View source for Vanessa Redgrave

{{Short description|British actress (born 1937)}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix = [[Dame]]
| name             = Vanessa Redgrave
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|DBE}}
| image            = VanRedgrveRoseKng090219-9 (46997099482) (cropped).jpg
| caption          = Redgrave in 2019
| birth_date       = {{Birth date and age|1937|01|30|df=yes}}
| birth_place      = [[Blackheath, London]], England
| alma_mater       = [[Royal Central School of Speech and Drama]]
| occupation       = {{hlist|Actress|political activist}}
| years active     = 1958–present
| spouse           = {{unbulleted list| {{marriage|[[Tony Richardson]]|1962|1967|reason=divorced}}| {{marriage|[[Franco Nero]]<br>|2006}}}}
| partner          = [[Timothy Dalton]] (1971–1986)
| children         = {{unbulleted list| [[Natasha Richardson]] |[[Joely Richardson]]| [[Carlo Gabriel Nero]]}}
| parents          = {{unbulleted list| [[Michael Redgrave]] | [[Rachel Kempson]]}}
| family           = [[Redgrave family|Redgrave]]
| notable_works    = [[List of Vanessa Redgrave performances|Filmography]]
| awards           = [[List of awards and nominations received by Vanessa Redgrave|Full list]]
}}

'''Dame Vanessa Redgrave''' (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress and political activist. In a career spanning over six decades, [[List of awards and nominations received by Vanessa Redgrave|her accolades]] include an [[Academy Award]], a [[Tony Award]], two [[Primetime Emmy Awards]], [[Volpi Cup for Best Actress|Volpi Cup]] and an [[Olivier Award]], making her one of the few performers to achieve the [[Triple Crown of Acting]]. She has also received various honorary awards, including the [[BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award|BAFTA Fellowship Award]], the [[Golden Lion#Golden Lion Honorary Award|Golden Lion Honorary Award]], and an induction into the [[American Theatre Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://old.post-gazette.com/ae/20040128fameweb0128p1.asp|title=Theater honours put women in the spotlight|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|access-date=5 February 2014|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060009/http://old.post-gazette.com/ae/20040128fameweb0128p1.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bafta.org/press/vanessa-redgrave-to-receive-fellowship,82,SNS.html |publisher=BAFTA |title=Vanessa Redgrave to receive Academy Fellowship |date=21 February 2010 |access-date=26 August 2010 |archive-date=19 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100219074123/http://www.bafta.org/press/vanessa-redgrave-to-receive-fellowship,82,SNS.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Redgrave made her acting debut on stage with the production of ''{{sortname|A|Touch of Sun|A Touch of the Sun (play)}}'' in 1958. She rose to prominence in 1961 playing Rosalind in the [[Shakespearean comedy]] ''[[As You Like It]]'' with the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]], and has since starred in numerous productions in the [[West End theatre|West End]] and on [[Broadway (theatre)|Broadway]]. She won the [[Olivier Award]] for [[Laurence Olivier Award for Actress of the Year in a Revival|Best Actress in a Revival]] for ''[[The Aspern Papers]]'' (1984), and received nominations for ''[[A Touch of the Poet]]'' (1988), ''[[John Gabriel Borkman]]'' (1997), and ''[[The Inheritance (play)|The Inheritance]]'' (2019). She also won the [[Tony Award]] for [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play|Best Actress in a Play]] for the revival of ''[[Long Day's Journey into Night]]'' (2003), and was nominated for ''[[The Year of Magical Thinking]]'' (2007) and ''[[Driving Miss Daisy (play)|Driving Miss Daisy]]'' (2011).

Redgrave made her film debut co-starring with her father in the 1958 medical drama ''[[Behind the Mask (1958 film)|Behind the Mask]]''. She rose to prominence as a film actor with the satire ''[[Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment]]'' (1966), which garnered her first of her six Academy Award nominations, winning [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]] for ''[[Julia (1977 film)|Julia]]'' (1977). Her other nominations are for ''[[Isadora (film)|Isadora]]'' (1968), ''[[Mary, Queen of Scots (1971 film)|Mary, Queen of Scots]]'' (1971), ''[[The Bostonians (film)|The Bostonians]]'' (1984), and ''[[Howards End (film)|Howards End]]'' (1992). Her other films include ''[[A Man for All Seasons (1966 film)|A Man for All Seasons]]'' (1966), ''[[Blowup]]'' (1966), ''[[Camelot (film)|Camelot]]'' (1967), ''[[The Devils (film)|The Devils]]'' (1971), ''[[Murder on the Orient Express (1974 film)|Murder on the Orient Express]]'' (1974), ''[[Agatha (film)|Agatha]]'' (1979), ''[[Prick Up Your Ears]]'' (1987), ''[[Mission: Impossible (film)|Mission: Impossible]]'' (1996), ''[[Venus (2006 film)|Venus]]'' (2006), ''[[Atonement (2007 film)|Atonement]]'' (2007), ''[[Coriolanus (film)|Coriolanus]]'' (2011), and ''[[Foxcatcher]]'' (2014).

A member of the [[Redgrave family]] of actors, she is the daughter of [[Sir Michael Redgrave]] and [[Rachel Kempson|Lady Redgrave]] (Rachel Kempson), the sister of [[Lynn Redgrave]] and [[Corin Redgrave]], the wife of Italian actor [[Franco Nero]], the mother of actresses [[Joely Richardson]] and [[Natasha Richardson]] and screenwriter and director [[Carlo Gabriel Nero]], the aunt of British actress [[Jemma Redgrave]], the mother-in-law of actor [[Liam Neeson]] and film producer [[Tim Bevan]], and the grandmother of [[Daisy Bevan]], [[Micheál Richardson]] and Daniel Neeson.

== Early life ==
{{Main|Redgrave family}}
Vanessa Redgrave was born on 30 January 1937 in [[Blackheath, London]],{{sfn|Redgrave|1991|p=5}} the daughter of actors Sir [[Michael Redgrave]] and [[Rachel Kempson]].<ref>{{cite web|author1=General Register Office|title=England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837–2008|url=https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVQX-QKTB|website=FamilySearch|publisher=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|access-date=24 September 2015|quote=Vanessa Redgrave, 1937, Greenwich, London, England; Mother's maiden name Kempson}}</ref> [[Laurence Olivier]] announced her birth to the audience at a performance of ''[[Hamlet]]'' at the [[Old Vic]], when he said that [[Laertes (Hamlet)|Laertes]] (played by Sir Michael) had a daughter. Accounts say Olivier announced, "A great actress has been born this night."

In her autobiography, Redgrave recalls the [[The Blitz|East End]] and [[Coventry Blitz]]es among her earliest memories.{{sfn|Redgrave|1991|pages=6–7}} Following the East End Blitz, Redgrave relocated with her family to [[Bromyard]], [[Herefordshire]], before returning to London in 1943.{{sfn|Redgrave|1991|pages=7, 12}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Vanessa Redgrave returns to WW2 evacuee town |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england-hereford-worcester-50354208 |website=bbc.com/news |access-date=27 November 2024 |date=8 November 2019}}</ref> She was educated at two [[independent school]]s for girls: the [[Alice Ottley School]] in [[Worcester, England|Worcester]], and [[Queen's Gate School]] in London, before "coming out" as a [[debutante]]. Her siblings [[Lynn Redgrave]] and [[Corin Redgrave]] were also actors.

