "The Guys"; performed Off-Off-Broadway at the Flea, a company run by her husband

Played Eve, a woman whose 16 year old stepson falls in love with her in "Tadpole"

Starred in the play-turned-motion picture drama "The Guys"

Was the warden in the teen feature "Holes"

Starred in M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village" with William Hurt and Joaquin Phoenix

Starred with Jeff Daniels in the family drama "Imaginary Heroes"

Played a Manhattan socialite in the Truman Capote biopic "Infamous"

Cast in the network satire "The TV Set" directed by Jake Kasdan and starring David Duchovny

Portrayed an autistic woman, opposite Alan Rickman in "Snow Cake"

Cast as a news producer in the thriller, "Vantage Point"

Cast opposite Tina Fey and Amy Poehler in the comedy, "Baby Mama"