Photo: Canadian Film Centre from Toronto, Canada / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Tarantino called Pam Grier cinema's first female action star, and for once the superlative undersells it. In the early seventies, when studio heroines mostly screamed and waited, she was carrying entire pictures on her presence, her fists, and real martial arts training behind the swagger. Foxy Brown built the template; Jackie Brown, two decades later, proved she could play weariness and cunning as powerfully as fury. What moves me most is the longevity — she kept working through eras when Hollywood had no idea what to do with a Black woman over forty. Every modern action heroine is, knowingly or not, walking through a door Pam Grier kicked open.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Pam Grier
- Name (Japanese)
- パム・グリア
- Reading
- ぱむ・ぐりあ
- Born
- May 26, 1949 (age 77)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Ox
- Origin
- Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
- Height
- 173 cm
- Occupation
- film actor / television actor / stage actor / aikidoka / karateka
2. Background
- High school
- East High School
- University
- Metropolitan State University of Denver
Awards & achievements
- 2018 Time Machine Award
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Jackie Brown | — | |
| Notable work | Foxy Brown | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Pam Grier born?
Born May 26, 1949 (age 77).
Where is Pam Grier from?
Pam Grier is from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States.
What does Pam Grier do?
Pam Grier works as film actor, television actor, stage actor, aikidoka, karateka.
How tall is Pam Grier?
Pam Grier is 173 cm.
What is Pam Grier known for?
Notable works include Jackie Brown, Foxy Brown.
Film actor — see all → · Television actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.