Born in Riga, Latvia, Soviet Union (now independent Latvia); the son of an engineer and a dressmaker. A star dancer with the prestigious Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, he defected to the US in 1974 and joined the American Ballet Theatre, of which he eventually became the director. In 1978-79 he danced with George Balanchine's New York City Ballet. He was nominated for an Oscar® as best supporting player for his very first film, THE TURNING POINT (1977), and gave another strong performance in WHITE NIGHTS (1985), portraying a defecting Soviet ballet star whose plane force-lands in Russia. He made his Broadway debut as a dramatic actor in Metamorphosis in 1989. Other notable film credits include THAT'S DANCING! (1985), COMPANY BUSINESS and THE CABINET OF DR. RAMIREZ (both 1991) and RUSSIAN HOLIDAY (1992). He has appeared frequently on television, and in 1998 he produced the TV series "Stories from My Childhood." He was a 2000 recipient of the John F. Kennedy Center Honors. Baryshnikov's name has been linked romantically to several Hollywood stars, including at one time Jessica Lange, who gave birth to his daughter, Alexandra.  Nominated for Supporting Actor 1977: THE TURNING POINT 1 nomination