Lea Thompson's Real Name: Lea Thompson

Quick answer: Lea Thompson is known professionally and in reference works as Lea Thompson. She was born on May 31, 1961. She is an American actress best known as Lorraine McFly in the Back to the Future films (Post Bulletin; Back to the Future official site).

Real name and early life

The Library of Congress heading is "Thompson, Lea, 1961-." A Library of Congress citation to the International Motion Picture Almanac records Lea Thompson, born May 31, 1961. The Rochester, Minnesota, Post Bulletin says she was born in Rochester in 1961 and lived at the Starlite Motel, which her grandmother Reva Thompson operated, with her parents and four older siblings, Barry, Andrew, Shannon, and Colleen, before the family moved to a home in southwest Rochester and later to Minneapolis when she was in grade school. A 1985 Back to the Future production biography on the official site calls her "a native of Minneapolis," which conflicts with the Rochester birthplace given by the Post Bulletin; this page follows the Post Bulletin for the birthplace and notes the difference. A middle name appears only in an IMDb-based Library of Congress citation and is not used in the title. The official production biography says she was a professional dancer at 14 and won scholarships with American Ballet Theatre and the San Francisco Ballet before turning to acting at 20.

Career highlights

After moving to New York, she was cast in commercials and then a small role in Jaws 3-D, the official site says. Her next role was Lisa in All the Right Moves, as the girlfriend of Tom Cruise's character, which brought her wider attention and led to John Milius's Red Dawn. She also starred in The Wild Life.

In Back to the Future, directed by Robert Zemeckis, she played both the teenage Lorraine Baines and the 47-year-old Lorraine McFly. The official site notes that in Back to the Future Part II she played further versions of Lorraine, including a changed 1985 and a 77-year-old grandmother. Those roles are the ones most searchers associate with her name.

Name notes for searchers

Lea Thompson is the name used in the Library of Congress heading, the Post Bulletin, and the official Back to the Future materials. A middle name appears only in an IMDb-based catalog note. Searchers looking for Lorraine McFly are usually aiming at the same person.