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Alexandra Elizabeth Kingston (born 11 March 1963) is an English actress. Active from the early 1980s, Kingston became noted for her television work in both Britain and the US in the 1990s, including her regular role as Dr. Elizabeth Corday in the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

medical drama '' ER'' (1997–2004) and her title role in the

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

miniseries ''

The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders ''The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders'' is a 1996 Television in the United Kingdom, British drama film, drama television film directed by David Attwood (film director), David Attwood, with a screenplay by Andrew Davies (writer), Andrew ...

'' (1996), which earned her a BAFTA nomination for

Best Actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress aw ...

. Kingston's later credits include the recurring role of River Song in the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

science fiction series '' Doctor Who'' (2008–2015), Mrs. Bennet in the ITV period-drama fantasy ''

Lost in Austen ''Lost in Austen'' is a four-part 2008 British television series for the ITV network, written by Guy Andrews as a fantasy adaptation of the 1813 novel ''Pride and Prejudice'' by Jane Austen. Amanda, a woman from modern London, enters the plot ...

'' (2008), Dinah Lance in

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

's superhero fiction drama series '' Arrow'' (2013–2016), and Sarah Bishop in ''

A Discovery of Witches ''A Discovery of Witches'' is a 2011 historical-fantasy novel and the debut novel by American scholar Deborah Harkness. It follows Diana Bishop, a history of science professor at Yale University, as she embraces her magical blood after finding ...

'' (2018–2022).

Early life

Kingston was born and brought up in

Epsom Epsom is the principal town of the Borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Saxon landowner. The ...

, Surrey, to Anthony Kingston, an English butcher and his German wife, Margarethe (née Renneisen). Kingston's paternal great-great-grandmother was

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

, an ancestry Kingston explored on the series '' Who Do You Think You Are?'' Kingston's uncle, her mother's younger brother, is actor

Walter Renneisen Walter Renneisen (born 3 March 1940) is a German actor. After engagements at the Schauspiel Bochum, Theater Dortmund and Staatstheater Darmstadt, he has worked freelance. He founded a touring theatre company in 1977. Career Born in Mainz, Renne ...

. Her younger sisters are Susie, who is mentally and physically disabled as a result of being deprived of oxygen at birth, and Nicola, a former actress who appeared in the 1996 British TV production of ''

'', in which Kingston starred. Kingston was inspired to pursue acting by one of her teachers at

Rosebery School for Girls Rosebery School is an all-girls school located in Epsom, Surrey. It consists of a lower school for those aged between 11 and 16, and a sixth form for those aged between 16 and 18. The school has academy status. It is situated close to the A24, ...

. Kingston auditioned and performed in the Surrey County Youth Theatre production of '' Tom Jones'' as Mrs Fitzpatrick, alongside

Sean Pertwee Sean Carl Roland Pertwee''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007'' (born 4 June 1964) is an English actor, narrator and producer with an extensive career since the 1980s in television and cinema productions. He is known ...

as Captain Fitzpatrick and Thwackum played by Tom Davison. She later completed a three-year programme at the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senat ...

and went on to join the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Career

1980–2007: Early career and breakthrough with ''ER''

In 1980, Kingston made her television debut in three episodes of the children's

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

Grange Hill ''Grange Hill'' is a British children's television drama series, originally produced by the BBC and portraying life in a typical comprehensive school. The show began its run on 8 February 1978 on BBC1, and was one of the longest-running progra ...

'', while also appearing as an uncredited extra in the film ''

The Wildcats of St Trinian's ''The Wildcats of St Trinian's'' is the fifth British comedy film set in the fictional St Trinian's School. Directed by Frank Launder, it was released in 1980. The film pokes fun at the British trade union movement which had been responsible ...

''. From the mid-eighties to the mid-nineties, she performed on stage in twenty different theatrical productions, working extensively with the

Birmingham Repertory Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre ...

and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Her classic Shakespearean roles included Calpurnia in ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, ...

'' (1987),

Cordelia Cordelia is a feminine given name. It was borne by the tragic heroine of Shakespeare's ''King Lear'' (1606), a character based on the List of legendary kings of Britain, legendary queen Cordelia of Britain, Cordelia. The name is of uncertain origi ...

in ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane ...

'' (1990),

Hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''her ...

in ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...

