# Vanessa Redgrave

| Vanessa RedgraveDBE |
| --- |
| Redgrave at the Berlin Film Festival, 2011 |
| Born |  (1937-01-30) 30 January 1937 Greenwich, London, England |
| Occupations | * Actress
* political activist
 |
| Years active | 1956–present |
| Spouse(s) | Tony Richardson (m. 1962–1967, divorced) Franco Nero (m. 2006–present) |
| Children | Natasha Richardson Joely Richardson Carlo Gabriel Nero |
| Parent(s) | Michael Redgrave Rachel Kempson |
| Relatives | Corin Redgrave (brother) Lynn Redgrave (sister) Jemma Redgrave (niece) |

**Dame Vanessa Redgrave** DBE (Blackheath, London, England, 30 January 1937) is an English actress and activist.

## Life and career

Born in a theatrical family, her father was actor Sir Michael Redgrave (1908-1985). Her mother was actress Rachel Kempson (1910-2003). Her brother Corin Redgrave (1939-2010) and sister Lynn Redgrave (1943-2010) were both actors. She began her career in theatre in 1958 with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

She made her movie debut in 1966 in *Morgan, a Suitable Case for Treatment*, followed by *Blowup*.

In 1967, she appeared in the musical *Camelot*, opposite Richard Harris. Other notable movies have included; *The Charge of the Light Brigade* (1968), *Isadora* (1969), *The Devils* (1970), *The Trojan Women* (1971), *Mary Queen of Scots* (1972), *Murder on the Orient-Express* (1974), *Julia* (1977), for which she won an Academy Award for best supporting actress, *Agatha* (1979), *The Bostonians* (1984), *Wetherby* (1985), *Howard Ends* (1992), *Mrs Dalloway* (1997), *Deep Impact* (1998), etc.

On television, she appeared in *Playing for Time* in 1980, which won her an Emmy Award for best actress, as well as in the teleseries *Peter The Great* (1986) and *Young Catherine* (1991).

In 2010 she received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award, a lifetime achievement award.

