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Victoria Tennant

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Victoria Tennant
Tennant in 2010
Born (1950-09-30) 30 September 1950 (age 74)[1]
London, England
EducationElmhurst Ballet School
Alma materCentral School of Speech and Drama
OccupationActress
Years active1972–present
Spouses
  • Peppo Vanini
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1969; div. 1976)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1986; div. 1994)​
  • Kirk Stambler
    ​
    (m. 1996)​
Children2
MotherIrina Baronova

Victoria Tennant (born 30 September 1950) is a British actress. She is known for her roles in the TV miniseries The Winds of War and War and Remembrance, in which she appeared as actor Robert Mitchum's on-screen love interest, Pamela Tudsbury, as well as her supporting roles in All of Me (1984), The Holcroft Covenant (1985), Flowers in the Attic (1987), The Handmaid's Tale (1990), and L.A. Story (1991).

Early life

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Tennant was born in London, England, daughter of Cecil Gordon Tennant (1910-1967)[2] and Irina Baronova. Her father, from a junior branch of a family of minor Yorkshire gentry resident at Kilnsey,[3] was a producer and talent agent for MCA;[1] her mother was a Russian prima ballerina who appeared with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Tennant's maternal grandfather, Mikhail Baronov, was a senior officer in the Imperial Russian Navy; his wife, the former Lydia Vishniakova, was a general's daughter. Tennant has a sister, Irina, and a brother, Robert, both of whom were seriously injured in a car crash in 1967 that killed their father. Tennant's godfather was the actor Laurence Olivier.[1]

Like her mother, Tennant trained in ballet, first at the Elmhurst Ballet School and then (for two years) at the Central School of Speech and Drama.

Career

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After a number of roles in British and other European films, including The Ragman's Daughter (1972) and Inseminoid (1981), Tennant emigrated to the United States. She went to appear in films Strangers Kiss (1983), All of Me (1984) with Steve Martin, her future husband,[4] and The Holcroft Covenant (1985). She starred as Pamela Tudsbury in the ABC miniseries The Winds of War in 1983, receiving Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film.[5] She reprised her role in the sequel miniseries War and Remembrance (1988).

In 1987, Tennant starred in the neo-noir crime thriller Best Seller and the psychological drama film Flowers in the Attic playing the leading role. In 1990 she appeared in the dystopian drama film The Handmaid's Tale and was lead actress in the horror film Whispers. In 1991, Tennant starred alongside Steve Martin in the romantic comedy film, L.A. Story.[6] She wrote the script for the 1996 romantic comedy film, Edie & Pen.[7] The following years, Tennant appeared mostly in the smaller-scale films and guest-starred in the television series including Diagnosis: Murder, JAG, Scrubs and Monk.

In 2014, Tennant published a memoir about her mother titled Irina Baronova and The Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, published by the University of Chicago Press.[8][9] The book was presented at the Bel Air Country Club in Bel Air, Los Angeles.[10]

Personal life

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Tennant's first marriage was to Peppo Vanini, a nightclub owner who owned the Xenon nightclub. They married in 1969 and divorced in 1976.[11]

She dated Matthew Chapman from 1978 until 1982, but ended their relationship upon meeting Steve Martin.[11] She married Martin in 1986, but they divorced in 1994.

Since 1996, Tennant has been married to Kirk Justin Stambler.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1972 The Ragman's Daughter[12] Doris Randall
1980 The Dogs of War Dinner Party Guest
1981 Inseminoid[13] Barbra
1981 Sphinx[14] Lady Carnarvon
1982 Ich bin dein Killer[15] Annette Dorberg
1983 Strangers Kiss[16] Carol Redding / Betty
1984 All of Me[17] Terry Hoskins
1985 The Holcroft Covenant[18] Helden von Tiebolt / Helden Tennyson
1987 Best Seller Roberta Gillian
1987 Flowers in the Attic[19] Corinne Dollanganger
1989 Fool's Mate Alice Gordon
1990 The Handmaid's Tale[20] Aunt Lydia
1990 Whispers Hilary
1991 L.A. Story[21] Sarah McDowell
1992 The Plague[22] Alicia Rieux
1996 Edie & Pen Blonde with Dog Writer and producer
1998 Bram Stoker's Legend of the Mummy Mary
2008 The Awakening of Spring Mrs. Woodman
2009 Irene in Time[23][24] Eleanor Jensen
2010 Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic Beatrice (voice) Video
2013 Cold Turkey[25] Elizabeth Utley
2013 Louder Than Words Lydia Thorsby
2018 Alex & the List Barbara Filmed in 2013