'' (1990–1991), Titania in '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (1992) and

Desdemona Desdemona () is a character in William Shakespeare's play ''Othello'' (c. 1601–1604). Shakespeare's Desdemona is a Venetian beauty who enrages and disappoints her father, a Venetian senator, when she elopes with Othello, a Moorish Venetian ...

in '' Othello'' (1993). Around the same time, she could be seen playing small parts in television shows like ''

A Killing on the Exchange ''A Killing on the Exchange'' is a six-part British television crime drama series, first broadcast on 6 March 1987, that aired on ITV. The series centres on Detective Superintendent Lance Thorne (John Duttine), who investigates the murder of a t ...

'' (1987), '' Hannay'' (1989), ''

Covington Cross ''Covington Cross'' is a television series that was broadcast on ABC in the United States from August 25 to October 31, 1992. The series was created by Gil Grant, who was also executive producer. The pilot episode also aired in the United Kingdo ...

'' (1992), ''

Soldier Soldier ''Soldier Soldier'' is a British television drama series. The title comes from a traditional song of the same name - " Soldier, soldier won't you marry me, with your musket, fife and drum?" - an instrumental version of which was used as its ...

'' (1993) and ''

Crocodile Shoes ''Crocodile Shoes'' is a British 13-part television drama set across two series and was made by the BBC. It was screened on BBC1 in 1994 (Series 1) and in 1996 (Series 2). The first series, comprising seven episodes, was written by and starred ...

'' (1994), and also had various guest roles in

's long-running

police procedural The police show, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the protagonist(s), as contrasted with other genres that focus on eith ...

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused on ...

'' (1988–1995). In film, she appeared in '' The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover'' (1989) with

Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom. ...

, '' The Infiltrator'' (1995) with

Oliver Platt Oliver Platt (born January 12, 1960) is a Canadian-born American actor. He is known for his starring roles in many films such as ''Flatliners'' (1990), ''Beethoven'' (1992), '' Indecent Proposal'', ''The Three Musketeers'' (both 1993), '' Execut ...

and '' Carrington'' (1995) with Emma Thompson, where she played writer

Frances Partridge Frances Catherine Partridge CBE (née Marshall; 15 March 1900 – 5 February 2004) was an English writer. Closely connected to the Bloomsbury Group, she is probably best known for the publication of her diaries. She married Ralph Partridge (1 ...

. In April 1996, she got her first regular television role as

customs Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out of a country. Traditionally, customs ...

officer Katherine Roberts in the ITV crime drama ''

The Knock ''The Knock'' is a British television crime drama, created by Anita Bronson and broadcast on ITV, which portrayed the activities of customs officers from the London City & South Collection Investigation Unit of HM Customs and Excise. The seri ...

'', appearing in all thirteen episodes of the second series. In December, she played the lead role opposite

Daniel Craig Daniel Wroughton Craig (born 2 March 1968) is an English-American actor who gained international fame playing the secret agent James Bond in the film series, beginning with '' Casino Royale'' (2006) and in four further instalments, up to '' ...

in ''

'', an ITV adaptation of

Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, trader, journalist, pamphleteer and spy. He is most famous for his novel ''Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its ...

's novel ''

Moll Flanders ''Moll Flanders'' is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published in 1722. It purports to be the true account of the life of the eponymous Moll, detailing her exploits from birth until old age. By 1721, Defoe had become a recognised novelist, wit ...

''. She received a nomination for

for her performance at the following year's

British Academy Television Awards The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the BAFTA. They have been awarded annually since 1955. Background The first-ever Awards, given in 1955, consisted of six categories. Until ...

In September 1997, Kingston gained North American television fame after being cast as a main character in the long-running medical drama '' ER''. She made her first appearance as British surgeon

Elizabeth Corday Elizabeth Corday, M.B.B.S., F.R.C.S. (married name Greene) is a fictional character in the medical drama series '' ER,'' portrayed by British actress Alex Kingston. She first appeared at the beginning of the fourth season and became a lead ch ...

in the premiere of the fourth season, the

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

-winning live episode "

Ambush An ambush is a long-established military tactics, military tactic in which a combatant uses an advantage of concealment or the element of surprise to attack unsuspecting enemy combatants from concealed positions, such as among dense underbru ...

". Having appeared in the show for just over seven seasons, she left it in October 2004, in the eleventh-season episode "

Fear Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...

