Vanessa Kirby has recently been in films, but the popularity of the young British actress is growing steadily every year. At the moment, 2018 can be called the most successful in her creative biography. Vanessa received the prestigious BAFTA for her role in the TV series "The Crown", and also flashed in the sixth part of the Hollywood project "Mission: Impossible". In addition, the interest in the actress was fueled by rumors about her affair with Tom Cruise.
Biography: early years
Vanessa Kirby was born and raised in a huge house in Wimbledon, an area in southwest London. The girl's family did not lack financial resources. The mother worked as an editor for Country Living. Father Roger Kirby is a renowned urological surgeon, professor, one of the best doctors in Great Britain. Their eldest daughter Vanessa was born on April 18, 1988, the girl also has a brother and a younger sister.
Vanessa's father - Professor Roger Kirby
Kirby's parents were interested in cinema, but preferred the theater. They were familiar with the famous acting couple Vanessa and Corinne Redgrave. Roger Kirby was Corin's physician, and they sometimes met backstage after performances. In short, the Redgrave couple made an indelible impression on Miss Kirby in childhood.
The future actress studied at the paid private school of Lady Eleanor Holles. At 17, she auditioned for the Old Vic Theater School in Bristol. Vanessa liked the selection committee, but the young age of the girl turned out to be an obstacle for the teachers. She was advised to grow up, gain life experience and return to them a little later. Miss Kirby went to travel. As part of a charitable mission, she worked at an AIDS hospice in South Africa and also spent 4 months in Asia. Returning to England, Vanessa decided to get a degree in English literature in order to be able to express thoughts correctly, be literate and well-read. All this could be useful for her future acting profession.
Ms. Kirby earned her first degree from the University of Exeter and in 2009 went to audition for the London Academy of Performing Arts. This time she was accepted. Before getting to grips with her studies, the acting teacher who was preparing Vanessa for the audition suggested that she meet with a theater agent. Through him, the girl met director David Tucker. He immediately offered her three leading roles in productions of the Octagon Theater in Bolton, where he worked as artistic director. After a moment's hesitation, Miss Kirby accepted Tucker's offer, abandoning her studies at the London Academy.
Creativity: acting career in cinema and theater
In 2010, on the stage of the Octagon Theater, Vanessa Kirby was engaged in three productions at once based on the plays of classic playwrights:
- All My Sons by Arthur Miller;
- "Ghosts" by Henrik Ibsen;
- A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare.
For two out of three roles, she received the Ian Charleston Theater Award and the Rising Star Award at an annual ceremony hosted by the Manchester Evening News. At the end of the theatrical season, the actress collaborated with the Royal National Theater and the West Yorkshire Theater in Leeds. Critics showered her with laudatory reviews, calling her "enormous talent" and "never before seen a star."
In 2011, Kirby made her television debut in the drama series The Hour, and soon appeared as Estella Havisham in the three-part film adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations. Both works have been shown on BBC One. The television drama Great Expectations was a huge success, winning 4 Emmy Awards and 3 BAFTA Awards. Vanessa Kirby was recognized and loved by millions of British viewers.
In 2012, the actress got the lead role in the mini-series "Labyrinth" by the famous director Ridley Scott. In the same year, Vanessa was first invited to the Hollywood project "Dangerous Illusion" for filming a small episode. Then she played a minor character - the girlfriend of the main character, played by Rachel McAdams - in the fantasy film "Boyfriend from the Future."
In September 2012, Kirby shines on the Young Vic stage in London. In the production of Chekhov's Three Sisters, she plays Masha Kulygina and again receives rave reviews. In truth, every theatrical work of Vanessa invariably deserves the recognition of the public, the praise of experts. Talking about his impressions of the play "Uncle Vanya" based on Chekhov, the journalist of the Variety publication called Kirby "an outstanding actress of her generation." Since 2013, she has appeared in a total of five productions, as she has performed the role of Stella Kowalski from Streetcar Named Desire in two different theaters:
- Edward II (2013);
- "Desire" tram (2014, 2016);
- Uncle Vanya (2016);
- Julie.
Vanessa's career also developed successfully on the big screen. The 2014 Cannes Film Festival featured the Queen and Country, a sequel to the award-winning 1987 war drama Hope and Glory. In the second part, one of the central roles - the sister of the protagonist - went to Vanessa Kirby. In Hollywood, she played minor characters in several famous projects:
- Jupiter Ascending (2015);
- Everest (2015);
- "Until I meet you" (2016).
In 2015, the television series The Chronicles of Frankenstein, where Kirby had one of the key female roles, gained television success. But her work in the series "The Crown", dedicated to the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, turned out to be much more successful and discussed. Vanessa Kirby brilliantly played the role of the young Princess Margaret, the Queen's younger sister, for 17 episodes, for which she received the British BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2018.
In 2018, the sixth installment of the popular Mission: Impossible franchise was released. Vanessa Kirby takes on the role of a charming arms dealer nicknamed the White Widow. According to the plot of the film, her heroine was to have an on-screen kiss with Ethan Hunt performed by Tom Cruise. It was rumored that she got into this project under the patronage of the famous actor, fascinated by the game of Vanessa in the TV series "The Crown".
One of the newest projects of the actress is participation in the film about the adventures of Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw from the popular Fast and Furious franchise. She will play the role of Hattie Shaw, an MI6 agent and Deckard's sister. The film is scheduled to premiere in mid-2019.
Personal life
Vanessa Kirby does not like to discuss her personal life with the press, which often becomes the reason for speculation and absurd gossip that appear on the pages of the media. At the beginning of her career, the girl met with actor Douglas Booth - her colleague on the TV series Great Expectations. The couple did not make official statements about their romance, but photos of their kisses surfaced on the network.
In 2018, sensational news appeared on the pages of the press that Hollywood star Tom Cruise was seriously fascinated by Vanessa and even plans to offer her a hand and a heart. After a while, the actress dispelled these rumors, and as proof she spoke a little about her real boyfriend, the actor Callum Turner. Together, young people starred in the film "The Queen and the Country", they started dating more than two years ago. Vanessa noted with regret that with the advent of world fame, it becomes increasingly difficult for her to keep her personal life a secret.
