Jessica Randolph Harper (born October 3, 1949) is an American actress, singer and author. Harper began her feature film career with a starring role in Brian De Palma's Phantom of the Paradise (1974), and subsequently featured in films including Love and Death (1975), Inserts (1975) and My Favorite Year (1982). She may be best known for her portrayal of ballerina Suzy Bannion, the protagonist of Dario Argento's cult classic Suspiria (1977), and appeared in a supporting role in Luca Guadagnino's 2018 remake. For her performance in the original 1977 production, Harper was nominated for a Photoplay Award, whilst her turn in the 2018 version earned her an Independent Spirit Award.

Her other films include Stardust Memories (1980), Shock Treatment (1981) (the follow-up to The Rocky Horror Picture Show in which she replaced Susan Sarandon as Janet Majors, née Weiss), Pennies from Heaven (1981), The Blue Iguana (1988), Safe (1995), Minority Report (2002), Bones and All (2022) and Nightbitch (2024).

Early life Harper was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Eleanor (née Emery), a writer, and Paul Church Harper Jr., a painter and the former chairman of the Needham Harper Worldwide advertising agency in New York. She attended the North Shore Country Day School in Winnetka, Illinois, and Sarah Lawrence College in New York.Jessica Harper Biography at Yahoo! Movies She has two sisters—Lindsay Harper duPont, an illustrator, and Diana Harper, a teacher—and three brothers—her twin brother William Harper, a composer; Sam Harper, a screenwriter and director; and Rev. Charles Harper.

Career

Harper has appeared in more than twenty motion pictures, most notably Dario Argento's Suspiria, Brian DePalma's Phantom of the Paradise, and the follow-up to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Shock Treatment. She was also in My Favorite Year, alongside Peter O'Toole and Mark Linn-Baker, and costarred with Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters in Pennies from Heaven. Woody Allen featured her in his films Stardust Memories and Love and Death, and she appeared in the fourth season of It's Garry Shandling's Show, for which she received a CableAce Award for Actress in a Comedy Series, as well as the 2002 Steven Spielberg/Tom Cruise film Minority Report. She was seen in a 2005 episode ("Forget Me Not") of the television series Crossing Jordan. Harper's turn in the 2024 dark comedy, Nightbitch, earned her a nomination for a Chlotrudis Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role.

She has written eleven books for children, and made seven albums of songs for children. She was named by Parenting magazine as "Parent of the Month" in 2004. In 2000, she sang background vocals on selected tracks on the Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks album Beatin' the Heat.

In December 2010, Harper released a cookbook titled The Crabby Cook Cookbook: Recipes and Rants. In a January 2011 interviewMondo-video.com Harper said, "I thought it was high time there was a book that acknowledged that not everybody experiences the joy of cooking, that sometimes cooking for a family on a daily basis can be really irritating! This book, with 135 easy recipes, is for those people, crabby cooks like me! It's a collection of humor, survival tips and recipes, for the kitchen-challenged!" In March 2011, she was on tour promoting her book. Stops included Chicago, where she held a "Lunch and Learn with Jessica Harper".

Personal life Harper married Tom Rothman, a top executive at Sony Pictures (formerly of 20th Century Fox) on March 11, 1989, in an ecumenical ceremony. Harper resides in Los Angeles, California, and New York City.

In a blog post on her official website in 2017, Harper revealed she had suffered from neovascular macular degeneration for the past 15 years, and that she receives injections in her eye every six weeks to treat the condition.

Recordings A Wonderful Life (1994) Not a Traditional Christmas (1995) Nora's Room (1996) 40 Winks (1998) Rhythm In My Shoes (2000) Inside Out! (2001) Hey, Picasso (2004)

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1971 Taking Off Audition singer Uncredited cameo; name mentioned 1973 The Garden Party Peggy Short film 1974 'Rameau's Nephew' by Diderot (Thanx to Dennis Young) by Wilma Schoen Unnamed character Experimental film 1974 Phantom of the Paradise Phoenix 1975 Inserts Cathy Cake 1975 Love and Death Natasha 1977 Suspiria Suzy Bannion 1979 The Evictors Ruth Watkins 1980 Stardust Memories Daisy 1981 Shock Treatment Janet Majors 1981 Pennies from Heaven Joan 1982 My Favorite Year K.C. Downing 1986 The Imagemaker Cynthia 1988 The Blue Iguana Cora 1989 Big Man on Campus Dr. Fisk 1989 Eat a Bowl of Tea American prostitute Uncredited cameo 1993 Mr. Wonderful Funny Face 1995 Safe Joyce 1996 Boys Mrs. John Baker 2002 Minority Report Anne Lively 2009 House Broken DWP Clerk 2018 Suspiria Anke Meier Cameo appearance 2022 Bones and All Barbara Kerns 2023 Memory Samantha 2024 Nightbitch Norma 2025 Fantasy Life Toby 2026 Carousel Kill Me

Television Year Title Role Notes 1971 NBC Children's Theatre Elizabeth Tyler Episode: "Super Plastic Elastic Goggles" Air date was January 30, 1971. 1977 Hawaii Five-O Sunny Mandell Episode: "See How She Runs" 1977 Aspen Kit Kendrick Miniseries 1979 Little Women Jo March TV pilot 1979 Kaz Gail PaceEpisode: "A Little Shuck and a Whole Lotta Jive" 1979 Studs Lonigan Loretta Lonigan Miniseries 1985 When Dreams Come True Annie Television film 1985 Tales from the Darkside Prudence Episode: "The Tear Collector" 1986 The Equalizer Kate Parnell Episode: "Nocturne" 1986 Moonlighting Janine Dalton Episode: "All Creatures Great...and Not So Great" 1987 Once Again Carrie Television film 1987 Starman Charlotte Episode: "The System" 1987 Trying Times Sydney Episode: "Bedtime Story" 1988–90 It's Garry Shandling's Show Phoebe Bass 19 episodes 1989 Wiseguy Jenny McPikeEpisode: "Stairway to Heaven" 1990 Tales from the Crypt Marie Episode: "My Brother's Keeper" 1996 The Story First: Behind the Unabomber Linda Television film 1997 Chicago Hope Phyllis ChurchEpisode: "Missed Conception" 1997 On the Edge of Innocence Alice Walker Television film 1997 Nothing Sacred ElizabethEpisode: "Calling" 1998 Ally McBeal Sister Helen Episode: "Words Without Love" 1999 7th Heaven Norma Moon Episode: "Paranoia" 2005 Crossing Jordan Dorris Meisner Episode: "Forget Me Not" 2015 Proof Virginia Tyler Episode: "St. Luke's" 2019–21 See Cora 4 episodes 2022–24 The Old Man Cheryl Harper 5 episodes 2023 Fatal Attraction Sophie 4 episodes 2026 Love Story Ethel Kennedy Episode: "Battery Park", Episode: "The Wedding", Episode: "Search and Recovery"

Stage Year Title Role Venue Notes 1968–1972 Hair Member of the Tribe Biltmore Theatre Replacement

References

External links

The Crabby Cook Jessica Harper's Winnetka personal memoir (podcast)