Ginnifer Goodwin - Biography

Jennifer Michelle "Ginnifer" Goodwin (born May 22, 1978) is an American television and film actress. She is best known for her role as Margene Heffman on Big Love, and for her roles in films like Mona Lisa Smile and He's Just Not That into You. She currently has a lead role in the ABC series Once Upon a Time.

Early life

Goodwin was born Jennifer Michelle Goodwin in Memphis, Tennessee, to Tim Goodwin, who formerly owned and operated a recording studio, and his wife, Linda, a former educator. She changed her name from "Jennifer" to "Ginnifer" to distinguish her name, and to assist in pronunciation of her name in her regional dialect. Her younger sister, Melissa Goodwin, is a stop motion animator on shows such as the Emmy Award-winning Robot Chicken, on which Ginnifer has also appeared as voice talent.

In her youth, Goodwin was affiliated with the North American Federation of Temple Youth and was active in BBYO at the Jewish Community Center in Memphis; she had a bat mitzvah. After graduating from Lausanne Collegiate School in 1996, Goodwin attended Hanover College (majoring in Theatre) for one year before moving on to Boston University's College of Fine Arts, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting with honors in 2001.

Career

Goodwin first had roles in the popular NBC television programs Law & Order and Ed before appearing in the Comedy Central television movie Porn 'n Chicken. She later had substantial roles in the films Mona Lisa Smile, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!, Walk the Line—in which she portrayed Vivian Liberto, Johnny Cash's first wife—and Birds of America. She also played Dori Dumchovic in the dark comedy Love Comes to the Executioner. Goodwin played a leading role as Margene Heffman, the third wife in a polygamous family, on the HBO original series Big Love, which concluded on March 20, 2011.

Goodwin starred as Gigi in He's Just Not That into You, which was released in February 2009. For this role she received a nomination for the People's Choice Award for Breakout Movie Actress. In April 2009 she began filming Ramona and Beezus (playing "Aunt Bea").

In 2008 MaxMara honored Goodwin with a "Face of the Future" award, an award recognizing up and coming women in film. Also, Goodwin was one of the celebrities featured in Gap's Fall 2008 ad campaign.

In 2011 Goodwin plays Mary Margaret Blanchard, a teacher in Storybrooke, Maine, as well as fairy tale heroine Snow White, in the revisionist fantasy adventure television program, Once Upon a Time, which debuted on ABC. That same year, she played Rachel in Something Borrowed.

Personal life

Goodwin was a vegan and was a spokesperson for Farm Sanctuary's Adopt-A-Turkey Project in 2009, having adopted a whole flock herself. She revealed on Jimmy Kimmel that she gave up being a vegan after experiencing undisclosed health issues.

Filmography

External links