As a child, Geena dreamed of being an actress. While in high school, she felt left out and had low self-esteem because, at 6 feet, she was the tallest girl in school. After high school graduation, Geena entered New England College in New Hampshire and then transferred the next year to Boston University, where she majored in drama. In 1977, she left BU and moved to New York to start her career. Her career consisted of sales clerk and waitress. She worked at Ann Taylor, where she eventually rose to Saturday window mannequin while trying to get a job with a modeling agency. Eventually signed by the Zoli Agency, she wound up as a model in the Victoria Secret's Catalogue. Ever vigilant, Sydney Pollack was looking for new talent in the catalog when he spotted Geena and cast her in Tootsie (1982). With good reviews, Geena moved to Los Angeles where she was cast as Wendy in the short-lived but critically acclaimed television series Buffalo Bill (1983) with Dabney Coleman. A starter marriage to restaurant manager Richard Emmolo dissolved around this time. Her next appearance on television was in her own series Sara (1985), which was also good, but soon canceled. Geena then returned to the big screen in the below-average Transilvânia - Hotel do Outro Lado do Mundo (1985) followed by the successful Chevy Chase movie Assassinato por Encomenda (1985). From there on, she was on a roll with second husband Jeff Goldblum in the horror remake A Mosca (1986). More successful were Tim Burton's dark comedy Os Fantasmas se Divertem (1988) and O Turista Acidental (1988). For the last film, she was the surprise winner of the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. More fun movies followed with the flying-saucer-in-the-pool Meu Amante é de Outro Mundo (1988) and everyone-loves-a-clown Não Tenho Troco (1990) with Bill Murray. The very successful Thelma & Louise (1991), directed by Ridley Scott, again garnered nominations for the Academy Award and Golden Globe. Uma Equipe Muito Especial (1992), with Tom Hanks and directed by Penny Marshall, was the turning point as her next film, Herói por Acidente (1992), was only average. Then she married director Renny Harlin and they set up a production and development company called "The Forge". Their first film was Apenas Bons Amigos (1994), which flopped at the box office. Undeterred, Renny decided to film the big-budget A Ilha da Garganta Cortada (1995), starring Geena as pirate leader Morgan, which also flopped. Geena has since starred in the thriller Despertar de um pesadelo (1996) and played Eleanor Little in O Pequeno Stuart Little (1999) and O Pequeno Stuart Little 2 (2002). She's also returned to TV, headlining The Geena Davis Show (2000) and Commander in Chief (2005). Both shows were canceled after one season, but she won a Golden Globe for the latter. In 2008, after being missed from the big screen for some years, Geena ventured to Sydney, Australia, playing the foul-mouthed mother of Harry Cook and Harrison Gilbertson to shoot the dark comedy Accidents Happen (2009).

As a child, Geena dreamed of being an actress. While in high school, she felt left out and had low self-esteem because, at 6 feet, she was the tallest girl in school. After high school graduation, Geena entered New England College in New Hampshire and then transferred the next year to Boston University, where she majored in drama. In 1977, she left BU and moved to New York to start her career. Her career consisted of sales clerk and waitress. She worked at Ann Taylor, where she eventually rose to Saturday window mannequin while trying to get a job with a modeling agency. Eventually signed by the Zoli Agency, she wound up as a model in the Victoria Secret's Catalogue. Ever vigilant, Sydney Pollack was looking for new talent in the catalog when he spotted Geena and cast her in Tootsie (1982). With good reviews, Geena moved to Los Angeles where she was cast as Wendy in the short-lived but critically acclaimed television series Buffalo Bill (1983) with Dabney Coleman. A starter marriage to restaurant manager Richard Emmolo dissolved around this time. Her next appearance on television was in her own series Sara (1985), which was also good, but soon canceled. Geena then returned to the big screen in the below-average Transilvânia - Hotel do Outro Lado do Mundo (1985) followed by the successful Chevy Chase movie Assassinato por Encomenda (1985). From there on, she was on a roll with second husband Jeff Goldblum in the horror remake A Mosca (1986). More successful were Tim Burton's dark comedy Os Fantasmas se Divertem (1988) and O Turista Acidental (1988). For the last film, she was the surprise winner of the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. More fun movies followed with the flying-saucer-in-the-pool Meu Amante é de Outro Mundo (1988) and everyone-loves-a-clown Não Tenho Troco (1990) with Bill Murray. The very successful Thelma & Louise (1991), directed by Ridley Scott, again garnered nominations for the Academy Award and Golden Globe. Uma Equipe Muito Especial (1992), with Tom Hanks and directed by Penny Marshall, was the turning point as her next film, Herói por Acidente (1992), was only average. Then she married director Renny Harlin and they set up a production and development company called "The Forge". Their first film was Apenas Bons Amigos (1994), which flopped at the box office. Undeterred, Renny decided to film the big-budget A Ilha da Garganta Cortada (1995), starring Geena as pirate leader Morgan, which also flopped. Geena has since starred in the thriller Despertar de um pesadelo (1996) and played Eleanor Little in O Pequeno Stuart Little (1999) and O Pequeno Stuart Little 2 (2002). She's also returned to TV, headlining The Geena Davis Show (2000) and Commander in Chief (2005). Both shows were canceled after one season, but she won a Golden Globe for the latter. In 2008, after being missed from the big screen for some years, Geena ventured to Sydney, Australia, playing the foul-mouthed mother of Harry Cook and Harrison Gilbertson to shoot the dark comedy Accidents Happen (2009).