Alanis Morissette

Often Works With…

#92;Pop vocal artist and composer Alanis Morissette gained fame when she signed with Madonna's Maverick Records and released Jagged Little Pill in 1995. However, her first experience with show business came long before her singing career. Born on June 1, 1974, in Ottawa, Canada, she appeared on the TV series You Can't Do That on Television! in the mid-'80s. Her musical skills had been honed since she began playing the piano at the age of six, and thus she began recording by the time she was ten. After spending time making an album in Toronto, she relocated to Hollywood, where she began working under Maverick and released Jagged Little Pill. In 1998, she supplied the track "Uninvited" for the City of Angels soundtrack, and subsequently released another album, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie. Inspired and refreshed by a trip to India, the album proved reflective of the artist's deeper self, and she directed her own music videos for the songs "Unsent," "Joining You," and "So Pure," off of that album. In 2000, Morissette made her big-screen debut in the role of roles -- playing God -- in Dogma. While the part was somewhat less than wordy, her charismatic persona provided a memorable and unexpected interpretation of the divinity, and earned her much attention in the movie business. She, and her prominent long locks, would return to the role for the sequel Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back in 2001. ~ Sarah Sloboda, All Movie Guide

Also Credited As:
Alanis Nadine Morissette
Born:
Alanis Nadine Morissette on June 1, 1974 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Job Titles:
Musician, Singer, Songwriter, Actress, Record producer

Family

Brother: Chad Morissette. Older
Brother: Wade Morissette. Born June 1, 1974; twin brother
Father: Alan Morissette. French-Canadian
Mother: Georgia Morissette. Hungarian

Significant Others

Companion: Christian Lane.
Companion: Dash Mihok. Co-starred in the video for her single So Pure ; dated c. 1998; no longer together
Companion: Dave Coulier. Together c. 1992; alleged subject of Alanis hit You Oughta Know
Companion: Gavin DeBecker. Dated from 2000-2002
Companion: Ryan Reynolds. Began dating in 2002; announced engagement in June 2004; split briefly in June 2006; ended their engagement and relationship in February 2007
Companion: Christian Lane.
Companion: Dash Mihok. co-stars in video for her single So Pure ; began relationship in 1998; no longer together
Companion: Gavin De Becker. born c. 1954; dated c. 2000 to c. 2002

Education

Glebe Collegiate Institute, Ottawa, ON
Immaculata High School, Ottawa, ON

Milestones

1984 Wrote her first song, Fate Stay with Me, which she sent to a local folk singer, Lindsay Morgan
1986 Cast as a regular on the CTV/Nickelodeon show, You Can t Do That on Television
1987 Landed a spot on Star Search, but lost after one round (used the stage name of Alanis Nadine)
1988 Signed a publishing deal with MCA Publishing
1991 Released debut album, Alanis (Canada only); Morissette co-wrote every track on the album with its producer, Leslie Howe
1992 Released second album, Now Is the Time ; Morissette wrote the songs with the album s producer, Leslie Howe (Canada only)
1993 Appeared in the film Just One of the Girls starring Corey Haim
1995 First internationally released album, Jagged Little Pill
1995 Singed a deal with Maverick Records
1998 Recorded the song Uninvited for the soundtrack for the film City of Angels
1998 Released her fourth album, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie , which she wrote and produced with Glen Ballard
1999 Appearing as God in the Kevin Smith film Dogma ; also contributed the song Still to its soundtrack
1999 Played a lesbian on an episode of HBO s Sex and the City
2001 First album solely written and produced by Morissette, Under Rug Swept
2002 Appeared as herself in an episode of HBO s Curb Your Enthusiasm
2003 Appeared in the Off-Broadway play The Exonerated as Sunny Jacobs, a death row inmate freed after proof surfaced that she was innocent
2004 Appeared briefly in the Cole Porter biographical film De-Lovely ; also performed the song Let s Do It (Let s Fall in Love)
2005 Released an acoustic version of Jagged Little Pill Acoustic ; released exclusively through Starbucks Hear Music retail
2006 Contributed the song Wunderkind to the soundtrack of the film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ; nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
2006 Guest-starred in three episodes of FX s Nip/Tuck, playing a lesbian named Poppy
2007 Released a tongue-in-cheek cover of The Black Eyed Peas s song My Humps ; also released an accompanying YouTube-hosted video
2008 Released seventh studio album, Flavors of Entanglement
2009 Appeared in several episodes of Weeds (Showtime), playing Dr. Audra Kitson, a no-nonsense obstetrician
Began playing the piano at age six
Released Fate Stay with Me as a single via a label she founded with Morgan