Lea Thompson

Lea Thompson

Known for
Acting
Born
May 31, 1961 (age 65)
Birthplace
Rochester, Minnesota, USA

Biography

Lea Katherine Thompson (born May 31, 1961) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and director. She is best known for her roles as Lorraine Baines-McFly in the Back to the Future film trilogy (1985–1990), Beverly Switzler in Howard the Duck (1986), and Amanda Jones in Some Kind of Wonderful (1987). Other films for which she is known include All the Right Moves (1983), Red Dawn (1984), Dennis the Menace (1993), and The Beverly Hillbillies (1993). In the 1990s, she played the title character in the sitcom Caroline in the City. From 2011 to 2017, she co-starred as Kathryn Kennish in the ABC Family-turned-Freeform series Switched at Birth.

Known For

Photos

Lea Thompson photoLea Thompson photoLea Thompson photoLea Thompson photoLea Thompson photoLea Thompson photo

Filmography

—
Queen

Queen

Movie · as Dr. Page

—
A Pretty Good Movie poster

A Pretty Good Movie

Movie · as Ramona

—
What If

What If

Movie

—
Howard the Doc or: How I Learned to Start Quacking and Love the Bomb poster

Howard the Doc or: How I Learned to Start Quacking and Love the Bomb

Movie · as Self

—
The Kiddieland Murders

The Kiddieland Murders

Movie

2025
SEGAL poster

SEGAL

Movie · as Self

2024
BRATS poster

BRATS

Movie · as Self

2024
The Chicken Sisters poster

The Chicken Sisters

TV · as Nancy Hillier · 16 eps

2023
The Spencer Sisters poster

The Spencer Sisters

TV · as Victoria Spencer · 10 eps

2022
Marty & Doc: The Inside Story of a Phenomenon poster

Marty & Doc: The Inside Story of a Phenomenon

Movie · as Self

2022
Unplugging poster

Unplugging

Movie · as Perkins

2022
Ten Tricks poster

Ten Tricks

Movie · as Grace

2022
The Disappearance of Cari Farver poster

The Disappearance of Cari Farver

Movie · as Nancy Farver

2022
Dinner in America poster

Dinner in America

Movie · as Betty

2021
Next Stop, Christmas poster

Next Stop, Christmas

Movie · as Evelyn

2021
Mark, Mary + Some Other People poster

Mark, Mary + Some Other People

Movie · as Aunty Carol

2021
INVINCIBLE poster

INVINCIBLE

TV · as Carol (voice) · 1 ep

2020
Star Trek: Picard poster

Star Trek: Picard

TV · as Diane Werner · 1 ep

2020
Stars in the House poster

Stars in the House

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2020
Reunited Apart poster

Reunited Apart

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2019
You Are Here poster

You Are Here

Movie · as Helen

2019
Cool Cat's Crazy Dream poster

Cool Cat's Crazy Dream

Movie · as Dream World Lea

2019
The Ready Room poster

The Ready Room

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2018
The Year of Spectacular Men poster

The Year of Spectacular Men

Movie · as Deb Klein

2018
Sierra Burgess Is a Loser poster

Sierra Burgess Is a Loser

Movie · as Mrs. Burgess

2018
Little Women poster

Little Women

Movie · as Margaret "Marmee" March

2018
Who We Are Now poster

Who We Are Now

Movie · as Alana

2018
Over the Hill poster

Over the Hill

Movie · as Sally

2018
25 Words or Less poster

25 Words or Less

TV · as Self · 2 eps

2018
Back to the Future: The Hill Valley Chronicles poster

Back to the Future: The Hill Valley Chronicles

TV · as Lorraine Baines-McFly · 11 eps

2017
Literally, Right Before Aaron poster

Literally, Right Before Aaron

Movie · as Deb (Adam's Mom)

2016
The Dog Lover poster

The Dog Lover

Movie · as Liz Holloway

2016
Stars Are Already Dead poster

Stars Are Already Dead

Movie · as Aunt Sophia

2015
Back in Time poster

Back in Time

Movie · as Self

2015
Keith Lemon's Back t'Future Tribute poster

Keith Lemon's Back t'Future Tribute

Movie · as Self

2015
The Muppets poster

The Muppets

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2015
Celebrity Family Feud poster

Celebrity Family Feud

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2014
Ping Pong Summer poster

Ping Pong Summer

Movie · as Mrs. Miracle

2014
Left Behind poster

Left Behind

Movie · as Irene Steele

2014
My Mother's Future Husband poster

My Mother's Future Husband

Movie · as René Henderson

2014
Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero poster

Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero

TV · as Vonnie (voice) · 61 eps

2014
Scorpion poster

Scorpion

TV · as Veronica Dineen · 4 eps

2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon poster

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

TV · as Self - Guest · 1 ep

2014
A to Z poster

A to Z

TV · as Lea Thompson · 1 ep

2013
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film poster

Call Me Crazy: A Five Film

Movie · as Julia

2013
Milius poster

Milius

Movie · as Self

2013
Whose Line Is It Anyway? poster

Whose Line Is It Anyway?

