Vanessa Redgrave
Birth Place: London, ENGLAND
Review: THE MANNEQUIN at We Happy Few (May 24, 2026)
Photos: Jessica Vosk, Adrienne Warren, and More Attend WP Theater Gala (May 13, 2026)
TRU and League of Professional Theatre Women Team Up for Women Warriors Town Hall (May 5, 2026)
BIO
Vanessa Redgrave studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama beginning in 1954 and made her West End debut in 1958. Early stage work included productions at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in 1959, where she appeared in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Coriolanus. She starred in Robert Bolt’s The Tiger and the Horse in 1960 and appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Company in As You Like It (1961) and Cymbeline (1962). In 1966, she originated the stage role of Jean Brodie in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.
Redgrave’s first credited film role was in Behind the Mask (1958). She gained international recognition for Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment (1966), followed by roles in Blowup (1966), Camelot (1967), and Isadora (1968). During the 1970s, she appeared in films including Oh! What a Lovely War (1969), The Trojan Women (1971), Mary, Queen of Scots (1971), and The Devils (1971). She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Julia (1977). Other film and television projects from this period included Agatha (1979), Yanks (1979), Playing for Time (1980), The Bostonians (1984), and Second Serve (1986).
In the 1990s, Redgrave appeared in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1991), Howards End (1992), Mission: Impossible (1996), Wilde (1997), Mrs Dalloway (1997), and Girl, Interrupted (1999). She also worked extensively in television and theatre throughout the decade.
Her later screen work included If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000), Nip/Tuck (2004–2010), Venus (2006), Evening (2007), Atonement (2007), The Day of the Triffids (2009), Letters to Juliet (2010), The Whistleblower (2010), Anonymous (2011), Coriolanus (2011), Song for Marion (2012), The Butler (2013), and Foxcatcher (2014). Since 2012, she has narrated the BBC series Call the Midwife. In 2017, she made her directorial debut with the documentary Sea Sorrow. In 2024, she completed work on the feature film The Estate, which is scheduled to premiere in 2025.
Redgrave also maintained a major theatre career. She won the Laurence Olivier Award for The Aspern Papers (1984) and appeared in productions including The Tempest (2000), Long Day’s Journey Into Night (2003), The Year of Magical Thinking (2007), Driving Miss Daisy (2010–2011), The Revisionist (2013), Much Ado About Nothing (2013), Richard III (2016), and My Fair Lady (2022).
Photos
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STAGE CREDITS
Productions
Awards and Nominations
winner
Vanessa Redgrave
Vanessa Redgrave, The Revisionist
Vanessa Redgrave, The Revisionist
Vanessa Redgrave , The Revisionist
Vanessa Redgrave, The Revisionist
winner
Vanessa Redgrave, Driving Miss Daisy
Vanessa Redgrave, Driving Miss Daisy
winner
Vanessa Redgrave, The Year of Magical Thinking
Vanessa Redgrave, The Year of Magical Thinking
Vanessa RedgraveHecuba
winner
Vanessa Redgrave, Long Day's Journey Into Night
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Vanessa Redgrave, Long Day's Journey into Night
Vanessa Redgrave , Antony and Cleopatra
Vanessa RedgraveJohn Gabriel Borkman
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Vanessa Redgrave, Vita & Virginia
Vanessa RedgraveWhen She Danced
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Vanessa RedgraveWhen She Danced
Vanessa Redgrave, Orpheus Descending
Vanessa Redgrave, Orpheus Descending
Vanessa RedgraveA Touch Of The Poet
winner
Vanessa RedgraveThe Seagull
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Vanessa RedgraveThe Aspern Papers
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Vanessa RedgraveThe Lady from the Sea
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Vanessa Redgrave, The Lady from the Sea
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Vanessa RedgraveThe Lady from the Sea
Videos
VIDEO: Amanda Seyfried Teases Broadway Musical Debut With Evan Rachel Wood After THELMA & LOUISE Reports
by Michael Major - 2023-01-18 15:22:18
VIDEO: Go Inside Rehearsals for MY FAIR LADY at the London Coliseum
by Nicole Rosky - 2022-05-05 09:39:11
VIDEO: Amanda Seyfried Wants a Film About the Making of MAMMA MIA!
