Tessa Charlotte Rampling (born 5 February 1946) is an English actress, known for her work in European
arthouse films in English, French, and Italian. An icon of the
Swinging Sixties
The Swinging Sixties was a youth-driven cultural revolution that took place in the United Kingdom during the mid-to-late 1960s, emphasising modernity and fun-loving hedonism, with Swinging London as its centre. It saw a flourishing in art, mu ...
, she began her career as a model.
She was cast in the role of Meredith in the 1966 film ''
Georgy Girl'', which starred
Lynn Redgrave. She soon began making French and Italian arthouse films, notably
Luchino Visconti's ''
The Damned'' (1969) and
Liliana Cavani's ''
The Night Porter'' (1974). She went on to star in many European and English-language films, including ''
Stardust Memories'' (1980); in ''
The Verdict'' (1982); ''
Long Live Life'' (1984), and ''
The Wings of the Dove'' (1997). In the 2000s, she became the muse of French director
François Ozon, appearing in several of his films, notably ''
Swimming Pool'' (2003). On television, she is known for her role as
Dr. Evelyn Vogel in ''
Dexter
Dexter may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Dexter, the main character of the American animated series '' Dexter's Laboratory'' that aired from 1996 to 2003
* Dexter, a fictional character in the British web series ''Diary of a Bad Man''
* Dext ...
'' (2013).
In 2002 she released an album of recordings in the style of
cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dinin ...
, titled ''As a Woman''.
In 2012 she was nominated for a
Primetime Emmy Award and a
Screen Actors Guild Award, both for her performance in the miniseries ''
Restless
Restless may refer to:
*Psychomotor agitation, restlessness experienced as a result of certain medications or conditions
Music
* Restless Records
Albums
* ''Restless'' (Sara Evans album) and its title track, 2003
* ''Restless'' (Murray He ...
''. For her performance in the 2015 film ''
45 Years'', she won the
Berlin Film Festival Award for Best Actress, the
European Film Award for Best Actress, and was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Actress
The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year ...
. In 2017, she won the
Volpi Cup for Best Actress
The Volpi Cup for Best Actress is an award presented by the Venice Film Festival. It is given by the festival jury in honor of an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance from the films in the competition slate. It is named in honor o ...
at the
74th Venice International Film Festival for ''
Hannah''.
She received an
Honorary César in 2001 and France's
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleo ...
in 2002. She was made an
OBE in 2000 for her services to the arts, and received the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award from the
European Film Awards.
In 2015, she released her autobiography, which she wrote in French, titled ''Qui Je Suis''. She later worked on an English translation, ''Who I Am'', which was published in March 2017.
Early life and family
Tessa Charlotte Rampling was born in 1946 in
Sturmer, Essex
Sturmer is a village in the county of Essex, England, 2 miles (3 km) SE of Haverhill and close to the county border with Suffolk. Its name was originally "Stour Mere", from the River Stour and is explicitly mentioned in the Domesday Book o ...
, the daughter of Isabel Anne (
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Gurteen; 1918–2001), a painter, and
Godfrey Rampling
Godfrey Lionel Rampling (14 May 1909 – 20 June 2009) was an English athlete and army officer who competed for Great Britain in the 1932 Summer Olympics and in the 1936 Summer Olympics. He turned 100 on 14 May 2009 and was the oldes ...
(1909–2009), an
Olympic
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...
gold medallist runner and
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...
officer. She spent most of her early life in
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = "Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gibr ...
, France and Spain, before she returned to the UK in 1964.
She attended Académie Jeanne d'Arc in
Versailles
The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...
and
St Hilda's School
, motto_translation = Not for Ourselves Alone
, established =
, type = Independent single-sex early learning, primary and secondary day and boarding school
, denomination = Anglicanism
, slogan =
, principal = Wendy Lauma ...
, a
boarding school
A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of " room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exte ...
in
Bushey, Hertfordshire, England. She had one sister, Sarah, who died by
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...
in 1966, aged 23. She and Sarah had a close relationship, and they had performed in a
cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dinin ...
act together during their young years.
