Jennifer Connelly worked throughout the 90s, but aside from a few smaller successes like Disney’s “The Rocketeer” and John Singleton’s “Higher Learning,” Connelly’s career didn’t really take off until 2000, when she starred in “Requiem for a Dream,” Darren Aronofsky’s indie drama about a group of people dealing with various addictions. She told Vulture years later, “I remember loving the script and feeling strongly about it. I found it moving. Devastating, but also really moving. I remember wanting so much to be part of it.”
Connelly recalled Aronofsky not being eager to cast her, and the director revealed that her career was in a rough patch, but clarified, “She gave one of the best auditions I’ve ever seen to this day. She came in, and I was not expecting anything, and she left with the role.”
In the movie, Connelly plays Marion, a dressmaker spiraling into heroin addiction with her boyfriend, played by Jared Leto. The film includes a climactic, grotesque scene where Marion is sexually degraded in front of a group of leering men, and it’s one of the standout moments that people still remember about the film today. Film Inquiry, for example, calls it the most “repugnant” scene in the entire movie.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).