== Career ==
[[File:Vanessa Redgrave - Vintage Portrait.png|thumb|left|Redgrave {{c.}}1970.]]

=== Early stage and film career ===
Vanessa Redgrave entered the [[Central School of Speech and Drama]] in 1954. She first appeared in the West End, playing opposite her brother, in 1958.

In 1959, Redgrave appeared at the [[Shakespeare Memorial Theatre]] under the direction of [[Peter Hall (director)|Peter Hall]] as Helena in ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' opposite [[Charles Laughton]] as Bottom and ''Coriolanus'' opposite [[Laurence Olivier]] (in the title role), [[Albert Finney]] and [[Edith Evans]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Micheline Steinberg |title=Flashback, A Pictorial History 1879–1979: 100 Years of Stratford-upon-Avon and the Royal Shakespeare Company |publisher=RSC Publications |date=1985 |page=73}}</ref>

In 1960, Redgrave had her first starring role in [[Robert Bolt]]'s ''[[The Tiger and the Horse]]'', in which she co-starred with her father. In 1961, she played [[Rosalind (As You Like It)|Rosalind]] in ''[[As You Like It]]'' for the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]]. In 1962, she played [[Imogen (Shakespeare)|Imogen]] in [[William Gaskill]]'s production of ''[[Cymbeline]]'' for the [[Royal Shakespeare Company|RSC]]. In 1966, Redgrave created the role of Jean Brodie in the [[Donald Albery]] production of ''[[The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (novel)|The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie]]'', adapted for the stage by [[Jay Presson Allen]] from the novel by [[Muriel Spark]].

Redgrave had her first credited film role, in which she co-starred with her father, in [[Brian Desmond Hurst]]'s ''[[Behind the Mask (1958 film)|Behind the Mask]]'' (1958). Redgrave's first starring film role was in ''[[Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment]]'' (1966), co-starring [[David Warner (actor)|David Warner]] and directed by [[Karel Reisz]], for which she received an Oscar nomination, a [[Cannes]] award, a [[Golden Globe]] nomination and a [[BAFTA|BAFTA Film Award nomination]]. Following this, she portrayed a mysterious woman in ''[[Blowup]]'' (1966). Co-starring [[David Hemmings]], it was the first English-language film of the Italian director [[Michelangelo Antonioni]]. Reunited with Karel Reisz for the biographical film of dancer [[Isadora Duncan]] in ''[[Isadora (film)|Isadora]]'' (1968), her portrayal of Duncan led her gaining a National Society of Film Critics' Award for Best Actress, a second Prize for the Best Female Performance at the [[Cannes Film Festival]], along with a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination. In 1970 and 1971, Vanessa was directed by Italian filmmaker [[Tinto Brass]] in two films: ''[[Dropout (film)|Dropout]]'' and ''[[La vacanza (film)|La vacanza]]''.
In the same period came other portrayals of historical (or semi-mythical) figures – ranging from Andromache in ''[[The Trojan Women (film)|The Trojan Women]]'' (1971) to the lead in ''[[Mary, Queen of Scots (1971 film)|Mary, Queen of Scots]]'' (1971), the latter earning her a third Oscar nomination. She also played the role of [[Guinevere]] in the film ''[[Camelot (film)|Camelot]]'' (1967) with [[Richard Harris]] and [[Franco Nero]], and briefly as [[Sylvia Pankhurst]] in ''[[Oh! What a Lovely War]]'' (1969). She portrayed the character of Mother Superior Jeanne des Anges (Joan of the Angels) in ''[[The Devils (film)|The Devils]]'' (1971), the once controversial film directed by [[Ken Russell]].

=== ''Julia'' (1977) ===
In the film ''[[Julia (1977 film)|Julia]]'' (1977), she starred in the title role as a woman murdered by the [[Nazi Germany|Nazi German]] regime in the years prior to World War II for her [[anti-Fascist]] activism. Her co-star in the film was [[Jane Fonda]] (playing writer [[Lillian Hellman]]). In her 2005 autobiography, Fonda wrote that:
{{blockquote|…There is a quality about Vanessa that makes me feel as if she resides in a netherworld of mystery that eludes the rest of us mortals. Her voice seems to come from some deep place that knows all suffering and all secrets. Watching her work is like seeing through layers of glass, each layer painted in mythic watercolour images, layer after layer, until it becomes dark, but even then you know you haven't come to the bottom of it ... The only other time I had experienced this with an actor was with Marlon Brando ... Like Vanessa, he always seemed to be in another reality, working off some secret, magnetic, inner rhythm.<ref>{{cite book |last=Fonda |first=Jane |title=My Life So Far |url=https://archive.org/details/mylifesofar00fondrich |url-access=registration |publisher=Random House |location=New York |year=2005 |page=[https://archive.org/details/mylifesofar00fondrich/page/364 364]|isbn=9780375507106 }}</ref>}}

When Redgrave was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]] in 1977 for her role in ''Julia'', members of the [[Jewish Defense League]] (JDL), led by Rabbi [[Meir Kahane]], burned effigies of Redgrave and picketed the Academy Awards ceremony to protest against what they saw as her support for the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]].<ref name="levye">{{cite web|last=Emanuel|first=Levy|title=Oscar Politics: Vanessa Redgrave|date=February 2006 |url=http://www.emanuellevy.com/oscar/oscar-politics-vanessa-redgrave-2/|access-date=30 March 2012}}</ref><ref name="telegraph160412" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Fretts|first=Bruce|date=11 January 2019|title=Oscars Rewind: The Most Political Ceremony in Academy History|language=en-US|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/movies/oscars-1978-politics-vanessa-redgrave.html|access-date=5 February 2022|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

This film opened in 1977, the same year she produced and appeared in the film ''[[The Palestinian]]'', which followed the activities of the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]] (PLO) in Lebanon.<ref name="levye"/><ref name="telegraph160412" /> The film was criticised by many [[Jews|Jewish]] groups for its perceived slant on Israel's occupation,<ref>{{Cite news|title=Vanessa Redgrave doesn't regret 'Zionist hoodlums' speech|url=https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/vanessa-redgrave-doesnt-regret-zionist-hoodlums-speech-566066|access-date=4 February 2022|newspaper=The Jerusalem Post &#124; Jpost.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":2"/> and members of the [[Jewish Defense League]] (JDL) picketed Redgrave's nomination outside the Academy Awards ceremony while counter-protestors waved PLO flags.<ref name=":0" /> Redgrave won the Oscar and in [[50th Academy Awards#Vanessa Redgrave's speech|her acceptance speech]], she thanked Hollywood for having "refused to be intimidated by the threats of a small bunch of [[Zionism|Zionist]] hoodlums – whose behaviour is an insult to the stature of Jews all over the world and to their great and heroic record of struggle against fascism and oppression".<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/movies/oscars/speeches.htm | title=The Oscar Acceptance Speech: By and Large, It's a Lost Art |newspaper=The Washington Post | author=Sharon Waxman | date=21 March 1999 | access-date=11 January 2016}}</ref> Her remarks received an on-stage response later in the ceremony from Academy Award–winning screenwriter [[Paddy Chayefsky]], that year's award presenter<ref name=":0" /> and sparked controversy. In his biography of Redgrave, Dan Callahan wrote, "The scandal of her awards speech and the negative press it occasioned had a destructive effect on her acting opportunities that would last for years to come".<ref name="Callahan">{{cite book|last1=Callahan|first1=Dan|title=Vanessa: The Life of Vanessa Redgrave|date=2014|publisher=Pegasus Books|isbn=978-1-60598-593-0|page=121|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dR1bBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT87 |access-date=16 June 2017|language=en}}</ref>

