Joely Richardson

Infobox actor
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birthname = Joely Kim Richardson
birthdate = birth date and age|1965|1|9
birthplace = London, England
deathdate =
deathplace =
othername =
homepage =
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spouse = Tim Bevan (1992-2001)

Joely Kim Richardson (born January 9, 1965) is an English actress.

Biography

Early life

Richardson was born in London to a theatrical family, the daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave and late director Tony Richardson, the granddaughter of Sir Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, Lady Redgrave. Joely Richardson is sister of actress Natasha Richardson, and sister-in-law of actor Liam Neeson, and niece of Lynn Redgrave and Corin Redgrave. Joely Richardson appeared as an extra at the age of three in the 1968 version of "The Charge of the Light Brigade" directed by her father. She was educated at The Thacher School in Ojai, California.

Career

Joely had an early ambition to become a professional tennis player and spent two years at a tennis academy in Florida. She then turned to acting. In 1985 she portrayed, via flashbacks, the younger version of the leading character played by her mother in the film "Wetherby". After a leading role in Peter Greenaway's cult success "Drowning by Numbers", her first major role in front of a mass audience was as Joanna Farley in a 1989 television episode of "Poirot", the Agatha Christie-based detective series. She portrayed a teacher on the verge of a nervous breakdown in the 1989 Channel 4 serial "Behaving Badly" and fictional Finnish Princess Anna in the 1991 screen comedy "King Ralph".

A year later, she appeared in "Shining Through" alongside her future brother-in-law Liam Neeson, where both played characters depicted as Nazis.

In 1993, Richardson appeared as Lady Chatterley opposite Sean Bean in a television drama of the same title. In 1996, she played fashion designer Anita in the Disney live-action remake of the animated "101 Dalmatians" opposite Glenn Close as Cruella de Vil. In 1998, in the popular television drama "The Echo", she played sultry Amanda Powell. The next year, she played in the sci-fi/horror movie "Event Horizon" as Lieutenant Starck, executive officer of the research and rescue ship Lewis and Clark, sent to rescue crew of the long-thought-lost experimental ship Event Horizon.

One year later, Richardson played opposite Mel Gibson in the film "The Patriot," an American film based on the American Revolution. She also made a notable appearance in the comedy "King Ralph" opposite John Goodman. Later that year she was modelling a necklace, when director Charles Shyer noticed her resemblance to doomed 18th-century French Queen Marie Antoinette. Thus, she secured the role of that queen in the 2001 film "The Affair of the Necklace". Also in 2000, she played opposite Hugh Laurie in "Maybe Baby", Ben Elton's movie adaptation of his book "Inconceivable".

In 2003, Richardson took on the role of Julia McNamara in the television drama "Nip/Tuck", based on the lives of two dysfunctional plastic surgeonsin Miami. Her mother, Vanessa Redgrave, has appeared in several episodes, playing her character's mother. In November 2006, it was announced that Richardson would be leaving "Nip/Tuck" to take care of her sick daughter. Her last appearance was on the November 14 episode, although creator/writer Ryan Murphy wrote alternate season finale episodes, in case Richardson decided to return.cite web |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=415362&in_page_id=1773&ito=1490 |title=Joely quits Nip/Tuck to take care of her ill daughter |work=DailyMail.com |accessdate=2006-11-09] Soon after the season finale, it was announced that Richardson would return for the fifth season of "Nip/Tuck", though her role may be limited. In June 2007 it was announced that she would return for 15 of the 22 episodes during the fifth season.cite web |url=http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-News-Blog/Todays-News/Niptuck-Puts-Rich/800017510 |title="Nip/Tuck" Puts the "Rich" in Joely Richardson |work=TVGuide.com |accessdate=2007-06-25] Subsequently due to the writers strike, the fifth season was reduced to 13 episodes, with Richardson appearing in 12 of these.

In 2005, Richardson starred in "Lies My Mother Told Me", based on a true story about a murderous con artist. In 2007 she played the mother in "The Last Mimzy" with Timothy Hutton, Chris O'Neil, and Rhiannon Leigh Wryn.

Richardson is signed to Models 1.

Personal life

Richardson had an affair with the married Scottish landowner, Archie Stirling, resulting in his divorce from actress Dame Diana Rigg in 1990.cite web |url=http://commanderbond.net/components/quicknews/index.php?action=item&item=47868 |title=Diana Rigg: Her Story |work=Telegraph.co.UK |accessdate=2008-07-08]

Richardson was married to film producer Tim Bevan from 1992 to 2001. The couple have a daughter, Daisy, who was born in 1992.

In September and October 2007 pictures of Joely looking thin sparked fears about her weight. In 5 November issue of Grazia magazine she explained that her low weight was due to a terrible flu and a hernia operation, and she went on to say that she hopes to put on around seven pounds.

Joely Richardson was in The Dead Will Tell.

References

External links

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