Joanne Whalley facts for kids

Joanne Whalley (born on August 25, 1961) is a talented English actress. She has starred in many films and television shows. For a time, from 1988 to 1996, she was known as Joanne Whalley-Kilmer during her marriage to actor Val Kilmer.

Joanne Whalley became well-known through her work on television. She appeared in popular drama series like Edge of Darkness (1985) and The Singing Detective (1986). She was even nominated for a BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for her role in Edge of Darkness. She also acted in both British and American movies, including the fantasy film Willow (1988), where she met Val Kilmer, and Scandal (1989).

Throughout her career, she has played many famous historical and fictional characters. These include Scarlett O'Hara in Scarlett (1994), Jackie Kennedy in Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (2000), Queen Mary I in The Virgin Queen (2005), and Catherine of Aragon in Wolf Hall (2015).

About Joanne Whalley

Her Early Life and Acting Start

Joanne Whalley was born in Salford, Lancashire, England. As a child, she moved to different towns like Levenshulme and Stockport. She went to several schools, including Bredbury Comprehensive School and Harrytown Convent Girls' School. She also studied at the Braeside School of Speech and Drama.

Joanne started acting when she was young, from 1974 to 1979. She had small parts in popular TV shows like Coronation Street and Emmerdale. Her first movie role was in 1979, playing a young fan in Birth of the Beatles, a film about the famous band. She also briefly sang in a band called the Slowguns before they released their first songs.

In the early 1980s, Joanne continued her TV work, appearing in shows like Juliet Bravo and The Gentle Touch. She also studied and performed with the Royal Court Theatre, a famous theatre company. In 1982, she had a small, non-speaking role in the musical drama Pink Floyd – The Wall. She also sang lead vocals for a pop group called Cindy & The Saffrons. They even had a song, "Past, Present and Future," that reached number 56 on the UK music charts in 1982.

Becoming a Well-Known Actress

Joanne Whalley became very successful on British television in the mid-1980s. She had a main role in the drama series Edge of Darkness (1985), which earned her a nomination for a BAFTA TV Award. Around this time, she also appeared in films like No Surrender, The Good Father, and the highly praised Dance with a Stranger.

She gained even more TV success with her important role as Nurse Mills in the drama series The Singing Detective (1986). In 1987, she acted in the play Three Sisters.

Joanne met American actor Val Kilmer in 1987 while they were filming Willow. This was her first main role in a US film. After marrying Val Kilmer in 1988, she moved to Los Angeles to continue her film career. She then started using 'Joanne Whalley-Kilmer' as her professional name.

One of her most famous British film roles was playing Christine Keeler in Scandal (1989). This movie told a fictional story about the Profumo affair, a real-life political scandal. In the same year, she also starred with Val Kilmer in the movie Kill Me Again.

In 1994, Joanne played the iconic character Scarlett O'Hara in the TV miniseries Scarlett. This character was originally made famous by Vivien Leigh in the classic film Gone with the Wind. She also had a main role in the legal thriller Trial by Jury that year.

After her divorce from Val Kilmer in 1996, she went back to using her original surname, Whalley. Her first role after this change was in the spy comedy The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997), starring Bill Murray. In 2000, she played the former US First Lady Jackie Kennedy in the TV movie Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis.

Recent Acting Roles

In 2005, Joanne Whalley played Queen Mary I in The Virgin Queen, a BBC series about the life of Queen Elizabeth I. She also appeared in the film Played that year, which also starred her ex-husband Val Kilmer, though they did not act in any scenes together.

From 2011 to 2013, she had a main role as Vannozza dei Cattanei, the mistress of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia (who later became Pope Alexander VI), in the historical drama The Borgias. She was nominated for an award for this role.

In 2014, she played Aunt Patience in Jamaica Inn for BBC One. In 2015, she played Claudia, the wife of Pontius Pilate, in A.D. The Bible Continues. She also played Catherine of Aragon in the BBC miniseries Wolf Hall.

More recently, Joanne Whalley has appeared in several streaming shows. She played Sister Maggie in the third season of Daredevil (2018). She also returned to her role as Sorsha from the 1988 Willow movie in the Willow series on Disney+ in 2022. In 2023, she had a starring role in an episode of Carnival Row on Prime Video.

In 2020, Joanne Whalley starred in the film Love Is Love Is Love.

Personal Life

Joanne Whalley met actor Val Kilmer while they were filming the movie Willow. They got married in 1988. Joanne took some time away from acting to raise their two children: a daughter named Mercedes, born in 1991, and a son named Jack, born in 1995. The couple later divorced in 1996.

Film and Television Roles

Movies

Television Shows

See also

In Spanish: Joanne Whalley para niños