Geraldine Somerville filmography and biography
Date of birth: 19 May 1967, County Meath, Ireland
Geraldine Somerville biography
Geraldine Somerville, the daughter of a retired financial expert and an
antique dealer, was born in Co. Meath, Ireland. She went to dance
classes from the age of six and, at the tender age of eight, was sent
to a boarding school in Tring, Hertfordshire. There she was taught
ballet. She left at 16, but continued her studies in London and ended
up at the Guildhall Drama School (1989) in London. She was virtually
unknown as an actress. She spent three years there, where she always
seemed to play old ladies. She did some stage work and appeared on TV
in episodes of Poirot and Casualty (1993) before landing the role of
Penhaligon or Panhandle, in Cracker with Robbie Coltrane Fitz (Rubeus
Hagrid in Harry Potter). Red-haired Geraldine - has never spoken about
her noble family or the bloodline that links her with the Queen. She
has dumped her double-barreled surname and has kept quiet about the
regal role of honour that marks her family tree We can reveal that
Geraldine - is descended from past Kings of England, Scotland, and
France - is a distant relation of the current British Royal Family, has
ancestors who once ruled the ancient kingdom of the Isle of Man, where
her parents still live. Geraldine's forebears must be proud to see her
take acting honours in some of the most harrowing scenes ever screened
on BBC TV. Geraldine's father is baronet Sir Quentin Charles
Agnew-Somerville and her mum is the Hon Lady April Agnew-Somerville.
Her huge family house, Mount Auldyn, is in the quaint seaside port of
Ramsey. Her mother runs her own exclusive antiques shop and Geraldine
flew from her London home for the opening earlier in 1995.
Geraldine has an elder sister, Amelia, 38, who runs a restaurant with
her husband in the Australian rain forest, and a younger brother,
Lockett, 34, who works in Hong Kong. Geraldine was one of the guests at
her sister's marriage in 1992, which was billed as the Wedding of the
Year in the Isle of Man. The actress, wearing a beautiful sexy black
bodice and flowing dress, read a poem by C. Day-Lewis at the ceremony -
which was extensively reported in the island's society magazine, Manx
Life.
Geraldine Somerville trivia
- Graduated from Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1989.
- Worked with the Royal National Theatre, at the Bristol Old Vic.
- She has son, Caspar William (born 2002).