Laurie Anderson
Biography
Laurie Anderson is an American artist, musician and filmmaker known for avant-garde work in performance, pop music and multimedia. Born in Chicago and raised in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, she studied violin and sculpture before turning to performance art in New York City during the 1970s, where she focused on language, technology and visual imagery. Her single O Superman became a chart hit in 1981, reaching number two in the UK, and appeared on her debut album Big Science (1982). She starred in and directed the concert film Home of the Brave (1986), composed music for Swimming to Cambodia (1987) and for Monster in a Box (1992), and voiced a character in The Rugrats Movie (1998). Her other films include Heart of a Dog (2015) and Feminists: What Were They Thinking? (2018). She invented experimental instruments such as the tape-bow violin and talking stick, and in 2019 won a Grammy Award for Landfall with Kronos Quartet.
79years old
Turns 80 on June 5in 235 days
- Born Chicago
- Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
- Also credited as Laura Phillips Anderson
Movie Career
- Films
- 3
- Career span
- 8 years2010 to 2018
Every film, newest first
- 2018Feminists: What Were They Thinking?IMDb rating 7.1
- 2015Heart of a DogIMDb rating 7.0
- 2010William S. Burroughs: A Man WithinIMDb rating 7.1
Genres
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A first
Anderson became NASA's first artist-in-residence in 2003. That role led her to create the performance piece The End of the Moon.
Beyond film
Anderson's Duets on Ice had her play violin in ice skates whose blades were frozen into a block of ice, and the piece ended only once the ice melted.
Getting ready for a role
Anderson delayed her 1989 album Strange Angels by more than a year so she could take singing lessons, and the album had more singing than her earlier work.
Behind the award
Anderson and the Kronos Quartet's Landfall won the Grammy for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance in 2019, her first Grammy and her first collaboration with the quartet.
Big break
Anderson's single "O Superman" came out in 1980 in a limited quantity on One Ten Records, and it ultimately hit number two on the UK singles chart. A sudden influx of UK orders led her to sign a seven-album contract with Warner Bros. Records.
Laurie Anderson movies on Netflix
Worked with
Laurie Anderson made one film with each of them. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Jane Fonda's page
Sally Kirkland's page
Lily Tomlin's page
Peter Weller's page
John Waters's page
America Ferrera's page
Johanna DemetrakasDirector, 1 film, 2018
All films by Johanna Demetrakas
Yony LeyserDirector, 1 film, 2010
All films by Yony Leyser
Awards
Four awards and honors from 1982 to 2017.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| 2017 | Wolf Prize in Arts | Won | |
| 1982 | Guggenheim Fellowship | Won | |
| Qwartz Electronic Music Awards | Won | ||
| Rome Prize | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.