Miranda Richardson

Biography: British actress Miranda Richardson is an extraordinarily gifted performer who has firmly established herself as one of Britain's greatest actresses, and has proved her versatily in a number of critically acclaimed stage and screen roles, including Ruth Ellis, the unfairly sentenced, last woman to be hanged in Britain in Mike Newell's 1985 film drama 'Dance with a Stranger'; Jude O'Hara, the malicious IRA operative in the 1992 Oscar winner 'The Crying Game'; Lady Van Tassel, the demonic eighteenth century murderess in Tim Burton's stylish 1999 horror fantasy 'Sleepy Hollow'; Vanessa Bell, the loving and lively sister of Virginia Woolf in the 2002 Oscar-winning drama 'The Hours'; and Rita Skeeter, the vindictive tabloid journalist in the upcoming blockbuster 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'. Born to middle-class parents on 3 March 1958, Richardson showed a talent for stepping inside of characters during her youth, and originally intended to be a vet, before taking up acting. After leaving school at 17, Richardson enrolled at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School where she studied for three years alongside Daniel Day-Lewis among others. Extensive stage experience preceeded her star-making role as Ruth Ellis in 'Dance with a Stranger', a film that won the rising English actress an Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actress. Steven Spielberg (after seeing her as Ellis) immiedately cast her as a prisoner-of-war in his epic Second World War drama 'Empire of the Sun' (1987). However, it was not until 1993 when Richardson first received international attention. She delivered three immensely praised performances, as the meek Rose in 'Enchanted April', the deadly Jude in 'The Crying Game', and the wronged Ingrid in 'Damage'. All of these roles won Miranda much critical attention and numerous accolades, most notably a BAFTA and Academy Award nomination for 'Damage', and a Golden Globe for 'Enchanted April'. Two years later, she played Vivienne Haigh-Wood in the biopic 'Tom & Viv', a film which won her yet another Academy Award nomination. Further film roles included Carolyn Stilton in 'Kansas City' (1995), Patsy Carpenter in 'The Evening Star' (1996), 'The Apostle' (1997), 'Sleepy Hollow' (1999), 'Chicken Run' (2000), 'Get Carter' (2000) and 'Snow White' (2001). In 2002, she received acclaim for her roles in the films 'The Hours' and 'Spider'. In the latter, she amazed in three completely different roles. Into the new millennium, Richardson has continued to appear in high profile roles in a number of notable films, including 'The Prince and Me' (2004), 'The Phantom of the Opera' (2004) and 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' (2005), in which she plays poisonous tabloid journalist Rita Skeeter.… Expand