by Sarah Leiber - 2020-12-16 09:41:25
VIDEO: Glenda Jackson Discusses KING LEAR, Her Career, and More at 92nd Street Y
by Stephi Wild - 2019-05-17 07:26:33
VIDEO: On This Day, September 15- Light the Lights! Sondheim Celebrates His Newly Re-Named Theater
by A.A. Cristi - 2017-09-15 00:01:00
VIDEO: Thomas Sadoski Reveals Secret Marriage to Amanda Seyfried on JAMES CORDEN
by Caryn Robbins - 2017-03-17 08:35:31
TV: Josh Collins Chats Bill Cain's New Thriller 9 CIRCLES, Coming to Sheen Center
by BroadwayWorld TV - 2017-02-16 13:00:31
VIDEO: Austin Pendleton Directs N.C. Hunter's A DAY BY THE SEA For Mint Theater
by Michael Dale - 2016-08-24 14:31:49
VIDEO: Sneak-Peek at Mint Theater's Revival of N.C. Hunter's A DAY BY THE SEA, Directed by Austin Pendleton
by Michael Dale - 2016-07-26 15:35:08
VIDEO: Austin Pendleton Directs N.C. Hunter's Forgotten A DAY BY THE SEA For The Mint Theater
by Michael Dale - 2016-07-01 22:01:17
STAGE TUBE: Jesse Eisenberg Chats His Play THE REVISIONIST at The Wallis
by Stage Tube - 2016-03-30 19:28:08
TV Exclusive: Backstage with Richard Ridge- SAG Foundation Conversations Series with Stage and Screen Legend Vanessa Redgrave
by Backstage With Richard Ridge - 2014-12-07 09:00:51
News
by Mary Lincer - May 24, 2026
What did our critic think of THE MANNEQUIN at We Happy Few?
by Stephi Wild - May 13, 2026
On Monday May 11, WP Theater celebrated their annual gala honoring extraordinary achievement by women+ artists and industry leaders. Check out photos here!
by Stephi Wild - May 5, 2026
Theater Resources Unlimited and the League of Professional Theatre Women will present a Town Hall discussion on gender equality in theater, hosted at Polaris North Studio in NYC with simultaneous streaming available.
by Stephi Wild - Mar 23, 2026
West End theatres will dim their lights at 7pm on March 25 to honor the late Robert Fox, a distinguished producer, on his birthday. Learn more about Robert here!
by Gillian Blum - Mar 21, 2026
Robert Fox, a producer on Broadway and West End shows, and the executive producer of Netflix's The Crown, died at 73, according to Deadline, and his collaborator Hugh Jackman paid tribute to him.
by Stephi Wild - Feb 25, 2026
Actor Rufus Hound will lead the cast in the world premiere of JACK & SARAH at The Mill at Sonning, marking a significant addition to the theatre's season. Learn more here!
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 12, 2026
Zay Harding, known for 'The Visioneers With Zay Harding' on CBS, will make his NY stage debut in 'The Rope and The Cross' alongside Oliver Samuels on April 5 at JPAC.
by Jennifer Ashley Tepper - Mar 1, 2026
This history gives context to the legacies of theatrical dynasties—considered to consist of at least three subsequent generations of theatre creators. In 2026, there is a stigma around any successful professional who follows a parent into their line of work, with this being seen as a pattern of nepotism.
by Stephi Wild - Jan 28, 2026
Toronto's Mirvish Theatres will dim their marquee lights on January 28 at 8 PM to honor the late Paul Elliott, a prominent UK theatre producer who passed away recently.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 22, 2026
Wallace Shawn will embark on a theatrical double venture this winter at the Greenwich House Theater: performing The Fever in repertory What We Did Before Our Moth Days.
by Stephi Wild - Oct 30, 2025
The Olivier Award-winning Oedipus, an adaptation created and directed by Robert Icke, will begin performances on Broadway on Thursday, October 30, 2025. Meet the cast of Oedipus here!