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2013
The Goldbergs poster

The Goldbergs

TV · as Fran · 2 eps

2012
Thin Ice poster

Thin Ice

Movie · as Jo Ann Prohaska

2012
The Trouble with the Truth poster

The Trouble with the Truth

Movie · as Emily

2012
Love at the Christmas Table poster

Love at the Christmas Table

Movie · as Elissa Beth

2012
John Hughes: Life Moves Pretty Fast poster

John Hughes: Life Moves Pretty Fast

Movie · as Self

2012
Bound by Flesh poster

Bound by Flesh

Movie · as Voiceover

2011
Mayor Cupcake poster

Mayor Cupcake

Movie · as Mary Maroni

2011
J. Edgar poster

J. Edgar

Movie · as Lela Rogers

2011
The Cabin poster

The Cabin

Movie · as Lily MacDougal

2011
Game of Your Life poster

Game of Your Life

Movie · as Abbie

2011
Switched at Birth poster

Switched at Birth

TV · as Kathryn Kennish · 103 eps

2010
Rock Slyde poster

Rock Slyde

Movie · as Master Bartologist

2010
Adventures of a Teenage Dragonslayer poster

Adventures of a Teenage Dragonslayer

Movie · as Laura

2010
Tales from the Future poster

Tales from the Future

Movie · as Self

2009
Splinterheads poster

Splinterheads

Movie · as Susan Frost

2009
Fatal Secrets poster

Fatal Secrets

Movie · as Rebecca

2009
Looking Back to the Future poster

Looking Back to the Future

Movie · as Self

2008
Senior Skip Day poster

Senior Skip Day

Movie · as Cathleen Harris

2008
Spy School poster

Spy School

Movie · as Claire Miller

2008
Final Approach poster

Final Approach

Movie · as Alicia Bender

2008
Exit Speed poster

Exit Speed

Movie · as Maudie McMinn

2008
The Christmas Clause poster

The Christmas Clause

Movie · as Sophie

2008
Jane Doe: Eye of the Beholder poster

Jane Doe: Eye of the Beholder

Movie · as Cathy Davis / Jane Doe

2007
California Dreaming poster

California Dreaming

Movie · as Ginger Gainor

2007
A Life Interrupted poster

A Life Interrupted

Movie · as Debbie Smith

2007
Jane Doe: Ties That Bind poster

Jane Doe: Ties That Bind

Movie · as Cathy Davis / Jane Doe

2007
Jane Doe: How to Fire Your Boss poster

Jane Doe: How to Fire Your Boss

Movie · as Cathy Davis

2007
Greek poster

Greek

TV · as April · 1 ep

2007
Head Case poster

Head Case

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2006
The Making of Some Kind of Wonderful

The Making of Some Kind of Wonderful

Movie · as Self

2006
Jane Doe: Yes, I Remember It Well poster

Jane Doe: Yes, I Remember It Well

Movie · as Cathy Davis

2006
Jane Doe: The Harder They Fall poster

Jane Doe: The Harder They Fall

Movie · as Cathy Davis

2006
Looking Back at the Future

Looking Back at the Future

Movie · as Herself

2006
Celebrity Duets poster

Celebrity Duets

TV · 9 eps

2005
Jane Doe: Now You See It, Now You Don't poster

Jane Doe: Now You See It, Now You Don't

Movie · as Cathy Davis

2005
Jane Doe: The Wrong Face poster

Jane Doe: The Wrong Face

Movie · as Cathy Davis

2005
Jane Doe: Vanishing Act poster

Jane Doe: Vanishing Act

Movie · as Cathy Davis

2005
Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us Part poster

Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us Part

Movie · as Cathy Davis

2005
Come Away Home poster

Come Away Home

Movie · as Carol

2005
Dancing with the Stars poster

Dancing with the Stars

TV · as Self - Contestant · 11 eps

2005
American Dad! poster

American Dad!

