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Stirling is the daughter of the actress [[Diana Rigg]] and theatre producer [[Archibald Stirling]].<ref name="Evening Standard" >{{citation |first=Viv |last=Groskop |date=17 February 2010 |url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/theatre/article-23806855-rachael-stirling-is-a-rising-stage-star-and-shes-in-love-with-her-ass.do |accessdate=12 June 2011 |title=Rachael Stirling is a rising stage star – and she's in love with her ass |publisher=''[[London Evening Standard]]''}}.</ref> Her parents subsequently married in 1982 and divorced in 1990.<ref name="Diana Rigg Story">{{cite web |first=Nigel |last=Farndale |url=http://commanderbond.net/components/quicknews/index.php?action=item&item=47868 |title=Diana Rigg: Her Story |work=[[Telegraph.co.uk]] |accessdate=12 June 2011 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080803115936/http://commanderbond.net/components/quicknews/index.php?action=item&item=47868 |archivedate = 2008-08-03}}</ref> Through her father, she has a long line of ancestry from the [[Scotland|Scottish]] parish of [[Lecropt]], near her namesake city of [[Stirling]].
Stirling is the daughter of the actress [[Diana Rigg]] and theatre producer [[Archibald Stirling]].<ref name="Evening Standard" >{{citation |first=Viv |last=Groskop |date=17 February 2010 |url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/theatre/article-23806855-rachael-stirling-is-a-rising-stage-star-and-shes-in-love-with-her-ass.do |accessdate=12 June 2011 |title=Rachael Stirling is a rising stage star – and she's in love with her ass |publisher=''[[London Evening Standard]]''}}.</ref> Her parents subsequently married in 1982 and divorced in 1990.<ref name="Diana Rigg Story">{{cite web |first=Nigel |last=Farndale |url=http://commanderbond.net/components/quicknews/index.php?action=item&item=47868 |title=Diana Rigg: Her Story |work=[[Telegraph.co.uk]] |accessdate=12 June 2011 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080803115936/http://commanderbond.net/components/quicknews/index.php?action=item&item=47868 |archivedate = 2008-08-03}}</ref> Through her father, she has a long line of ancestry from the [[Scotland|Scottish]] parish of [[Lecropt]], near her namesake city of [[Stirling]].


Stirling attended [[Wycombe Abbey School]]. She earned a [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] in art history from [[Edinburgh University]].<ref name="BBC" />
Stirling attended [[Wycombe Abbey School]]. She earned a [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] in art history from [[Edinburgh University]] where she performed with the [[Edinburgh University Theatre Company]].<ref name="BBC" /><ref>http://old.bedlamtheatre.co.uk/people/5716</ref>


Stirling can speak [[Russian language|Russian]] and is a highly skilled equestrian in [[horse-riding]] and [[showjumping|jumping]].<ref name="BBC" />
Stirling can speak [[Russian language|Russian]] and is a highly skilled equestrian in [[horse-riding]] and [[showjumping|jumping]].<ref name="BBC" />

Revision as of 12:50, 20 February 2013

Rachael Stirling
Born
Rachael Atlanta Stirling

(1977-05-30) 30 May 1977 (age 47)
London, England, UK
Years active1997 - present
Parent(s)Archie Stirling, Diana Rigg

Rachael Atlanta Stirling (born 30 May 1977)[1][2] is an English stage, film and television actress. She is a two-time Olivier nominee for her stage work, but is best known for her performance as Nancy Astley in the BBC drama Tipping the Velvet.

Personal life

Stirling is the daughter of the actress Diana Rigg and theatre producer Archibald Stirling.[3] Her parents subsequently married in 1982 and divorced in 1990.[4] Through her father, she has a long line of ancestry from the Scottish parish of Lecropt, near her namesake city of Stirling.

Stirling attended Wycombe Abbey School. She earned a BA in art history from Edinburgh University where she performed with the Edinburgh University Theatre Company.[1][5]

Stirling can speak Russian and is a highly skilled equestrian in horse-riding and jumping.[1]

She was engaged to fellow actor Oliver Chris, who she had been dating since 2007, but broke off the engagement in 2012.[6]

Theatre

Stirling made her first major appearance on stage in 1996 as Desdemona in the National Youth Theatre revival of Othello at the Arts Theatre opposite Chiwetel Ejiofor in the title role.[1] A year later, again at the Arts Theatre with the NYT, she played Olive in the female version of The Odd Couple; while in 1998, portraying Kate in Dancing at Lughnasa for NYT at the Arts, she gave what The Stage reviewer described as "a performance of exceptional promise and authority".

She continues to be active in the theatre, covering a diversity of roles in plays such as Dusty Hughes' Helpless (Donmar Warehouse, 2000); A Woman of No Importance (Theatre Royal Haymarket, 2003); Anna in the Tropics (Hampstead Theatre, 2004); Tamburlaine (Bristol Old Vic and Barbican, 2005); and she followed in her mother's footsteps, bringing an alluring erotic charge to her performance as Miranda Lionheart in the National Theatre stage version of Theatre of Blood (2005).

