She Was Almost A Kennedy
Most movie fans know Daryl Hannah for her iconic roles in Blade Runner, Splash, and Kill Bill. But few know that she almost became a Kennedy—had it not been for a terrible accident involving her dog.
Mirek Towski/FilmMagic via Getty Images
1. She Was Born In The Windy City
Daryl Christine Hannah wasn’t born anywhere near the Hollywood spotlight or the Kennedy media circus. Born on December 3, 1960, in Chicago, Illinois, she was the daughter of a schoolteacher-turned-producer and a father who ran a tugboat and barge company. It was a working-class start for a future Hollywood legend.
But her family got complicated fast.
=Flick user RavenU, Wikimedia Commons
2. Her Stepfather Had Famous Connections
After Hannah’s parents divorced, her mother wed businessman Jerrold Wexler—the brother of celebrated cinematographer Haskell Wexler. From then, growing up in Long Grove, Illinois, alongside siblings Don, Page, and half-sister Tanya, she was never more than a few degrees of separation from fame and power.
Hannah, however, was always her own person.
World Travel & Tourism Council, Wikimedia Commons
3. She Defied Her Doctors’ Grim Predictions
Hannah’s doctors gave her a troubling diagnosis early on: she had autism. Her physicians urged her mother to have her institutionalized and medicated. Thankfully, Hannah’s mother refused and instead packed up and moved with Hannah to Jamaica, betting that a change in environment would be the cure she needed.
The gamble paid off—but battles still lay ahead.
Fairchild Archive, Getty Images
History's most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily.
4. She Found Solace In The Cinema
From the time she could talk, Daryl Hannah struggled with insomnia. But her curse actually turned out to be her destiny. Lying awake hour after hour, she filled her sleepless nights with movies, sparking a deep love for the big screen and the magic of storytelling. As a “shy” and “emotionally isolated” young girl, the characters on screen were her best friends.
Well, them and animals.
5. She Swore Off Meat
At the tender age of 11, Hannah made a friendship that would change her life forever. While her family dined at a restaurant in Wisconsin, Hannah stayed in the parking lot and befriended a calf. When the truck driver transporting the animal returned, she asked what the calf’s name was. “Veal,” the driver responded, “tomorrow morning by 7 o’clock”.
After that, Hannah never ate meat again, and eventually became vegan.
tarsandsaction, Wikimedia Commons
6. She Trained With A Ballet Legend
After graduating high school, Daryl Hannah went on to attend the University of Southern California. There, she pursued ballet and acting with fierce intensity. She then honed her craft at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre and trained under Maria Tallchief—one of America’s great prima ballerinas. It was a rigorous foundation for a career that would soon take an extraordinary turn.
Unknown photographer, Wikimedia Commons
7. She Made Her Debut In Horror
Hannah was just 17 when she stepped in front of a movie camera for the first time. And her debut sent chills down everyone’s spine. Her debut role came in Brian De Palma’s 1978 horror feature, The Fury. It wasn’t a glamorous Hollywood entry, but a far more iconic role was lurking just around the corner.
Screenshot from The Fury, 20th Century Fox (1978)
8. She Made A Menacing Robot
In 1982, Daryl Hannah finally got the chance to show off her acting chops when she brought the menacing replicant “Pris” to life in Ridley Scott’s sci-fi masterpiece, Blade Runner. And it wasn’t just her facial expressions that left audiences impressed. Hannah performed many of her own gymnastic stunts throughout the film.
It was a role that she would never forget.
Screenshot from Blade Runner, Warner Bros. (1982)
9. She Recalled Her Favorite Performance
In 2010, long after starring in many more iconic films, Hannah made a confession to The Guardian. “Pris”, she said, remained her all-time favorite role. “When I did Blade Runner,” she recalled, “I was completely transported to another world. The whole thing was perfect. It was just what I wanted”. Her personal life was about to take a dramatic turn, too.
Screenshot from Blade Runner, Warner Bros. (1982)
History's most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily.
10. She Moonlighted As A Rock Musician
When Daryl Hannah began dating singer-songwriter Jackson Browne in 1983, she took it as an opportunity to showcase even more of her innate talents. Not only was Hannah Browne’s girlfriend, she was also his keyboardist. She sang backup for Browne and even appeared in his music videos, including the 1985 Clarence Clemons collaboration “You’re a Friend of Mine”.
But her most iconic roles were still to come.
