Lea Thompson
Known for
An American actress most beloved as Lorraine Baines, the hero's mother, across the 'Back to the Future' trilogy — 'Back to the Future' (1985), 'Part II' (1989) and 'Part III' (1990) — where she played the same woman at wildly different ages. Born in Minnesota, Thompson built a screen and television career, later starring in and directing episodes of the sitcom 'Switched at Birth'. A warm, versatile performer with a light comic touch, she remains a familiar and fondly remembered face of 1980s American cinema.
Lea Thompson
49 Movies
22 Series
An American actress most beloved as Lorraine Baines, the hero's mother, across the 'Back to the Future' trilogy — 'Back to the Future' (1985), 'Part II' (1989) and 'Part III' (1990) — where she played the same woman at wildly different ages. Born in Minnesota, Thompson built a screen and television career, later starring in and directing episodes of the sitcom 'Switched at Birth'. A warm, versatile performer with a light comic touch, she remains a familiar and fondly remembered face of 1980s American cinema.
Movies
Plays Lorraine Baines
Back to the Future
1985
Plays Lorraine
Back to the Future Part II
1989
Plays Ms. Roberts
The Little Rascals
1994
Plays Maggie McFly / Lorraine McFly
Back to the Future Part III
1990
Plays Irene Steele
Left Behind
2014
Plays Alice Mitchell
Dennis the Menace
1993
Plays Kelly Ann Bukowski
Jaws 3-D
1983
Plays Erica
Red Dawn
1984
Plays Laura Jackson
The Beverly Hillbillies
1993
Plays Jo Ann Prohaska
Thin Ice
2012
Plays Beverly Switzler
Howard the Duck
1986
Plays Lela Rogers
J. Edgar
2011
Plays Marigold de la Hunt
Going Undercover
1988
Plays Betty
Dinner in America
2022
Plays Susan Frost
Splinterheads
2009
Plays Amanda Jones
Some Kind of Wonderful
1987
Plays Lisa
All the Right Moves
1983
Plays Stacy
Casual Sex?
1988
Plays Cathleen Harris
Senior Skip Day
2008
Plays Mrs. Burgess
Sierra Burgess Is a Loser
2018
Plays Laura
Adventures of a Teenage Dragonslayer
2010
Plays Margaret "Marmee" March
Little Women
2018
Plays Kathryn
SpaceCamp
1986
Plays Liz Holloway
The Dog Lover
2016
Plays Deb (Adam's Mom)
Literally, Right Before Aaron
2017
Plays Julia
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film
2013
Plays Mary Maroni
Mayor Cupcake
2011
Plays Perkins
Unplugging
2022
Plays Anita
The Wild Life
1984
Plays Ramona
A Pretty Good Movie
Plays Dr. Robin Van Dorn
Article 99
1992
Plays Dream World Lea
Cool Cat's Crazy Dream
2019
Plays Maudie McMinn
Exit Speed
2008
Plays Claire Miller
Spy School
2008
Plays Helen
You Are Here
2019
Plays Aunty Carol
Mark, Mary + Some Other People
2021
Director
Plays Deb Klein
The Year of Spectacular Men
2018
Plays Carol
Come Away Home
2005
Plays Alana
Who We Are Now
2018
Plays Clara
Fish Don't Blink
2002
Plays Emily
The Trouble with the Truth
2012
Plays Mrs. Miracle
Ping Pong Summer
2014
Plays Sybil
The Wizard of Loneliness
1988
Plays Melissa Cavatelli
The Unknown Cyclist
1998
Plays Ginger Gainor
California Dreaming
2007
Plays Rebecca
Fatal Secrets
2009
Plays Peg Van Legge
Haunted Lighthouse 4-D
2003
Plays Master Bartologist
Rock Slyde
2010
Plays Grace
Ten Tricks
2022
TV Shows
Director
Plays Kathryn Kennish
Switched at Birth
2011
Plays Caroline Duffy
Caroline in the City
1995
Plays Vonnie (voice)
Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero
2014
Director
Plays Nancy Hillier
The Chicken Sisters
2024
Plays Lorraine Baines-McFly
Back to the Future: The Hill Valley Chronicles
2018
Plays Victoria Spencer
The Spencer Sisters
2023
Plays Self - Panelist
Hollywood Squares
1998
Director
Schooled
2019
Director
DC's Stargirl
2020
Plays Veronica Dineen
Scorpion
2014
Director
Anna Pigeon
2026
Plays Liz Stevens
Ed
2000
Director
Resident Alien
2021
Director
Will Trent
2023
Plays Amanda Steward
A Will of their Own
1998
Plays Teenaged Girl in Diner (voice)
Family Guy
1999
Director
Plays Fran
The Goldbergs
2013
Plays Lea Thompson
A to Z
2014
Plays Sylvia Vane
Tales from the Crypt
1989
Plays April
Greek
2007
Plays Jennifer Rhodes
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
2000
Director
Plays Diane Werner
Star Trek: Picard
2020
Plays Carol (voice)
INVINCIBLE
2021
Plays Lea Thompson
The Larry Sanders Show
1992
Plays Caroline Duffy (voice)
American Dad!
2005
Plays Aunt Sybil
American Playhouse
1982
Director
Katy Keene
2020
Director
Mom
2013
Director
American Housewife
2016
Director
Young Sheldon
2017
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
BRATS
Full Filmography
Anna Pigeon
Director
2026–
TV
The Chicken Sisters
Nancy Hillier · Director · 16 episodes
2024–
TV
The Spencer Sisters
Victoria Spencer · 10 episodes
2023
TV
INVINCIBLE
Carol (voice) · 1 episode
2023
TV
Will Trent
Director
2023–
TV
Star Trek: Picard
Diane Werner · Director · 1 episode
2022
TV
The Goldbergs
Fran · Director · 2 episodes
2019–2022
TV
Ten Tricks
Grace
2022
Film
Dinner in America
Betty
2022
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Lea Thompson and where are they from?
Lea Thompson is 65 years old, born on May 31, 1961 in Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
What are the most famous roles of Lea Thompson?
Lea Thompson is best known for roles in Back to the Future, Back to the Future Part II, Back to the Future Part III.
How many movies has Lea Thompson been in?
Over a 43-year career (since 1983), Lea Thompson has appeared in 49 movies and 21 TV shows.
What was Lea Thompson's first movie?
The career of Lea Thompson began with The Making of Jaws 3-D: Sharks Don't Die (1983).
What is Lea Thompson's most recent movie or series?
Lea Thompson's most recent release is SEGAL, which premiered on October 12, 2025.
What TV shows has Lea Thompson appeared in?
On television, Lea Thompson has appeared in Friends, INVINCIBLE, Family Guy, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Lea Thompson
1961-05-31 · Rochester, Minnesota, USA
Lea Katherine Thompson (born May 31, 1961) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and director.
She is best known for her roles as Lorraine Baines-McFly in the Back to the Future film trilogy (1985–1990), Beverly Switzler in Howard the Duck (1986), and Amanda Jones in Some Kind of Wonderful (1987). Other films for which she is known include All the Right Moves (1983), Red Dawn (1984), Dennis the Menace (1993), and The Beverly Hillbillies (1993). In the 1990s, she played the title character in the sitcom Caroline in the City. From 2011 to 2017, she co-starred as Kathryn Kennish in the ABC Family-turned-Freeform series Switched at Birth.