Career
1960s: Modelling career, starting as actress
Rampling made her stage debut at the age of 14, singing French
chansons with her sister at
Bernays Institute in
Stanmore
Stanmore is part of the London Borough of Harrow in London. It is centred northwest of Charing Cross, lies on the outskirts of the London urban area and includes Stanmore Hill, one of the highest points of London, at high. The district, whi ...
. She began her career as a model and first appeared in a
Cadbury advertisement. She was working as a secretary when she was noticed by a casting agent in the same building. She made uncredited appearances in two films directed by
Richard Lester, his first film with
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
, ''
A Hard Day's Night'' (1964), and as a
water skier in ''
The Knack ...and How to Get It'' (1965). In 1965, she was cast in the role of Meredith in the film ''
Georgy Girl'' and was given a role by
John Boulting in the comedy ''
Rotten to the Core''. In 1967, she starred opposite
Yul Brynner in the adventure film ''
The Long Duel
''The Long Duel'' is a 1967 British adventure film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Yul Brynner, Trevor Howard, Charlotte Rampling and Harry Andrews. It is set in British-ruled India of the 1920s but was filmed in Spain.
Plot
Superintendent ...
''. She also appeared alongside
Franco Nero in the Italian film ''
Sardinia Kidnapped
''Sardinia Kidnapped'' ( it, Sequestro di persona, "Kidnapped"), also known as ''Ransom in Sardinia'', ''Island of Crime'' and ''Unlawful Restraint'', is a 1968 Italian poliziotteschi film directed by Gianfranco Mingozzi and starring Franco Nero ...
'' (''Sequestro di persona'') (1968), directed by
Gianfranco Mingozzi
Gianfranco Mingozzi (5 April 1932 – 7 October 2009) was an Italian director and screenwriter.
Life and career
Born in Bologna, Mingozzi got a degree in Law, then enrolled at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome, graduating in ...
.
On television, Rampling played the
gunfighter Hana Wilde in "The Superlative Seven", a 1967 episode of ''
The Avengers''. In 1969, she starred opposite
Sam Waterston in the romance-drama ''
Three'', and in 1972, she starred opposite
Robert Blake in the drama ''
Corky'' and portrayed
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and of her execution by beheading for treason and other charges made her a key f ...
in the costume drama ''
Henry VIII and His Six Wives''. After this, her acting career blossomed in both English and French cinema.
Despite an early flurry of success, she told ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'': "We weren't happy. It was a nightmare, breaking the rules and all that. Everyone seemed to be having fun, but they were taking so many drugs they wouldn't know it anyway."
Rampling has performed controversial roles. In 1969, in
Luchino Visconti's ''
The Damned'' (''La Caduta degli dei''), she played a young wife sent to a
Nazi concentration camp. Critics praised her performance, and it cast her in a whole new image: mysterious, sensitive, and ultimately tragic. "The Look," as her co-star
Dirk Bogarde
Sir Dirk Bogarde (born Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde; 28 March 1921 – 8 May 1999) was an English actor, novelist and screenwriter. Initially a matinée idol in films such as '' Doctor in the House'' (1954) for the Rank Org ...
called it, became her trademark.
1970–early 1980s: mature roles, Hollywood, and Italian cinema
She appeared in the cult classic ''
Vanishing Point'', in a scene deleted from the U.S. theatrical release (included in the U.K. release). Lead actor
Barry Newman remarked that the scene was of aid in the allegorical lilt of the film.
In 1974's ''
The Night Porter'', in which she again appears alongside Dirk Bogarde, she plays a former
concentration camp inmate who, after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, reunites with a former camp guard (Bogarde) with whom she had had an ambiguous,
sadomasochistic
Sadomasochism ( ) is the giving and receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain or humiliation. Practitioners of sadomasochism may seek sexual pleasure from their acts. While the terms sadist and masochist refer ...
relationship. Their relationship resumes, and she becomes his mistress and victim once again. In ''
Max mon amour
''Max, Mon Amour'' ''Max, My Love'' is a 1986 film directed by Nagisa Ōshima, starring Charlotte Rampling, Anthony Higgins, Victoria Abril, Pierre Étaix and Milena Vukotic. The screenplay was written by Ōshima and Jean-Claude Carrière, and th ...
