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Fact-based period drama chronicling the life of Georgiana Spencer, who became Duchess of Devonshire in 1774 at the age of 17. Adored by the public for her extravagant lifestyle, Spencer endured a troubled marriage and was eventually driven into the arms of Charles Grey, a senior Whig politician. Starring Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Dominic Cooper and Charlotte Rampling
2008
HD
subtitles
16x9
audio-description
General
Movie/Drama
Cast & Crew
Keira Knightley
(Actor)
.. Georgiana
Ralph Fiennes
(Actor)
.. The Duke
Dominic Cooper
(Actor)
.. Charles Grey
Charlotte Rampling
(Actor)
.. Lady Spencer
Hayley Atwell
(Actor)
.. Bess Foster
Simon McBurney
(Actor)
.. Charles Fox
Aidan McArdle
(Actor)
.. Richard Sheridan
John Shrapnel
(Actor)
.. General Grey
Alistair Petrie
(Actor)
.. Heaton
Saul Dibb
(Director)
Michael Kuhn
(Producer)
Gabrielle Tana
(Producer)
Amanda Foreman
(Executive producer)
Carolyn Marks-Blackwood
(Executive producer)
Francois Ivernel
(Executive producer)
Christine Langan
(Executive producer)
Cameron McCracken
(Executive producer)
David M Thompson
(Executive producer)
More Information
Did You Know..
Keira Knightley
(Actor)
.. Georgiana
Born:
March 26, 1985
in
London
Best Known For:
The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy.
Early-life:
Born Kiera Christina Knightley in Teddington, Middlesex, on March 26, 1985, she is the daughter of TV actor Will Knightley and playwright Sharman Macdonald. Her mother also trod the boards, but a mixture of severe stage fright and the responsibilities of looking after Keira and her elder brother Caleb ended her acting aspirations. At the age of three, after watching both her parents receive calls from their agents, Keira demanded one of her own. She persisted for three years until her mother relented.
Career:
By the age of seven, Knightley had made her TV debut in the drama Royal Celebration, but during the 1990s, she was only allowed to act during the summer holidays. Her first high-profile role was playing Natalie Portman's handmaiden in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, but it was Bend It Like Beckham that proved to be her breakthrough. In the same year, she appeared in a mini-series version of Doctor Zhivago, and in 2003 featured in Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, and Love Actually. Subsequent films have included King Arthur, Pride and Prejudice (for which she was Oscar-nominated), two of the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels, Atonement, The Duchess, Never Let Me Go, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Begin Again, and Say When.
Quote:
'A newspaper voted me one of the scruffiest people in Britain. I'm quite proud of that. It's completely true.'
Trivia:
Knightley was nominated for an Olivier award for her performance in The Misanthrope at the Comedy Theatre.
Ralph Fiennes
(Actor)
.. The Duke
Born:
December 22, 1962
in
Ipswich
Best Known For:
Schindler's List and The English Patient.
Early-life:
Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes was born on December 22, 1962, in Suffolk. He's the oldest of six children, and says his brothers and sisters were his earliest audiences. His father Mark was a photographer and his mother, Jennifer Lash, was a painter, novelist and travel writer. His cousin is explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes. The family moved 15 times during his childhood. After A-levels he completed a foundation course at Chelsea College of Art & Design, then attended Rada.
Career:
Fiennes' film debut was in Wuthering Heights opposite Juliette Binoche in 1992. It was his performances in that and the acclaimed 1990 TV drama A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia that impressed Steven Spielberg so much he cast him in Schindler's List. That movie launched his Hollywood career and he was soon snapped up for Quiz Show, Strange Days, The English Patient, The End of the Affair and Red Dragon. In 1995, he won a Tony Award for his role as Hamlet on Broadway. More recently, Fiennes has worked in such diverse projects as Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, The Constant Gardener, The White Countess, In Bruges, The Reader, Clash of the Titans, Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang and four Harry Potter movies. He made his directorial debut with Coriolanus in 2011, and is the Bond franchise's latest M.
Quote:
'It's Rafe, actually.'
Trivia:
He won a Tony Award for his performance in a 1995 production of Hamlet.
Dominic Cooper
(Actor)
.. Charles Grey
Born:
June 02, 1978
in
London
Best Known For:
Mamma Mia!
Early-life:
Dominic Edward Cooper was born in London on June 2, 1978 to Julie and Brian. He has two older brothers, Nathan and Simon. His sister died in a car accident before he was born. He also has a half-sister and a half-brother. He graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 2000. His early acting career involved minor roles in TV and the theatre.
