Greta Gerwig

Greta Gerwig

Born 1983-08-04 (age 42) Sacramento, California, USA
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Biography

Greta Gerwig is an American actress, playwright, screenwriter, and director based in NY. She has collaborated with Noah Baumbach on several films, including Greenberg (2010), Frances Ha (2012), for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination, and Mistress America (2015). Gerwig made her solo directorial debut with the critically acclaimed comedy-drama film Lady Bird (2017), which she also wrote, and has also had starring roles in the films Damsels in Distress (2011), Jackie (2016), and 20th Century Women (2016).

Greta Celeste Gerwig was born in Sacramento, California, to Christine Gerwig (née Sauer), a nurse, and Gordon Gerwig, a financial consultant and computer programmer. She has German, Irish, and English ancestry. Gerwig was raised as a Unitarian Universalist, but also attended an all-girls Catholic school. She has described herself as "an intense child". With an early interest in dance, she intended to get a degree in musical theatre in New York. She graduated from Barnard College in NY, where she studied English and philosophy, instead.

Originally intending to become a playwright, after meeting young film director Joe Swanberg, she became the star of a series of intellectual low budget movies made by first-time filmmakers, a trend dubbed "mumblecore". Gerwig was cast in a minor role in Swanberg's LOL (2006) in 2006, while still studying at Barnard. She then appeared in many of Swanberg's films, and personally co-directed, co-wrote and co-produced one entitled Nights and Weekends (2008). She has worked with good quality directors such as Ti West (The House of the Devil (2009)), Whit Stillman (Damsels in Distress (2011)), or Woody Allen (To Rome with Love (2012)) but success and (international) recognition did not come until Frances Ha (2012), directed by Noah Baumbach, a film she also co-wrote. Both tall and immature, awkward and graceful, blundering and candid, annoying and engaging, Greta has won all hearts in the title role of Frances Ha(liday).

In 2017, she wrote and directed the highly acclaimed, semi-autobiographical teen movie Lady Bird (2017), set in 2002-2003, and starring Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, and Timothée Chalamet. In 2011, Gerwig received an award for Acting from the Athena Film Festival for her artistry as one of Hollywood's definitive screen actresses of her generation.

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Known For

No Strings Attached
No Strings Attached

2011

as Patrice

Isle of Dogs
Isle of Dogs

2018

as Tracy Walker (voice)

Jay Kelly
Jay Kelly

2025

as Lois Sukenick

Frances Ha
Frances Ha

2013

as Frances Halladay

Jackie
Jackie

2016

as Nancy Tuckerman

Arthur
Arthur

2011

as Naomi Quinn

20th Century Women
20th Century Women

2016

as Abbie

Greenberg
Greenberg

2010

as Florence Marr

The House of the Devil
White Noise
White Noise

2022

as Babette Gladney

The Humbling
The Humbling

2014

as Pegeen Mike Stapleford

The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
Lola Versus
Lola Versus

2012

as Lola

Side by Side
Side by Side

2012

as Self

Yeast
Yeast

2008

as Gen

Mistress America
Mistress America

2015

as Brooke Cardinas

To Rome with Love
To Rome with Love

2012

as Sally

Eden
Eden

2014

as Julia

Pavements
Pavements

2025

as Self (uncredited)

Maggie's Plan
Maggie's Plan

2016

as Maggie Hardin