11. She Made A “Splash” With Tom Hanks
Hannah’s next role made her a box office sensation. Starring alongside Tom Hanks in Ron Howard’s 1984 fantasy comedy Splash, Hannah portrayed the lovable mermaid Madison. Critics praised the role as a “career landmark” and Hannah’s performance helped drive the film to a $69 million box office haul against its modest $11 million budget.
And she was just getting started.
Screenshot from Splash, Touchstone Pictures (1984)
12. Her 1980s Resume Was Stacked
Daryl Hannah followed up her Splash success with a jam-packed latter half of the 1980s. She took on prestige projects like The Clan of the Cave Bear, Legal Eagles opposite Robert Redford, and Oliver Stone’s Academy Award–winning Wall Street. However, they weren’t all successes for Hannah, with the latter earning her a Golden Raspberry for Worst Supporting Actress.
You win some, you lose some.
Screenshot from The Clan of the Cave Bear, Warner Bros. (1986)
13. She Started Her Own Production Company
Instead of waiting for better roles, in 1987, Hannah launched Girlie Pictures—her very own production company. She then starred in the charming Roxanne opposite Steve Martin, a modern spin on an old classic that reinvigorated her reputation. Even the harsh film critic Roger Ebert praised her performance as “sweet” and “gentle”.
There was almost no stopping her.
Screenshot from Roxanne, Columbia Pictures (1987)
14. She Rounded Out The Decade In Style
Hannah closed out the 1980s with remarkable range—trading ghost stories with Peter O’Toole in High Spirits, barbs with Woody Allen’s ensemble in Crimes and Misdemeanors, and gossip with Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, and Julia Roberts in Steel Magnolias. That last film would change her life in ways no one expected.
Screenshot from Steel Magnolias, TriStar Pictures (1989)
15. She Caught JFK Jr’s Eye Early On
Early on in the 1980s before Hannah had become a household name, she had crossed paths with American royalty: John F Kennedy Jr. The eventual romantic item first met when their families happened to be vacationing on the Caribbean island of St Martin. According to biographer Steven M Gillon, JFK Jr “found it peculiar yet intriguing that Daryl carried a teddy bear with her everywhere”.
She certainly left an impression.
John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com, Wikimedia Commons
History's most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily.
16. She And Kennedy Had A Wedding
Daryl Hannah crossed paths with JFK Jr once again in 1988 at a wedding. Kennedy’s aunt, Lee Radziwill, was tying the knot with director Herbert Ross—who had just worked with Hannah on Steel Magnolias. At the time, both Hannah and JFK Jr were in relationships, so there was no auspicious catching of the bouquet.
The stars, however, were slowly aligning for the romance of the decade.
John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA, Wikimedia Commons
17. He Helped Her Start Over In New York
By 1990, Kennedy had ended his relationship with actress Christina Haag. Around that same time, Hannah’s own long-term relationship with Jackson Browne was unraveling (and in spectacular fashion). Kennedy stepped in as a friend, helping Hannah to navigate her transition back to New York City. She was just too damaged to date.
18. Her Relationship With Browne Ended Badly
Hannah and Browne’s nine-year relationship collapsed in 1992 amid harrowing allegations. Friends of Hannah claimed she sustained “a black eye, a broken finger, and extensive bruising” at the hands of her now-ex. Hannah’s mother, Susan Wexler, even reportedly visited her in the hospital and witnessed the injuries firsthand.
And she wasn’t the only witness.
19. Her Uncle Backed Up Her Story
Hannah’s uncle, renowned cinematographer Haskell Wexler, went on record with People magazine about what he had personally witnessed. “I saw ugly bruises,” he said, referring to Hannah’s allegations against Browne. Then Wexler added a truly disturbing detail, saying that a doctor reported finding blood in Hannah’s urine.
Browne, however, told a very different story.
Institute of Policy Studies, Wikimedia Commons
20. Her Ex Denied It All
Despite the statements from Hannah’s family and friends, Browne flatly denied all allegations against him. Nevertheless, authorities in Santa Monica launched an investigation. However, when the dust settled, they refused to place charges against Browne. In fact, the allegations were so baseless that Browne later successfully won in a defamation dispute with Fox Television.
The controversy faded—and Hannah found herself swept up in a new romance.
