Co-Star To Famous Rodent

Actress Geena Davis may have become a real-life mother for the first time in April, but to many fans she has been mom to a very famous rodent since 1999. She's currently in theaters reprising that role in "Stuart Little 2."

Geena Davis visited The Early Show to discuss her new movie.

The first "Stuart Little" movie delighted audience in a story about a mouse adopted by a family. The computer-animated pint-sized hero Stuart Little, voiced by Michael J. Fox, returns to the big screen with more adventures in New York City.

The holiday hit of 1999 raked in over $300 million worldwide and garnered a 2000 Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects.

In the second movie, Mrs. Little's (played by Davis) maternal instincts turn her into an over-protective parent. She refuses to let Stuart prove he is more man then mouse.

"Mrs. Little has become overly protective of Stuart since Martha's birth," says Davis in the film's production notes. "And Stuart suffers for it because he's so small and she is afraid to let him do anything. She tries to draw the line between protecting him and allowing him to explore and make his own mistakes, but unfortunately she draws a very narrow line."

However, Stuart must go on a journey through the city with a reluctant Snowbell (voiced by Nathan Lane) to rescue a new friend, Margalo (voiced by Melanie Griffith), from a villainous Falcon (voiced by James Woods).

Not The Ordinary Model-Turned-Actress

The statuesque model-turned-actress has performed for audiences on-screen since the early 1980s. Davis wanted to act when she first arrived in New York City. She thought a modeling career would launch her acting career — naive to the fact that the fashion industry is just as difficult to break into.

But she did make her mark as a model for Zoli modeling agency, which led to her first acting jobs on television. Davis had a recurring role on the NBC show "Family Ties" in 1982 and the same year she made her feature film debut in "Tootsie."

Davis first feature starring role was alongside Jeff Goldblum in 1986. She married her co-star a year later. Their marriage, however, faltered and they filed for divorce in 1990.

The versatile actress went on to make critically acclaimed movies like "The Accidental Tourist," "Thelma & Louise," "A League of Their Own" and many more.

Today, she finds herself taking on other responsibilities in movies. She has added writing and producing to her resume.

FAST FACTS ABOUT GEENA DAVIS

• Geena Davis was born Virginia Davis on Jan. 21, 1956 in Wareham, Mass.
• Davis attended New England College in Henniker, N.H., and majored in drama. She transferred to Boston University and received a BFA in 1979.
• She moved to New York City after graduating and worked as a sales clerk and waitress. She worked at Ann Taylor, where she eventually rose to Saturday window mannequin while trying to get a job with a modeling agency, which she eventually accomplished with Zoli.
• Davis won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress co-starring in Lawrence Kasdan's "The Accidental Tourist."
• The athletic actress was a semifinalist for the 1999 U.S. Women's Olympic Archery Team.