Born:
May 14, 1945
in
London
Best Known For:
Being Ralph Fiennes' former other half.
Early-life:
Born in 1944 in Brazil, where her parents, singer Marquita and actor Anthony owned a nightclub. The family moved back to Britain when she was seven. Her convent education led to Francesca considering a life as a nun, but a talent scout spotted her during a school production and cast her in a play for the BBC. However, her big break came when she was given a role in the Elizabeth Taylor vehicle Cleopatra.
Career:
Annis has worked extensively on the big and small screen, as well as the stage; one of her earliest big screen appearances came courtesy of a blink-and-you'll-miss-it role in Carry on Teacher way back in 1959. Her TV credits include the series Lillie, The Gravy Train Goes East, Dalziel and Pascoe, Reckless, Cranford, and Wives and Daughters _ for which she received a Best Actress Bafta nomination. She has featured in films such as Roman Polanski's Macbeth (which featured her reciting the sleepwalking soliloquy in the nude), Dune, Milk, and Revolver. In the theatre, she has gained critical acclaim for productions such as The Vortex, Blood and Shoreditch Madonna.
Quote:
'Eat well and sleep well. That will feed your nervous system and your psyche. As you get older, you look how you feel.'
Trivia:
She was actor Ralph Fiennes' partner for 11 years and has three children from her previous relationship with actor Patrick Wiseman.