Joely Richardson

Born: 9th January 1965
Where: London

The actress first attracted the attention of English audiences for her TV portrayal of Lady Chatterley opposite Sean Bean.

She's never really made her mark in cinema despite winning lead roles in 101 Dalmatians and Ben Elton's Maybe Baby.

The daughter of actors Tony Richardson and Vanessa Redgrave, niece of Lynn Redgrave and granddaughter of actor Sir Michael Redgrave, she originally wanted to be a gymnast.

However, while at boarding school in California she decided to become an actress and made her feature debut as a waitress in The Hotel New Hampshire.

Roles followed in David Hare's drama Wetherby and Peter Greenaway's art house classic Drowning By Numbers.

After Lady Chatterley she starred in Disney's 101 Dalmatians in 1996 and switched genres to play a crew member in the sci-fi chiller Event Horizon.

Subsequent parts included Elizabeth Rueland in Return to Me, starring David Duchovny and Minnie Driver, British comedy Maybe Baby opposite Hugh Laurie.

She had a role in Mel Gibson's The Patriot and played Marie Antoinette in the lacklustre Affair of the Necklace.

Recent work includes the role of nighclub singer Butterfly opposite Shane Richie in the below-par drama Shoreditch.

She married (and is now separated from) director, Tim Bevan and has also been linked with TV presenter Jamie Theakston.