Craig ONeal, Wikimedia Commons
21. She Was Tired Of The Wedding Talk
By the early 1990s, Hannah and Kennedy had become an item—and tabloid fixtures. However, the relentless speculation about a pending wedding drove Hannah to exasperation. “This morning I call up my plumber,” she told Entertainment Weekly in 1993, “and even he asks me. Oh, brother,” she moaned, “I’m just trying to get my pipes fixed. Why can’t people talk about something else”.
Or see something else, for that matter.
History's most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily.
22. Her Neighbors Couldn’t Look Away
The obsession with Hannah and Kennedy’s relationship reached a point where even her neighbors were spying on her. On a breezy Sunday morning, Hannah and Kennedy were enjoying themselves on a New York rooftop—Kennedy tall, shirtless, and barefoot in boxer shorts; Hannah in a short nightgown. The pair danced together, oblivious to the world. “They were doing this little love play,” the neighbor told People in 1993.
Behind closed doors, though, tensions were mounting.
23. Her Boyfriend’s Mother Avoided Her
Even if the tabloids speculated about a marriage, things for Hannah and Kennedy were turbulent behind closed doors. Kennedy confided to a friend that Hannah and his mother, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, weren’t getting along. The tension was allegedly so high that Onassis refused to eat dinner with Hannah, choosing to dine on a tray in another room instead.
And she wasn’t the only one running.
24. Her Boyfriend Escaped To The Basement
The rumors of trouble between Hannah and Kennedy weren’t totally baseless or speculative. Kennedy himself added fuel to the fire burning between his girlfriend and his mother. Hannah and Kennedy’s relationship caused so much trouble between the mother and son that he had retreated to a friend’s basement to avoid his mother’s ire over Hannah.
There may, however, have been something else going on.
25. Her Mother Disputed The Feud
While the FX series Love Story (and the contemporary tabloids) portrayed Onassis as deeply hostile toward Hannah, Hannah’s own mother pushed back on that narrative. In an interview with People, she expressed disbelief and recounted that Hannah herself had described Onassis as nothing short of “very warm and affectionate”.
Regardless, the relationship was headed for the rocks.
26. Her Dog Changed Everything
In May 1994, an ordinary afternoon in Central Park led to the unravelling of Hannah’s relationship with Kennedy. While walking Hannah’s dog, someone stopped Kennedy and asked him for an autograph. As he scribbled his signature, he accidentally let go of the dog’s leash and the canine sprinted off into traffic only to get hit, fatally, by a car.
It was an accident—but its consequences would prove irreversible.
27. Her Boyfriend Was Devastated
In an interview for JFK Jr: An Intimate Oral Biography, one of Kennedy’s close friends recalled how America’s prince reacted to the accident. Kennedy was “shaken”—utterly devastated. However, he might have been upset about more than just Hannah’s dog. The fallout from the accident, he knew, would be even more terrifying than the accident itself.
John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA, Wikimedia Commons
History's most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily.
28. She Wanted A Different Box
In a touching and thoughtful gesture, Kennedy flew to Los Angeles with Hannah’s dog’s ashes. However, even that went sideways. According to a friend, speaking in JFK Jr: An Intimate Oral Biography, Hannah took issue with the box Kennedy had chosen for what remained of her beloved pooch, reportedly preferring “something gold”.
Her reaction only made their breakup inevitable.
=Flick user RavenU, Wikimedia Commons
29. She Took Kennedy Away From His Mother
Daryl Hannah demanded that Kennedy stay in Los Angeles for her dog’s burial. But, back in New York, his mother was battling cancer. Just a few short days later, Onassis drew her final breaths—and Kennedy blamed Hannah. Friend Steven Gillon later recounted that Kennedy felt “deeply resentful that Daryl pulled him out there for her dog’s funeral when his mother was facing her end”.
Just three months later, Hannah and Kennedy went their separate ways.
Robert LeRoy Knudsen, Wikimedia Commons
30. Her Love Was “Fantastical”
For all the drama, Hannah and Kennedy seemed to have had something special—while it lasted. One of Kennedy’s friends offered a candid retrospective on the relationship, describing it as “fantastical” and “adventurous”. However, the friend added that it was never a truly deep romance, noting there was “more, like, fire—and fight”.
With or without Kennedy, Hannah still had acting.
Вени Марковски, Wikimedia Commons
31. She Conquered Her Crippling Stage Fright
In 2000, Daryl Hannah stepped into Marilyn Monroe’s shoes—literally. Taking on the lead in The Seven Year Itch at London’s West End Queen’s Theatre, Hannah conquered her fears. It was her theatrical debut, and she faced it head-on despite admitting that stage fright had “debilitated my life”. Stage fright or not, her career was in for a post-Kennedy renaissance.
