Alex Kingston
Alexandra Elizabeth Kingston (born 11 March 1963) is an English actress. Active from the early 1980s, Kingston became noted for her television work in both Britain and the US in the 1990s, including her portrayal of the title role in the British miniseries "The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders" (1996) and her regular role as Dr. Elizabeth Corday in the NBC medical drama "ER" (1997–2004). Kingston's later credits include the recurring role of River Song in the BBC science fiction series "Doctor Who" (2008–2015), Mrs. Bennet in the ITV1 period-drama fantasy "Lost in Austen" (2008 ), Dinah Lance in The CW's superhero fiction drama series "Arrow" (2013–2016), and Sarah Bishop in "A Discovery of Witches" (2018–present). Early life. Kingston was born and brought up in Epsom, Surrey, to Anthony Kingston, an English butcher and his German wife, Margarethe (née Renneisen). Kingston's paternal great-great-grandmother was Jewish, an ancestry Kingston explored on the series "Who Do You Think You Are?" Kingston's uncle, her mother's younger brother, is actor Walter Renneisen. Her younger sisters are Susie, who is mentally and physically disabled as a result of being deprived of oxygen at birth , and Nicola, a former actress who appeared in the 1996 British TV production of "The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders", in which Kingston starred. Kingston was inspired to pursue acting by one of her teachers at Rosebery School for Girls. Kingston auditioned and performed in the Surrey County Youth Theatre production of "Tom Jones" as Mrs Fitzpatrick, alongside Sean Pertwee as Captain Fitzpatrick and Thwackum played by Tom Davison. She later completed a three-year programme at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and went on to join the Royal Shakespeare Company. Career. Kingston has appeared in a number  of British-produced television dramas, including "Grange Hill", "Crocodile Shoes", "The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders", "The Knock" and various guest roles on "The Bill". Kingston's film credits include "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover" (1989), "A Pin for the Butterfly" (1994), "The Infiltrator" (1995), "Croupier" (1998), "Essex Boys" (2000), "Boudica" ("Warrior Queen" in the US) (2003), in which she played the eponymous Boudica, "Sweet Land" (2005) and "Crashing" (2007). In September 1997, Kingston gained North American television fame after being cast on the long-running medical drama "ER". Her first appearance was in the premiere  of the fourth season, the award-winning live episode "Ambush", as British surgeon Elizabeth Corday. Kingston played this role for just over seven seasons, leaving in October 2004 with the season 11 episode, "Fear", after her contract was not renewed. Kingston, who was 41 at the time, criticised the move as ageism, stating that "apparently, I, according to the producers and the writers, am part of the old fogies who are no longer interesting." In spring 2009, Kingston returned to "ER" during its 15th and final season for two episodes, "Dream Runner" and the two-hour series finale, "And in  the End...". In November 2005, Kingston guest-starred in the long-running mystery drama "Without a Trace" in the season 4 episode, "Viuda Negra". The episode was directed by Kingston's former "ER" castmate Paul McCrane. She played Lucy Costin, a wealthy vacationer from the U.S. whose husband is kidnapped by a Mexican street gang during their honeymoon. In 2006, Kingston starred as Nurse Ratched opposite Christian Slater as Randle Patrick McMurphy in the Garrick Theatre's West End production of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". Kingston revealed that she auditioned for the role of Lynette Scavo on  ABC's "Desperate Housewives" but was turned away for being too curvy. In 2008, Kingston guest-starred in the fourth series of the long-running science fiction television programme "Doctor Who" in the two-part story "Silence in the Library" / "Forest of the Dead" as River Song. She reprised the role in fifteen episodes in between 2008 and 2015. Kingston says she thought her role was simply a one-off but was delighted that she would be a returning character. Kingston returned as the character in the 2015 Christmas special "The Husbands of River Song". It was her first appearance  alongside Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor. She has replayed the role in a series of audio-plays from Big Finish Productions beginning in 2015. The character has since made an appearance in other "Doctor Who" based properties produced by the company. In February 2021, it was announced that Kingston had written a novel featuring River Song. The book, entitled "The Ruby's Curse", was released May 2021. In September 2008, Kingston took the part of Mrs. Bennet in ITV's acclaimed four-part production "Lost in Austen", which is based on Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice". In October that  same year, Kingston appeared in the police procedural drama "" in the season 9 episode "Art Imitates Life" as Patricia Alwick, a psychiatrist and grief counsellor who helps the team cope with the recent death of CSI member Warrick Brown. In February 2009, Kingston portrayed Miranda Pond, a defence attorney in two episodes of the legal drama "". This guest spot reunited Kingston with her former castmate from "ER", Mariska Hargitay. In June, Kingston starred as the lead character Ellie Lagden, one of four former convicts in the BBC One drama series "Hope Springs" until its cancellation in July. In September that  year, she had a recurring role in "FlashForward", playing Inspector Fiona Banks. In 2010, Kingston returned to "" in the season 12 episode "", which reunited Kingston with her former "ER" castmate Maria Bello. In 2011, Kingston was a cast member on British supernatural series "Marchlands", portraying Helen Maynard. She also guest-starred in the "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off "Private Practice" as Marla Tompkins, a psychiatrist who writes book reviews for newspapers. Kingston appeared in Friedrich Schiller's "Luise Miller" at the Donmar Warehouse in London. In early 2013, Kingston appeared in "Arrow", playing Professor Dinah Lance, the mother of Laurel  and Sara Lance. In July 2013 Kingston played Lady Macbeth opposite Kenneth Branagh in "Macbeth" at Manchester International Festival. Her performance was broadcast to cinemas on 20 July as part of National Theatre Live. She reprised the performance with Branagh at the Park Avenue Armory in June 2014. It was her New York stage debut. In September 2014, Kingston starred as Ruth Hattersley, an analyst working for the Missing Persons Bureau on the ITV mini-series drama "Chasing Shadows". Personal life. Kingston met English actor Ralph Fiennes while they were both students at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. They  were together for ten years before marrying in 1993. In 1995, Fiennes began an affair with his "Hamlet" co-star Francesca Annis and left Kingston the following year; they were divorced in 1997. In a 2006 interview, she admitted to considering and nearly attempting suicide after her separation from Fiennes. At the end of 1998, Kingston married German writer and freelance journalist Florian Haertel, having met him the previous year on a blind date arranged by friends; they have a daughter together, Salome Violetta Haertel, born 28 March 2001. Kingston and Haertel separated in 2009. On 30 October 2009, Haertel  sued Kingston for dissolution of the marriage, and the divorce was finalised in 2013. Kingston appeared on the BBC genealogy series "Who Do You Think You Are?" in September 2012, investigating the lives of her great-grandfather Will Keevil and her four-times great-grandmother, Elizabeth Braham. In 2015, Kingston married television producer Jonathan Stamp in an Italian ceremony. Kingston has lived in the United States, and moved back to the UK in 2019. Bibliography. Novels