Vanessa Redgrave

Lore & Background

Vanessa Redgrave was born on 30 January 1937 in Blackheath, London, the daughter of actors Sir Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson. Laurence Olivier announced her birth to the audience at a performance of Hamlet at the Old Vic. She was educated at two independent schools for girls: the Alice Ottley School in Worcester, and Queen's Gate School in London, before coming out as a debutante. Her siblings Lynn Redgrave and Corin Redgrave were also actors.

Redgrave made her acting debut on stage with the production of A Touch of Sun in 1958. She rose to prominence in 1961 playing Rosalind in the Shakespearean comedy As You Like It with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She won the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Revival for The Aspern Papers (1984), and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for the revival of Long Day's Journey into Night (2003). Her film debut was co-starring with her father in the 1958 medical drama Behind the Mask. She rose to prominence as a film actor with the satire Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment (1966), which garnered her first of her six Academy Award nominations, winning Best Supporting Actress for Julia (1977).

A member of the Redgrave family of actors, she is the wife of Italian actor Franco Nero, the mother of actresses Joely Richardson and Natasha Richardson and screenwriter and director Carlo Gabriel Nero, and the grandmother of Daisy Bevan, Micheál Richardson and Daniel Neeson. Her activism, including her support for the Palestine Liberation Organization, led to controversy; members of the Jewish Defense League picketed her Oscar nomination for Julia, and her acceptance speech drew a rebuke from screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky.

Reader's Guide

Vanessa Redgrave's significance lies in her sustained achievement across stage and screen, earning her the Triple Crown of Acting—an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards—along with a Volpi Cup and an Olivier Award. Her six Academy Award nominations, from Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment (1966) to Howards End (1992), reflect a career of consistent critical recognition. Her stage work, including her Olivier-winning performance in The Aspern Papers and Tony-winning role in Long Day's Journey into Night, solidified her reputation as a leading dramatic actress. Beyond her performances, Redgrave's activism, particularly her support for the Palestine Liberation Organization, sparked significant public controversy, most notably at the 1977 Academy Awards, where her acceptance speech for Julia was condemned by Paddy Chayefsky. This intersection of art and politics has made her a polarizing but enduring figure in British and international culture. Her legacy is also tied to the Redgrave acting dynasty, which includes her father, siblings, children, and grandchildren.

Did You Know?

• Laurence Olivier announced her birth to the audience at a performance of Hamlet at the Old Vic.
• She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Julia (1977).
• Her acceptance speech for that Oscar included a reference to 'Zionist hoodlums,' which was later criticized on stage by Paddy Chayefsky.
• She is one of the few performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Dame Vanessa Redgrave DBE (born 30 January 1937) is an Oscar, Tony and Emmy Award-winning English actress of stage, film and television, and a political activist." — Vanessa Redgrave "As a mother you have got to have a view for now and a view for the future." — Vanessa Redgrave "Redgrave: Actress and campaigner, (6 December 2002), BBC News. accessed 17 December 2006." — Vanessa Redgrave