TV · as Caroline Duffy (voice) · 1 ep

2004
The Tony Danza Show

The Tony Danza Show

TV · as Self - Guest · 2 eps

2003
Stealing Christmas poster

Stealing Christmas

Movie · as Sarah Gibson

2003
Haunted Lighthouse 4-D poster

Haunted Lighthouse 4-D

Movie · as Peg Van Legge

2002
Fish Don't Blink poster

Fish Don't Blink

Movie · as Clara

2002
Back to the Future: Making the Trilogy poster

Back to the Future: Making the Trilogy

Movie · as Self - Lorraine Baines

2002
For the People

For the People

TV · as Chief Deputy District Attorney Camille Paris · 18 eps

2000
Ed poster

Ed

TV · as Liz Stevens · 3 eps

2000
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation poster

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

TV · as Jennifer Rhodes · 1 ep

1999
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit poster

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

TV · as Michelle Osborne · 1 ep

1999
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn poster

The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn

TV · as Self - Guest · 1 ep

1999
Family Guy poster

Family Guy

TV · as Teenaged Girl in Diner (voice), Lorraine McFly (voice) · 1 ep

1998
The Unknown Cyclist poster

The Unknown Cyclist

Movie · as Melissa Cavatelli

1998
Hollywood Squares poster

Hollywood Squares

TV · as Self - Panelist · 5 eps

1998
A Will of their Own poster

A Will of their Own

TV · as Amanda Steward · 2 eps

1996
The Right to Remain Silent poster

The Right to Remain Silent

Movie · as Christine Paley

1996
E! True Hollywood Story poster

E! True Hollywood Story

TV · 1 ep

1995
The Unspoken Truth poster

The Unspoken Truth

Movie · as Brianne Hawkins

1995
Caroline in the City poster

Caroline in the City

TV · as Caroline Duffy · 97 eps

1994
The Little Rascals poster

The Little Rascals

Movie · as Ms. Roberts

1994
The Substitute Wife poster

The Substitute Wife

Movie · as Amy Hightower

1994
Friends poster

Friends

TV · as Caroline Duffy (uncredited) · 1 ep

1993
Dennis the Menace poster

Dennis the Menace

Movie · as Alice Mitchell

1993
The Beverly Hillbillies poster

The Beverly Hillbillies

Movie · as Laura Jackson

1993
Stolen Babies poster

Stolen Babies

Movie · as Annie Beales

1993
Intimate Portrait poster

Intimate Portrait

TV · as Self · 1 ep

1992
Article 99 poster

Article 99

Movie · as Dr. Robin Van Dorn

1992
The Larry Sanders Show poster

The Larry Sanders Show

TV · as Lea Thompson · 1 ep

1990
Back to the Future Part III poster

Back to the Future Part III

Movie · as Maggie McFly / Lorraine McFly

1990
Montana poster

Montana

Movie · as Peg Guthrie

1989
Back to the Future Part II poster

Back to the Future Part II

Movie · as Lorraine

1989
Nightbreaker poster

Nightbreaker

Movie · as Sally Matthews

1989
Tales from the Crypt poster

Tales from the Crypt

TV · as Sylvia Vane · 1 ep

1988
Casual Sex? poster

Casual Sex?

Movie · as Stacy

1988
Going Undercover poster

Going Undercover

Movie · as Marigold de la Hunt

1988
The Wizard of Loneliness poster

The Wizard of Loneliness

Movie · as Sybil

1988
LIVE with Kelly and Mark poster

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

TV · as Self - Guest · 1 ep

1987
Some Kind of Wonderful poster

Some Kind of Wonderful

Movie · as Amanda Jones

1986
Howard the Duck poster

Howard the Duck

Movie · as Beverly Switzler

1986
SpaceCamp poster

SpaceCamp

Movie · as Kathryn

1986
The Making of Back to the Future poster

The Making of Back to the Future

Movie · as Self

1985
Back to the Future poster

Back to the Future

Movie · as Lorraine Baines

1984
Red Dawn poster

Red Dawn

Movie · as Erica

1984
The Wild Life poster

The Wild Life

Movie · as Anita

1983
Jaws 3-D poster

Jaws 3-D

Movie · as Kelly Ann Bukowski

1983
All the Right Moves poster

All the Right Moves

Movie · as Lisa

1983
The Making of Jaws 3-D: Sharks Don't Die poster

The Making of Jaws 3-D: Sharks Don't Die

Movie

1982
American Playhouse poster

American Playhouse

TV · as Aunt Sybil · 1 ep