'', she played a woman who falls in love with a
chimpanzee
The chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes''), also known as simply the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forest and savannah of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed subspecies. When its close relative t ...
. In 1974, she posed nude for ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...
'' photographs by
Helmut Newton. In 1976 she co-presented for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration Award with
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...
at the
48th Academy Awards.
In 1974, Rampling starred in
John Boorman
Sir John Boorman (; born 18 January 1933) is a British film director, best known for feature films such as '' Point Blank'' (1967), ''Hell in the Pacific'' (1968), ''Deliverance'' (1972), '' Zardoz'' (1974), '' Exorcist II: The Heretic'' (1977 ...
's science-fiction film ''
Zardoz'' opposite
Sean Connery
Sir Sean Connery (born Thomas Connery; 25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Origina ...
. She also starred with
Peter O'Toole in ''
Foxtrot'' (1976) and with
Richard Harris in ''
Orca
The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black-and-white ...
'' (1977). She gained recognition from American audiences as the leading lady in a well-received remake of
Raymond Chandler's detective story ''
Farewell, My Lovely'' (1975) starring
Robert Mitchum as
Philip Marlowe
Philip Marlowe () is a fictional character created by Raymond Chandler, who was characteristic of the hardboiled crime fiction genre. The hardboiled crime fiction genre originated in the 1920s, notably in ''Black Mask'' magazine, in which Dashiel ...
, and later with
Woody Allen
Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
's ''
Stardust Memories'' (1980), and in ''
The Verdict'' (1982), an acclaimed drama directed by
Sidney Lumet that starred
Paul Newman.
Middle 1980s and 1990s
Rampling starred in
Claude Lelouch
Claude Barruck Joseph Lelouch (; born 30 October 1937) is a French film director, writer, cinematographer, actor and producer. Lelouch grew up in an Algerian Jewish Family. He emerged as a prominent director in the 1960s. Lelouch gained critica ...
's 1984 film ''
Viva la vie (Long Live Life)'', before going on to star in the cult-film ''
Max, Mon Amour
''Max, Mon Amour'' ''Max, My Love'' is a 1986 film directed by Nagisa Ōshima, starring Charlotte Rampling, Anthony Higgins (actor), Anthony Higgins, Victoria Abril, Pierre Étaix and Milena Vukotic. The screenplay was written by Ōshima and Jean- ...
'' (1986), and appear in the thriller ''
Angel Heart'' (1987). For a decade she withdrew from the public eye due to depression. In the late 1990s, she appeared in ''
The Wings of the Dove'' (1997), played
Miss Havisham
Miss Havisham is a character in the Charles Dickens novel ''Great Expectations'' (1861). She is a wealthy spinster, once jilted at the altar, who insists on wearing her wedding dress for the rest of her life. She lives in a ruined mansion with ...
in a BBC television adaptation of ''
Great Expectations'' (1998), and starred in the film adaptation of
Anton Chekov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...
’s ''
The Cherry Orchard'' (1999), directed by
Michael Cacoyannis
Michael Cacoyannis ( el, Μιχάλης Κακογιάννης, ''Michalis Kakogiannis''; 11 June 1922 – 25 July 2011), sometimes credited as Michael Yannis, was a Greek Cypriot theatre and film director, writer, producer, and actor.
...
.. In 1997, she was a jury member at the
54th Venice International Film Festival
The 54th annual Venice International Film Festival was held between 27 August to 6 September 1997.
Jury
The following people comprised the 1997 jury:
* Jane Campion (New Zealand) (head of jury)
* Ronald Bass (USA)
* Véra Belmont (France)
* ...
.
