It's impossible not to mention Joely Richardson's pedigree.  She is the daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave and Tony Richardson, the granddaughter of actors Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, the niece of actors Corin and Lynn Redgrave, and sister of actress Natasha Richardson.  Her film credits range from Peter Greenaway's arthouse favorite Drowning By Numbers (1988), the winning 1996 remake of 101 Dalmatians to a starring role alongside Mel Gibson in war drama The Patriot.  In 1984, she won critical acclaim for her performance in the drama Sister, My Sister (1994), which cast her as a maid caught up in an incestuous lesbian love affair with her sister.  She is currently filming Fallen Angel opposite Gary Sinise in the wilds of Northern Canada.  She has a daughter, Daisy, born in 1992.

Favourite books: Joely is currently reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold