# What are the best Sigourney Weaver performances of all time?

> She redefined what a Hollywood hero could look like — and then spent four decades proving that range was just as powerful as toughness. Which Sigourney Weaver performance stands tallest?

*By YPB Team · Published April 11, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-are-the-best-sigourney-weaver-performances-of-all-time*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Alien (1979)**
   Weaver iconic Ellen Ripley is one of cinemas most groundbreaking heroines — a fight for survival in deep space that changed action movies forever.
2. **Aliens (1986)**
   Weaver received an Oscar nomination for reprising Ripley in James Camerons action-packed sequel, adding maternal depth to the character.
3. **Gorillas in the Mist (1988)**
   Weaver received an Oscar nomination for her powerful portrayal of primatologist Dian Fossey, who devoted her life to protecting mountain gorillas.
4. **Working Girl (1988)**
   Weaver received an Oscar nomination playing corporate villain Katharine Parker, a scheming boss who steals her secretarys ideas.
5. **Ghostbusters (1984)**
   Weaver plays Dana Barrett, a musician who becomes possessed by a demigod in this beloved supernatural comedy blockbuster.
6. **Galaxy Quest (1999)**
   Weaver parodies her own sci-fi icon status as Gwen DeMarco, a former TV actress whose old show turns out to be real.
7. **The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)**
   Weaver plays a British embassy attache caught in a dangerous romance amid the political upheaval of 1960s Indonesia.
8. **The Ice Storm (1997)**
   Weaver delivers a sharp supporting turn as a suburban Connecticut woman caught in a web of infidelity in Ang Lees period drama.
9. **Alien 3 (1992)**
   Weaver continues Ripleys harrowing saga, stranded on a prison planet in this darker, more nihilistic chapter of the franchise.
10. **Avatar (2009)**
   Weaver plays Dr. Grace Augustine, the passionate botanist and scientist who champions the Navi people in James Camerons epic.
11. **Copycat (1995)**
   Weaver plays an agoraphobic criminal psychologist who must confront her own fears to catch a serial killer mimicking famous murderers.
12. **The Cabin in the Woods (2012)**
   Weavers late appearance as the Director is a shocking, delightfully meta twist in this horror genre deconstruction.

Tags: movies, actors, sci-fi, performances, sigourney weaver