2000s
Rampling credits
François Ozon with drawing her back to film in the 2000s, a period when she came to terms with the death of her elder sister Sarah who, after giving birth prematurely in 1966, died by suicide at 23. She told ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'': "I thought that after such a long time of not letting her be with me. I would like to bring her back into my life."
The character she played in Ozon's ''
Swimming Pool'' (2003), Sarah Morton, was named in her sister's honour.
For most of Rampling's life, she would say only that her sister had died of a
brain haemorrhage; when she and her father learned of Sarah’s death, they agreed they would never let her mother know the truth. They kept their secret until Rampling's mother died in 2001.
Rampling appeared in
Tony Scott's ''
Spy Game'' (2001), and she earned
César Award nominations for ''
Under the Sand
''Under the Sand'' (french: Sous le sable, ) is a 2000 French drama film directed and written by François Ozon. The film was nominated for three César Awards and was critically well received. It stars Charlotte Rampling and Bruno Cremer.
Cast
...
'' (2000), ''Swimming Pool'' (2003), and ''
Lemming'' (2005). At 59, she appeared in
Laurent Cantet's ''
Heading South
''Heading South'' (french: Vers le sud) is a 2005 French-Canadian-Belgian drama film directed by Laurent Cantet and based on three short stories by Dany Laferrière. It depicts the experiences of three middle-aged white women in the late 1970s, tr ...
'' (''Vers le Sud''), a 2005 film about
sexual tourism. She appeared as Ellen, a professor of
French literature, who holidays in 1970s
Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and s ...
to get the sexual attention she does not get at home.
Hideo Kojima used Rampling's likeness for
The Boss, the main antagonist of his game ''
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater'', released in 2004.
On her choice of roles, Rampling said, "I generally don't make films to entertain people. I choose the parts that challenge me to break through my own barriers. A need to devour, punish, humiliate or surrender seems to be a primal part of human nature, and it's certainly a big part of sex. To discover what normal means, you have to surf a tide of weirdness."
The actress has continued to work in sexually provocative films, such as ''
Basic Instinct 2
''Basic Instinct 2'' (also known as ''Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction'') is a 2006 erotic thriller film and the sequel to 1992's ''Basic Instinct''. The film was directed by Michael Caton-Jones and produced by Mario Kassar, Joel B. Michaels, ...
'' (2006). In 2008, she portrayed
Countess Spencer, the mother of
Keira Knightley's title character, in ''
The Duchess'' and played the High Priestess in
post-apocalyptic thriller ''
Babylon A.D.
''Babylon A.D.'' is a 2008 science fiction action film based on the 1999 novel '' Babylon Babies'' by Maurice Georges Dantec. The film was directed by Mathieu Kassovitz and stars Vin Diesel in the lead role, Mélanie Thierry, Michelle Yeoh, La ...
'' In 2002, she recorded an album titled ''Comme Une Femme'', or ''As A Woman''. It is in both French and English, and includes passages that are
spoken word
Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics o ...
as well as selections which Rampling sang.. In February 2006, Rampling was named as the jury president at the
56th Berlin International Film Festival
The 56th Berlin International Film Festival was held from 9 to 19 February 2006. The festival opened with '' Snow Cake'' by Marc Evans. Digitally restored version of Sam Peckinpah's 1972 film ''Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid'' served as the closin ...
.
She has been seen on the covers of ''
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
'', ''
Interview
An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" ...
'' and ''
Elle'' magazines and
CRUSHfanzine'. In 2009, she posed nude in front of the
Mona Lisa
The ''Mona Lisa'' ( ; it, Gioconda or ; french: Joconde ) is a half-length portrait painting by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. Considered an archetypal masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, it has been described as "the best kno ...
for
Juergen Teller. In 2009, Rampling appeared in
Todd Solondz
Todd Solondz (; born October 15, 1959) is an American filmmaker and playwright known for his style of dark, socially conscious satire. Solondz's work has received critical acclaim for its commentary on the "dark underbelly of middle class Americ ...