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Sep 8, 2025
George Dillon, Gregg Lowe, Giles Taylor and Nick Waring will star in The Shadow In The Mirror, adapted and directed by Dugald Bruce-Lockhart from the haunting short story by Gerald Durrell. Learn more about the show here!
by Stephi Wild - Jul 15, 2025
25 years since its debut at the Royal Court Theatre, London-based site-specific theatre company Lost Text/Found Space will present Caryl Churchill's modern classic Far Away at the University of Westminster's Ambika P3 space.
by Stephi Wild - Jun 10, 2025
Corina, the 90s pop star and hitmaker, is set to join award-winning singer-songwriter and Broadway composer Steve Schalchlin for a special one-night-only engagement, at Don't Tell Mama.
by Sidney Paterra - May 26, 2025
Few honors in entertainment are as coveted—or as rare—as achieving EGOT status. This elite distinction marks a career filled with versatility, longevity, and extraordinary talent across multiple mediums. What does it all mean? We're taking a closer look at the artists who have managed to join one of the industry’s most exclusive clubs.
by Jennifer Ashley Tepper - May 11, 2025
Three of this season’s plays and two of this season’s musicals are already getting revived for the second or third time this century! Twenty-five years into the 21st century and Broadway has already seen multiple revivals of Glengarry Glen Ross, Our Town, Romeo and Juliet, Gypsy, and Sunset Boulevard.
by Stephi Wild - May 6, 2025
WP Theater has announced the presenters and performers for its 2025 Annual Gala, celebrating extraordinary achievement by Women+ artists and industry leaders. Learn more here!
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 12, 2025
WP Theater has revealed the honorees of its 2025 Annual Gala, celebrating extraordinary achievement by Women+ artists and industry leaders, including Adrienne Warren and more. Learn how to purchase tickets.
by A.A. Cristi - Feb 3, 2025
Royal Family Productions will present a benefit reading of Artistic Director Chris Henry's new short comedy, inspired by Christopher Durang, titled The Fun-er-al: A Fundraising Memorial for the Death of the American Theatre.
by Josh Sharpe - Dec 30, 2024
BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that Olivia Hussey, best known for her role in the 1968 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, has passed away at age 73 from breast cancer.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Vanessa Redgrave has appeared on Broadway in 5 shows.
Vanessa Redgrave has appeared on London's West End in 4 shows.
Vanessa Redgrave's first West End show was The Threepenny Opera which opened in 1972
Editor's Award (Evening Standard Awards) for , Outstanding Actress in a Play (Drama Desk Awards) for The Revisionist, Distinguished Performance Award (Drama League Awards) for The Revisionist, Outstanding Actress in a Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for The Revisionist, Outstanding Lead Actress (The Lortels) for The Revisionist, Best Leading Actress in a Play (BroadwayWorld Awards) for Driving Miss Daisy, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Driving Miss Daisy, Outstanding Solo Performance (Drama Desk Awards) for The Year of Magical Thinking, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for The Year of Magical Thinking, Outstanding Lead Actress, Non-Resident Production (Helen Hayes Awards) for Hecuba, Outstanding Actress - Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Long Day's Journey Into Night, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Long Day's Journey into Night, Outstanding Actress - Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Antony and Cleopatra, Best Actress (Olivier Awards) for John Gabriel Borkman, Performance (Obie Awards) for Vita & Virginia, The Observer Award for Outstanding Achievement (Olivier Awards) for When She Danced, Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress (Evening Standard Awards) for When She Danced, Best Actress - Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Orpheus Descending , Best Actress - Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Orpheus Descending, Actress of the Year in a Revival (Olivier Awards) for A Touch Of The Poet , Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress (Evening Standard Awards) for The Seagull, Actress of the Year in a Revival (Olivier Awards) for The Aspern Papers, Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress (Evening Standard Awards) for The Lady from the Sea, Best Performances (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for The Lady from the Sea and Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress (Evening Standard Awards) for The Lady from the Sea.
Vanessa Redgrave has won numerous awards throughout her career, including the Editor's Award (Evening Standard Awards), Best Leading Actress in a Play (BroadwayWorld Awards) for Driving Miss Daisy, and Outstanding Solo Performance (Drama Desk Awards) for The Year of Magical Thinking. She received the Outstanding Actress - Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Long Day's Journey Into Night and the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) also for Long Day's Journey Into Night. Additionally, she won a Performance award (Obie Awards) for Vita & Virginia and the Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress (Evening Standard Awards) for When She Danced, The Seagull, and The Lady from the Sea. Redgrave also received the Actress of the Year in a Revival (Olivier Awards) for The Aspern Papers, and she won the Best Performances (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for The Lady from the Sea.
Videos
