The actress first gained attention in 1982 with Tootsie, starring alongside Jessica Lange and Dustin Hoffman, where she played a lovable but slightly naïve soap opera actress. Her career soon took off with standout roles in The Fly (1986) and Beetlejuice (1988), and she won an Academy Award for The Accidental Tourist (1988).
She became a household name in 1991, especially after her memorable scene with Brad Pitt in Thelma & Louise, in which she starred opposite Susan Sarandon. The following year, her fame continued to grow with A League of Their Own, where she appeared alongside Tom Hanks and Madonna.
At Friday’s panel, Davis impressed fans with her youthful appearance and vibrant energy. She wore a stylish navy top with dark gray trousers and flashed a bright smile while speaking during the Q&A. Her long chestnut hair flowed naturally, adding to her effortlessly radiant look.
Reflecting last year, Davis said she didn’t fully embrace herself until adulthood. Standing six feet tall, she admitted she once felt uncomfortable about her height and even wished she were shorter before learning to accept it.
She later turned those experiences into her book The Girl Who Was Too Big for the Page, written to reassure children with big personalities or big dreams that it’s okay to take up space and be themselves. Davis said she enjoyed both writing and illustrating the project.
In 2022, the actress revealed she carried a “huge burden of shame” before being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. She discovered the condition after beginning therapy, explaining that the diagnosis helped her understand struggles she had long blamed on herself.
Davis shares daughter Alizeh and twin sons Kian and Kaiis with former partner Reza Jarrahy, whom she separated from in 2017. She has said she’s grateful she became a mother in her 40s, as it allowed her to be more present and focused on building her children’s self-esteem.
She has also credited Susan Sarandon with helping her become more confident and authentic, recalling that working with her on Thelma & Louise showed her it was possible to speak openly without constantly softening her opinions.
In recent years, Davis has continued advocating for gender equality in Hollywood, urging the industry to give female characters more dialogue, ambition and visibility, and stressing that meaningful change is still needed.