Redgrave was married to movie director Tony Richardson from 1962 until 1967, with whom she had two daughters: actresses Natasha Richardson (1963-2009) and Joely Richardson (b. 1965). She has a son, Carlo Gabriel Nero (b. 1969) with Italian actor Franco Nero, whom she married in 2006.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1958 | *Behind the Mask* | Pamela Gray |  |
| 1966 | *Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment* | Leonie Delt | Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award Nominated – Academy Award for Best Actress Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
| 1966 | *A Man For All Seasons* | Anne Boleyn |  |
| 1966 | *Blowup* | Unnamed |  |
| 1967 | *Camelot* | Guinevere | * Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress tied with Lynn Redgrave for *Georgy Girl*
* Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
 |
| 1968 | *The Charge of the Light Brigade* | Mrs. Clarissa Morris |  |
| 1968 | *The Sea Gull* | Nina |  |
| 1968 | *Isadora* | Isadora Duncan | Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress Nominated – Academy Award for Best Actress Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama |
| 1969 | *Oh! What a Lovely War* | Sylvia Pankhurst |  |
| 1969 | *A Quiet Place in the Country* | Flavia |  |
| 1970 | *Dropout* | Mary |  |
| 1970 | *A Mother with Two Children Expecting Her Third* |  | * Swedish: *En mor med två barn väntandes sitt tredje*
* Bo Widerberg short film
 |
| 1971 | *Mary, Queen of Scots* | Mary, Queen of Scots | * David di Donatello Special Award
* Nominated – Academy Award for Best Actress
* Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
 |
| 1971 | *The Devils* | Sister Jeanne |  |
| 1971 | *Vacation* | Immacolata Meneghelli | Italian: *La vacanza* |
| 1971 | *The Trojan Women* | Andromache |  |
| 1973 | *A Picture of Katherine Mansfield* | Katherine Mansfield | Television film |
| 1974 | *Murder on the Orient Express* | Mary Debenham |  |
| 1975 | *Out of Season* | Ann |  |
| 1976 | *The Seven-Per-Cent Solution* | Lola Deveraux |  |
| 1977 | *Julia* | Julia | * Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
* Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
* Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
* Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
 |
| 1979 | *Agatha* | Agatha Christie |  |
| 1979 | *Yanks* | Helen |  |
| 1979 | *Bear Island* | Heddi Lindguist |  |
| 1981 | *Playing for Time* | Fania Fenelon | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie |
| 1982 | *My Body, My Child* | Leenie Cabrezi | Television film |
| 1983 | *Sing Sing* | Queen |  |
| 1983 | *Wagner* | Cosima Wagner | Had a limited theatrical release; better known as a television mini-series; 2011 re-released as a feature film on DVD |
| 1984 | *The Bostonians* | Olive Chancellor | * National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress
* Nominated – Academy Award for Best Actress
* Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
 |
| 1985 | *Wetherby* | Jean Travers | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress |
| 1985 | *Three Sovereigns for Sarah* | Sarah Cloyce |  |
| 1985 | *Steaming* | Nancy |  |
| 1986 | *Comrades* | Mrs. Carlyle |  |
| 1986 | *Peter the Great* | Sophia | Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie |
| 1986 | *Second Serve* | Richard Radley / Renee Richards | * Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
* Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
 |
| 1987 | *Prick Up Your Ears* | Peggy Ramsay | * New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
* Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
* Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
 |
| 1988 | *Consuming Passions* | Mrs. Garza |  |
| 1988 | *A Man for All Seasons* | Lady Alice More | Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film |
| 1990 | *Romeo.Juliet* | Mother Capulet |  |
| 1990 | *Breath of Life* | Sister Crucifix | Italian: *Diceria dell'untore* |
| 1990 | *Pokhorony Stalina* | English journalist |  |
| 1990 | *Orpheus Descending* | Lady Torrance | Television film |
| 1991 | *The Ballad of the Sad Cafe* | Miss Amelia |  |
| 1991 | *Young Catherine* | Empress Elizabeth | Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie |
| 1991 | *What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?* | Blanche Hudson | Television film |
| 1992 | *Howards End* | Ruth Wilcox | Nominated – Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 1993 | *A Wall of Silence* | Kate Benson | Spanish: *Un Muro de Silencio* |
| 1993 | *The House of the Spirits* | Nivea del Valle |  |
| 1993 | *Sparrow* | Sister Agata | Italian: *Storia di una capinera* |
| 1993 | *Great Moments in Aviation* | Dr. Angela Bead |  |
| 1993 | *They* | Florence Latimer | * Television film
* Also released as *Children of the Mist*
 |
| 1994 | *Mother's Boys* | Lydia Madigan |  |
| 1994 | *Little Odessa* | Irina Shapira | Volpi Cup |
| 1995 | *A Month by the Lake* | Miss Bentley | Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
| 1995 | *The Wind in the Willows* | Narrator | Television Film |
| 1996 | *Mission: Impossible* | Max |  |
| 1996 | *Two Mothers for Zachary* | Nancy Shaffell | Television film |
| 1997 | *Smilla's Sense of Snow* | Elsa Lubing |  |
| 1997 | *Wilde* | Lady Speranza Wilde |  |
| 1997 | *Mrs. Dalloway* | Mrs. Clarissa Dalloway |  |
| 1997 | *Déjà Vu* | Skelly |  |
| 1997 | *Bella Mafia* | Graziella Luciano | Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film |
| 1998 | *Deep Impact* | Robin Lerner |  |
| 1998 | *Lulu on the Bridge* | Catherine Moore |  |
| 1999 | *Cradle Will Rock* | Countess Constance LaGrange |  |
| 1999 | *Uninvited* | Mrs. Ruttenburn |  |
| 1999 | *Girl, Interrupted* | Dr. Sonia Wick |  |
| 2000 | *If These Walls Could Talk 2* | Edith Tress (segment "1961") | * Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
* Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
* L.A. Outfest Screen Idol Award – Female
* Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
* Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
 |
| 2000 | *Mirka* | Kalsan |  |
| 2000 | *A Rumor of Angels* | Maddy Bennett |  |
| 2001 | *The Pledge* | Annalise Hansen |  |
| 2001 | *Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story* | Countess Wilhelmina/Narrator |  |
| 2002 | *The Gathering Storm* | Clementine Churchill | Television film * Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Actress
* Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
* Nominated – British Academy Television Award for Best Actress
* Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
* Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
* Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
 |
| 2002 | *Crime and Punishment* | Rodian's Mother |  |
| 2002 | *Searching for Debra Winger* | Herself | Documentary |
| 2002 | *The Locket* | Esther Huish | Television film |
| 2003 | *Byron* | Lady Melbourne | Television film |
| 2003 | *Good Boy!* | The Greater Dane |  |
| 2004 | *The Fever* | Woman | Also Executive Producer Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie |
| 2004–2009 | *Nip/Tuck* | Dr. Erica Noughton | Television series; 10 episodes |
| 2005 | *The Keeper: The Legend of Omar Khayyam* | The Heiress |  |
| 2005 | *Short Order* | Marianne |  |
| 2005 | *The White Countess* | Vera Belinskya |  |
| 2006 | *The Thief Lord* | Sister Antonia |  |
| 2006 | *Venus* | Valerie | Nominated – British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2006 | *The Shell Seekers* | Penelope Keeling | Television film |
| 2007 | *The Riddle* | Roberta Elliot |  |
| 2007 | *How About You* | Georgia Platts |  |
| 2007 | *Evening* | Ann Lord |  |
| 2007 | *Atonement* | Older Briony Tallis | * London Film Critics' Circle Award for British Supporting Actress of the Year
* Nominated – Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
 |
| 2008 | *Restraint* | Sky News Reader |  |
| 2008 | *Ein Job* | Hannah Silbergrau | Television film |
| 2008 | *Gud, lukt och henne* |  |  |
| 2009 | *Eva* | Eva |  |
| 2009 | *The Day of the Triffids* | Durrant | Television miniseries |
| 2010 | *Letters to Juliet* | Claire Smith-Wyman | * Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
* Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress
 |
| 2010 | *The Whistleblower* | Madeleine Rees |  |
| 2010 | *Miral* | Bertha Spafford |  |
| 2010 | *Animals United* | Winnie | Voice Only (English Version) |
| 2011 | *Coriolanus* | Volumnia | * BIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated - Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated - Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actress Nominated - London Film Critics Circle for Best Supporting Actress Nominated - London Film Critics Circle for British Actress of the Year (also for *Anonymous*) Nominated - Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated - Utah Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress (runner-up)
 |
| 2011 | *Cars 2* | Mama Topolino/Queen | Voice Only |
| 2011 | *Anonymous* | Queen Elizabeth I | * Nominated - London Film Critics Circle for British Actress of the Year (also for *Coriolanus*)
 |
| 2012 | *Song for Marion* | Marion | *Filming* |

## Reference

* *The Illustrated Who's Who of the Cinema*, Lloyd, Fuller & Desser, Portland House, New York, 1987.