Susan Alexandra "Sigourney" Weaver is an American actress. Following her film debut with a non speaking role in Annie Hall (1977), she quickly came to prominence with her first lead role as Ellen Ripley in Alien (1979). She reprised the role in three sequels: Aliens (1986), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress; Alien 3 (1992), and Alien Resurrection (1997). She is also known for her starring roles in the box-office hits Ghostbusters (1984), Ghostbusters II (1989), and Avatar (2009). Weaver acquired the nickname of "the Sci-Fi Queen" for her numerous contributions to science-fiction film history.