Beyoncé

Actor, Writer, Director, Singer

Birthdate: September 4, 1981 (44 Years Old)

Birthplace: Houston, TX

Beyoncé (birthname: Beyonce Giselle Knowles) is a global pop superstar, as close to royalty as pop music can claim (befitting her nickname “Queen Bey”)—but she has also carved out a film career in various media as both an actor and filmmaker.

During the period in which she was a co-star of the hit girl group, Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé first appeared on screen in a tiny role, “Girl #1) in the little-seen Beverly Hood (1999). After starring in the MTV-produced and aired musical, Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001), with Mekhi Phifer, Beyoncé was cast as Beyoncé Knowles in her first proper movie acting role in New Line Cinema’s sequel, Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), directed by Jay Roach and starring lead writer Mike Myers, with Seth Green, Michael Caine, Michael York, Robert Wagner, and Verne Troyer, and grossing a strong worldwide $297 million (against $63 million costs).

Under Jonathan Lynn’s direction, Beyoncé co-starred with Cuba Gooding Jr., Mike Epps, Melba Moore, and Wendell Pierce in the musical comedy, The Fighting Temptations (2003), which lost money for MTV Films and Paramount Pictures. After appearing as herself in Paramount Classics’ documentary on the career of Jay-Z, Fade to Black (2004), Beyoncé again acted as Beyoncé Knowles in the Shawn Levy-directed reboot, The Pink Panther (2006), starring Steve Martin as Inspector Clouseau, with Kevin Kline, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, and Henry Czerny, and making a profit for producing studios Columbia and MGM and distributors Sony Pictures and 20^th Century Fox.

Again, as Beyoncé Knowles, she co-starred with Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy in writer-director Bill Condon’s big-screen version of the Supremes musical, Dreamgirls (2006), for which Jennifer Hudson won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her debut, ut and the movie grossed $155.4 million worldwide. Beyoncé (as Beyoncé Knowles) co-starred with Adrien Brody and Jeffrey Wright in Cadillac Records (2008), in which she again played a major pop singer (in this case, Etta James), with a supporting cast of Gabrielle Union, Cedric the Entertainer, Emmanuelle Chriqui, and Yasin Bey, but earning a poor $9 million global gross.

Beyoncé concluded a period of film acting with the co-starring role in the Screen Gems/Sony Pictures thriller, Obsessed (2009), with Idris Elba, Ali Larter, Bruce McGill, Jerry O’Connell, and Christine Lahti, grossing nearly $74 million worldwide. Beyoncé took on two voice roles in animated movies over the next decade, first in the Blue Sky Studios/20^th Century Fox fantasy adventure, Epic (2013), which earned $268 million globally; next in Disney’s reboot of The Lion King (2019), directed by Jon Favreau and co-starring Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alfre Woodard, John Kani, and James Earl Jones, and which was the second-highest-grossing movie of 2019 with a $1.66 billion worldwide take.

During this interesting and diverse period, Beyoncé also co-directed and co-wrote two unusual visual companion films (often referred to as “visual albums”)—Lemonade (2016) to accompany her album of the same title; and Black Is King (2020), designed to accompany Beyoncé’s album curation of music from The Lion King; both of them appeared on cable (HBO for Lemonade) and streaming (Disney+ for Black Is King).

Beyoncé alternated these projects with two concert movies that earned her first solo directorial credits: the Netflix-streamed Homecoming (2019), based on her groundbreaking Coachella concert performance; and then the theatrically-released (by AMC Theatres) concert movie, Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé (2023), which she also wrote and produced, and featured Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Kendrick Lamar, Diana Ross, Jay-Z, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Michelle Williams.

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Personal life

Beyoncé was born in Houston, Texas, and was raised by parents Celestine “Tina” Knowles (hairdresser, salon owner) and Mathew Knowles (Xerox sales manager). Beyoncé has one younger sister, singer Solange Knowles. Beyoncé is of French-speaking Louisiana Creole descent and a descendant of 18th-century Acadian militia officer Joseph Broussard. Beyoncé schooled at St. Mary’s Montessori School, and then the Houston-based music magnet school Parker Elementary School, followed by her attendance at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, and then Alief Elsik High School. Beyoncé sang and performed solo for many years growing up in the choir of her Houston church, St. John’s United Methodist Church. When Beyoncé was 14 and starting to have some success in the girl group, Girl’s Tyme, her father Mathew quit his job to manage the group, which compelled the family to sell their home and move into apartments. The struggles with the group ultimately led to family issues that led to Beyoncé’s parents separating, only to reunite again after Girl’s Tyme was signed and recorded by Sony Music, and then Columbia Records. Beyoncé has been married to Jay-Z since 2008; the couple has three children, twins Rumi (daughter) and Sir (son), and daughter Blue Ivy. Beyoncé’s height is 5’ 6”. Beyoncé’s estimated net worth is $500 million; the combined estimated net worth of Beyoncé and her husband Jay-Z is $2.5 billion.