's ''
Life During Wartime''.
2010s
In 2010, she completed filming ''
Cleanskin'', a terrorist thriller, and played Miss Emily in the dystopian romantic fantasy ''
Never Let Me Go''. She also appeared as Helena in the dance drama ''
StreetDance 3D'' and the nun Mary in ''
The Mill and the Cross
''The Mill and the Cross'' ( pl, Młyn i krzyż) is a 2011 drama film directed by Lech Majewski and starring Rutger Hauer, Charlotte Rampling, and Michael York. It is inspired by Pieter Bruegel the Elder's 1564 painting ''The Procession to Calvar ...
'' with
Michael York and
Rutger Hauer. 2011 saw Rampling play Elizabeth Hunter in the Fred Schepisi directed adaptation of Australian Nobel laureate Patrick White's novel, ''The Eye of the Storm'' (with Judy Davis and Geoffrey Rush). In 2011 she also appeared in
Lars Von Trier
Lars von Trier (''né'' Trier; 30 April 1956) is a Danish filmmaker, actor, and lyricist. Having garnered a reputation as a highly ambitious, polarizing filmmaker, he has been the subject of several controversies: Cannes, in addition to nominat ...
's ''
Melancholia
Melancholia or melancholy (from el, µέλαινα χολή ',Burton, Bk. I, p. 147 meaning black bile) is a concept found throughout ancient, medieval and premodern medicine in Europe that describes a condition characterized by markedly d ...
''. For her role in the 2012 miniseries ''
Restless
Restless may refer to:
*Psychomotor agitation, restlessness experienced as a result of certain medications or conditions
Music
* Restless Records
Albums
* ''Restless'' (Sara Evans album) and its title track, 2003
* ''Restless'' (Murray He ...
'', Rampling was nominated for a
Primetime Emmy Award and a
Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2013, she appeared as Dr. Evelyn Vogel in the eighth season of ''
Dexter
Dexter may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Dexter, the main character of the American animated series '' Dexter's Laboratory'' that aired from 1996 to 2003
* Dexter, a fictional character in the British web series ''Diary of a Bad Man''
* Dext ...
''. Rampling also appeared as Alice in the drama ''
Jeune et Jolie'' and the elderly Adriana do Prado in ''
Night Train to Lisbon''. Other television roles include the
ITV drama ''
Broadchurch
''Broadchurch'' is a British crime drama television series broadcast on ITV for three series between 2013 and 2017. It was created by Chris Chibnall, who acted as an executive producer and wrote all 24 episodes and produced by Kudos in asso ...
'' (2015) and the
BBC drama ''
London Spy'' (2015). In 2014, she was named the new face of
NARS Cosmetics to launch their new lipstick campaign.
In 2015, Rampling starred opposite
Tom Courtenay in
Andrew Haigh's ''
45 Years''. The film is about a couple preparing to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary when new information regarding the husband's missing previous lover arises. ''45 Years'' was screened in the main competition section of the
65th Berlin International Film Festival.
She won the
Silver Bear for Best Actress and
Tom Courtenay won the
Silver Bear for Best Actor.
For this role, she also won the
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress, the
European Film Award for Best Actress, was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Actress
The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year ...
, and also received nominations for the
BIFA Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a British Independent Film and the
Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress.
In 2016, Rampling said that efforts to boycott that year's Oscars ceremony over a
lack of racial diversity among nominees were "racist to
whites". Her comments were called "offensive, outrageous and ignorant" by
Chelsea Clinton
Chelsea Victoria Clinton (born February 27, 1980) is an American writer and global health advocate. She is the only child of former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clin ...
, while they were defended by
Clint Eastwood. Rampling later apologised for her comments and expressed regret that her statements were misinterpreted.
That same year, Rampling backed children's fairytales app, GivingTales, in aid of
UNICEF together with
Roger Moore,
Stephen Fry,
Ewan McGregor,
Joan Collins
Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primeti ...
,
Joanna Lumley,
Michael Caine,
David Walliams,
Paul McKenna and
Michael Ball.
