Vanessa Redgrave 

This English film star comes from a long line of acting talent. Her career is impressive, spanning almost five decades and earning her an Academy Award, the highest achievement for any actor. Aside from her talent, she has also used her fame to support humanitarian causes, particularly in the area of human rights.

Vanessa Redgrave was born on January 30, 1937, in London, England. The daughter of two well-known actor parents, it was only natural that Vanessa would follow in their footsteps. She enrolled in the Central School of Speech and Drama in 1954, making her first professional theatrical appearance in 1958 alongside her father Michael Redgrave. Although she subsequently focused mainly on film productions, she has not forgotten the theatre world. In 2003, she won a Tony Award for Best Actress for her performance in Eugene O’Neil’s masterpiece Long Day’s Journey into Night. She will also star in the New York performance of The Year of Magical Thinking, a play adapted from the novel by Joan Didion.

Aside from her stage career, Redgrave has also appeared in dozens of films, many of which have earned her critical acclaim. She appeared first in the relatively unknown 1958 film Behind the Mask, but her talent would not truly receive its deserved recognition until 1966. Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role, which was impressive considering Redgrave had at that time appeared in only one previous film. Throughout her career, she has also received nominations for Isadora, Mary, Queen of Scotts, The Bostonians, and Howard’s End. She won an Academy Award in 1977 for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her appearance in Julia, a powerful drama focused on the Nazi regime, which also starred Jane Fonda.

In recent years, Redgrave has appeared in a number of highly successful films including Girl, Interrupted, starring Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie, The White Countess, starring alongside her real life daughter, Natasha Richardson and Ralph Fiennes and the science fiction film Deep Impact, also featuring Elijah Wood and Morgan Freeman. Her most recent appearance is in the 2006 movie Running With Scissors, which boasts an all-star cast including Annette Bening, Alec Baldwin, Evan Rachel Wood, Gwyneth Paltrow, and previous co-star Joseph Fiennes.

Her involvement with political and humanitarian causes has lasted almost as long as her career in entertainment. In the 1960s, she was an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War. She has been involved in a number of causes throughout the years including nuclear disarmament and independence for Northern Ireland. She is also a Goodwill Ambassador for Unicef and a founding member of Artists Against Racism. In recent years, she has been an outspoken critic of President George W. Bush as well as her own English government. Vanessa is one of many citizens worldwide who question the handling of the situations in Afghanistan and Iraq, which in her opinion has resulted in extensive violations of human rights.

Vanessa first found love in film director Tony Richardson. Her marriage to the Academy Award winner took place in 1962, ending in 1967. During their union they had daughters Natasha and Joely, both of whom have gone on to build successful acting careers. Her relationship with Italian actor Franco Nero brought her another child. Their son Carlo is also involved in the entertainment industry as a writer and film director. Timothy Dalton, best known for playing James Bond, was Redgrave’s partner during the 70s and 80s, but the couple never married or had children. At the age of seventy, Vanessa is currently single. She continues to work in film and support those causes in which she so strongly believes.

YUDDY