The Early Show

Clear Path To Stardom ?

By Rome Neal

December 18, 2003 / 4:46 PM EST / CBS

The last two years have been pretty good ones for actress Jennifer Connelly.

She won an Oscar, starred in a comic book blockbuster, got married and gave birth to her second child. Things may soon be getting even better, as the Oscar talk has already begun for her starring role in the new drama, "House of Sand and Fog."

The film is based on Andre Dubus III's 1999 book of the same name, which tells the story of a once-powerful and influential man (Ben Kingsley) in his native Iran reduced to menial jobs in the United States, and a recovering drug addict (Connelly), with nowhere to turn. The two battle for ownership of a house, which threatens to destroy them both.

Connelly tells The Early Show co-anchor Rene Syler what she likes most about the film is that none of the characters are right or wrong.

She explains, "It doesn't really pick a winner. You have these two lead characters who are intractable in their own arguments and intolerant of one another and also of themselves, I think. It isn't until towards the end of the movie that they start to be able to see each other as the human beings that they are. And at that point, we fear, it might be too late."

To prepare for her role, she says she would play depressing music in her trailer, which her husband, Paul Bettany, would enjoy teasing her about.

"I think making fun of me is one of his favorite pastimes, I have to say," Connelly says. "It was wonderful, though, to have that."

Having Bettany as a husband however also poses some challenges to her busy schedule as well. Bettany was recently seen in "Master And Commander" with Russell Crowe and he co-starred with Connelly in "A Beautiful Mind."

Connelly says, "It's lots of time looking at pieces of paper with schedules on it, which we're both really bad at, I have to say. Neither of us really enjoys doing it, but it's necessary evil, ruminating our schedules."

Having said that, she says she couldn't be happier with her life.

"We're really lucky. I love my job. Sometimes I torture myself over it, but, for the most part, I really, really love what I do. And it's sort of a perfect niche for me, so I think we're really, really blessed," Connelly says.

"I'm always a bit hard on myself, so to me, it's sort of miraculous and happy in my life. Everything has worked out better than I could have thought."

Some Facts About Jennifer Connelly

Jennifer Ann Connelly was born in New York on Dec. 12, 1970

Connelly began modeling and doing commercials at age 10; continued working as a model until her teens.

In 1988, Connelly attended Yale University in New Haven, Conn., and majored in drama and English, but she left after her second year.

Connelly attended Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., and studied acting with Roy London, Howard Fine and Harold Guskin

In 1984, a young Connelly made her feature acting debut in "Once Upon a Time in America"

In 1986, Connelly starred in "Seven Minutes in Heaven"; she played a girl trying to rescue her baby brother from the Goblin King (David Bowie) in "Labyrinth"

In 1991, Connelly was cast as the female lead in "The Rocketeer."

In 1993, Connelly starred in the TNT movie "The Heart of Justice"

In 1995, Connelly played a lesbian in "Higher Learning"

In 1996, the actress played a doomed mistress in "Mulholland Falls."

In 1997, Connelly starred in "Inventing the Abbotts"

In 1998, Connelly undertook the challenging role of a woman who may or may not be real in the sci-fi thriller "Dark City"

After some time off to attend to her motherhood responsibilities, Connelly took roles in 2000's "Waking the Dead," "Requiem for a Dream" and "Pollock."

Connelly won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "A Beautiful Mind."

In 2003, Connelly co-starred in the movie version of the comic book "The Hulk."