Biography
Who is Alex Kingston?
Early life and education
Alexandra Elizabeth Kingston was born on March 11, 1963, in Epsom, United Kingdom. Her father, Anthony Kingston, worked as a butcher. Her mother, Margarethe, was German. Alex has two younger sisters named Susie and Nicola. Her uncle is the actor Walter Renneisen.
She attended the Rosebery School for Girls, where a teacher inspired her to pursue acting. She performed in a local production of Tom Jones during her youth. Later, Alex Kingston completed a three-year program at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She subsequently joined the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Early stage and screen roles
In 1980, Alex Kingston made her television debut in the children's drama Grange Hill. She also appeared as an extra in the film The Wildcats of St Trinian's. Through the mid-1980s and 1990s, she focused on theatrical work, appearing in twenty productions with groups like the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Her Shakespearean credits include roles in Julius Caesar, King Lear, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Othello.
During this period, she took small parts in shows like The Bill, Crocodile Shoes, and Soldier Soldier. She also appeared in films such as The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, and Carrington. In 1996, she played the title role in the ITV miniseries The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders, which earned her a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress.
Breakthrough on ER
In September 1997, Alex Kingston joined the cast of the long-running NBC medical drama ER. She portrayed the British surgeon Elizabeth Corday, starting in the fourth season premiere. She remained with the series for over seven seasons. She left the show in October 2004 during the eleventh season.
The role brought her significant attention in North America. Following her time on ER, she appeared in films such as Croupier, Essex Boys, Alpha Dog, and Sweet Land. She also starred as the warrior queen in the 2003 ITV biopic Boudica, which was released in the United States as Warrior Queen.
Doctor Who and later projects
In 2008, Alex Kingston began playing the recurring character Professor River Song in the BBC series Doctor Who. She appeared in thirteen episodes between 2010 and 2015, acting alongside the Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Doctors. She also reprised this character in audio dramas produced by Big Finish Productions, including her own series, The Diary of River Song.
Her other television credits include the ITV drama Lost in Austen, where she played Mrs. Bennet, and the police procedural CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. She had recurring roles in FlashForward and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In 2013, she joined the cast of the superhero drama Arrow as Dinah Lance. From 2018 to 2022, she portrayed Sarah Bishop in the fantasy drama A Discovery of Witches.
Family life
Alex Kingston has been married twice. Her former spouses include Ralph Fiennes and Florian Haertel. She has one daughter named Salome Violetta Haertel.
Birthday and age
Alex Kingston was born on March 11, 1963, which makes Alex 63 years old today. That birthday falls under the Pisces sign. Alex shares the date with 63 other famous people.
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