Biography
Who is Zoë Wanamaker?
Early life and education
Zoë Wanamaker was born in New York City on May 13, 1949. Her father was American actor and director Sam Wanamaker, and her mother was Canadian actress and radio performer Charlotte Holland. Because her father was blacklisted in Hollywood while working in the United Kingdom, her family chose to remain in the UK.
She attended the independent King Alfred School in Hampstead and Sidcot School, which is a Quaker boarding school in Winscombe, Somerset. She later studied at the Hornsey College of Art for a pre-diploma course and then completed her training at the Central School of Speech and Drama.
Stage career and awards
Zoë began her professional career in the theatre and spent several years as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. She won her first Laurence Olivier Award for her performance in the 1979 production of Once in a Lifetime. She earned a second Olivier Award for her work in Sophocles' Electra in 1998.
In addition to her work in the UK, she performed on Broadway and received multiple Tony Award nominations for productions including Piaf, Loot, Electra, and Awake and Sing!. In 1997, she became the first person to speak on the stage of the newly completed Shakespeare's Globe in London, honoring the foundational role played by her father.
Television and film work
On television, Zoë portrayed Susan Harper in the long-running BBC sitcom My Family from 2000 to 2011. She also appeared in various television dramas, including Prime Suspect, Love Hurts, and Agatha Christie's Poirot, where she played the eccentric detective writer Ariadne Oliver.
Her film credits include playing Madam Hooch in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 2001, as well as roles in Wilde and My Week with Marilyn. She also voiced the blind Seeress Theresa in the video games Fable II and Fable III.
Personal life
Zoë held dual American and British citizenship after officially becoming a British citizen in 2000. She was in a long-term relationship with fellow Royal Shakespeare Company actor David Lyon for many years. In November 1994, she married Scottish actor, playwright, and screenwriter Gawn Grainger.
Birthday and age
Zoë Wanamaker was born on May 13, 1949, which makes Zoë 77 years old today. That birthday falls under the Taurus sign. Zoë shares the date with 58 other famous people.
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