Julia Ormond filmography and biography
Date of birth: 4 January 1965, Epsom, Surrey, England, UK.
Julia Ormond biography
The dark and classically beautiful British actress Julia Ormond was born
into privileged surroundings as the daughter of a well-to-do laboratory
technician. Her parents divorced when she was young; she was the second
of five children. She attended Cranleigh, a private school, and showed
interest in theatrics way back then. Her grandparents were artists, and
she initially intended to be one herself, but after one year of art
school, she renewed her dedication to acting and transferred to
Webber-Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, where she graduated in 1988.
She subsequently appeared in the play "Wuthering Heights" as Catherine,
where she met her Heathcliff both onstage and in real life, actor
Rory Edwards. In 1989 she won the London Drama Critic's Award
for her performance in "Faith, Hope and Charity" as "best newcomer."
Her marriage to actor Edwards, who also appeared with her in the
TV-movie Young Catherine (1991) (TV), in which she played
Catherine the Great, dissipated in 1994. In the meantime she slowly
built up her reputation as a fine actress with the films
The Baby of MAtilde;cent;con and Captives, but
Hollywood finally took notice with her lauded support role in
Legends of the Fall opposite Brad Pitt. As a
result of this, she was practically handed Audrey Hepburn's role
in the revival of Sabrina, stealing the picture from
co-star Harrison Ford (I).
She has since continued to glow in such international pictures as
Smillas Sense of Snow,
Sibirskiy tsiryulnik [The Barber of Siberia] and
Resistance, and in such TV mini-series showcases as
Iron Jawed Angels (2004) (TV).
Julia Ormond trivia
- (May 1997) Signed a two-year contract with Fox Searchlight Pictures to
produce, direct and write.
- Attended West Surrey College of Art and Design (1989); received London
Drama Critics Award for best newcomer.
- Formed a production company called Indican (a take-off on the words "in
the can").
- For the title role Sabrina, she was instructed to cut her
waist-length hair, which did not thrill her fans.
- She actually plays the intro piano part in an early scene in
Legends of the Fall.
- She starred in three consecutive films in which she is caught between
two or more men: Brad Pitt, Aidan Quinn (I), and
Henry Thomas (I) in Legends of the Fall;
Sean Connery and Richard Gere in
First Knight; and Harrison Ford (I) and
Greg Kinnear in Sabrina.
- She was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 2001
(2000 season) for Best Actress for her performance in "My Zinc Bed" at
the Royal Court Theatre.
- She was awarded the 1989 London Critics Circle Theatre Award (Drama
Theatre Award) for Most Promising Newcomer for her performance in
Faith, Hope and Charity.
- Trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, whose
alumni include Terence Stamp, Elizabeth Knowelden,
Hugh Bonneville, Rupert Friend, Angela Lansbury,
Matthew Goode, Sue Johnston (I), Minnie Driver and
Julian Fellowes.
- Is said to be a direct, if distant niece of the Welsh rebel and prince
Owain Glyndwr through her paternal grandmother, by way of Glyndwr's
sister.
- Member of jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2001.
- Mother, with Jon Rubin (I), of daughter Sophie (born fall 2004).