", after her contract was not renewed. Being 41 at the time, she criticised the move as

ageism Ageism, also spelled agism, is discrimination against individuals or groups on the basis of their age. The term was coined in 1969 by Robert Neil Butler to describe discrimination against seniors, and patterned on sexism and racism. Butler d ...

, stating that "apparently, I, according to the producers and the writers, am part of the old fogies who are no longer interesting." Despite that, she said that she was "very proud of the work he haddone over the past eight years" and "grateful for the professional associations and friendships he hadmade through ''ER''". The ''ER'' role helped propel Kingston's career to new heights, which led to a number of big-screen appearances in films like the

Clive Owen Clive Owen (born 3 October 1964) is an English actor. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for playing the lead role in the ITV series '' Chancer'' from 1990 to 1991. He received critical acclaim for his work in the film '' Close ...

neo-noir Neo-noir is a revival of film noir, a genre that had originally flourished during the post-World War II era in the United Statesroughly from 1940 to 1960. The French term, ''film noir'', translates literally to English as "black film", indicating ...

drama ''Croupier'' (1998) and independent period drama ''

Sweet Land ''Sweet Land'' is a 2005 American independent period drama film written and directed by Ali Selim. It is an adaptation of the 1989 short story "A Gravestone Made of Wheat" by Will Weaver. The film stars Elizabeth Reaser, Tim Guinee, Lois Smi ...

'' (2005), as well as the crime dramas ''

Essex Boys ''Essex Boys'' is a 2000 British crime film. It was directed by Terry Winsor and stars Sean Bean, Alex Kingston, Tom Wilkinson, Charlie Creed-Miles and Holly Davidson. Plot The film is based loosely around events in December 1995 that culmina ...

'' (2000) and '' Alpha Dog'' (2006). In 2003, she battled

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

as the warrior queen of Britain in ITV's biopic ''

Boudica Boudica or Boudicca (, known in Latin chronicles as Boadicea or Boudicea, and in Welsh as ()), was a queen of the ancient British Iceni tribe, who led a failed uprising against the conquering forces of the Roman Empire in AD 60 or 61. She ...

'', which was also released in the USA on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

under the title ''Warrior Queen'' and marked the screen debut of

Emily Blunt Emily Olivia Leah Blunt (born 23 February 1983) is a British actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three British Academy Film Awar ...

. In November 2005, Kingston guest starred as a vacationer whose husband gets kidnapped by a Mexican street gang in an episode of the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

crime drama ''

Without a Trace ''Without a Trace'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Hank Steinberg that aired on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009 with the total of seven seasons and 160 episodes. The series focuses the cases of ...

'', titled " Viuda Negra" and directed by her former ''ER'' co-star

Paul McCrane Paul David McCrane (born January 19, 1961) is an American film, television and theatre actor, as well as a television director and singer. He is known for his portrayal of Montgomery MacNeil in the 1980 film '' Fame'', Frank Berry in the 1984 fil ...

. The following year, she returned to the stage after ten years in the West End production of '' One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'', starring as

Nurse Ratched Nurse Ratched (full name Mildred Ratched in the movie, also known as "Big Nurse") is a fictional character and the main antagonist of ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'', first featured in Ken Kesey's 1962 novel as well as the 1975 film adapt ...

opposite

Christian Slater Christian Michael Leonard Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor and producer. He made his film debut with a leading role in ''The Legend of Billie Jean'' (1985) and gained wider recognition for his breakthrough role as Jason "J.D." D ...

Randle McMurphy Randle Patrick "Mac" McMurphy (also known as R.P. McMurphy) is the protagonist of Ken Kesey's novel '' One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (1962). He appears in the stage and film adaptations of the novel as well. Jack Nicholson portrayed Randle P ...

. She then revealed that she auditioned for the role of

Lynette Scavo Lynette Scavo is a fictional character on the series ''Desperate Housewives''. The character is played by actress Felicity Huffman, who won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the role in 2005, and was nominated for ...

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

's ''

Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Marc Cherry, Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Octobe ...

'' but was turned away for being too curvy.

2008–present: ''Doctor Who'' and further television work

In 2008, Kingston guest starred as Professor River Song in the fourth series of the BBC's long-running

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

television series '' Doctor Who'', in the two-part story "

Silence in the Library "Silence in the Library" is the eighth episode of the fourth series of the revived British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 31 May 2008. It is the first of a two-part story; the second part, ...