In 2017, Rampling co-starred as Veronica Ford with
Jim Broadbent and
Emily Mortimer in ''
The Sense of an Ending'', which was based on the novel by
Julian Barnes
Julian Patrick Barnes (born 19 January 1946) is an English writer. He won the Man Booker Prize in 2011 with ''The Sense of an Ending'', having been shortlisted three times previously with '' Flaubert's Parrot'', '' England, England'', and ''Art ...
. It had its world premiere at the
Palm Springs International Film Festival in January 2017. Her next film was in
Andrea Pallaoro use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) -->
, death_place =
, death_cause =
, body_discovered =
, resting_place =
, resting_place_coordinates = ...
's ''
Hannah'', where she portrayed the title role of the wife of a man imprisoned on uncertain charges. For her role, she was awarded the
Volpi Cup for Best Actress
The Volpi Cup for Best Actress is an award presented by the Venice Film Festival. It is given by the festival jury in honor of an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance from the films in the competition slate. It is named in honor o ...
award at the
74th Venice International Film Festival.
In 2017, Rampling starred opposite
Alicia Vikander and
Eva Green in ''
Euphoria'', directed by
Lisa Langseth
Lisa Langseth (born 20 April 1975) is a Swedish screenwriter and film director. Her writing and directing film credits include ''Pure (2009 film), Pure'' (2009), ''Hotell'' (2013) and ''Euphoria (2017 film), Euphoria'' (2017).
Career
Langseth b ...
.
2020s
In January 2019, she was cast as
Reverend Mother
An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey.
Description
In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Coptic ...
Gaius Helen Mohiam in the 2021
Denis Villeneuve film ''
Dune
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
''.
Rampling plays a grouchy grandmother in New Zealand writer-director
Matthew J. Saville's 2021 black comedy ''
Juniper''.
Personal life
In 1972, Rampling married New Zealand actor and publicist Bryan Southcombe and had a son, Barnaby Southcombe (who became a television director), before divorcing in 1976. The couple was reported to have been living in a
ménage à trois
A () is a domestic arrangement and committed relationship with three people in polyamorous romantic or sexual relations with each other, and often dwelling together; typically a traditional marriage between a man and woman along with anothe ...
with a male model, Randall Laurence,
[ and in 1974, Rampling was quoted by the syndicated columnist Earl Wilson as saying: "There are so many misunderstandings in life. I once caused a scandal by saying I lived with two men ..I didn't mean it in a sexual sense ..We were just like any people sharing an apartment." In 2021, Rampling acknowledged the relationship in an interview with '']The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'', saying:Well, I did have two boyfriends, which was racy at the time ..We were all very young. It was all chop and change. Quite a lot of things were experimental, I suppose. How to live a life! I don't know whether I've got it now, but never mind – I had it!
In 1978, Rampling married French composer Jean-Michel Jarre and had a second son, David Jarre, who became a musician and singer. She also raised her stepdaughter, Émilie Jarre, who became a fashion designer. The marriage was publicly dissolved in 1997, when Rampling learned from tabloid
Tabloid may refer to:
* Tabloid journalism, a type of journalism
* Tabloid (newspaper format), a newspaper with compact page size
** Chinese tabloid
* Tabloid (paper size), a North American paper size
* Sopwith Tabloid
The Sopwith Tabloid an ...
newspaper stories about Jarre's affairs with other women. Their divorce was final in 2002. Rampling later remarked:It is not uncommon for a man to have an affair, or even for a woman to have an affair. But the way I found out! In the tabloids. It was demeaning. And then for it to have continued. No, I could not forgive that at the time.
Rampling was engaged to Jean-Noël Tassez, a French journalist and businessman, from 1998 until his death in 2015.
Rampling has lived in Paris since the late 1970s.
Selected filmography
* '' Rotten to the Core'' (1965)
* '' Georgy Girl'' (1966)
* ''The Long Duel
''The Long Duel'' is a 1967 British adventure film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Yul Brynner, Trevor Howard, Charlotte Rampling and Harry Andrews. It is set in British-ruled India of the 1920s but was filmed in Spain.
