Vanessa Kirby
Vanessa Kirby
A Streetcar Named Desire, Great Expectations
Note: Gillian Anderson signed the back of this doodle card and wrote: "Coloring of letters by Blanche while Stella got into costume!"
Vanessa Kirby is a stage, TV and film actress. She starred as Estella in the BBC adaptation of GREAT EXPECTATIONS in 2011, as Joanna in Richard Curtis' romantic comedy ABOUT TIME in 2013, and as Stella in A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE in 2014 at the Young Vic in London.
Vanessa was educated at Lady Eleanor Holles School in Hampton, London. After being turned down by Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, she took a gap year to travel before studying English at Exeter University. She then turned down her place at LAMDA in London after she was signed to a talent agency and met the theatre director David Thacker, who gave her three starring roles over 2009 at the Octagon Theatre Bolton: in 'All My Sons' by Arthur Miller, 'Ghosts' by Henrik Ibsen and 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' by William Shakespeare. For 'All My Sons' she won the BIZA Rising Star Award at the Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards.
She then went on to star at the National Theatre as Isabella in 'Women Beware Women' by Thomas Middleton, directed by Marianne Elliott, alongside Harriet Walter and Harry Potter's Harry Melling (Dudley). She then starred as Rosalind in 'As You Like It' by William Shakespeare at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds, with Alfred Hickling of The Guardian describing her as a "significant new talent". In 2011, she was in the premiere of 'The Acid Test' by Anya Reiss at the Royal Court Theatre, directed by Simon Godwin, earning praise for her performance from Paul Taylor of The Independent who described her as "a star if ever I saw one".
In 2011, Kirby made her television debut in the BBC's THE HOUR, alongside Ben Whishaw, Dominic West, and Romola Garai. She played Estella in the BBC's adaptation of GREAT EXPECTATIONS alongside Ray Winstone, Gillian Anderson, and Douglas Booth.
She played the lead role of Alice in Ridley Scott's mini-series adaptation of Kate Mosse's novel LABYRINTH. In late 2012, she filmed THE NECESSARY DEATH OF CHARLIE COUNTRYMAN with Shia LaBeouf and Mads Mikkelsen. Kirby then starred in Richard Curtis's film ABOUT TIME as Rachel McAdams's best friend Joanna.
She went on to play Masha in the acclaimed production by Benedict Andrews of THREE SISTERS at the Young Vic in September 2012, earning rave reviews.
She filmed THE RISE in early 2012 alongside Matthew Lewis and Timothy Spall. The film premiered at the Toronto and London Film Festivals to positive reviews, and won the Best Debut Category for director Rowan Athale.
In 2013, Kirby returned to the National Theatre to play Queen Isabella in EDWARD II opposite John Heffernan.] In the summer of 2014 she played Stella in A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, again collaborating with Benedict Andrews at the Young Vic, alongside Gillian Anderson as Blanche and Ben Foster as Stanley. She won Best Supporting Actress category at the Whatsonstage Awards 2014, which is voted for by the public. This production is currently on stage once again at the gorgeous new St. Ann's Warehouse, in Brooklyn.
Her recent film roles include KILL COMMAND, opposite Thure Lindhardt, the Wachowskis' JUPITER ASCENDING, with Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum, and QUEEN & COUNTRY, John Boorman's sequel to his 1987 HOPE AND GLORY. In 2015, she had a role in Working Title's EVEREST, alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin and Keira Knightley, playing the iconic American socialite Sandy Hill Pittman. She also filmed Anthony Bourdain's crime novel BONE IN THE THROAT, alongside Tom Wilkinson and Ed Westwick.
In 2015 she filmed Michael Grandage's first film GENIUS, alongside Colin Firth, Jude Law and Guy Pearce. She played Lady Jemima Hervey in new series THE FRANKENSTEIN CHRONICLES opposite Sean Bean; Zelda Fitzgerald in THE DRESSER for Richard Eyre with Anthony Hopkins and Ian McKellen; and Alicia in Thea Sharrock's adaptation of ME BEFORE YOU with Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke.
She was cast as Princess Margaret after a six month search, in Netflix's first original British series THE CROWN written by Peter Morgan, directed by Stephen Daldry, opposite Matt Smith and Claire Foy. The 10-episode first season is slated to premiere on Netflix in 2016.
Vanessa Kirby at the Internet Movie Database