Rebecca De Mornay’s performance in Risky Business positioned her as a rising star in Hollywood. Her talent was undeniable and her future seemed bright.
Yet, while her co-star Tom Cruise skyrocketed to global superstardom, De Mornay’s path took a different turn — one that few could have predicted.
Not long ago, I came across a black-and-white photo of a beautiful young woman standing beside Tom Cruise. Her look was quintessentially 1980s, and her gaze instantly captivated me. At first, I thought it might be Heather Locklear, but I quickly realized it wasn’t her. Instead, I soon learned her name: Rebecca De Mornay.
Odd upbringing
Rebecca De Mornay was born in 1959 in Santa Rosa, California. Her upbringing has often been described as unconventional — some might even say chaotic.
Her parents were Wally George, a disc jockey who later became a right-wing TV personality, and Julie George, who dreamed of becoming an actress.
When Rebecca was just two years old, her parents divorced. Her mother remarried a scientist, but tragically, he passed away when Rebecca was only five.
After this loss, her mother decided to take Rebecca and her brother on a journey across Europe. They traveled around in a Volkswagen van, eventually settling in a small town in Austria, where Rebecca began school. Living like a nomad forced Rebecca to grow up quickly, and she was often seen as much older than her years.
She was courageous and mature, making her own decisions early on. By the age of 18, she returned to the U.S. to pursue a career. Initially, Rebecca had a passion for singing and aspired to make it as a folk singer or composer.
Acting came to her mind later on.
”I started thinking about acting one day when I was walking down Santa Monica Boulevard her in Las Vegas,” she said in 1994.
”The only thing I could relate to was that my mother had wanted to be an actress when she was very young. She hadn’t really done anything: she had just been a mother. She had told me as an early teenager: ’I think you could be very gifted as an actress’. Which sort of poisoned it for me, because anything your mother says, you don’t want to do”.
Breakthrough
In 1980, De Mornay moved to Los Angeles and enrolled at the famous Lee Strasberg Institute to study acting.
De Mornay made her film debut with a small role in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1981 film One from the Heart, but it was her breakthrough role in Risky Business just two years later that truly put her on the map.
In the 1983 blockbuster, Rebecca plays the role of a seductive call girl (Lana) who teaches a young Tom Cruise a few life lessons. With her blonde bangs, porcelain-doll features, and piercing blue eyes, she was the perfect fit for the role. She had a mystique in the movie and was something of a mystery woman.
While most remember the 1983 comedy as Cruise’s launchpad to superstardom, it also propelled the once-unknown 24-year-old De Mornay into a solid career.
”I had only been auditioning for six months – which is nothing – when I got the female lead in a feature film that went on to become a monster hit,” De Mornay told The Los Angeles Times in 1993.
”I got a nine-year ride on one film”.
Although there was pressure to cast a famous actress, director Paul Brickman was determined to have De Mornay. After auditioning 400 women in the United States and Europe, he stood by his choice and ensured she got the role.
One of the reasons De Mornay was able to portray the role so convincingly, despite her relatively limited experience, was that she identified with the character Lana. Their life stories were not entirely dissimilar.
”[I’ve] gone through a lot in my life in terms of upheaval and family stuff, and suddenly there was a part that just fit me like a glove, that I knew.”
According to De Mornay and many other’s, Lana was the ”soul of the movie.”
“I wanted to maintain her dignity, regardless if she’s having sex for money. She maintained some source of integrity and soul,” she said.
Intense affair with Tom Cruise
De Mornay knew right away that Risky Business was destined to be a hit, but she had no idea it would also spark a new romance. During the shoot, she and Tom Cruise not only connected professionally but also fell for each other. Their on-screen chemistry was undeniable, and the sparks continued to fly off-camera.
“It’s no secret that Tom engaged in an intense affair during the shooting with De Mornay,” Curtis Armstrong, who costarred in Risky Business alongside Tom and Rebecca, recalled in his 2017 memoir.
De Mornay was dating actor Harry Dean Stanton at the time, whom she had met in the early 1980s while working on One from the Heart. Their romance, though, quickly fizzled once she and Cruise began to fall for each other.
De Mornay initially joked that she found Cruise ”annoying” when they first met, but he quickly won her over. Before long, their connection blossomed into a romance that lasted two and a half years.
During this time, De Mornay was on cloud nine. She was one of the hottest names in Hollywood and deeply in love. Reflecting on their swift rise to fame, De Mornay described the experience as both thrilling and overwhelming.
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However, while Cruise skyrocketed to become one of the most successful actors in film history, De Mornay’s momentum faded, and the industry’s interest in her waned.
“I was a more complicated, mysterious presence, innately than Tom,” she told The Wrap in 2023. “His presence is more like, I would say, a major chord, [thinking] in music terms, and I’m more of a minor chord…America really, really loves the major chords.”
