Career
In 1992, when Chloë Stevens Sevigny was 17, she was spotted on a street by the fashion editor of ‘Sassy’ magazine, Andrea Linett. As a result, she was signed as a model for the magazine.
She later modelled for ‘X-Girl,’ a fashion label designed by Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth. This eventually led her to appear in the music video "Sugar Kane" for Sonic Youth.
In 1993, Sevigny relocated to Brooklyn and began working as a seamstress. During this time period, she was spotted by author Jay McInerney around New York City. McInerney wrote a seven-page article on her that was published in ‘The New Yorker.’ This gained Sevigny much fame, and the following year, she was featured on the album cover of Gigolo Aunts' Flippin' Out as well as on the EP ‘Full-On Bloom.’
She was then cast in the low-budget independent flick ‘Kids’ (1995) in which she played a teenager who is HIV positive. The film was highly controversial and was condemned for its graphic representation of sexuality and drug use involving teenagers. Despite the controversy, it became a hit and Sevigny’s performance was appreciated.
The actress was approached by Mary Harron who offered her a minor role in the movie ‘I Shot Andy Warhol’. Sevigny gave the audition but ultimately turned down the part. Instead, she decided to play a role in the 1997 flick ‘Gummo’.
After ‘Gummo,’ she starred in the thriller ‘Palmetto,’ appearing in the role of a young kidnapee. Soon after this, she had a lead role in ‘The Last Days of Disco’, alongside Kate Beckinsale.
Aside from films, Chloe Sevigny featured in a 1998 Off-Broadway production of the play ‘Hazelwood Jr. High’. The play based on the real-life story of the 1992 murder case of Shanda Sharer. Sevigny appeared as one of the four girls responsible for Sharer’s murder.
She then had a role in ‘American Psycho’ (2000), a black comedy horror flick based on the 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis.
In the year 1999, she collaborated with Harmony Korine for ‘Julien Donkey-Boy’. The same year, she appeared in a small role in the film ‘A Map of the World’ alongside Sigourney Weaver.
Continue Reading Below
Sevigny then played a lesbian in the Emmy Award-winning TV movie titled ‘If These Walls Could Talk 2’. According to her, this was the first and the only film she ever did for the sake of financial gain.
She was featured in Olivier Assayas' French thriller ‘Demonlover’ in 2000. For this role, the actress was required to learn her character’s lines in French.
She acted in the Club Kids biopic titled ‘Party Monster’ in 2003. This biographical drama flick, which was directed by Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey, depicted the story of the rise and fall of a New York City party promoter named Michael Alig.
Sevigny then got the opportunity to act in the 2003 movie ‘Dogville,’ alongside Nicole Kidman, Paul Bettany, and Lauren Bacall, playing one of the residents of a mountain town. The film garnered mixed reviews and was criticized by some critics for being "anti-American".
She starred in the biographical ‘Shattered Glass’, playing one of the co-editors who worked with a journalist named Stephen Glass whose reputation is hurt after his widespread journalistic fraud is exposed .
In 2003, the American actress took on the lead female role in ‘The Brown Bunny’. After the release of the film, William Morris Agency banned her as a client. The talent agency took the decision after they saw the film and believed one of its scenes to be "one step above pornography".
In 2004, Sevigny had a supporting role in Woody Allen's ‘Melinda and Melinda’. After this, she did a string of big screen projects, including ‘Manderlay’, ‘Broken Flowers’ and ‘3 Needles’.
In 2006, she portrayed a lead character in the indie-film ‘Lying’. The same year, she appeared in Douglas Buck's remake of the 1973 horror film ‘Sisters’. She also began playing Nicolette Grant on HBO’s TV series ‘Big Love’ that year.
The actress got featured in the independent thriller ‘The Killing Room’ as well as in the crime horror flick ‘My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done’ in 2009.
Continue Reading Below
She had a voice role in the documentary flick ‘Beautiful Darling’ in 2010. That year, she also had major roles in the comedy movies ‘Barry Munday’ and ‘Mr. Nice’. Following this, Sevigny played the role of a transsexual contract killer named Mia in the drama series ‘Hit & Miss’.
In 2012, she made guest appearances in ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ and ‘American Horror Story.’ The following year, she appeared in the flick ‘Lovelace’ and also starred in five episodes of ‘The Mindy Project’. After this she played Catherine Jensen in the drama series ‘Those Who Kill’.
In 2015, Chloë Sevigny returned to ‘American Horror Story’ for the show’s fifth season ‘Hotel’. That same year, she also got featured in the Netflix’s series ‘Bloodline’. A year later, she had a role in the Canadian horror flick ‘Antibirth’ and also made her directorial debut with the short film ‘Kitty’.
Sevigny starred in the film adaptation of Willy Vlautin’s novel, ‘Lean on Pete’ in 2017. She then appeared as Lizzie Borden in the biographical thriller ‘Lizzie’ the following year.
Fashion Career
Chloë Sevigny, who is referred to as a fashion icon by the industry, has modelled for numerous high-profile designers like Miu Miu, Chloé, Louis Vuitton, H&M, Kenzo, Proenza Schouler and Vivienne Westwood.
She has also appeared on various magazine spreads. In 2007, Chloé chose her as one of the spokesmodels for the brand’s new fragrance.
In 2014, during the 29th International Festival of Fashion & Photography, Sevigny served as one of the judges of the fashion jury.
In 2015, Rizzoli published a picture book celebrating the model cum actress' style legacy. The book featured photos of her through the years, from her photographs as a high school student to on-set images and more.
Major Works
In 1999, Chloë Sevigny appeared in ‘Boys Don't Cry’. This biographical film directed by Kimberly Peirce is a dramatization of a true story of a trans man named Brandon Teena who was brutally raped and murdered in 1993 in Humboldt, Nebraska, the USA. In this movie, Sevigny played the role of Lana Tisdel, a lady who falls in love with Teena, unaware of his gender identity.
Continue Reading Below
The movie ‘Boys Don't Cry’ was a moderate financial success and Sevigny’s performance was singled out and eventually came to be regarded as one of the finest acting performances in movies released in 1999.
In 2007, the American actress earned more mainstream success when she appeared as Melanie in David Fincher's ‘Zodiac.’ This mystery-thriller film revolved around the real story of San Francisco's infamous Zodiac Killer of the late 1960s and early 1970s who taunted the police with letters, ciphers, and blood-stained pieces of clothing.
Facts About Chloë Sevigny
Chloë Sevigny is known for her unique sense of style and has been a muse for several fashion designers, including Marc Jacobs and Proenza Schouler.
She is also a talented photographer and has had her work featured in exhibitions around the world.
Chloë Sevigny is a passionate advocate for animal rights and has supported various organizations working towards animal welfare.
In addition to her acting career, she has also ventured into directing, with her directorial debut film "Kitty" premiering at the Cannes Film Festival.
Chloë Sevigny is multilingual and can speak French fluently, adding to her versatility as an artist.
