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Natascha McElhone Profile |
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Birth Date: March 23, 1971
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Birth Place: Hampstead, London, England, UK
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Birth Name: Natasha Taylor
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Height: 5'8"
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Biography |
Natascha McElhone was born on March 23, 1971, in Hampstead,
London. The daughter of two journalists, Natascha was raised
in nearby Brighton, where she and her brother were largely
left to fend for themselves as their parents were immersed
in their work. Consequently, Natascha’s grammar school days
were far from successful, though the young girl took solace
in her Irish dancing lessons, which proved to be her initial
exposure to the arts.
By the time Natascha was in her mid-teens, she realized that
her future lay in the world of performing. As such, upon
graduating from high school, Natascha enrolled at the
prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, where
-- as the aspiring actress was disappointed to discover --
lessons were hammered home via repetition and strictly
regimented outlines.
After completing her stint at the London Academy, Natascha
threw herself into the British acting scene and began
cropping up in a whole host of plays and television shows.
It was during a performance of Richard III that Natascha
caught the eye of filmmaker James Ivory, who was looking to
cast a pivotal role opposite Anthony Hopkins in the
historical epic Surviving Picasso (1996).
Despite the odds, Natascha sufficiently wowed Ivory and his
team, and it wasn’t long before the up-and-coming actress
found herself acting opposite one of cinema’s most powerful
and intimidating performers. The role got Natascha noticed
by audiences and critics alike, and the actress quickly
discovered a whole new set of opportunities waiting for her.
Taking advantage of her newfound success, Natascha spent
much of the late ‘90s appearing opposite huge stars like
Robert De Niro (1998’s Ronin), Brad Pitt (1997’s The Devil’s
Own) and Jim Carrey (1998’s The Truman Show). It was also
around that time that Natascha met the man she would
eventually marry -- a doctor by the name of Martin Kelly.
Although Natascha worked steadily throughout the new
century, the couple also found time to have two children.
Natascha’s work from 2000 onward can best be described as
spotty, as the actress seemingly took on roles in virtually
every project that came her way. 2002 proved to be an
exceedingly busy year for Natascha, who appeared in a
whopping five movies during the 12-month period, including
the brilliant science-fiction epic Solaris, the schlocky
horror flick FeardotCom and the Heather Graham bondage
picture Killing Me Softly.
Following the birth of her two sons, Natascha made the
choice to curb her burgeoning workload, eschewing big
Hollywood films in favor of smaller, more introspective
projects (such as 2004’s Ladies in Lavender and 2005’s Guy
X). And with two films in 2006 -- a David Schwimmer comedy
called Big Nothing and a drama co-starring Ben Chaplin and
Mena Suvari called Dangerous Parking -- Natascha made it
clear that she has no immediate plans to quit the business
altogether. |
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Other
Information |
She has two sons, Theo and Otis.
Graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
(LAMDA) in London, England,
Has a brother
Parents were journalists. |
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