Known For

Dreamgirls

Deena Jones (2006)

Obsessed

Sharon (2009)

Austin Powers in Goldmember

Foxxy Cleopatra (2002)

The Lion King

Nala (2019)

Awards

Nominee, Best Song, Academy Awards (2022); Winner, Most Performed Motion Picture Song, ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards (2002); Nominee, Best Broadcast Nonfiction Filmmaking, Cinema Eye Honors Awards (2020); Eight-time Nominee, Best Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program/Best Variety Special/Best Variety Special Director/Best Music Direction/Best Variety Special Writing/Best Variety Special Director/Best Variety Special, Emmy Awards (2013, 2015, 2016, 2019); Five-time Nominee, Best Song/Best Comedy or Musical Actress, Golden Globe Awards (2007, 2009, 2020, 2022); Winner, Best Music Documentary, International Documentary Association Awards (2019); Winner, Best Fight, MTV Movie + TV Awards (2010); Winner, Favorite Animated Movie Star, People’s Choice Awards (2019); Nominee, Best Cast, Screen Actors Guild Awards (2007).

Critics Choice Award

Critics Choice Award

Critics Choice Awards

Critics Choice Award

Critics Choice Award

Critics Choice Awards

Golden Globe

Golden Globe

Golden Globes, USA

Beyoncé Movies

Actor

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Previous (8)

2024 |
Mufasa: The Lion King
Mufasa: The Lion King
2024
Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Musical
Mufasa, a cub lost and alone, meets a sympathetic lion named Taka, the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of a group of misfits searching for their destiny.
More Info
asNala
2023 |
Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé
Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé
2023
Documentary, Music
Beyoncé in performance at her record-breaking RENAISSANCE World Tour, and the creative mastermind behind it.
More Info
asSelf
2019 |
The Lion King
The Lion King
2019
Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Musical
After the murder of his father, a young lion prince flees his kingdom only to learn the true meaning of responsibility and bravery.
More Info
asNala
2016 |
The First Monday in May
The First Monday in May
2016
Documentary
Follows the creation of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's most attended fashion exhibition in history, "China: Through The Looking Glass," an exploration of Chinese-inspired Western fashions by Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton.
asSelf (Cameo)
2013 |
Epic
Epic
2013
Action, Adventure, Animation, Family, Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller
A teenager finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and evil is taking place. She bands together with a ragtag group of characters to save their world--and ours.
More Info
asQueen Tara
2008 |
Cadillac Records
Cadillac Records
2008
Biography, Drama, Music
Chronicles the rise of Chess Records and its recording artists.
asEtta James
2006 |
The Pink Panther
The Pink Panther
2006
Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Bumbling Inspector Clouseau must solve the murder of a famous soccer coach and find out who stole the infamous Pink Panther diamond.
asXania
2002 |
Austin Powers in Goldmember
Austin Powers in Goldmember
2002
Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Upon learning that his father has been kidnapped, Austin Powers must travel to 1975 and defeat the aptly named villain Goldmember, who is working with Dr. Evil.
asFoxxy Cleopatra

Producer

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Previous (1)

2023 |
Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé
Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé
2023
Documentary, Music
Beyoncé in performance at her record-breaking RENAISSANCE World Tour, and the creative mastermind behind it.
More Info

Self

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Previous (1)

2023 |
Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé
Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé
2023
Documentary, Music
Beyoncé in performance at her record-breaking RENAISSANCE World Tour, and the creative mastermind behind it.
More Info

Writer

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Previous (1)

2023 |
Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé
Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé
2023
Documentary, Music
Beyoncé in performance at her record-breaking RENAISSANCE World Tour, and the creative mastermind behind it.
More Info

Facts About Beyoncé

Word: Critics arrived at the invented term, “bootylicious,” to describe Beyoncé’s physical stage presence, and the term became so prevalent that it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary. Home Buyer: Beyoncé and Jay-Z purchased in 2023 the most expensive residence ever sold in California ($200 million), a Malibu home designed by Tadao Ando. Philanthropist: Beyoncé’s considerable philanthropy includes support and major contributions to such organizations as Phoenix House, Black Lives Matter, Goodwill Industries, the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation, the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund, Bread of Life Houston, United Way, Hands Up United, Dream Defenders, the National Alliance in Mental Health, The Feminist Coalition, Anglophone Crisis, Zimbabwean Lives Matter, and the Liberia-based Rape National Emergency group. Beyoncé has also created several aid organizations, including the Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund, BeyGOOD Houston, the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center, the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, and the housing initiative Knowles-Temenos Place Apartments.