Joely Richardson

Joely Richardson (born 9 January 1965) is a British actress, who was born into a theatrical family. She is the daughter of screen legend Vanessa Redgrave and director Tony Richardson, the granddaughter of Sir Michael Redgrave, sister of Natasha Richardson and niece of Lynn Redgrave. Joely Richardson appeared as an extra at the age of three in the 1968 version of The Charge of the Light Brigade directed by her father.

After an early leading role in Peter Greenaway's cult success Drowning by Numbers, her first major role in front of a mass audience was as Joanna Farley in a 1989 television episode of Poirot, the Agatha Christie-based detective series. She later appeared as a fictional Finnish princess, Anna, in the 1991 comedy King Ralph. Two years later, she appeared as Lady Chatterley in a televison drama of the same title.

In 1996 she played the fashion designer Anita in the popular Disney film 101 Dalmatians opposite Glenn Close as Cruella deVil. In 1998 in the popular television drama The Echo she played sultry Amanda Powell.

Two years later she played opposite Mel Gibson in the successful film, The Patriot loosely based on the American Revolution. Later that year she was modelling on a necklace, when director Charles Shyer noticed her resemblance to doomed 18th-century royal Marie Antoinette. Thus, she secured the role of that queen in the 2001 film The Affair of the Necklace.

This was a lavish costume drama based on a scandal in the final days of the French monarchy, when Marie-Antoinette's reputation was trashed by a confidence trickster, who absconded with a lavish diamond necklace which she had purchased using the Queen's name but without her knowledge.

Richardson expressed sympathy with Marie-Antoinette's undeserved fate, something which she tried to convey in the film. However, it was a critical failure: "an endless illustrated Harlequin paperback of mawkish backstory and corset-popping purple prose", according to Jessica Winter in the Village Voice, though Richardson's performance was listed among the "incidental pleasures" of the film by Roger Ebert and described as a "sly, commanding performance that reflects a marvelous understanding of this notorious character" by Salon.com.

In 2003, she took on the major role of playing Julie McNamara in the controversial television drama Nip/Tuck based on the lives of plastic surgeons.


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In 2003, she took on the major role of playing Julie McNamara in the controversial television drama Nip/Tuck based on the lives of plastic surgeons. Having no living relatives, she left her US$1,000,000 estate to fund the Irene Ryan Foundation, which donates scholarships to young theater arts students involved with the Kennedy Center's American College Theater Festival. Richardson expressed sympathy with Marie-Antoinette's undeserved fate, something which she tried to convey in the film. However, it was a critical failure: "an endless illustrated Harlequin paperback of mawkish backstory and corset-popping purple prose", according to Jessica Winter in the Village Voice, though Richardson's performance was listed among the "incidental pleasures" of the film by Roger Ebert and described as a "sly, commanding performance that reflects a marvelous understanding of this notorious character" by Salon.com. Pallbearers at her funeral include Hillbillies co-stars Buddy Ebsen and Max Baer, Jr., along with Hillbillies creator Paul Henning. This was a lavish costume drama based on a scandal in the final days of the French monarchy, when Marie-Antoinette's reputation was trashed by a confidence trickster, who absconded with a lavish diamond necklace which she had purchased using the Queen's name but without her knowledge. She was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance. Thus, she secured the role of that queen in the 2001 film The Affair of the Necklace. Her final acting role was also her first Broadway role, as "Berthe" in the popular musical Pippin, which included the show-stopping solo "No Time At All".

Later that year she was modelling on a necklace, when director Charles Shyer noticed her resemblance to doomed 18th-century royal Marie Antoinette. After the series' run, she made two Love, American Style appearances, the second one first aired post-humously. Two years later she played opposite Mel Gibson in the successful film, The Patriot loosely based on the American Revolution. Ed, and appeared on the TV game show Password. In 1998 in the popular television drama The Echo she played sultry Amanda Powell. In 1965 she played Granny in an episode of Mr. In 1996 she played the fashion designer Anita in the popular Disney film 101 Dalmatians opposite Glenn Close as Cruella deVil. The Beverly Hillbillies debut in 1962 brought many new fans, as the show jumped to #1 in the US in 3 weeks, a feat (as of 2004) not since matched.

She later appeared as a fictional Finnish princess, Anna, in the 1991 comedy King Ralph. Two years later, she appeared as Lady Chatterley in a televison drama of the same title. Knox. After an early leading role in Peter Greenaway's cult success Drowning by Numbers, her first major role in front of a mass audience was as Joanna Farley in a 1989 television episode of Poirot, the Agatha Christie-based detective series. It was also during this period that she married (1946), and divorced (1961), her second husband, Harold E. She is the daughter of screen legend Vanessa Redgrave and director Tony Richardson, the granddaughter of Sir Michael Redgrave, sister of Natasha Richardson and niece of Lynn Redgrave. Joely Richardson appeared as an extra at the age of three in the 1968 version of The Charge of the Light Brigade directed by her father. In the following 17 years she had various roles in 25 movies, including Bonzo Goes to College and Rockabilly Baby, which also featured Les Brown and His Band of Renown. Joely Richardson (born 9 January 1965) is a British actress, who was born into a theatrical family. Also in 1944, Tim and Irene were paired again, along with Dona Drake and Robert Lowery in another musical comedy, Hot Rhythm.

Tim, Irene, and Corio teamed up again, along with Charles Butterworth, in the Arthur Dreifuss film The Sultan's Daughter in 1944. Her first starring big-screen role was with her Tim and Ann Corio, in Sarong Girl later in 1943. She later performed on NBC Radio's "The Bob Hope Show", from 1948 to 1950. Around this time she toured with Bob Hope's renowned USO tours.

In 1943's Ann Miller musical Reveille with Beverly she had another small part, notable only in that it was her first time working with her ex-husband Tim since their 1942 divorce. Her first feature-length movie appearance was a bit part in the 1941 romantic comedy Unfinished Business, which starred Irene Dunne, Robert Montgomery, and Preston Foster. In the mid-1930s they made several short films based on the vaudeville shows. Her career in vaudeville began by touring in an act called "Tim & Irene", with her first husband, Tim Ryan, who was also a prolific actor in multiple media.

She is interred at the Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery in Santa Monica, California. Shortly before she had suffered a stroke on-stage during a performance of the musical Pippin. Ryan was born October 17, 1902 in El Paso, Texas, USA, and died April 26, 1973 in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 70, due to a brain tumor. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead)" in 1963 and 1964.

Today she is most widely known for her portrayal of "Granny" on the long running TV series The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971). Irene Ryan (née Noblette) was one of the few entertainers who found success in vaudeville, radio, film, and Broadway.