# Victoria Tennant

Victoria Tennant (born 30 September 1950) is a British actress. She is known for her roles in the TV miniseries The Winds of War and War and Remembrance, in which she appeared as actor Robert Mitchum's on-screen love interest, Pamela Tudsbury, as well as her supporting roles in All of Me (1984), The Holcroft Covenant (1985), Flowers in the Attic (1987), The Handmaid's Tale (1990), and L.A. Story (1991).

## Early life

Tennant was born in London, England, daughter of Cecil Gordon Tennant (1910-1967) and Irina Baronova. Her father, from a junior branch of a family of minor Yorkshire gentry resident at Kilnsey, was a producer and talent agent for MCA; her mother was a Russian prima ballerina who appeared with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Tennant's maternal grandfather, Mikhail Baronov, was a senior officer in the Imperial Russian Navy; his wife, the former Lydia Vishniakova, was a general's daughter. Tennant has a sister, Irina, and a brother, Robert, both of whom were seriously injured in a car crash in 1967 that killed their father. Tennant's godfather was the actor Laurence Olivier.
Like her mother, Tennant trained in ballet, first at the Elmhurst Ballet School and then (for two years) at the Central School of Speech and Drama.

## Career

After a number of roles in British and other European films, including The Ragman's Daughter (1972) and Inseminoid (1981), Tennant emigrated to the United States. She went to appear in films Strangers Kiss (1983), All of Me (1984) with Steve Martin, her future husband, and The Holcroft Covenant (1985). She starred as Pamela Tudsbury in the ABC miniseries The Winds of War in 1983, receiving Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film. She reprised her role in the sequel miniseries War and Remembrance (1988).
In 1987, Tennant starred in the neo-noir crime thriller Best Seller and the psychological drama film Flowers in the Attic playing the leading role. In 1990 she appeared in the dystopian drama film The Handmaid's Tale and was lead actress in the horror film Whispers. In 1991, Tennant starred alongside Steve Martin in the romantic comedy film, L.A. Story. She wrote the script for the 1996 romantic comedy film, Edie & Pen. The following years, Tennant appeared mostly in the smaller-scale films and guest-starred in the television series including Diagnosis: Murder, JAG, Scrubs and Monk.
In 2014, Tennant published a memoir about her mother titled Irina Baronova and The Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, published by the University of Chicago Press. The book was presented at the Bel Air Country Club in Bel Air, Los Angeles.

## Personal life

Tennant's first marriage was to Peppo Vanini, a nightclub owner who owned the Xenon nightclub. They married in 1969 and divorced in 1976.
She dated Matthew Chapman from 1978 until 1982, but ended their relationship upon meeting Steve Martin. She married Martin in 1986, but they divorced in 1994.
Since 1996, Tennant has been married to Kirk Justin Stambler.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1972 | The Ragman's Daughter | Doris Randall | |
| 1980 | The Dogs of War | Dinner Party Guest | |
| 1981 | Inseminoid | Barbra | |
| 1981 | Sphinx | Lady Carnarvon | |
| 1982 | Ich bin dein Killer | Annette Dorberg | |
| 1983 | Strangers Kiss | Carol Redding / Betty | |
| 1984 | All of Me | Terry Hoskins | |
| 1985 | The Holcroft Covenant | Helden von Tiebolt / Helden Tennyson | |
| 1987 | Best Seller | Roberta Gillian | |
| 1987 | Flowers in the Attic | Corinne Dollanganger | |
| 1989 | Fool's Mate | Alice Gordon | |
| 1990 | The Handmaid's Tale | Aunt Lydia | |
| 1990 | Whispers | Hilary | |
| 1991 | L.A. Story | Sarah McDowell | |
| 1992 | The Plague | Alicia Rieux | |
| 1996 | Edie & Pen | Blonde with Dog | Writer and producer |
| 1998 | Bram Stoker's Legend of the Mummy | Mary | |
| 2008 | The Awakening of Spring | Mrs. Woodman | |
| 2009 | Irene in Time | Eleanor Jensen | |
| 2010 | Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic | Beatrice (voice) | Video |
| 2013 | Cold Turkey | Elizabeth Utley | |
| 2013 | Louder Than Words | Lydia Thorsby | |
| 2018 | Alex & the List | Barbara | Filmed in 2013 |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1979 | Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson | Helen Stoner | Episode: "The Case of the Speckled Band" |
| 1981 | La Guerre des insectes | Helen Curtiss | TV film |
| 1982 | Tales of the Unexpected | Bernice | Episode: "Who's Got the Lady?" |
| 1983 | The Winds of War | Pamela Tudsbury | TV miniseries |
| 1983 | Dempsey | Estelle Taylor | TV film |
| 1983 | Chiefs | Trish Lee | TV miniseries |
| 1985 | George Burns Comedy Week | Maggie | Episode: "The Funniest Guy in the World" |
| 1986 | Under Siege | Gloria Garry | TV film |
| 1986 | The Twilight Zone | Valentina | Episode: "Red Snow" |
| 1986 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Bride | Episode: "Deadly Honeymoon" |
| 1988 | Maigret | Victoria Portman | TV film |
| 1988–89 | War and Remembrance | Pamela Tudsbury | 12 episodes |
| 1989 | Voice of the Heart | Francesca Cunningham | TV film |
| 1989 | Act of Will | Audra | TV series |
| 1994 | The Man from Snowy River | Anita Hargraves | Recurring role (5 episodes) |
| 1997 | Diagnosis: Murder | Victoria Larkin | Episode: "Deadly Games" |
| 1999 | Providence | Dr. Toynton | Episode: "Blind Faith" |
| 2001 | The Chris Isaak Show | Irene | Episode: "Dancin'" |
| 2001 | Sister Mary Explains It All | Bitter Divorcee | TV film, also producer |
| 2004 | JAG | Marta Sperling | Episode: "The Man on the Bridge" |
| 2007 | Scrubs | Maggie Kent | Episode: "My Scrubs" |
| 2008 | Monk | Ms. Benson | Episode: "Mr. Monk Paints His Masterpiece" |
| 2009 | The Beast | Susan Redman | Episode: "Infected" |
| 2011 | William & Kate | Celia | TV film |

### Music

* Hussy – theme song lyrics