Geena Davis brought classic Hollywood glamour to the Venice Film Festival as she made a dazzling red carpet appearance on Friday.
The 70-year-old actress looked incredible as she attended the screening of The Basics of Philosophy at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on Friday, September 4, 2026.
Geena commanded attention in a floor-length black gown covered in shimmering sequins, which featured a flattering square neckline and thigh-high split.
She added even more sparkle with an elegant diamond necklace and statement bracelet, while wearing her long brunette locks swept to one side in soft waves.
The Oscar winner was all smiles as she posed for photographers outside the Sala Grande, more than four decades after making her Hollywood breakthrough – and 35 years after one movie in particular cemented her place in cinema history.
Geena was among the guests attending the premiere of filmmaker Paul Schrader’s The Basics of Philosophy. The drama, which screened out of competition, stars Jack Huston, Sofia Boutella, Bill Pullman and Dana Delany and follows a philosophy professor forced to confront a long-buried transgression.
© Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/WireImagAfter beginning her career as a model, the Massachusetts-born star made her film debut opposite Dustin Hoffman in 1982’s Tootsie.
But it was her string of memorable roles later that decade that made her one of Hollywood’s most recognisable stars.
She appeared opposite Jeff Goldblum, whom she later married, in 1986’s The Fly, before showing off her comedic talents as eccentric dog trainer Muriel in The Accidental Tourist.
© Getty ImagesThe performance earned Geena the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1989. Then came Thelma & Louise.
Released in 1991, the groundbreaking road movie saw Geena play Thelma Dickinson opposite Susan Sarandon’s Louise Sawyer as two friends whose weekend getaway takes a dramatic turn.
The role earned Geena an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and remains one of the defining performances of her career.
© Corbis via Getty ImagesShe recently revealed that making the movie also fundamentally changed the way she viewed the portrayal of women on screen.
Speaking on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast this summer, Geena said Thelma & Louise “heightened my awareness of how women are portrayed”, something that became even more apparent years later when she began watching children’s television with her own kids.
She followed Thelma & Louise with another beloved classic, starring as baseball player Dottie Hinson opposite Tom Hanks and Madonna in 1992’s A League of Their Own.
© Variety via Getty ImagesHer other credits have included Beetlejuice, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Stuart Little and the television drama Commander in Chief, which earned her a Golden Globe.
Geena is also mom to three grown-up children with her former husband, surgeon Reza Jarrahy – daughter Alizeh and twin sons Kaiis and Kian.
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