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1979 Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson Helen Stoner Episode: "The Case of the Speckled Band"
1981 La Guerre des insectes Helen Curtiss TV film
1982 Tales of the Unexpected Bernice Episode: "Who's Got the Lady?"
1983 The Winds of War Pamela Tudsbury TV miniseries
1983 Dempsey Estelle Taylor TV film
1983 Chiefs Trish Lee TV miniseries
1985 George Burns Comedy Week Maggie Episode: "The Funniest Guy in the World"
1986 Under Siege Gloria Garry TV film
1986 The Twilight Zone Valentina Episode: "Red Snow"
1986 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Bride Episode: "Deadly Honeymoon"
1988 Maigret Victoria Portman TV film
1988–89 War and Remembrance Pamela Tudsbury 12 episodes
1989 Voice of the Heart Francesca Cunningham TV film
1989 Act of Will Audra TV series
1994 The Man from Snowy River[26] Anita Hargraves Recurring role (5 episodes)
1997 Diagnosis: Murder[27] Victoria Larkin Episode: "Deadly Games"
1999 Providence Dr. Toynton Episode: "Blind Faith"
2001 The Chris Isaak Show Irene Episode: "Dancin'"
2001 Sister Mary Explains It All[28] Bitter Divorcee TV film, also producer
2004 JAG Marta Sperling Episode: "The Man on the Bridge"
2007 Scrubs Maggie Kent Episode: "My Scrubs"
2008 Monk Ms. Benson Episode: "Mr. Monk Paints His Masterpiece"
2009 The Beast Susan Redman Episode: "Infected"
2011 William & Kate Celia TV film

Music

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  • Hussy – theme song lyrics

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Victoria Tennant". www.tcm.com.
  2. ^ Sawer, Patrick; Limbrick, Sarah (23 July 2023). "Hollywood actress in battle with Church of England to 'find peace' and move father's remains". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  3. ^ A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland, thirteenth edition, Sir Bernard Burke, ed. A. Winton Thorpe, The Burke's Publishing Co. Ltd, 1921, p. 1728
  4. ^ Staskiewicz, Keith (3 April 2013). "All of Me". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  5. ^ "Victoria Tennant". Golden Globes.
  6. ^ Benenson, Laurie Halpern (3 February 1991). "Steve Martin Targets L.A." The New York Times. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  7. ^ Rooney, David (27 May 1996) "Edie & Pen", Variety, p. 70
  8. ^ Tennant, Victoria. Irina Baronova and the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo. University of Chicago Press.
  9. ^ Victoria Tennant Irina Baronova and the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, University of Chicago Press, 15 October 2014 г.
  10. ^ "Blue Ribbon Book" (21 Nov 2014) The Beverly Hills Courier, Vol. 49, No. 46, p. 8
  11. ^ a b Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television (2008)
  12. ^ "Review: ‘The Ragman’s Daughter'" (31 December 1971) Variety
  13. ^ "Film Review: Inseminoid (1981)" (5 Jan 2012) HN
  14. ^ "Schaffner's 'Sphinx'" (11 Feb 1981) New York Times
  15. ^ "Ich Bin Dein Killer (1979)" New York Times
  16. ^ "Review: 'Stranger’s Kiss'" (31 Dec 1982) Variety
  17. ^ "Review: ‘All of Me'" (31 Dec 1983) Variety
  18. ^ "Review: 'The Holcroft Covenant'" (31 Dec 1984) Variety
  19. ^ "Review: 'Flowers in the Attic'" (31 Dec 1986) Variety
  20. ^ "Review: ‘The Handmaid’s Tale'" (31 Dec 1989) Variety
  21. ^ "Martin's 'L.A. Story' revels in its chaotic diversity" (12 Feb 1991) Doylestown Intelligencer, Doylestown, PA
  22. ^ "Review: ‘The Plague'" (1 Sep 1992) Variety
  23. ^ Catsoulis, Jeannette (22 September 2009). "A Foray into Female Obsessions". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  24. ^ "Review: ‘Irene in Time'" (18 Jun 2009) Variety
  25. ^ "Film Review: 'Pasadena'" (15 Apr 2013) Variety
  26. ^ "Review: 'Snowy River: The Mcgregor Saga the Race'" (31 Aug 1993) Variety
  27. ^ "H’w’d talks on tragedy" (3 Sep 1997) Variety
  28. ^ "Review: 'Sister Mary Explains It All'" (24 May 2001) Variety
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