Plot
Superintendent ...
'' (1967)
* ''Sardinia Kidnapped
''Sardinia Kidnapped'' ( it, Sequestro di persona, "Kidnapped"), also known as ''Ransom in Sardinia'', ''Island of Crime'' and ''Unlawful Restraint'', is a 1968 Italian poliziotteschi film directed by Gianfranco Mingozzi and starring Franco Nero ...
'' (1967)
* '' The Damned'' (1969)
* '' 'Tis Pity She's a Whore'' (1971)
* '' Vanishing Point'' (1971)
* '' Asylum'' (1972)
* '' The Night Porter'' (1974)
* '' Caravan to Vaccarès'' (1974)
* '' Zardoz'' (1974)
* ''La Chair de l'orchidée
''La Chair de l'orchidée'' (The Flesh of the Orchid) is a 1975 film by Patrice Chéreau as his directorial debut, adapted by him and by Jean-Claude Carrière from the 1948 book '' The Flesh of the Orchid'' by British writer James Hadley Chase, " ...
'' (1975)
* '' Farewell, My Lovely'' (1975)
* '' Sherlock Holmes in New York'' (1976)
* '' Foxtrot'' (1976)
* ''Orca
The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black-and-white ...
'' (1977)
* '' Stardust Memories'' (1980)
* '' The Verdict'' (1982)
* '' Angel Heart'' (1987)
* '' D.O.A.'' (1988)
* ''Asphalt Tango
''Asphalt Tango'' ( ro, Asfalt Tango) is a 1996 Romanian comedy film directed by Nae Caranfil.
Cast
* Charlotte Rampling - Marion
* Mircea Diaconu - Andrei
* Florin Călinescu Florin Călinescu (; born 29 April 1956, Timișoara, Timiș County ...
'' (1996)
* ''Under the Sand
''Under the Sand'' (french: Sous le sable, ) is a 2000 French drama film directed and written by François Ozon. The film was nominated for three César Awards and was critically well received. It stars Charlotte Rampling and Bruno Cremer.
Cast
...
'' (2000)
* '' Swimming Pool'' (2003)
* '' Immortal'' (2004)
* '' Lemming'' (2005)
* ''Heading South
''Heading South'' (french: Vers le sud) is a 2005 French-Canadian-Belgian drama film directed by Laurent Cantet and based on three short stories by Dany Laferrière. It depicts the experiences of three middle-aged white women in the late 1970s, tr ...
'' (2005)
* ''Basic Instinct 2
''Basic Instinct 2'' (also known as ''Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction'') is a 2006 erotic thriller film and the sequel to 1992's ''Basic Instinct''. The film was directed by Michael Caton-Jones and produced by Mario Kassar, Joel B. Michaels, ...
'' (2006)
* ''Dexter
Dexter may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Dexter, the main character of the American animated series '' Dexter's Laboratory'' that aired from 1996 to 2003
* Dexter, a fictional character in the British web series ''Diary of a Bad Man''
* Dext ...
'' (2006)
* ''Babylon A.D.
''Babylon A.D.'' is a 2008 science fiction action film based on the 1999 novel '' Babylon Babies'' by Maurice Georges Dantec. The film was directed by Mathieu Kassovitz and stars Vin Diesel in the lead role, Mélanie Thierry, Michelle Yeoh, La ...
'' (2008)
* '' The Duchess'' (2008)
* '' The Eye of the Storm'' (2011)
* ''Melancholia
Melancholia or melancholy (from el, µέλαινα χολή ',Burton, Bk. I, p. 147 meaning black bile) is a concept found throughout ancient, medieval and premodern medicine in Europe that describes a condition characterized by markedly d ...