=== Later career ===

==== Film and television ====
Later film roles include those of [[Agatha Christie]] in ''[[Agatha (film)|Agatha]]'' (1979), Helen in ''[[Yanks]]'' (1979), a Holocaust survivor in ''[[Playing for Time (film)|Playing for Time]]'' (1980), Leenie Cabrezi in ''[[My Body, My Child]]'' (1982), The Queen in ''[[Sing Sing (1983 film)|Sing, Sing]]'' (1983), suffragist Olive Chancellor in ''[[The Bostonians (film)|The Bostonians]]'' (1984, a fourth Best Actress Academy Award nomination), transsexual tennis player [[Renée Richards]] in ''[[Second Serve]]'' (1986), Blanche Hudson in the television remake of ''[[What Ever Happened to...|What Ever Happened to Baby Jane]]'' (1991), Mrs. Wilcox in ''[[Howards End (film)|Howards End]]'' (1992, her sixth Academy Award nomination, this time in a supporting role); arms dealer Max in ''[[Mission: Impossible (film)|Mission: Impossible]]'' (1996, when discussing the role of Max, [[Brian DePalma]] and [[Tom Cruise]] thought it would be fun to cast an actor like Redgrave; they then decided to go with the real thing); [[Oscar Wilde]]'s mother in ''[[Wilde (film)|Wilde]]'' (1997); Clarissa Dalloway in ''[[Mrs Dalloway (film)|Mrs Dalloway]]'' (1997); and Dr. Sonia Wick in ''[[Girl, Interrupted (film)|Girl, Interrupted]]'' (1999). Many of these roles and others garnered her widespread accolades.

Her performance as a lesbian mourning the loss of her longtime partner in the HBO series ''[[If These Walls Could Talk 2]]'' (2000) earned her a [[Golden Globe]] for Best TV Series Supporting Actress, as well as earning an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a TV Film or Miniseries. This same performance also led to an Excellence in Media Award from the [[Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation]] (GLAAD). In 2004, Redgrave joined the second-season cast of the [[FX (TV channel)|FX]] series ''[[Nip/Tuck]]'', portraying [[Dr. Erica Noughton]], the mother of Julia McNamara, who was played by her real-life daughter [[Joely Richardson]]. She also made appearances in the third and sixth seasons. In 2006, Redgrave starred opposite [[Peter O'Toole]] in the film ''[[Venus (2006 film)|Venus]]''. A year later, Redgrave starred in ''[[Evening (film)|Evening]]'' and ''[[Atonement (2007 film)|Atonement]]'', in which she received a [[Broadcast Film Critics Association]] award nomination for a performance that took up only seven minutes of screen time.
[[File:Vanessa by Mayar Akash 1994.jpg|thumb|right|Redgrave in 1994.]]
In 2008, Redgrave appeared as a narrator in an Arts Alliance production, [[Id identity of the soul|id – Identity of the Soul]]. In 2009, Redgrave starred in the [[BBC]] remake of ''[[The Day of the Triffids (2009 TV miniseries)|The Day of the Triffids]]'', with her daughter Joely. In the midst of losing her daughter, Natasha Richardson, Redgrave signed on to play [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]] in [[Ridley Scott]]'s version of ''[[Robin Hood (2010 film)|Robin Hood]]'' (2010), which began filming shortly after Natasha's death. Redgrave later withdrew from the film for personal reasons. The part was given to her ''Evening'' co-star [[Eileen Atkins]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/redgrave%20withdraws%20from%20robin%20hood_1103794|title=Redgrave Withdraws From Robin Hood|author=WENN|work=Contactmusic.com}}</ref> She was next seen in ''[[Letters to Juliet]]'' opposite her husband [[Franco Nero]].

She had small roles in ''[[Eva (2009 film)|Eva]]'' (2009), a Romanian drama film that premiered at the [[2010 Cannes Film Festival]], as well as in [[Julian Schnabel]]'s Palestinian drama ''[[Miral]]'' (2010), which was screened at the [[67th Venice International Film Festival]]. She voiced the character of Winnie the Giant Tortoise in the environmental animated film ''[[Animals United (film)|Animals United]]'' (also 2010), and played a supporting role in the [[Bosnia]]-set political drama, ''[[The Whistleblower]]'' (2010), which premiered at the [[2010 Toronto International Film Festival|Toronto International Film Festival]]. Redgrave also narrated [[Patrick Keiller]]'s semi-fictional documentary, ''[[Robinson in Ruins]]'' (2010). Since 2012, Redgrave has narrated voiceovers that are featured at the beginning and end of episodes of the [[BBC]] series ''[[Call the Midwife|Call The Midwife]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.co.uk/cast.asp?title=Call%20the%20Midwife&|title=Call the Midwife Cast List – TV Guide UK TV Listings|work=tvguide.co.uk}}</ref>

She also played leading roles in two historical films: Shakespeare's ''[[Coriolanus (2011 film)|Coriolanus]]'' (which marked actor [[Ralph Fiennes]]' directorial debut), in which she plays [[Volumnia]]; and [[Roland Emmerich]]'s ''[[Anonymous (2011 film)|Anonymous]]'' (both 2011), as [[Queen Elizabeth I|{{nowrap|Queen Elizabeth I}}]].

Subsequently, she starred with [[Terence Stamp]] and [[Gemma Arterton]] in the British comedy-drama ''[[Song for Marion]]'' (US: ''Unfinished Song'', 2012) and with [[Forest Whitaker]] in ''[[The Butler]]'' (2013), directed by [[Lee Daniels]]. She also appeared with [[Steve Carell]] and [[Channing Tatum]] in the drama ''[[Foxcatcher]]'' (2014).

In 2017, at the age of 80, Redgrave made her directorial debut with the feature documentary ''[[Sea Sorrow]]'', which covers the plight of child migrants in the [[Calais]] [[Calais Jungle|refugee camps]] and the broader [[European migrant crisis]]. It premiered at the [[2017 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name="demostake">{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2017/may/21/vanessa-redgrave-sea-sorrow-interview-democracy-voting-labour| title=Vanessa Redgrave: 'Democracy is at stake. That's why I'm voting Labour'| first=Xan |last=Brooks| newspaper=The Guardian| date=21 May 2017| access-date=10 May 2018}}</ref> Critics praised the documentary's message but criticised the structure for a "scattershot lack of focus" and the "ungainliness of its production values."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/may/17/sea-sorrow-review-vanessa-redgrave-cannes-2017-refugees| title=Sea Sorrow review – Vanessa Redgrave's ungainly, heartfelt essay on the refugee crisis| author=Peter Bradshaw| newspaper=The Guardian| date=17 May 2017| access-date=10 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/sea-sorrow-review-1004662 |title='Sea Sorrow': Film Review Cannes 2017 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=19 May 2017 |access-date=10 May 2018}}</ref>

In June 2024, [[principal photography]] was completed on ''The Estate'', a feature drama, executive produced by Redgrave, her husband [[Franco Nero]], and son [[Carlo Gabriel Nero]]. The film is written and directed by her son, and stars Redgrave and Franco Nero.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wiseman |first=Andreas |date=26 July 2024 |title=Vanessa Redgrave & Franco Nero Lead Social Thriller 'The Estate', First Look Image Revealed As Filming Wraps In UK |url=https://deadline.com/2024/07/vanessa-redgrave-franco-nero-the-estate-first-look-1236021370/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240820192322/https://deadline.com/2024/07/vanessa-redgrave-franco-nero-the-estate-first-look-1236021370/ |archive-date=20 August 2024 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> ''The Estate'' will premiere in November, 2025 at the 43rd [[Torino Film Festival]], where Redgrave will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vivarelli |first=Nick |date=October 16, 2025 |title=Vanessa Redgrave Set for Lifetime Achievement Award in Turin Before Premiere of New Film 'The Estate' |url=https://variety.com/2025/film/festivals/vanessa-redgrave-lifetime-achievement-award-turin-1236554340/ |access-date=October 17, 2025 |work=[[Variety_(magazine)]]}}</ref>

==== Theatre ====
Redgrave won four [[Evening Standard Awards#Best Actress|Evening Standard Awards for Best Actress]] in four decades. She was awarded the [[Laurence Olivier Award for Actress of the Year in a Revival]] in 1984 for ''[[The Aspern Papers]]''.

