Kristin Scott Thomas Biography
Summary
"Kristin Scott Thomas" OBE (born 24 May 1960) is an Academy Award-nominated English actress.
Biography
Kristin Scott Thomas was born in Redruth, Cornwall. Her father was a pilot for the Royal Navy and died in a flying accident in 1964, and she is the older sister of the actress Serena Scott Thomas. She is the niece of Admiral Sir Richard Thomas, who was Black Rod in the House of Lords, and a more distant grand niece of Capt. Robert F. Scott, who was the ill fated explorer who lost the race to the South Pole. Her last name is an amalgam of the last names of those two families.
Scott Thomas's childhood home was Dorset, England. Her mother remarried another Royal Navy pilot, who also died in a flying accident six years after the death of her father. Scott Thomas was educated at Cheltenham Ladies' College and St Antony's Leweston School for Girls, in Dorset, and on graduation attended drama college. But on being told she would never be a good enough actor, she left at the age of 19 to work as an au pair in Paris.
Speaking French fluently, she studied acting at the "École nationale supérieure des arts et techniques du théâtre" (ENSATT) in Paris, and on graduation was cast opposite pop star Prince as the French girl in the film "Under the Cherry Moon."
Kristin Scott Thomas was given an OBE in the 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours list, and was also awarded the "Légion d'honneur" by the French government in 2005. She has also played in many TV movies, and as an actress in the theatre.
Television
Scott Thomas starred in the 2003 "Book Clubbin" episode of "Absolutely Fabulous"; her character was called "Plum Berkeley".
In the British motoring programme "Top Gear", she was used as a standard of reference for 'good taste.' During the 'Cool Wall' segment of the programme, presenter Jeremy Clarkson would rate a car's coolness based mostly on what he thinks Kristin Scott Thomas's level of distaste for it would be.
She made her long-awaited appearance as the 'Star In A Reasonably Priced Car' on the episode broadcast on February 25, 2007. On this episode, amid excessive kow-towing from Clarkson and joking from Richard Hammond and James May because Clarkson has shown much affection for Kristin in the past, she proceeded to rubbish most of the decisions Clarkson had made over the past years of the Cool Wall. She also ridiculed the car that Jeremy Clarkson had just ordered, a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder.
She completed her lap in a time of 1.54, placing her just above Phillip Glenister although still near the bottom of the leaderboard.
Personal life
She is married but separated from French gynaecologist Dr François Olivennes, and has three children: Hannah (1988), Joseph (1991), and George (2000). She continues to live in Paris in a 19th century country house with her two youngest children.
Living in Paris, she counts Charlotte Rampling, Gérard Depardieu, Jane Birkin and Juliette Binoche among her social circle.
Awards and nomination
1996 - "Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role" - "The English Patient (film)" (nominated)
1994 - "BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role" " - Four Weddings and a Funeral" (won)
1996 - "BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role" - "The English Patient (film)" (nominated)
Selected filmography
"Under The Cherry Moon" (1986) ... Mary Sharon
"A Handful of Dust" (1988) ... Brenda Last
"Bitter Moon" (1992) ... Fiona
"Four Weddings and a Funeral" (1994) ... Fiona
"Richard III" (1995) ... Lady Anne
"Angels & Insects" (1995) ... Matty Crompton
"Microcosmos" (1996) ... Narrator
"The English Patient" (1996) ... Katharine Clifton
"Mission: Impossible" (1996) ... Sarah Davies
"Love & Confusions" ("Amour et confusions") (1997) ... Sarah
"The Horse Whisperer" (1998)... Annie MacLean
"Random Hearts" (1999) ... Kay Chandler (romance)
"Life as a House" (2001) ... Robin Monroe
"Up at the Villa" (2000) ... Mary Panton
"Play (2000) ... First Woman
"Gosford Park" (2001).... Sylvia McCordle
"Small Cuts" ("Petites coupures") (2003) ... Béatrice
"Arsène Lupin" (2004) ... Joséphine, comtesse de Cagliostro
"Man to Man" (2005) ... Elena Van Den Ende
"Keeping Mum" (2005) ... Gloria Goodfellow
"The Walker" (2007)
"Tell No One" (2007)
"The Valet" (2007)
"The Other Boleyn Girl" (2008) ... Lady Elizabeth Boleyn
External links
(An Appreciation of Kristin Scott Thomas)
(Ryan Gilbey, "The three stages of Kristin," (interview) The Guardian, 27 July 2007)
(Mark Anstead, "Kristin Scott Thomas: The Ice Maiden thaws," (interview) Daily Mail, 8 June 2007)
Credit
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article about Kristin Scott Thomas.