However, her career didn’t completely fizzle out. De Mornay continued to work throughout the 1980s, achieving varying levels of success. Her biggest hit after Risky Business came in 1992 with The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.
The psychological thriller was a major commercial success, and De Mornay’s portrayal of a vengeful widow who infiltrates the life of one of her late husband’s accusers left a lasting impression.
”I thought when I was making it that everyone would hate me. But when the film came out, everyone loved my character,” she told LA Times.
Throughout her career, De Mornay averaged about one film per year. Despite her talent, she didn’t always land the major roles that some might have expected, partly because she never pursued fame aggressively.
”It’s not like I got more talented. In retrospect, I had a good education in Hollywood ups and downs very quickly. I was in a big hit and then several lows. But it all helped me in my quest to detach,” she says.
Rebecca De Mornay husband
When she met actor-turned-sportscaster Patrick O’Neal in 1995, she chose to focus more on her family. Together, they raised two daughters: Sophia, born on November 16, 1997, and Veronica, born on March 31, 2001.
Balancing motherhood with a Hollywood career is far from easy, and De Mornay experienced this firsthand. While filming Identity, she brought her daughter Sophia to the set. She also had to turn down roles that required too much travel or time away from her family. She wasn’t willing to relocate for new job opportunities; her top priority was providing her children with a stable and secure upbringing.
“I’m not quite sure how some of these very famous actresses with children, how they do it. Maybe they’re good at multitasking? I’m not,” she told The Wrap.
De Mornay and O’Neal parted ways in 2002.
Age discrimination in Hollywood might also explain why De Mornay struggled to compete with younger actresses. This issue has affected not just De Mornay but many of her peers in the industry. De Mornay’s friend, Carol Kane, once told her that “when I turned 40 it was like I sent an invisible telegram to Hollywood that said, ‘Don’t hire me.’”
A significant part of the problem is the scarcity of substantial roles for women as they age, which has undoubtedly impacted De Mornay’s career as well. At the same time, she remains one of the fortunate few who have been able to sustain a career in acting.
“It’s always been important to me to choose roles where there [is] some model of strength to women, regardless of what they do or how they do it,” she said.
Rebecca De Mornay daughters
As of today, Rebecca De Mornay continues to work in the entertainment industry, though her roles have become more selective over the years.
She has transitioned from the leading roles of her earlier career to supporting roles in both film and television. De Mornay has appeared in various projects, including TV series like Lucifer and Jessica Jones, where she received praise for her performances.
In addition to her acting work, De Mornay remains focused on her personal life. She has kept a relatively low profile, prioritizing her family and private life. Despite the ups and downs of her career, she is regarded fondly in Hollywood and continues to be respected for her talent and contributions to the industry.
De Mornay’s daughters, Sophia and Veronica, have followed in her footsteps by dipping their toes in the entertainment industry. Both have shown an interest in acting, taking inspiration from their mother’s successful career.
In 2024, the 26-year-old Sophia De Mornay-O’Neal made her big-screen debut in Peter Five Eight. While many enjoyed seeing Sophia follow in her mother’s footsteps, fans are particularly excited about the striking resemblance between them and Sophia’s stunning modeling photos.
Latest movie
Rebecca De Mornay is currently in the spotlight with her role in the film Saint Clare, an Italian thriller based on Don Roff’s novel Clare at Sixteen. The film, which also draws some inspiration from Joan of Arc, premiered at the 2024 Taormina Film Festival.
When the project was first mentioned to De Mornay, the experienced actress was immediately intrigued and eager to be involved.
“I have two daughters, who are 23 and 26, and I really enjoyed being part of a film giving the females in the audience, young girls particularly, the message that you don’t have to fucking take it. You are strong enough to fight back at these guys. If an 18-year-old girl can lead an army, you can fucking fight off an aggressor. You can win as a woman against the patriarchy,” the 64-year-old actress told Variety.
Rebecca De Mornay today
De Mornay has always been known for her timeless beauty and striking presence.
During her breakthrough in the 1980s, she captivated audiences with her fresh-faced, all-American look, characterized by her bright blue eyes and flowing blonde hair. As she transitioned into the 1990s, her style evolved, adopting a more polished and sophisticated appearance.
Today, De Mornay has maintained her graceful and refined image. Even as she has aged, she has embraced a natural and effortless beauty, allowing her to retain the elegance that has been her signature throughout her career.
Looking at the latest red carpet photos from the Taormina Film Festival, it’s clear that Rebecca De Mornay is more stunning than ever! It’s incredibly exciting to see her blazing her own trail and continuing to create films she’s passionate about. Her enduring beauty and commitment to her craft are truly inspiring!
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