In 2000, her theatre work included [[Prospero]] in ''[[The Tempest]]'' at [[Shakespeare's Globe]] in London. In 2003, she won a [[Tony Award]] for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in the Broadway [[revival (play)|revival]] of [[Eugene O'Neill]]'s ''[[Long Day's Journey Into Night]]''. In January 2006, Redgrave was presented the Ibsen Centennial Award for her "outstanding work in interpreting many of [[Henrik Ibsen]]'s works over the last decades".<ref>[http://www.norway.org.uk/ibsen/events/ibsenlaunch.htm "Vanessa Redgrave honoured at UK Ibsen Year opening"], ''Norway – the official site in the UK''. Retrieved 17 December 2006.</ref> Previous recipients of the award include [[Liv Ullmann]], [[Glenda Jackson]] and [[Claire Bloom]].

In 2007, Redgrave played [[Joan Didion]] in her Broadway stage adaptation of her 2005 book, ''[[The Year of Magical Thinking]]'', which played 144 regular performances in a 24-week limited engagement at the [[Booth Theatre]]. For this, she won the [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One-Person Show]] and was nominated for the [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play]]. She reprised the role at the [[Lyttelton Theatre]] at the [[Royal National Theatre]] in London to mixed reviews. She also spent a week performing the work at the [[Theatre Royal, Bath|Theatre Royal]] in [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]] in September 2008. She once again performed the role of Joan Didion for a special benefit at [[Cathedral of St. John the Divine]] in New York City on 26 October 2009. The performance was originally slated to debut on 27 April, but was pushed due to the death of Redgrave's daughter Natasha. The proceeds for the benefit were donated to the [[United Nations Children's Fund]] (UNICEF) and the [[United Nations Relief and Works Agency]] (UNRWA). Both charities work to provide help for the children of [[Gaza Strip|Gaza]].

In October 2010, she starred in the Broadway premiere of ''[[Driving Miss Daisy (play)|Driving Miss Daisy]]'' starring in the title role opposite [[James Earl Jones]]. The show premiered on 25 October 2010 at the [[John Golden Theatre]] in New York City to rave reviews.<ref>Foster, Alistair (26 October 2010),[http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/theatre/article-23891608-rave-reviews-for-redgrave-sassy-at-73-after-year-of-family-heartbreak.do "Rave reviews for Vanessa Redgrave, 'sassy' at 73 after year of family heartbreak"]. ''[[London Evening Standard]]''. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101229023831/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/theatre/article-23891608-rave-reviews-for-redgrave-sassy-at-73-after-year-of-family-heartbreak.do |date=29 December 2010 }}.</ref> The production was originally scheduled to run to 29 January 2011 but due to a successful response and high box office sales, was extended to 9 April 2011.<ref>Gans, Andrew (15 December 2010), [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/145877-Driving-Miss-Daisy-Extends-Through-April-2011-with-All-Three-Stars "Driving Miss Daisy Extends Through April 2011 with All Three Stars"], ''Playbill''. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217072951/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/145877-Driving-Miss-Daisy-Extends-Through-April-2011-with-All-Three-Stars |date=17 December 2010 }}.</ref> In May 2011, she was nominated for a [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play]] for the role of Daisy in ''[[Driving Miss Daisy (play)|Driving Miss Daisy]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://broadwayworld.com/article/2011-Tony-Nominations-Announced-THE-BOOK-OF-MORMON-Leads-With-14-20110503 | title=2011 Tony Nominations Announced! THE BOOK OF MORMON Leads With 14! |publisher=broadway world.com |date=3 May 2011 |access-date=5 May 2011}}</ref> The play transferred to the [[Wyndham's Theatre]] in London from 26 September to 17 December 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.whatsonstage.com/news/theatre/london/E8831308271533/Redgrave+%26+Jones+Drive+Miss+Daisy+to+West+End.html |title=Redgrave & Jones Drive Miss Daisy to West End – Driving Miss Daisy at Wyndham's Theatre |publisher=Whatsonstage.com |access-date=11 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111228050102/http://www.whatsonstage.com/news/theatre/london/E8831308271533/Redgrave+%26+Jones+Drive+Miss+Daisy+to+West+End.html |archive-date=28 December 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2013, Redgrave starred alongside [[Jesse Eisenberg]] in Eisenberg's ''The Revisionist''. The New York production ran from 15 February to 27 April. Redgrave played a Polish holocaust survivor in the play.<ref>Hetrick, Adam (15 February 2013), [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/175065-The-Revisionist-Starring-Jesse-Eisenberg-and-Vanessa-Redgrave-Premieres-Off-Broadway-Feb-15 "The Revisionist, Starring Jesse Eisenberg and Vanessa Redgrave, Premieres Off-Broadway Feb. 15"]. ''Playbill''. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130307004540/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/175065-The-Revisionist-Starring-Jesse-Eisenberg-and-Vanessa-Redgrave-Premieres-Off-Broadway-Feb-15 |date=7 March 2013 }}.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/175484-The-Revisionist-Starring-Jesse-Eisenberg-and-Vanessa-Redgrave-Extends-Off-Broadway-Run|title=The Revisionist, Starring Jesse Eisenberg and Vanessa Redgrave, Extends Off-Broadway Run|work=Playbill|date=1 March 2013|first=Andrew|last= Gans|author2= Kenneth Jones|access-date=22 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130505015951/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/175484-The-Revisionist-Starring-Jesse-Eisenberg-and-Vanessa-Redgrave-Extends-Off-Broadway-Run|archive-date=5 May 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> In September 2013, Redgrave once again starred opposite [[James Earl Jones]] in a production of ''[[Much Ado About Nothing]]'' at [[The Old Vic]], London, directed by [[Mark Rylance]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Trueman|first=Matt|title=Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones to reunite for Old Vic's Much Ado|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/dec/04/vanessa-redgrave-james-earl-jones-much-ado|newspaper=The Guardian|date=4 December 2012}}</ref>

In 2016, Redgrave played Queen Margaret in ''[[Richard III (play)|Richard III]]'' with [[Ralph Fiennes]] in the title role, at the [[Almeida Theatre]], London.<ref>{{cite news|last=Billington|first=Michael|title=Richard III – Ralph Fiennes gets to grips with Shakespeare's ruthless ruler|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2016/jun/16/richard-iii-review-ralph-fiennes-almeida-theatre|newspaper=The Guardian|date=16 June 2016}}</ref>