Rune Hellestad - Corbis, Getty Images
32. She Had A Special Backstage Visit
As she overcame her stage fright, Hannah had no idea that the visionary director Quentin Tarantino was in the audience. And he was there just for her. After the show, Tarantino just appeared backstage and confessed to Hannah that he had flown to London just to tell her something: he was working on something big, and he had written it just for her.
That something turned out to be Kill Bill.
33. She Did It All With One Eye
Tarantino had written the role of the one-eyed hitwoman “Elle Driver” in Kill Bill just for Hannah. And she did not disappoint. Appearing in both Volume 1 and Volume 2 of the franchise, Hannah’s performance earned her the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress along with the MTV Movie Award for Best Fight alongside Uma Thurman.
It was a career high. But Hannah had plenty of tricks left up her sleeve.
Screenshot from Kill Bill, Miramax Films (2003)
History's most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily.
34. She Invented Two Board Games
Between blockbusters, Hannah found other ways to express her creativity. With fellow actress Hilary Shepard Turner, Hannah co-created not one but two board games: Love It or Hate It and the bluffing game LIEbrary. Hannah even premiered the latter on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2005 to a delighted crowd.
Apparently, playing a convincing liar came naturally to her.
35. She Built Her Own Eco-Haven
Even after dating a Kennedy and dominating the box office, Daryl Hannah never lost sight of her true passion: the environment. Instead of living in a sprawling Hollywood mansion or gilded East Coast estate, Hannah shacked it up in a home constructed entirely from green materials, powered entirely by the sun. Even her car ran on biodiesel.
Her activism, though, was about to get considerably more hands-on.
Plug In America, Wikimedia Commons
36. She Chained Herself To A Tree
On June 13, 2006, Daryl Hannah took her environmental convictions to their logical extreme. The award-winning actress chained herself to a walnut tree at South Central Farm—the largest urban farm in the United States—for 23 days straight. Her cause? Protesting the eviction of over 350 farmers by the property’s new owner. The authorities were not impressed.
But that did not stop Hannah.
Plug In America, Wikimedia Commons
37. She Kept Getting Taken Away In Handcuffs
The South Central Farm was only the beginning. Hannah joined the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in 2008, and in June 2009 she was among 31 protesters apprehended outside a West Virginia coal preparation plant, demonstrating against mountaintop removal mining. And she was in good company. NASA climate scientist James E Hansen was among those apprehended alongside her.
That only seemed to fuel the fire of her activism.
chesapeakeclimate, Wikimedia Commons
38. She Demonstrated In Front Of The White House
In August 2011, Daryl Hannah planted herself—literally—on the pavement outside the White House in a sit-in that changed history. Protesting against the proposed Keystone oil pipeline, Hannah co-authored a Huffington Post piece, saying that she was there to “shine the light” on President Obama’s pipeline decision.
Two years later, she was right back on the White House’s doorstep.
Springtime88, Wikimedia Commons
39. She Went Back To The White House
In February 2013, Hannah was back outside the White House—this time among 48 protesters, including Robert F Kennedy Jr, his son Conor, and civil rights leader Julian Bond amongst others. Bringing all of her starpower to bear, she boldly declared, “President Obama has said ‘push me’. Well, we need to get out there and push him”.
Amidst all of her activism, she still found time for love.
History's most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily.
40. She Found Love With A Rock Legend
With Kennedy firmly in her rearview, by 2014, Daryl Hannah was ready to move on, beginning a relationship with Canadian musician Neil Young. Young himself was recently out of a nearly four-decade long marriage but confessed that Hannah brought inspiration to his music. Despite pushback from some of his friends, Young openly called Hannah his girlfriend.
Then things got ugly.
41. She Was A “Poisonous Predator”
David Crosby—of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young fame—did not hold back his feelings about his friend Young’s new relationship with Hannah. In September 2014, he told the Idaho Statesman that Young was now “hanging out with somebody that’s a purely poisonous predator”. For good measure, Crosby predicted that Hannah was going to hurt Young.
Hannah was determined to prove him wrong.
