Rebecca Pidgeon (born October 10, 1965) is an American actress who has appeared on stage and in feature films, and a singer, songwriter and recording artist. She is married to American playwright David Mamet.

Early life

Pidgeon was born to English parents in Cambridge, Massachusetts, while her father, Carl R. Pidgeon, was a visiting professor at MIT. Her mother, Elaine, is a yoga teacher. Her paternal grandmother,

Monica Pidgeon Monica Pidgeon (29 September 1913 – 17 September 2009) was a British interior designer and architectural writer best known as the editor of ''Architectural Design'' from 1946 to 1975. Early life Pidgeon was born Monica Lehmann in 1913 in Catemu ...

, the editor of ''

Architectural Design Building design refers to the broadly based architectural, engineering and technical applications to the design of buildings. All building projects require the services of a building designer, typically a licensed architect. Smaller, less complic ...

'', was the sister of artist Olga Lehmann and academic

Andrew George Lehmann Andrew George Lehmann (17 February 1922 – 9 July 2006) was a literary critic, academic, and seminal author and essayist in French Symbolism, and the intellectual history of European Romanticism. Early life Born in Chile to Mary Grisel Lehmann ...

. Pidgeon moved to Edinburgh, Scotland in 1970 with her parents. She graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London with classmates

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 ...

and

Liza Tarbuck Liza Tarbuck ( ; born 21 November 1964) is an English actress, comedian, and television and radio presenter. Early life Liza Tarbuck was born in Liverpool. She is the daughter of comedian Jimmy Tarbuck and his wife Pauline, with an older siste ...

Career

From 1986 to 1990, Pidgeon was the lead singer of the British folk/pop band

Ruby Blue Ruby Blue was a Scottish folk pop band formed by singer Rebecca Pidgeon and guitarist Roger Fife in the 1980s. Pidgeon was a student at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. In 1986, her friend Roger Fife, a guitarist, asked her to sing on a de ...

. She left the group shortly after they signed to a major record label. She appeared in her first feature film, '' The Dawning,'' in 1988; then starred in David Mamet's plays and films, beginning with the movie ''

Homicide Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...

'' and the play '' Oleanna'', a part Mamet wrote for her. She composed the music for the film version, which starred Debra Eisenstadt in her role. She released the album ''The Raven'' in 1994, followed by ''The New York Girls' Club'' (1996), and ''The Four Marys'' (1998), a collection of traditional

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...

folk songs. ''Tough on Crime'' (2005) featured Walter Becker of

Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band founded in 1971 in New York by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Initially the band had a stable lineup, but in 1974, Becker and Fagen retired from live ...

on guitar and

Billy Preston William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, during which he ba ...

on keyboards. '' Behind the Velvet Curtain'' (2008) included a cover version of the Beach Boys song " Wouldn't It Be Nice". ''Slingshot'' was released in 2012. Pidgeon has had roles in additional Mamet films, including '' The Spanish Prisoner'' (1997), '' The Winslow Boy'' (1999), '' State and Main'' (2000), ''

Heist A heist is a robbery or burglary, especially from an institution such as a bank or museum. Heist may also refer to: Places *Heist, Germany, a municipality in Schleswig-Holstein *Heist-aan-Zee, West Flanders, Belgium *Heist-op-den-Berg, Antwerp, ...

'' (2001) and '' Redbelt'' (2008). She had a supporting role in '' Red'' (2010). In the 2013 television movie '' Phil Spector'', she played a supporting role and also sang " Spanish Harlem" over the closing credits. She appeared in the U.S. television series '' The Unit as'' Charlotte Ryan, and in the 2007 television film '' Jesse Stone: Sea Change'' as Leeann Lewis, a murder/bank robbery suspect.

Personal life

Pidgeon is married to American writer and director David Mamet, whom she met while appearing in his play '' Speed-the-Plow'' at the National Theatre, London. Mamet was married to actress Lindsay Crouse at the time. After beginning a relationship with Pidgeon, Mamet divorced Crouse in 1990 and married Pidgeon in 1991. Pidgeon and Mamet have two children, actress Clara and Noah, in addition to Mamet's two older children, Willa and Zosia. Pidgeon, who was born to a non-practising Christian family, has

converted Conversion or convert may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman'' * "Conversion" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of the television series * "The Conversion" ...

to Mamet's Jewish faith. She holds dual American/British citizenship.

Discography

* ''The Raven'' ( Chesky, 1994) * ''The New York Girls' Club'' (Chesky, 1996) * ''The Four Marys'' (Chesky, 1998) * ''Tough on Crime'' ( Fuel 2000, 2005) * '' Behind the Velvet Curtain'' (Great American Music, 2008) * ''Slingshot'' (Toy Canteen, 2011) * ''Blue Dress On'' (Toy Canteen, 2013) * ''Bad Poetry'' (Toy Canteen, 2014) * ''Sudden Exposure to Light'' (Toy Canteen, 2019) * ''Parts Of Speech Pieces Of Sound'' (Toy Canteen, 2022) With

* ''Glances Askances'' (Red Flame, 1987) * ''Down From Above'' (Fontana, 1990) * ''Broken Water'' (Red Flame 1992)

As guest

* Luciana Souza, ''Tide'' (Verve, 2009) *

Madeleine Peyroux Madeleine Peyroux (born April 18, 1974) is an American jazz singer and songwriter who began her career as a teenager on the streets of Paris. She sang vintage jazz and blues songs before finding mainstream success in 2004 when her album ''Carele ...

, ''Bare Bones'' (Rounder, 2009) * Chris Connelly, ''Decibels from Heart'' (Cleopatra, 2015)

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pidgeon, Rebecca 1965 births Actresses from Cambridge, Massachusetts Musicians from Cambridge, Massachusetts Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art American emigrants to Scotland American people of English descent American people of French descent American people of Scottish descent Converts to Judaism from Christianity Jewish American actresses Scottish film actresses Scottish television actresses Scottish stage actresses 20th-century Scottish women singers Scottish folk singers Scottish singer-songwriters Living people 21st-century American Jews 21st-century Scottish women singers 21st-century American women