" / "

Forest of the Dead "Forest of the Dead" is the ninth episode of the fourth series of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was first broadcast by BBC One on 7 June 2008. It is the second of a two-part story; the first part, "Silence in ...

", starring

David Tennant David John Tennant (''né'' McDonald; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He rose to fame for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor (2005–2010 and 2013) in the BBC science-fiction TV show '' Doctor Who'', reprising the rol ...

as the

Tenth Doctor The Tenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the main protagonist of the BBC science fiction television franchise ''Doctor Who''. He is played by David Tennant in three series as well as nine specials. As with previous incarnations of the ...

. She thought it was simply a one-off guest role but was delighted to find out that she would be a returning character after the story's writer,

Steven Moffat Steven William Moffat (; born 18 November 1961) is a Scottish television writer, television producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work as showrunner, writer and executive producer of the science fiction television series ''Doct ...

, succeeded

Russell T Davies Stephen Russell Davies (born 27 April 1963), better known as Russell T Davies, is a Welsh screenwriter and television producer whose works include '' Queer as Folk'', '' The Second Coming'', ''Casanova'', the 2005 revival of the BBC One scie ...

as the ''Doctor Who''

showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...

. She reprised the role in thirteen episodes between 2010 and 2015, appearing on screen opposite two more incarnations of the

Doctor Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

played by

Matt Smith Matthew Robert Smith (born 28 October 1982) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as the Eleventh Doctor, eleventh incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the BBC series ''Doctor Who'' (2010–2013), Daemon Targarye ...

and

Peter Capaldi Peter Dougan Capaldi (; born 14 April 1958) is a Scottish actor, director, writer and musician. He portrayed the Twelfth Doctor, twelfth incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in ''Doctor Who'' (2013–2017) and Malcolm Tucker in ' ...

. Kingston has also portrayed the role in a number of audio dramas from

Big Finish Productions Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays (released straight to compact disc and for download in MP3 and m4b format) based, primarily, on cult science fiction properties. These include ''Doctor Who'', the ...

, including her solo series ''

The Diary of River Song ''The Diary of River Song'' is an audio play series from Big Finish Productions. Alex Kingston reprises her character River Song from the television series ''Doctor Who''. Background The series is one of the first to prominently feature ele ...

'' (2015–present). In September 2008, Kingston took the part of Mrs. Bennet in ITV's acclaimed four-part drama ''

'', based on

Jane Austen Jane Austen (; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique, and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots of ...

's novel ''

Pride and Prejudice ''Pride and Prejudice'' is an 1813 novel of manners by Jane Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreci ...

''. In October, she appeared in the episode "

Art Imitates Life Anti-mimesis is a philosophical position that holds the direct opposite of Aristotelianism, Aristotelian mimesis. Its most notable proponent is Oscar Wilde, who opined in his 1889 essay ''The Decay of Lying'' that, "Life imitates Art far more than ...

" of the police procedural drama ''

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', also referred to as ''CSI'' and ''CSI: Las Vegas'', is an American procedural forensics crime drama television series that ran on CBS from October 6, 2000, to September 27, 2015, spanning 15 seasons. This wa ...

'' as psychiatrist and grief counsellor Patricia Alwick, who helped the team cope with the recent death of one of their members. In both 2009 and 2010, Kingston had recurring roles as

MI6 The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligenc ...

agent Fiona Banks in the

science fiction drama '' FlashForward'' and defence attorney Miranda Pond in the

legal drama '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', in which she reunited with her former ''ER'' castmates,

Mariska Hargitay Mariska Magdolna Hargitay (; born January 23, 1964) is an American actress, director and philanthropist. The daughter of bodybuilder and actor Mickey Hargitay and actress Jayne Mansfield, her accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award, a Peopl ...

and

Maria Bello Maria Elena Bello (born April 18, 1967) is an American actress and writer. Her film roles include '' Permanent Midnight'' (1998), '' Payback'' (1999), '' Coyote Ugly'' (2000), ''The Cooler'' (2003), '' A History of Violence'' (2005), '' The Mumm ...

. In spring 2009, Kingston returned to ''ER'' itself during its fifteenth and final season for two episodes, " Dream Runner" and the two-hour series finale, " And in the End...". In June, she starred as the lead character Ellie Lagden, one of four former

convicts A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison". Convicts are often also known as "prisoners" or "inmates" or by the slang term "con", while a common label for former convict ...

