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Selma Blair was born on June 23, 1972, near Detroit, Michigan. After earning degrees in English and Psychology from the University of Michigan in 1995, she moved to New York City to pursue a career in acting. Blair’s breakthrough came with her role in the 1999 film Cruel Intentions, followed by a starring role in the WB’s television series Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane (later renamed Zoe…). She went on to have a successful career in both film and television, appearing in notable movies such as Legally Blonde (2001), The Sweetest Thing (2002), Hellboy (2004), and the television series Anger Management and The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. Blair has also been open about her personal struggles with alcoholism, depression, and anxiety, and she continues to work after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018.
Movies and TV Shows
Cruel Intentions
Blair’s breakout role came in the 1999 cult classic Cruel Intentions, where she starred as Cecile Caldwell, an innocent high school student, opposite Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe, and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Her performance, particularly her on-screen kiss with Gellar, earned her an MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss.
Zoe…
The same year, Blair took on the role of Zoe Bean in Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane, a teen sitcom on The WB that ran for two seasons before being renamed Zoe…. Her performance earned her a nomination for a Teen Choice Award.
Legally Blonde
In 2001, Blair reunited with Cruel Intentions co-star Reese Witherspoon for the successful comedy Legally Blonde, where she played Vivian Kensington, a snooty law school student. Blair has expressed her admiration for Witherspoon, saying, “She’s been a friend since Cruel Intentions… I would act with her any day.”
The Sweetest Thing and A Guy Thing
Blair appeared alongside Cameron Diaz and Christina Applegate in the 2002 romantic comedy The Sweetest Thing, which earned her another Teen Choice Award nomination. The following year, she co-starred with Julia Stiles and Jason Lewis in the comedy A Guy Thing.
Hellboy
Blair starred as Liz Sherman, a woman with pyrokinetic powers, in Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy (2004), followed by the film’s sequel Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). These films cemented her status as a prominent figure in action and fantasy genres.
Kath & Kim
Blair turned her focus to television with a role in NBC’s sitcom Kath & Kim (2008-2009), where she starred opposite Molly Shannon. Despite the show’s cancellation after one season, Blair’s performance was widely appreciated.
Anger Management
Blair later joined the cast of FX’s Anger Management (2012), playing a therapist alongside Charlie Sheen. After reportedly clashing with Sheen over his work habits, Blair was let go from the series in 2013. Her departure was confirmed by Lionsgate, the production company behind the show.
‘The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story’
In 2016, she returned to FX to portray Kris Jenner, the matriarch of the Kardashian family from E!’s Keeping Up with the Kardashians, in the network’s critically acclaimed true crime anthology series The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.
Non-Acting Work
Blair became the face of Chanel in 2005, with fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld personally photographing her for the Chanel Vision ad campaign. She also starred in advertisements for Miu Miu and, in 2018, walked in a Christian Siriano fashion show at New York Fashion Week.
In 2010, Blair earned a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album for Children after narrating Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition.
Involvement in the #MeToo Movement
In October 2017, Blair, along with actress Rachel McAdams, came forward about being sexually harassed by director James Toback. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Blair detailed an incident where, during a meeting in a hotel room, Toback allegedly held her against her will and ejaculated on her leg. Despite Toback allegedly threatening her life if she spoke out, Blair found courage through the #MeToo movement. “I thought of the wonder of this moment, that women are finally able to express things publicly that they hadn’t felt they would ever tell a soul,” she shared with W magazine. “If that’s what it takes to change things, then I’m on board.”
Blair later estimated that at least 359 women had accused Toback of assault and stated on CBS’ The Talk that she believed he “deserves to be in jail.”
Relationships and Children
Blair’s first love, a childhood sweetheart, tragically passed away in 1990 due to complications related to epilepsy. She reflected on the deep impact his loss had on her, noting that he had been her first love since first grade.
Blair married writer/producer Ahmet Zappa in January 2004, after six months of dating, but filed for divorce in June 2006 citing irreconcilable differences.
She began dating fashion designer Jason Bleick in 2010, and the couple had a son, Arthur, in July 2011. They separated in September 2012 but continue to co-parent their son. Blair has been romantically involved with director/producer Ron Carlson since at least 2015.
MS Diagnosis and Health Struggles
In October 2018, Blair publicly revealed her multiple sclerosis diagnosis on Instagram. “I am disabled,” she wrote. “I fall sometimes. I drop things. My memory is foggy. And my left side is asking for directions from a broken gps. But we are doing it. And I laugh and I don’t know exactly what I will do precisely but I will do my best.”
Blair later shared with Good Morning America how her August 2018 diagnosis provided some relief after years of dealing with confusing MS flare-ups, particularly after the birth of her son, Arthur, in 2011.
Additionally, Blair has spoken candidly about her battles with alcoholism, depression, and anxiety. In 2018, she celebrated two years of sobriety, affirming that she was “winning that battle.”
Early Life and Education
Born Selma Blair Beitner on June 23, 1972, in Southfield, Michigan, Blair is the youngest of four sisters. She legally dropped her father’s last name, Beitner, after her parents’ divorce when she was 23. Blair attended a Jewish day school before transferring to Cranbrook Kingswood School in Michigan. She later enrolled at Kalamazoo College and New York University before transferring to the University of Michigan, where she graduated in 1995 with degrees in English and Psychology.
At 21, just one week after graduation, Blair moved to New York City, where she faced financial hardships, living in a Salvation Army shelter. Initially uncertain whether to pursue a career in acting or photography, she began studying at New York City’s Stella Adler Conservatory and the Column Theater.