In February 2022, it was confirmed that she would be playing Mrs Higgins in ''[[My Fair Lady]]'' at the [[London Coliseum]] from May to August 2022.<ref>{{cite web|work=WhatsOnStage|title=My Fair Lady announces lead casting for West End run|last=Wood|first=Alex|date=25 February 2022|url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/my-fair-lady-lead-casting-west-end_55999.html}}</ref>

In a poll of "industry experts" and readers conducted by ''[[The Stage]]'' in 2010, Redgrave was ranked as the ninth greatest stage actor/actress of all time.<ref>{{cite web|author=Alistair Smith |url=http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/30744/judi-dench-tops-greatest-stage-actor-poll |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913205447/http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/30744/judi-dench-tops-greatest-stage-actor-poll |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 September 2012 |title=Judi Dench tops Greatest Stage Actor poll |work=The Stage |date=15 December 2010 |access-date=30 March 2012}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Redgrave was married to film and theatre director [[Tony Richardson]] from 1962 to 1967; the couple had two daughters: actresses [[Natasha Richardson]] (1963–2009), and [[Joely Richardson]] (b. 1965). In 1967, the year Redgrave divorced Richardson, who left her for the French actress [[Jeanne Moreau]], she became romantically involved with Italian actor [[Franco Nero]] when they met on the set of ''[[Camelot (film)|Camelot]]''. In 1969, they had a son, [[Carlo Gabriel Nero|Carlo Gabriel Redgrave Sparanero]] (known professionally as Carlo Gabriel Nero), a screenwriter and director. From 1971 to 1986, she had a long-term relationship with actor [[Timothy Dalton]], with whom she had appeared in the film ''[[Mary, Queen of Scots (1971 film)|Mary, Queen of Scots]]'' (1971).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.oocities.org/hollywood/film/7518/Vanessa/Vanessa.htm | title=Excerpts from Vanessa Redgrave's Autobiography | publisher=Oocities.org | access-date=13 June 2012}}</ref> Redgrave later reunited with Franco Nero, and they married on 31 December 2006. Carlo Nero directed Redgrave in ''[[The Fever (2004 film)|The Fever]]'' (2004), a film adaptation of the [[Wallace Shawn]] play.<ref>{{cite web | author=Amy Goodman | title=Vanessa Redgrave Combines Lifelong Devotion to Acting and Political Involvement in New HBO Film ''The Fever'' | url=http://www.democracynow.org/2007/6/13/vanessa_redgrave_combines_lifelong_devotion_to | format=.MP3 | work=Democracy Now! | date=13 June 2007 | access-date=14 May 2007}}</ref> Redgrave has six grandchildren.

Within 14 months in 2009 and 2010, Redgrave lost both a daughter and her two younger siblings. Her daughter Natasha Richardson died on 18 March 2009 from a [[traumatic brain injury]] caused by a skiing accident.<ref>{{cite news | url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7949195.stm | publisher=BBC News | title=Natasha Richardson dies aged 45 | date=19 March 2009 | access-date=27 May 2010}}</ref> On 6 April 2010, her brother, [[Corin Redgrave]], died, and on 2 May 2010, her sister, [[Lynn Redgrave]], died.

Redgrave had a near-fatal [[heart attack]] in April 2015.<ref>{{cite news| first= Sarah |last= Buchanan| url= http://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/608167/Vanessa-Redgrave-survives-near-fatal-heart-attack-answer-phone-message | title= Vanessa Redgrave survives severe heart attack thanks to answer phone message| work= Daily Express| date= 26 September 2015}}</ref> In September 2015, she revealed that her lungs are working at only 30 per cent capacity due to [[emphysema]] caused by years of smoking.<ref>{{cite news| first= Alison |last= Roberts| url= https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/vanessa-redgrave-before-i-didn-t-care-at-all-now-i-find-myself-thinking-what-a-miracle-everything-is-a2954866.html |title= Vanessa Redgrave: 'Before I didn't care at all – now I find myself thinking what a miracle everything is'| work= London Evening Standard| date= 24 September 2015}}</ref>

Redgrave has described herself as a person of [[faith]] and said that she "sometimes" attends a [[Catholicism|Catholic]] church.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2016/jun/13/vanessa-redgrave-interview-simon-hattenstone |title=Vanessa Redgrave on why she was ready to die: 'Trying to live was getting too tiring' |first=Simon |last=Hattenstone |date=13 June 2016 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] | location=London}}</ref>

== Political activism ==
In 1961, Vanessa Redgrave was an active member of the [[Committee of 100 (United Kingdom)|Committee of 100]] and its working group. Redgrave and her brother Corin joined the [[Workers Revolutionary Party (UK)|Workers Revolutionary Party]] (WRP) in the 1970s.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-corin-redgrave7-2010apr07-story.html |title=Corin Redgrave dies at 70; actor and activist was part of the famed British family of performers |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |first=Mary |last=Rourke |date=7 April 2010 |access-date=30 October 2011}}</ref> She stood for parliament several times as a party member but never received more than a few hundred votes.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/r/vanessa_redgrave/index.html |title=Vanessa Redgrave |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=19 March 2009 |access-date=30 October 2011}}</ref> The party disbanded in 1985 amid allegations that chairman [[Gerry Healy]] was implicated in sexual abuse of female supporters.

On 17 March 1968, Redgrave participated in the anti-[[Vietnam War]] protest outside United States Embassy in [[Grosvenor Square]]. She was allowed to enter the embassy to deliver a protest.<ref>{{Cite news |date=17 March 1968 |title=1968: Anti-Vietnam demo turns violent |language=en-GB |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/17/newsid_2818000/2818967.stm |website=[[BBC News Online|BBC News]] |access-date=15 May 2022}}</ref>

Redgrave used her wage from ''Mary, Queen of Scots'' to build a nursery school, near her home in west London. She donated the school to the state.<ref name="telegraph160412" />

After the [[1973 Old Bailey bombing]], Redgrave volunteered to post bond for the defendants and offered up her own house in West Hampstead, should any of them need a place to stay. None of the defendants were released from custody to take her up on her offer.<ref>"[[Say Nothing (book)]] by Patrick Radden Keefe". [[Penguin Random House]], p. 137.</ref>

