Jennifer Beals Chose Private Life As Happy Mom & Wife – 40 Years After ‘Flashdance’ She Reflects on Her Role (2024)

Actress Jennifer Beals gained popularity after appearing in the 1983 film "Flashdance," wherein she played Alex Owens, a Pittsburgh steel mill welder leading a double life as an exotic dancer.

Beals was 18 years old when she bagged the role that would set her career to new heights. At the time, she was still a student at Yale University studying American Literature.

Actress Jennifer Beals as Alex Owens in the movie "Flashdance" on April 15, 1983 | Source: Getty Images

The Hollywood star subsequently had to defer a term which was not what she initially planned on doing, and she spoke candidly about the overall experience in a February 2022 interview, saying she did it for fun and enjoyed portraying the role:

Jennifer Beals at the New York Film Festival - "Miller's Crossing" at Lincoln Center on September 21, 1990 in New York City | Source: Getty Images

"Flashdance" became a successful movie, and Beals returned to college right after her stint in the critically acclaimed film.

On the 40th anniversary of the classic movie, the brunette beauty reflected on that period of her life in an Instagram post.

Beals, who now leads another life, shared a throwback picture of her younger self wearing a red jacket and captioned her post:

Beals' New Life As Happy Mom With Husband of 24 Years

It has been decades since Beals starred in "Flashdance," for which she won an NAACP Image Award. These days she is still very much on the acting scene and has had various gigs while focusing on a healthy lifestyle. She revealed in February 2020:

The award-winning movie star also drinks lots of water and meditates; adding intercourse also helps – which is at the top of her list.

At 59, Beals has been married twice. Her first husband was film director Alexandre Rockwell, whom she married in February 1986 and divorced in 1996 after ten years of marriage.

Beals is now married to her second husband Canadian entrepreneur Ken Dixon, after they walked down the aisle in June 1998. The couple of 24 years shares one child.

Beals became a first-time mom in October 2019 when she and her spouse welcomed a baby girl, whose name was not revealed then. While this is her first child, it is Dixon's third, as he has two other kids from a previous marriage.

Besides being a family woman, the "The L-Word" alum is passionate about health issues. In a February 2023 Instagram post, she revealed she joined a health program "to help raise awareness about heart disease."

She shared a selfie shot with the post, and fans praised her in the comments section. One follower wrote, "Thank you for bringing awareness. [..] Grateful for your advocacy."

Another social media user commented, "[..] She is the female Benjamin Button. Over the years, she becomes more and more beautiful!"

Beals has also shared another throwback picture of herself in a March 2023 social media upload. She captioned it: "circa my Ring My Bell era. Recognize that disco dress anywhere. #fbf on Sunday just because."

Fans raved about her looks in the post, with one person writing, "You're the most beautiful woman in the world. I love you, Jennifer." And another stated, "I think that God did spend a little more time on you."

In her free time, Beals enjoys being active on the weekends. In July 2022, she posted a selfie canoeing and wrote, "This is what one version of a VERY good day looks like. #waterheals."

The "Luckiest Girl Alive" star also loves pets, as she posted a picture cuddling with a Pitbull, revealing she opted for that instead of having a glass of water on her bedside.

The Truth About Beals’ “Flashdance” Moves

With Beals being famously known for starring in "Flashdance," there have been some revelations pertaining to her role. The movie's director, Adrian Lyne, revealed the truth about her dancing character, Alex.

In a recent interview, Lyne disclosed the lead star's dance moves were performed mainly by uncredited French pro dancer Marine Jahan.

Jennifer Beals as Alex Owens dancing to the signature song, "Flashdance... What A Feeling" on April 15, 1983 | Source: Getty Images

Lyne explained that Jahan's moves were intermixed with clips of Beals dancing from the neck up. In many of them, it is Jahan dancing with Beals' head. He said:

Jennifer Beals appearing on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on October 4, 2022 | Source: Getty Images

Moreover, it was Jahan on the wet dance scene, featured in silhouette and soaked in water. Her face was shown on camera but slightly obscured in some instances beneath Alex's wig. Lyne added that the two women's bodies are completely different.

In addition, while the team initially struggled to find a lead star, it turns out he was confident Beals was the ideal choice as a newcomer, said the film's producer, Jerry Bruckheimer. According to him, the higher-ups had several other people who sussed out Beals' screen tests, and they all chose her as the lead.