, in the

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...

eight-part drama series ''Hope Springs (TV series), Hope Springs''. Alex Kingston (27473695521)

In the early 2010s, Kingston played a housewife in the five-part supernatural drama ''Marchlands'' (2011), an archaeologist in the second series of the revived ''Upstairs Downstairs (2010 TV series), Upstairs Downstairs'' (2012) and an analyst working for a Missing person, missing persons unit in the four-part crime drama ''Chasing Shadows (TV series), Chasing Shadows'' (2014).' In the US, she appeared in the romantic film ''Like Crazy'' (2011) and the ''Grey's Anatomy'' spin-off series ''Private Practice (TV series), Private Practice'' (2011), in the guest role of a psychiatrist writing book reviews. She also starred in the Arrow (season 1), first season of

's Superhero fiction, superhero drama series '' Arrow'' (2013) as Professor Dinah Lance, the mother of Laurel Lance (Arrowverse), Laurel and Sara Lance, and later reprised the role in a few episodes over the next three seasons. On stage, she participated in the Donmar Warehouse production of Friedrich Schiller's play ''Intrigue and Love, Luise Miller'' (2011), directed by Michael Grandage. In July 2013, she played Lady Macbeth opposite Kenneth Branagh in the Manchester International Festival's production of ''Macbeth'', which was broadcast live in cinemas worldwide as part of the National Theatre Live programme. Following a nomination for Best Actress at the Manchester Theatre Awards, she reprised her role with Branagh at the Park Avenue Armory in June 2014, making her New York stage debut. Earlier in April, Branagh and Kingston took other classic Shakespearean lead roles in the two-and-a-half-hour adaptation of ''Antony and Cleopatra'', broadcast on BBC Radio 3 as part of its celebration of the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth. During the late 2010s, she took a prominent role as Sarah Bishop in Sky UK, Sky's fantasy drama ''

'' (2018–2022), while also appearing in shows like ''Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life'' (2016), ''Shoot the Messenger (TV series), Shoot the Messenger'' (2016) and ''The Widow (TV series), The Widow'' (2019). In 2021, she wrote a River Song novel called ''Doctor Who: The Ruby's Curse'' for BBC Books, and reprised the role for pre-recorded elements of the Immersive theater, interactive theatrical experience ''Time Fracture''. The following year, she starred as the villainous Lucifer in an episode of the ''Oliver Twist''-inspired Children's television series, children's television series ''Dodger (TV series), Dodger'', also starring the Ninth Doctor actor, Christopher Eccleston. In September 2022, it was announced that she will return to the Royal Shakespeare Company for the first time since the early nineties in the role of Prospero in ''The Tempest''.

Personal life

Kingston met English actor Ralph Fiennes while they were both students at the

. They were together for ten years before marrying in 1993. In 1995, Fiennes began an affair with his ''Hamlet (play), Hamlet'' co-star Francesca Annis and left Kingston the following year; they were divorced in 1997. In a 2006 interview, she admitted to considering and nearly attempting suicide after her separation from Ralph Fiennes, Fiennes. At the end of 1998, Kingston married German writer and freelance journalist Florian Haertel, having met him the previous year on a blind date arranged by friends; they have a daughter together, Salome Violetta Haertel, born 28 March 2001. Kingston and Haertel separated in 2009. On 30 October 2009, Haertel sued Kingston for dissolution of the marriage, and the divorce was finalised in 2013. Kingston appeared on the

...
genealogy series ''Who Do You Think You Are? (British TV series), Who Do You Think You Are?'' in September 2012, investigating the lives of her great-grandfather Will Keevil and her four-times great-grandmother, Elizabeth Braham. In 2015, Kingston married television producer Jonathan Stamp in an Italian ceremony. Kingston has lived in the United States, and moved back to the UK in 2019.

Filmography

Film

Television

Radio

Audio

Video games

Stage work

Awards and nominations

Bibliography

Novels * ''Doctor Who: The Ruby's Curse'' (2021)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kingston, Alex 1963 births Living people 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses Actresses from Surrey Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art British expatriate actresses in the United States English Shakespearean actresses English expatriates in the United States English film actresses English people of German descent English people of Jewish descent English stage actresses English television actresses English video game actresses English voice actresses National Youth Theatre members Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Screen Actors Guild Award winners People from Epsom Royal Shakespeare Company members Audiobook narrators