In 1977, Redgrave produced and starred in a controversial<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|last=Shepard|first=Richard F.|date=10 November 1977|title=Redgrave Film on P.L.O. Stirs a Controversy|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/11/10/archives/westchester-opinion-redgrave-film-on-plo-stirs-a-controversy.html|access-date=4 February 2022|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> documentary film, ''[[The Palestinian]]'', about the activities of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)|url=https://www.adl.org/resources/glossary-terms/palestine-liberation-organization-plo|access-date=4 February 2022|website=[[Anti-Defamation League]]|language=en}}</ref> She funded the documentary by selling her house.<ref name="telegraph160412">{{cite web |last1=Higginbotham |first1=Adam |title=Vanessa Redgrave: 'Why do I work? I'm mortgaged up to the hilt' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/9202723/Vanessa-Redgrave-Why-do-I-work-Im-mortgaged-up-to-the-hilt.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/9202723/Vanessa-Redgrave-Why-do-I-work-Im-mortgaged-up-to-the-hilt.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |website=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |access-date=25 January 2021 |date=16 April 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The pro-Israel [[Anti-Defamation League]]'s honorary chairman criticised the film, saying that some of the responses of the people she interviews were not translated from Arabic, that the film showed children training with guns and that the phrase, "Kill the enemy!" kept being repeated.<ref name=":2" /> The president of Actors Equity in the United States said he had seen a transcript of the film's interview with the chairman of the PLO, [[Yasser Arafat]], in which Arafat said that the only solution to the Middle East problem is the liquidation of the [[State of israel|State of Israel]], and Redgrave responded with, "Certainly".<ref name=":3">{{Cite news| author = Altean Harmetz |date=16 June 1978|title=Theatre for Vannessa Redgrave Film Bombed|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/06/16/archives/threater-for-redgrave-film-bombed.html|access-date=4 February 2022|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In June 1978, at one theatre showing the film, a bomb exploded, causing damage to property, but screening of the film resumed the following day.<ref name=":3" /> Two months later, a [[Jewish Defense League]] member was convicted of the bombing and sentenced to a three-month "thorough psychological examination" with the California Youth Authority.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Jewish Defense League|url=https://www.adl.org/education/resources/profiles/jewish-defense-league|access-date=5 February 2022|website=[[Anti-Defamation League]]|language=en}}</ref> In a 2018 interview, Redgrave stood by her acceptance speech (which included the "Zionist hoodlums" remark) during the 1978 Academy Awards ceremony.<ref>{{cite news|last=JTA|title=Vanessa Redgrave unapologetic about 40-year-old 'Zionist hoodlums' remark|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/vanessa-redgrave-unapologetic-about-40-year-old-zionist-hoodlums-remark/|access-date=5 February 2022|website=[[The Times of Israel]]|language=en-US |issn=0040-7909}}</ref>

In 1977, Redgrave offered a resolution asking the British actors union to boycott Israel, allegedly including the selling of any taped material. The resolution was reportedly not brought to a vote.<ref name=":3" />

In 1980, Redgrave made her American TV debut as [[concentration camp]] survivor [[Fania Fénelon]] in the [[Arthur Miller]]-scripted TV movie ''[[Playing For Time (film)|Playing for Time]]'', a part for which she won an [[Emmy]] as Outstanding Lead Actress in 1981. The decision to cast Redgrave as Fénelon was, however, a source of controversy. In light of Redgrave's support for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO),<ref>{{cite news |author=Daniel Schorn |date=1 June 2007 |title=The New Direction of Vanessa Redgrave |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-new-direction-of-vanessa-redgrave/ |publisher=[[CBS News]] |access-date=19 November 2014}}</ref> Fénelon herself and the Jewish groups the [[Simon Wiesenthal Center]], the [[Anti-Defamation League]], and the [[American Jewish Congress]] objected to Redgrave's casting. Rabbi [[Marvin Hier]] of the Simon Wiesenthal Center wrote in a telegram that, "Your selection shows utter callous disregard of the tens of thousands of survivors for whom Miss Redgrave's portrayal would desecrate the memory of the martyred millions. Your decision could only be compared to selecting [[J. Edgar Hoover]] to portray [[Martin Luther King Jr.]]" Producer [[David L. Wolper]], in a telephone interview, compared it to letting the head of the [[Ku Klux Klan]] play a sympathetic white man in ''[[Roots (1977 miniseries)|Roots]]'', a miniseries about the slave trade.<ref name="nyt1979aug8">{{cite web | title=Vanessa Redgrave's Casting Is Protested |first=Richard F. |last=Shepard| website=[[The New York Times]] | date=8 August 1979 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/08/08/archives/vanessa-redgraves-casting-is-protested-telegram-to-network-charged.html | access-date=31 August 2020}}</ref> Miller said "She's a Marxist; this is a political matter. Turning her down because of her ideas was unacceptable to me; after all I suffered the [[Hollywood blacklist|blacklist]] myself".<ref name="Callahan" />

In 1984, Redgrave sued the [[Boston Symphony Orchestra]], claiming that the orchestra had fired her from a 1982 performance of Stravinsky's ''[[Oedipus Rex (opera)|Oedipus Rex]]''<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schwartz |first1=Lloyd |title=J'accuse: The BSO wrecks 'Oedipus' |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_boston-phoenix_1982-04-13_11_15/page/n57/mode/1up |access-date=18 August 2024 |work=[[The Phoenix (newspaper)|The Boston Phoenix]] |date=13 April 1982}}</ref> because of her support of the PLO.<ref>{{cite web |date=April 6, 1988 |title=Redgrave v. Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc., 855 F. 2d 888 |url=https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=17283568297737840904 |access-date= |website=Google Scholar |ref={{sfnref|Google Scholar|1988}}}}</ref> [[Lillian Hellman]] testified in court on Redgrave's behalf.<ref name="martinson 357">{{cite book|title= Lillian Hellman|last= Martinson|first= Deborah|year= 2005|publisher= [[Counterpoint (publisher)|Counterpoint Press]]|isbn= 1-58243-315-1|page= [https://archive.org/details/lillianhellmanli00mart/page/357 357]|url= https://archive.org/details/lillianhellmanli00mart/page/357|url-access= registration}}</ref> Redgrave won on a count of [[breach of contract]], but did not win on the claim that the Boston orchestra had violated her civil rights by firing her.<ref name="martinson 357" />

In 1995, Redgrave was elected to serve as a [[UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador]].{{citation needed|date=December 2021}}

In December 2002, Redgrave paid £50,000 bail for [[Chechnya|Chechen]] separatist Deputy Premier and special envoy [[Akhmed Zakayev]], who had sought [[political asylum]] in the United Kingdom. Zakayev  was accused by Russia of [[Moscow Hostage Crisis of 2002|hostage-taking]] and murder during the [[First Chechen War|1994–1996 Chechen war]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Top Chechen envoy remains on bail |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2640709.stm |website=BBC |access-date=14 September 2025 |date=9 January 2003}}</ref>
[[File:Vanessa Redgrave by Elena Torre.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Redgrave {{circa|1981}}.]]
At a press conference, Redgrave said she feared for Zakayev's safety if he were extradited to Russia on terrorism charges. He would "die of a heart attack" or some other mysterious explanation offered by Russia, she said.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2548939.stm |title=UK actress defends Chechen rebel |date=6 December 2002 |work=[[BBC News Online|BBC News]] |access-date=17 December 2006}}</ref> On 13 November 2003, a London court rejected the Russian government's request for Zakayev's extradition. Instead, the court accepted a plea by lawyers for Zakayev that he would not get a fair trial, and could even face torture, in Russia. "It would be unjust and oppressive to return Mr Zakayev to Russia", Judge Timothy Workman ruled.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3266325.stm |title=Court rejects Chechen extradition |date=13 November 2003 |work=[[BBC News Online|BBC News]] |access-date=17 December 2006}}</ref> Due to her support of Zakayev and Chechen independence, she was awarded the Order of Friendship by the [[Chechen Republic of Ichkeria|Chechen government in exile]] in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Постановление Кабинета министров ЧРИ №83 |url=https://thechechenpress.com/developments/18382-postanovlenie-kabineta-ministrov-chri-no83.html |access-date=12 December 2024 |website=[[Chechenpress|thechechenpress.com]]}}</ref>