In 2006, for the Peter Hall Company at the Theatre Royal, Bath she played Helena in Peter Gill's revival of Look Back in Anger; while in 2007 at Wilton's Music Hall in London, she starred as Yelena in David Mamet's version of Uncle Vanya,[7] and as Katharina in The Taming of the Shrew.[8][9]

Stirling starred onstage in The Priory at the Royal Court Theatre in 2009 directed by Jeremy Herrin. Her role, as Rebecca, earned her a nomination for Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role.[3] In 2010 she appeared as Helena in Peter Hall's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, at the Rose Theatre, Kingston.[3]

She starred as Lady Chiltern in a 2010 production of An Ideal Husband at the Vaudeville Theatre, for which she received her second nomination for a Laurence Olivier Award.[10] From February to April 2012 she appeared as Miranda alongside Mark Gatiss, Tobias Menzies and Nancy Carroll in The Recruiting Officer, the acclaimed production at the Donmar Warehouse, directed by newly appointed artistic director Josie Rourke.

Film

Stirling's first screen appearance was in the 1998 British comedy film Still Crazy (starring Stephen Rea, Billy Connolly, Timothy Spall and Jimmy Nail).[1]

Other film projects include Maybe Baby, Complicity (with her Tipping the Velvet co-star Keeley Hawes), Another Life (with Vanity Fair actress Natasha Little), The Triumph of Love (starring opposite Mira Sorvino), and Redemption Road. She recently played the role of Mary Jones in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.

Television

Stirling's first break in television was in the 2000 NBC miniseries In the Beginning, which was adapted from Genesis.[1] Stirling played the young Rebeccah, with her mother, Diana Rigg, as the older Rebeccah.

In 2011, she starred in the BBC Four adaptation of D. H. Lawrence's Women in Love, as Ursula Brangwen.[10]

She is set to appear in an episode of Doctor Who titled "The Crimson Horror" alongside her mother Dame Diana Rigg, Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman. The episode had been specially written for herself and her mother by Mark Gatiss (marking the very first time the two actresses have ever appeared together professionally) and will be aired in early 2013 as part of Series 7.[11]

Other work

Stirling is an occasional interviewer on the Radio Four chat-show Loose Ends.[3] She also wrote a restaurant column for Diplomat magazine.[3][12]

She took part in Occupy London's reading of Dickens' A Christmas Carol on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral, London, in December 2011.

Presented Stage Door BBC Radio Four, December 2012

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
1998 Still Crazy Clare Knowles
2000 Maybe Baby Joanna
Complicity Claire
In the Beginning Young Rebeccah TV film
2001 Redemption Road Becky
Another Life Avis Graydon
The Triumph of Love Corine
Othello Lulu TV film
2002 Tipping the Velvet Nan Astley TV series (3 episodes)
Dallas OUT TAKES—Best Actress
Bait Stephanie Raeburn TV film
2003 Agatha Christie's Poirot Caroline Crale TV series (1 episode: "Five Little Pigs")
2004 Freeze Frame Katie Carter
Agatha Christie's Marple Griselda Clement TV series (1 episode: "The Murder at the Vicarage")
The Final Quest Young Annabelle TV film
2005 Riot at the Rite Marie Rambert TV film
2006 Beyond Guilean Hade TV film
The Truth Martha
Hotel Babylon Nina Bailey TV series (1 episode: "Episode #1.1")
The Haunted Airman Julia Jugg TV film
2007 Dangerous Parking Kirstin
2008 Lewis Zöe Kenneth TV series (1 episode: "Life Born of Fire")
2009 The Young Victoria Duchess of Sutherland
Minder Eve Cornell TV series (1 episode: "Thank Your Lucky Stars")
Boy Meets Girl Veronica Burton TV series (4 episodes)
2010 Centurion Druzilla
2011 Women in Love Ursula Brangwen
2012 Salmon Fishing in the Yemen Mary Jones Film
2012 Snow White & the Huntsman Anna Film
2013 Doctor Who Ada Gillyflower Series 7 (1 episode: "The Crimson Horror")
2012 The Bletchley Circle Millie TV Series

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Drama Faces - Rachael Stirling, BBC, January 2006, retrieved 12 June 2011.
  2. ^ England & Wales birth index 1916-2005, Ancestry, retrieved 8 January 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d e Groskop, Viv (17 February 2010), Rachael Stirling is a rising stage star – and she's in love with her ass, London Evening Standard, retrieved 12 June 2011 {{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help).
  4. ^ Farndale, Nigel. "Diana Rigg: Her Story". Telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2008-08-03. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
  5. ^ http://old.bedlamtheatre.co.uk/people/5716
  6. ^ Oliver Chris on Hating Earnest Actors, Loving Judi Dench & How One Man, Two Guvnors Saved Him, Broadway.com, retrieved 5 July 2012.
  7. ^ Uncle Vanya The Stage, 29 January 2007 - Review of Stirling in Uncle Vanya
  8. ^ The Taming of the Shrew Times Online, 24 March 2007
  9. ^ Wiltons Music Hall
  10. ^ a b Radford, Ceri (24 March 2011), Rachael Stirling: 'It's not all about sordid rutting', Telegraph.co.uk, retrieved 12 June 2011.
  11. ^ Doctor Who, Dame Diana Rigg and Rachael Stirling to Star in New Series!, accessed 3 July 2012
  12. ^ Diplomat Magazine - All articles by Rachael Stirling, Diplomat, retrieved 11 June 2011 {{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help).

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