Career:
Cooper's breakthrough came in 2004 when he originated the role of Dakin at the National Theatre in Alan Bennett's The History Boys. He went on to play the role on Broadway and in the touring production in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. He played the part for a final time in the 2006 big-screen version. Since then, he has starred in The Duchess (2008), Mamma Mia! (2008), Freefall (2009), An Education (2009), Tamara Drewe (2010), The Devil's Double (2011), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and its 2014 sequel, My Week with Marilyn (2011) and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2011). His TV credits include Down to Earth and Sense and Sensibility.
Quote:
'You never feel like you've done your best work. You always think you could be better.'
Trivia:
Cooper was nominated for a 2006 Drama Desk Award for his work on the Broadway production of The History Boys.
Charlotte Rampling
(Actor)
.. Lady Spencer
Born:
February 05, 1946
in
Sturmer, Essex
Best Known For:
Her 1960s heyday.
Early-life:
Born Tessa Charlotte Rampling on February 5, 1946, in Sturmer, Essex. Her mother Isabel was a painter, while her father, Geoffrey, was an Olympic gold medalist and an army officer. Her older sister, Sarah, committed suicide at the age of 23 in 1966. After attending school in France and Hertforshire, Charlotte began working as a model and made her first screen appearance while water skiing in the film The Knack... and How to Get It in 1965.
Career:
In 1966, Rampling landed the role of Meredith in Georgy Girl, and hasn't looked back since. Many fans hoped she'd replace Diana Rigg in The Avengers following a spirited guest role in the show in 1967, but instead she tackled a number of difficult roles in challenging films, including The Damned, The Night Porter and Max Mon Amour. More mainstream projects have included Farewell My Lovely, Stardust Memories and The Verdict. Rampling has lived in France for some time and in recent years has concentrated on working there in such films as Swimming Pool and Heading South. However, she also cropped up in Basic Instinct 2 and The Duchess.
Quote:
"I generally don't make films to entertain people. I choose the parts that challenge me to break through my own barriers. To discover what normal means, you have to surf a tide of weirdness."
Trivia:
In 2000, she was awarded an OBE.
Hayley Atwell
(Actor)
.. Bess Foster
Born:
April 05, 1982
in
London
Best Known For:
Captain America: The First Avenger.
Early-life:
Hayley Elizabeth Atwell was born on April 5, 1982, in London. Her American father is a massage therapist and her English mother is a motivational speaker. She has dual citizenship of the UK and US. Her parents separated when she was two years old and she was raised by her mother in London. She trained at the Guildhall School of Music and drama.
Career:
Atwell made her TV debut in a 2005 advert for Pringles. Her first feature film was playing opposite Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell in Woody Allen's 2007 film Cassandra's Dream. In 2008, she appeared as Bess Foster in The Duchess and Lady Julia Flyte in Brideshead Revisited. She earned a Laurence Olivier Award nomination in 2009 for her West End debut in Lindsay Posner's revival of A View from the Bridge. More recently, she has starred in The Prisoner, a remake of the 1960s series, and The Pillars of the Earth. She plays Peggy Carter in various Marvel properties, including the Captain America films and the TV series Agent Carter.
Quote:
On Woody Allen: 'He has this most extraordinary ability to make any woman, or man, to whom he's introduced feel like the single most important person in the room.'
Trivia:
She became a vegetarian at the age of eight.
Simon McBurney
(Actor)
.. Charles Fox
Aidan McArdle
(Actor)
.. Richard Sheridan
Best Known For:
Playing Dudley Moore in Not Only But Always.
Early-life:
Aidan was born in Dublin in 1970. He has five siblings. On leaving school, Aidan studied for a degree at his home city's University College. After appearing in a handful of productions at Dublin's renowned Abbey Theatre, he enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, graduating in 1996. He quickly began making a name for himself on the London stage thanks to several acclaimed performances.
Career:
In 1999, McArdle joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, making a splash in such plays as A Midsummer Night's Dream, Othello, and Antony and Cleopatra. He made his TV debut in a 2002 episode of Casualty and had a regular role in the series Any Time Now. Two years later he appeared in his first film, Ella Enchanted (2004), but it was his performance as Dudley Moore in TV movie Not Only But Always that made people sit up and take notice. He's since featured in Marple, Jane Eyre, the Perfect Day trilogy, Beautiful People, Garrow's Law, Mr Selfridge, The Mill, Clean Break and The Fall.
Quote:
"Nothing better than playing a bastard. It's the biggest amount of fun you can have."
Trivia:
He is a cousin of comedy actor Steve Coogan.
John Shrapnel
(Actor)
.. General Grey
Alistair Petrie
(Actor)
.. Heaton
Saul Dibb
(Director)
Michael Kuhn
(Producer)
Gabrielle Tana
(Producer)
Amanda Foreman
(Executive producer)
Carolyn Marks-Blackwood
(Executive producer)
Francois Ivernel
(Executive producer)
Christine Langan
(Executive producer)
Cameron McCracken
(Executive producer)
David M Thompson
(Executive producer)