In 2004, Vanessa Redgrave and her brother [[Corin Redgrave]] launched the [[Peace and Progress Party]], which campaigned against the [[Iraq War]] and for human rights.<ref name=vote>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/nov/17/humanrights.arts|title=Disillusioned with politics? Vote Redgrave!|last=Branigan|first=Tania|date=17 November 2004|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=14 February 2010 | location=London}}</ref> Redgrave left the party in 2005.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Redgrave has been an outspoken critic of the "[[war on terrorism]]".<ref>Redgrave, Vanessa (30 September 2001), [http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0930-08.htm "We Need Justice. Bombs Will Only Create More Martyrs."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060321154949/http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0930-08.htm |date=21 March 2006 }} ''[[Common Dreams|CommonDreams.org]]''. Retrieved 17 December 2006.</ref><ref>[http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/09/1518246&mode=thread&tid=25 "Oscar-Winning Actress, Activist Vanessa Redgrave Calls For Justice, Legal and Human Rights For Guantanamo Prisoners"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060312095407/http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04%2F03%2F09%2F1518246&mode=thread&tid=25 |date=12 March 2006 }} [https://archive.org/download/dn2004-0309/dn2004-0309-1.mp3 audio] (9 March 2004), ''[[Democracy Now!]]''. Retrieved 17 December 2006.</ref> During a June 2005 interview on ''[[Larry King Live]]'', Redgrave was challenged on this criticism and on her political views. In response she questioned whether there can be true democracy if the political leadership of the United States and Britain does not "uphold the values for which my father's generation fought the [[Nazism|Nazis]], [and] millions of people gave their lives against the Soviet Union's regime. [Such sacrifice was made] because of democracy and what democracy meant: no torture, no camps, no detention forever or without trial.... [Such] techniques are not just alleged [against the governments of the U.S. and Britain], they have actually been written about by the [[FBI]]. I don't think it's being 'far left'...to uphold the rule of law."<ref name="LarryKing">[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0506/18/lkl.01.html ''CNN Larry King Live'' interview with Vanessa Redgrave transcript] (aired 18 June 2005), ''[[CNN|CNN.com]]''. Retrieved 17 December 2006.</ref>

In March 2006, Redgrave remarked in an interview with US broadcast journalist [[Amy Goodman]]: "I don't know of a single government that actually abides by international human rights law, not one, including my own. In fact, [they] violate these laws in the most despicable and obscene way, I would say." Goodman's interview with Redgrave took place in the actress's West London home on the evening of 7 March, and covered a range of subjects, particularly the cancellation by the [[New York Theatre Workshop]] of the [[Alan Rickman]] production ''[[My Name is Rachel Corrie]]''. Such a development, said Redgrave, was an "act of catastrophic cowardice" as "the essence of life and the essence of theatre is to communicate about lives, either lives that have ended or lives that are still alive, [and about] beliefs, and what is in those beliefs."<ref>[http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/03/08/1620208 "Legendary Actor Vanessa Redgrave Calls Cancellation of Rachel Corrie Play an 'Act of Catastrophic Cowardice'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060315093007/http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06%2F03%2F08%2F1620208 |date=15 March 2006 }} [https://archive.org/download/dn2006-0308/dn2006-0308-1_64kb.mp3 audio] (8 March 2004), ''[[Democracy Now!]]''. Retrieved 17 December 2006.</ref>

In June 2006, she was awarded a lifetime achievement award from the [[Transilvania International Film Festival]], one of whose sponsors is a mining company named [[Gabriel Resources]]. She dedicated the award to a community organisation from [[Roşia Montană]], Romania, which is campaigning against a [[Roșia Montană Project|gold mine t]]<nowiki/>hat Gabriel Resources was seeking to build near the village. Gabriel Resources placed an "open letter" in ''[[The Guardian]]'' on 23 June 2006, attacking Redgrave, arguing the case for the mine. The open letter was signed by 77 villagers.<ref>{{cite news |last=Vasagar |first=Jeevan |date=23 June 2006 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/jun/23/topstories3.arts |title=Redgrave centre stage in campaign to halt Romanian gold mine that has split village |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=17 December 2006}}</ref>

In December 2007, Redgrave was named as one of the possible suretors who paid the £50,000 bail for [[Jamil al-Banna]], one of three British residents arrested after landing back in the UK following four years' captivity at [[Guantanamo Bay detention camp|Guantanamo Bay]]. Redgrave has declined to be specific about her financial involvement but said she was "very happy" to be of "some small assistance for Jamil and his wife", adding, "It is a profound honour and I am glad to be alive to be able to do this. Guantanamo Bay is a concentration camp."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1573181/Vanessa-Redgrave-bails-Guantanamo-suspect.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1573181/Vanessa-Redgrave-bails-Guantanamo-suspect.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] | location=London | title=Vanessa Redgrave bails Guantanamo suspect | first1=Matthew | last1=Moore | date=20 December 2007 | access-date=31 May 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In 2009, Redgrave, together with artist [[Julian Schnabel]] and playwright [[Martin Sherman (actor)|Martin Sherman]], opposed the cultural boycott of Israel at the Toronto Film Festival, whilst maintaining her critical stance of the Israeli government's occupation of Palestinian territory.<ref>{{Cite news|date=7 October 2009|title=Vanessa Redgrave Backs Israel|url=https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/vanessa-redgrave-backs-israel|access-date=5 February 2022|website=[[Tablet (magazine)|Tablet Magazine]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thejc.com/news/world/vanessa-redgrave-slams-israeli-film-boycott-1.11697|access-date=5 February 2022|website=[[The Jewish Chronicle|www.thejc.com]]|title=Vanessa Redgrave slams Israeli film boycott|date=7 October 2009 }}</ref>

In March 2014, Redgrave took part in a protest outside [[Pentonville Prison]] in north London after new prison regulations were introduced which forbade sending books to prisoners.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/467737/Vanessa-Redgrave-joins-protest-against-prison-book-ban| title=Vanessa Redgrave joins protest against prison book ban| publisher=[[Daily Express|express.co.uk]]| date=30 March 2014| access-date=10 May 2018}}</ref> She and fellow actor [[Samuel West]], playwright [[David Hare (playwright)|David Hare]] and [[Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom|Poet Laureate]] [[Carol Ann Duffy]] took turns reading poetry and making speeches. Redgrave stated that the ban was "vicious and deplorable...Literature is something that stirs us beyond our immediate problems, it can help us to learn better our own problems, our own faults or to have a goal to live for, an aspiration."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/poetry-reading-held-outside-pentonville-in-protest-against-prison-books-ban-9222222.html| title=Poetry reading held outside Pentonville in protest against prison books ban| author=Helen William| newspaper=[[Evening Standard|London Evening Standard]]| date=28 March 2014| access-date=10 May 2018}}</ref> The ban was overturned by the [[Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Justice]] the following December.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/dec/08/ban-books-prisoners-ministry-of-justice-mark-haddon| title=The ban on books for prisoners is over. But how did it happen in the first place?| author=Mark Haddon| author-link=Mark Haddon| newspaper=[[The Guardian]]| date=8 December 2014| access-date=10 May 2018}}</ref>

In 2017, Redgrave made her directorial debut with the movie ''[[Sea Sorrow]]'', a documentary about the [[European migrant crisis]] and the plight of migrants encamped outside [[Calais]], France, trying to reach Britain.<ref name="demostake" /> She has heavily criticised the exclusionary policy of the British government towards refugees, stating that the British Government "... has violated these principles (of the [[Declaration of Human Rights]]), and it continues to do so, which I find deeply shameful. The UN signed the Declaration of Human Rights, and now we have to employ lawyers to take the government to court to force them to obey the law. Just thinking about that makes my mind go berserk."<ref name="demostake" />

