Lea Thompson (born May 31, 1961 in Rochester, Minnesota) is an American actress. She attended Marshall-University High School in Minneapolis.

She studied dance as an infant, and danced professionally by the age of 14. Lea then won scholarships to several ballet schools. Being informed by Baryshnikov that she was too stocky, however, she decided to gave up dancing in favor of an acting career. She moved to New York at the age of 20, and performed in a number of Burger King ads in the 1980s.

Her first significant movie role was in All the Right Moves (1983) with Tom Cruise, and was followed by Red Dawn (1984). Thompson played Lorraine Baines McFly in the Back to the Future trilogy, as well as the title role in the sitcom Caroline in the City. She also starred in the movies Howard the Duck and SpaceCamp, both considered commercial failures.

She is married to film director Howard Deutch . She met first met Howard on the set of her first movie, Jaws 3-D (1983). Lea has two daughters.

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