'' (2011)
* ''The Mill and the Cross
''The Mill and the Cross'' ( pl, Młyn i krzyż) is a 2011 drama film directed by Lech Majewski and starring Rutger Hauer, Charlotte Rampling, and Michael York. It is inspired by Pieter Bruegel the Elder's 1564 painting ''The Procession to Calvar ...
'' (2011)
* ''I, Anna
''I, Anna'' is a 2012 British noir thriller film written and directed by Barnaby Southcombe and based on Elsa Lewin's novel of the same name. The film stars Southcombe's mother Charlotte Rampling alongside Gabriel Byrne and Hayley Atwell.
Plot ...
'' (2012)
* '' Night Train to Lisbon'' (2013)
* '' 45 Years'' (2015)
* ''Broadchurch
''Broadchurch'' is a British crime drama television series broadcast on ITV for three series between 2013 and 2017. It was created by Chris Chibnall, who acted as an executive producer and wrote all 24 episodes and produced by Kudos in asso ...
'' (2015)
* '' Assassin's Creed'' (2016)
* '' The Sense of an Ending'' (2017)
* '' Hannah'' (2017)
* ''Red Sparrow
''Red Sparrow'' is a 2018 American spy thriller film directed by Francis Lawrence and written by Justin Haythe, based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Jason Matthews. The film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts, ...
'' (2018)
* '' Benedetta'' (2021)
* ''Dune
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
'' (2021)
Roles originally offered to Rampling
* Roman Polanski
Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a ( né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, tw ...
wanted Rampling to be cast in '' Cul-de-sac'' (1966) but her agent turned it down. Jacqueline Bisset later took the role.
* She was also considered for a role in ''The Thief Who Came to Dinner
''The Thief Who Came to Dinner'' is a 1973 American comedy film directed by Bud Yorkin. Based on the novel by Terrence Lore Smith, the film stars Ryan O'Neal and Jacqueline Bisset, with Charles Cioffi, Warren Oates, and in an early appearance, ...
'' (1973) with Ryan O'Neal
Ryan O'Neal (born April 20, 1941) is an American actor and former boxer. He trained as an amateur boxer before beginning his career in acting in 1960. In 1964, he landed the role of Rodney Harrington on the ABC nighttime soap opera '' Peyton Place ...
. She later turned it down and Jacqueline Bisset took this role as well.
* Director Tim Burstall met her for a title role in '' Eliza Fraser'' (1976), but she did not feel as though she could consider herself a comedy actress, and later turned it down. Susannah York later took the role.
* She was considered for the titular role as Sarah Woodruff in '' The French Lieutenant's Woman'' (1981), but John Fowles was not happy about her acting in the 1974 film '' The Night Porter''. Rampling later turned down the role and Meryl Streep subsequently played the part.
Discography
Studio albums
Audio books
Awards and nominations
References
Further reading
* Nicolaevitch, S. 2008. "Charlotte Forever". ''Citizen K International''; 46 (Spring): 244–253.
* Marieke Boom, Dirk Bogarde
Sir Dirk Bogarde (born Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde; 28 March 1921 – 8 May 1999) was an English actor, novelist and screenwriter. Initially a matinée idol in films such as '' Doctor in the House'' (1954) for the Rank Org ...
, Nagisa Oshima et al.: ''Charlotte Rampling with compliments''. Munich: Schirmer-Mosel, 1986,
* ''Charlotte Rampling: with compliments''; with a portrait by Dirk Bogarde. London: Quartet, 1987
* Matthew Campbell (12 March 2017),
The Interview: Charlotte Rampling, actress
, ''The Sunday Times
''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
''.
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rampling, Charlotte
1946 births
20th-century English actresses
21st-century English actresses
Living people
Actresses from Essex
Actresses from Paris
British emigrants to France
English expatriates in Australia
English expatriates in Italy
English expatriates in Spain
English expatriates in the United States
English female models
English film actresses
English pop singers
English television actresses
French-language singers
César Honorary Award recipients
European Film Award for Best Actress winners
Honorary Golden Bear recipients
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Silver Bear for Best Actress winners
Volpi Cup for Best Actress winners
WFTV Award winners