== Selected film and TV acting credits ==
{{Main|List of Vanessa Redgrave performances}}
{{div col | colwidth=25em}}
* ''[[Behind the Mask (1958 film)|Behind the Mask]]'' (1958)
* ''[[Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment]]'' (1966)
* ''[[Blowup|Blow-Up]]'' (1966)
* ''[[Camelot (film)|Camelot]]'' (1967)
* ''[[Isadora (film)|Isadora]]'' (1968)
* ''[[A Quiet Place in the Country]]'' (1968)
* ''[[The Devils (film)|The Devils]]'' (1971)
* ''[[Mary, Queen of Scots (1971 film)|Mary, Queen of Scots]]'' (1971)
* ''[[Murder on the Orient Express (1974 film)|Murder on the Orient Express]]'' (1974)
* ''[[Julia (1977 film)|Julia]]'' (1977)
* ''[[Agatha (film)|Agatha]]'' (1979)
* ''[[Yanks]]'' (1979)
* ''[[Playing for Time (film)|Playing for Time]]'' (1980)
* ''[[The Bostonians (film)|The Bostonians]]'' (1984)
* ''[[Wetherby (film)|Wetherby]]'' (1985)
* ''[[Prick Up Your Ears]]'' (1987)
* ''[[The Ballad of the Sad Café (film)|The Ballad of the Sad Café]]'' (1991)
* ''[[Howards End (film)|Howards End]]'' (1992)
* ''[[Little Odessa (film)|Little Odessa]]'' (1994)
* ''[[Mission Impossible (film)|Mission Impossible]]'' (1996)
* ''[[Déjà Vu (1997 film)|Déjà Vu]]'' (1997)
* ''[[Mrs Dalloway (film)|Mrs. Dalloway]]'' (1997)
* ''[[Wilde (film)|Wilde]]'' (1997)
* ''[[Deep Impact (film)|Deep Impact]]'' (1998)
* ''[[Cradle Will Rock]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Girl, Interrupted (film)|Girl, Interrupted]]'' (1999)
* ''[[If These Walls Could Talk 2]]'' (2000)
* ''[[The Gathering Storm (2002 film)|The Gathering Storm]]'' (2002)
* ''[[Venus (2006 film)|Venus]]'' (2006)
* ''[[Evening (film)|Evening]]'' (2007)
* ''[[Atonement (2007 film)|Atonement]]'' (2007)
* ''[[The Whistleblower]]'' (2010)
* ''[[Letters to Juliet]]'' (2010)
* ''[[Cars 2]]'' (2011)
* ''[[Coriolanus (film)|Coriolanus]]'' (2011)
* ''[[The Butler]]'' (2013)
* ''[[Foxcatcher]]'' (2014)
* ''[[The Secret Scripture (film)|The Secret Scripture]]'' (2016)
* ''[[Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool]]'' (2017)
* ''[[The Aspern Papers (film)|The Aspern Papers]]'' (2018){{div col end}}

== Awards and honours==
{{Main|List of awards and nominations received by Vanessa Redgrave}}

Redgrave has received an [[Academy Award]], a [[BAFTA Award]], two [[Primetime Emmy Awards|Emmy Awards]], a [[Laurence Olivier Award|Olivier Award]], two [[Golden Globe Awards]], a [[Screen Actors Guild Award]], and a [[Tony Award]].

Redgrave has been recognized by the [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] for the following performances:
* [[39th Academy Awards]]: [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]], nomination, ''[[Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment]]'' (1966)
* [[41st Academy Awards]]: Best Actress, nomination, ''[[Isadora (film)|Isadora]]'' (1968)
* [[44th Academy Awards]]: Best Actress, nomination, ''[[Mary, Queen of Scots (1971 film)|Mary, Queen of Scots]]'' (1971)
* [[50th Academy Awards]]: [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]], '''win''', ''[[Julia (1977 film)|Julia]]'' (1977)
* [[57th Academy Awards]]: Best Actress, nomination, ''{{sortname|The|Bostonians|The Bostonians (film)}}'' (1984)
* [[65th Academy Awards]]: Best Supporting Actress, nomination, ''[[Howards End (film)|Howards End]]'' (1992)

Redgrave was appointed [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in 1967. Reportedly, she [[Declining a British honour|declined]] a damehood in 1999.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2003/dec/22/uk.Whitehall1 | work=The Guardian | location=London | title=Some who turned the offer down |first=Peter|last= Alliss| date=22 December 2003 | access-date=6 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/revealed-secret-list-of-300-who-scorned-honours-bg33h07rk3d | location=London | work=[[The Times]] | title=Revealed secret list of 300 who scorned honours | first1=David | last1=Leppard | first2=Robert | last2=Winnett | date=21 December 2003 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> However, she was appointed [[Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (DBE) in the [[2022 New Year Honours]] for services to drama.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=63571|supp=y|page=N8|date=1 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59809682|title=New Year Honours: Whitty, Van-Tam and Blair knighted, Lumley and Redgrave made dames|publisher=BBC News|date=31 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-59780013 |title=New Year Honours 2022: Lumley and Redgrave become dames |date=31 December 2021|accessdate=3 January 2022|publisher=BBC News}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of British actors]]
* [[List of Academy Award winners and nominees from Great Britain]]
* [[List of actors with Academy Award nominations]]
* [[List of actors with more than one Academy Award nomination in the acting categories]]
* [[List of Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
* [[List of Golden Globe winners]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Sources ==
* {{cite book|last=Redgrave|first=Vanessa|year=1991|title=Vanessa Redgrave: An Autobiography|publisher=Random House|location=New York|isbn=978-0-679-40216-9|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/vanessaredgravea00redg}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category|Vanessa Redgrave}}

* {{AFI person | 150214-Vanessa-Redgrave }}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{iobdb name}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{Tcmdb name | 159001%7C150214 }}
* {{Screenonline name|id=465052}}
* {{Playbill person}}
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2551773.stm Vanessa Redgrave: Actress and Campaigner]
* [https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2006/mar/19/theatre2 "She's Got Issues" – ''The Observer'', 19 March 2006]
* [http://archives.nypl.org/the/18938 Lee Israel research files on Vanessa Redgrave, 1982–1987] Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library.

{{Navboxes
|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by Vanessa Redgrave|Awards for Vanessa Redgrave]]
|list =
{{Academy Award Best Supporting Actress}}
{{AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Supporting Actress}}
{{AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Grownup Love Story}}
{{BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award}}
{{British Academy Television Award for Best Actress}}
{{British Film Institute Fellowship}}
{{BIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress}}
{{Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award}}
{{Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress}}
{{Donostia Award}}
{{DramaDesk PlayActress}}
{{DramaDesk One-PersonShow}}
{{EmmyAward MiniseriesLeadActress}}
{{EmmyAward MiniseriesSupportingActress}}
{{European Film Academy Lifetime Achievement Award}}
{{Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress}}
{{Golden Globe Award Best Supporting Actress Motion Picture}}
{{Golden Globe Supporting Actress TV}}
{{Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement}}
{{OlivierAward PlayActress}}
{{London Film Critics Circle Award for British Supporting Actress of the Year}}
{{Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress}}
{{National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress}}
{{New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress}}
{{The Richard Harris Award}}
{{San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress}}
{{ScreenActorsGuildAward FemaleTVMiniseriesMovie}}
{{TonyAward PlayLeadActress}}
{{Volpi Cup for Best Actress}}
}}
{{Triple Crown of Acting winners}}
{{British Triple Crown of Acting winners}}

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[[Category:People educated at Queen's Gate School]]
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