Vanessa Redgrave

Vanessa Redgrave, CBE, (born January 30, 1937) is an British actress, a member of the Redgrave acting dynasty. Her parents were Sir Michael Redgrave and Lady Rachel Kempson Redgrave. Her American citizen sister, Lynn Redgrave, from whom she was estranged for a while because of her militant political views, which are unpopular in the U.S. where Lynn resides, and her brother, the equally activist Corin Redgrave, who is currently battling cancer, are also well-known actors, as are her daughters, Natasha Richardson and Joely Richardson, by her 1962 to 1967 marriage to the homosexual but apparently family-starved husband, film director Tony Richardson, who died of AIDS in 1991. She subsequently had a long-term relationship with Timothy Dalton. She also has a son, Carlo Nero (né Carlo Sparanero), a writer and film director, by a relationship with Italian actor Franco Nero (né Francesco Sparanero), whom she met while filming Camelot.

Related Topics:
January 30 - 1937 - Actress - Michael Redgrave - Rachel Kempson - Lynn Redgrave - Corin Redgrave - Natasha Richardson - Joely Richardson - 1962 - 1967 - Tony Richardson - 1991 - Timothy Dalton - Carlo Nero - Franco Nero - Camelot

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She was born in London, England and entered the Central School of Speech and Drama in 1954. She first appeared in the West End, playing opposite her father, in 1958, and subsequently became notorious for her unconventional lifestyle and daring film roles such as Isadora (1968) and a hunchbacked sex-crazed nun in The Devils (1971). She won an Academy Award for her performance in Julia (1977).

Related Topics:
London, England - Central School of Speech and Drama - 1954 - West End - 1958 - Isadora - 1968 - The Devils - 1971 - Academy Award - Julia - 1977

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Her Trotskyist political views have also caused controversy along with being a member of the Workers' Revolutionary Party. Redgrave denounced Zionism in her controversial acceptance speech when receiving her Academy Award for Julia. Redgrave remained loyal to WRP founder Gerry Healy when he was expelled from the WRP in the mid-1980s. She and other Healy loyalists founded the Marxist Party in the 1990s. She also was the recipient of a message from IRA terrorist and hunger striker Bobby Sands, which was smuggled out of a Northern Ireland prison to her.

Related Topics:
Trotskyist - Workers' Revolutionary Party - Zionism - Controversial acceptance speech - Julia - Gerry Healy - Marxist Party - IRA - Bobby Sands - Northern Ireland

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In December, 2002, Redgrave paid £50,000 bail for Chechen separatist Deputy Premier and special envoy Akhmed Zakayev, who was accused by Russia of aiding and abetting hostage-takings in the Moscow Hostage Crisis of 2002, and guerrilla warfare against Russia.

Related Topics:
2002 - Chechen - Akhmed Zakayev - Moscow Hostage Crisis of 2002 - Guerrilla warfare

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In 2004 she and her brother Corin Redgrave announced the launch of the Peace and Progress Party which would campaign against the Iraq War and for human rights. The party only ran a handful of candidates and called for votes for candidates from other parties who supported their agenda, mainly the Liberal Democrats but also even individual Tories who claimed to support human rights. The aim of this tactic was to attempt maximize the possibility of defeat for the Labour Party at the 2005 general election.

Related Topics:
Corin Redgrave - Peace and Progress Party - Iraq War - Human rights - Liberal Democrats - Tories - Labour Party - 2005 general election

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