Christopher Michel, Wikimedia Commons
42. She Got An Apology
By May 2015, Crosby had done a full about-face. Appearing on The Howard Stern Show, he admitted he had “screwed up massively” in insulting Hannah the way he had. To his credit, Crosby went on to offer a direct apology, saying, “Daryl, if you’re out there, I apologize”. Hannah may have forgiven him—but the damage was already done.
43. Her Boyfriend Defended Her
Young’s response to Crosby’s remarks was quietly devastating. In a Rolling Stone interview, he defended Hannah’s honor and pointedly referred to his former band as “uh…Stills, Nash and Young”, refusing to utter Crosby’s name. Young went even further, ruling out the possibility of a reunion: “Never happen, no, not in a million years”.
Too bad Young hadn’t been there to defend Hannah earlier—from a real predator.
44. She Spoke Out Against A Powerful Predator
Daryl Hannah was among the women who came forward in Ronan Farrow’s landmark 2017 New Yorker exposé on Harvey Weinstein. She alleged that Weinstein repeatedly harassed her during the production of Kill Bill. And it didn’t end there. She recalled one occasion in Cannes, when the disgraced producer pounded on her hotel room door trying to force entry, prompting her to flee through the fire escape.
But Weinstein wasn’t done with her yet.
David Shankbone, Wikimedia Commons
45. Her Career Paid The Price
During the promotional tour for Volume 2 in Rome, Weinstein allegedly took things even further with Hannah. He demanded that she allow him to touch her chest and when she refused, he then demanded that she “flash” him instead. Hannah later concluded that her refusal prompted Weinstein to sabotage her professionally.
“After Kill Bill,” she explained, “I never got another movie meeting. Not even a meeting or an offer. It was a great role, and crickets”.
Screenshot from Kill Bill, Miramax Films (2004)
History's most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily.
46. She Stepped Behind The Camera
Rather than cry in her soup over Weinstein or wait for Hollywood to come calling, Hannah took matters into her own hands. In 2018, she wrote, directed, and produced Paradox, a surrealistic fantasy western musical starring Neil Young and Willie Nelson. It premiered at South by Southwest and streamed on Netflix for millions to watch.
Then came an even bigger occasion to celebrate.
Screenshot from Paradox, Netflix (2018)
47. Her Wedding Was A Moonlit Secret
On August 24, 2018, Hannah and Young exchanged vows near San Luis Obispo, California, beneath a nearly full moon. To cap off the night, Young serenaded her with his classic “Harvest Moon”. Around 100 guests attended, each departing with a heart-shaped locket holding a photo of the couple. But that was just the public ceremony.
48. She Also Said “I Do” On The Water
The California wedding was, apparently, the second celebration of the couple’s nuptials. Prior to the star-studded affair, Hannah and Young had reportedly said their real “I do” aboard Young’s yacht near Washington State’s San Juan Islands. A source close to the couple told People that the pairing made perfect sense: “Neil’s biggest passion in life is the environment. Daryl is the exact same”.
Young, for his part, needed no convincing.
Matt Winkelmeyer, Getty Images
49. Her Husband Had No Doubts
In a 2018 interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, Young addressed the early skepticism about his relationship with Hannah head-on. “Daryl is a wonderful human being, and I’m very lucky to know her,” he said. Going even further, he added, “We’re very lucky to have found each other. I’m eternally thankful for the opportunity to share my life with her”.
Their marriage, however, was about to face a terrible test.
Ross from hamilton on, Canada, Wikimedia Commons
50. Her Home Burned To The Ground
In 2018, Daryl Hannah and Neil Young lost their Malibu property to the catastrophic Woolsey fire. Young responded on his website with characteristic urgency, noting that firefighters had never witnessed anything like it in their lives—and calling on the public to confront the realities of the changing climate head-on. For Hannah, it was a painful reminder of everything she had long fought to prevent.
But she had a trusted companion at her side.
51. Her Greatest Role Is Being Herself
For all her iconic turns on screen—mermaid, replicant, katana-wielding hitwoman—Hannah has always been most compelling offscreen. Today, she and Young live quietly and privately in Ontario, Canada, largely removed from the Hollywood spotlight. And for a woman who once nearly became a Kennedy, that’s a pretty remarkable final act.
Mondadori Portfolio, Getty Images
You May Also Like:
Calamitous Facts About Sharon Stone, Hollywood’s Unlucky Star
Ferocious Facts About the Fiercest Women in Movie History
Feline Facts About Michelle Pfeiffer
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Reddit, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
