Clea DuVall
- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Clea DuVall was born in Los Angeles on September 25, 1977, to Rosemary
(Hatch) and actor Steph DuVall. DuVall's
teenage years presented her with many challenges. Her parents divorced
when she was twelve, and, when her mother remarried, DuVall moved out
because she did not feel at home in the newly-reconstituted family,
dropping out of high school and getting her own apartment. An only
child, she sought entertainment in movies and television programs,
which she consumed voraciously, memorizing entire scenes from movies.
Though a rather shy person, DuVall decided she wanted to be an actress,
and returned to high school, this time the Los Angeles High School of
the Arts. However, the rigors of independent living (she had to work to
support herself) meant that she could spend little time in class, and,
as a result, she fared poorly in the school.
Nonetheless, DuVall had intensity, commitment and strong natural
talent, and soon after graduating, the roles began to come, at first
guest spots in television programs and small roles in small films. Soon
her first major role came, in
Robert Rodriguez's successful
1998 take on the alien-body-snatcher genre,
The Faculty (1998), which featured
many other up-and-coming young actors such as
Elijah Wood and
Josh Hartnett, as well as a strong
cast of established adult performers. DuVall played Stokely, a bizarre,
tough Goth Girl. This role was typical of DuVall's casting - the
outsider, attractive though in an edgy and sometimes slightly
disturbing way. (DuVall is pretty and can be glamorous, or can appear
rough-around-the-edges, for a role.) Similar roles came in
But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)
as a tattooed lesbian and
Girl, Interrupted (1999) as a
mental patient.
DuVall is a complex person - soft-spoken and friendly, yet tough and
independent - and she ably lends this complexity to her characters,
making her a popular casting choice. She continues to turn in strong
performances in such productions as the ensemble thriller
Identity (2003), the HBO
supernatural series
Carnivàle (2003) and the
critically-praised 21 Grams (2003).
DuVall is a chain smoker and a close friend of director
Jamie Babbit. She is no relation to veteran
actors Robert Duvall or
Shelley Duvall.
(Hatch) and actor Steph DuVall. DuVall's
teenage years presented her with many challenges. Her parents divorced
when she was twelve, and, when her mother remarried, DuVall moved out
because she did not feel at home in the newly-reconstituted family,
dropping out of high school and getting her own apartment. An only
child, she sought entertainment in movies and television programs,
which she consumed voraciously, memorizing entire scenes from movies.
Though a rather shy person, DuVall decided she wanted to be an actress,
and returned to high school, this time the Los Angeles High School of
the Arts. However, the rigors of independent living (she had to work to
support herself) meant that she could spend little time in class, and,
as a result, she fared poorly in the school.
Nonetheless, DuVall had intensity, commitment and strong natural
talent, and soon after graduating, the roles began to come, at first
guest spots in television programs and small roles in small films. Soon
her first major role came, in
Robert Rodriguez's successful
1998 take on the alien-body-snatcher genre,
The Faculty (1998), which featured
many other up-and-coming young actors such as
Elijah Wood and
Josh Hartnett, as well as a strong
cast of established adult performers. DuVall played Stokely, a bizarre,
tough Goth Girl. This role was typical of DuVall's casting - the
outsider, attractive though in an edgy and sometimes slightly
disturbing way. (DuVall is pretty and can be glamorous, or can appear
rough-around-the-edges, for a role.) Similar roles came in
But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)
as a tattooed lesbian and
Girl, Interrupted (1999) as a
mental patient.
DuVall is a complex person - soft-spoken and friendly, yet tough and
independent - and she ably lends this complexity to her characters,
making her a popular casting choice. She continues to turn in strong
performances in such productions as the ensemble thriller
Identity (2003), the HBO
supernatural series
Carnivàle (2003) and the
critically-praised 21 Grams (2003).
DuVall is a chain smoker and a close friend of director
Jamie Babbit. She is no relation to veteran
actors Robert Duvall or
Shelley Duvall.