Rachel Weisz

Rachel Weisz
source
Name	Rachel Weisz
Caption	Weisz at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival
Birth name	Rachel Hannah Weisz
Birth date	7 March 1970
Birth place	Westminster, London, England
Education	Trinity Hall, Cambridge (BA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1992–present
Spouse	Daniel Craig (m. 2011), Darren Aronofsky (2005–2010)
Awards	Full list

Rachel Weisz is a British actress renowned for her versatility and compelling performances across independent film and major Hollywood productions. She gained international recognition for her role in *The Mummy* franchise and later earned critical acclaim, winning an Academy Award for her supporting performance in *The Constant Gardener*. A graduate of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where she studied English literature, Weisz is known for her intelligent portrayals in films by directors such as Darren Aronofsky, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Terrence Malick.

Early life and education

Rachel Hannah Weisz was born in Westminster, London, to parents who had fled Austria and Hungary before World War II. Her mother, Edith Ruth, was a teacher and psychoanalyst from Vienna, and her father, George Weisz, was a Hungarian-born inventor. She attended North London Collegiate School before studying at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature. While at Cambridge, she co-founded the Cambridge University Talking Tongues theater group, which won a Guardian Student Drama Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Career

Weisz began her career on British television, appearing in series like *Inspector Morse* and *The Advocates*. Her breakthrough film role came in Bernardo Bertolucci's *Stealing Beauty* (1996). She achieved global fame playing Evelyn Carnahan in Stephen Sommers's blockbuster *The Mummy* (1999) and its sequel *The Mummy Returns* (2001). A decisive turn towards acclaimed dramatic work followed, with her performance as Tessa Quayle in Fernando Meirelles's *The Constant Gardener* (2005) earning her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She has since starred in a diverse range of projects, including Darren Aronofsky's *The Fountain* (2006), Terrence Malick's *The Tree of Life* (2011), and Yorgos Lanthimos's *The Favourite* (2018), for which she received a British Academy Film Award nomination. Her stage work includes a celebrated performance in *A Streetcar Named Desire* at the Donmar Warehouse.

Personal life

Weisz was in a long-term relationship with filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, with whom she has a son. The couple separated in 2010. She married actor Daniel Craig in 2011 in a private ceremony in New York City; they have one daughter together. The family resides primarily in New York City and maintains a home in London. Weisz has been an advocate for various charitable causes, including UNICEF and organizations supporting refugee rights, reflecting her own family's history.

Filmography

A selection of her notable film work includes *Chain Reaction* (1996), *Enemy at the Gates* (2001), *About a Boy* (2002), *Runaway Jury* (2003), *The Brothers Bloom* (2008), *The Bourne Legacy* (2012), *The Lobster* (2015), *Disobedience* (2017), and *Black Widow* (2021). She also produced and starred in the BBC television miniseries *The Deep Blue Sea*.

Awards and nominations

Weisz's performance in *The Constant Gardener* won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role. She has received multiple British Academy Film Award nominations, including for *The Favourite*. For her stage work, she won a Theatre World Award for her West End debut in *A Streetcar Named Desire*. She has also been honored with awards from the New York Film Critics Circle and the London Film Critics' Circle.

Public image and legacy

Regarded as one of the most talented actresses of her generation, Weisz is frequently praised by critics in publications like The Guardian and The New York Times for her intellectual depth and chameleonic screen presence. She is known for selectively choosing complex roles that often explore themes of passion, morality, and resilience, collaborating with esteemed auteurs like Yorgos Lanthimos and Terrence Malick. Her success in both commercial Hollywood cinema and challenging independent film has solidified her reputation as a serious and versatile artist with a significant and enduring impact on contemporary cinema.

Category:1970 births Category:Actresses from London Category:Academy Award winners Category:Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge Category:English film actresses