Joanne Whalley facts for kids

Joanne Whalley (born August 25, 1961) is a talented English actress who has starred in many films and TV shows. For a time, from 1988 to 1996, she was known as Joanne Whalley-Kilmer when she was married to actor Val Kilmer.

Joanne became well-known through her roles in popular British TV dramas. These included Edge of Darkness (1985) and The Singing Detective (1986). She was even nominated for a BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for her work in Edge of Darkness.

She has also appeared in big movies, both in the UK and America. Some of her famous films include Willow (1988), where she met Val Kilmer, and Scandal (1989).

Throughout her career, Joanne has played many famous historical and fictional characters. She played Scarlett O'Hara in the TV miniseries Scarlett (1994). She also portrayed Jackie Kennedy in Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (2000). Later, she took on the roles of Queen Mary I in The Virgin Queen (2005) and Catherine of Aragon in Wolf Hall (2015).

Joanne Whalley's Early Life and Career Beginnings

Joanne Whalley was born in Salford, England. As a child, her family moved to Levenshulme and then to Stockport. She went to school at Bredbury Comprehensive School, Harrytown Convent Girls' School, and 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 Birth of the Beatles (1979), where she played a young fan of the famous band.

She also explored music for a short time. She was briefly part of a band called the Slowguns. Later, she was the lead singer for a pop group called Cindy & The Saffrons. They even had a song, "Past, Present and Future," that reached #56 on the UK music charts in 1982.

Joanne continued her acting work in television. She appeared in episodes of shows like Juliet Bravo and The Gentle Touch. From 1982 to 1986, she also performed in plays at the Royal Court Theatre.

Becoming a Well-Known Actress

Joanne Whalley gained a lot of attention on British television with her main role in Edge of Darkness (1985). This drama series was very popular and earned her a nomination for a BAFTA TV Award. Around this time, she also appeared in films like No Surrender (1985) and Dance with a Stranger (1985).

She continued to find success on TV with a key role as Nurse Mills in The Singing Detective (1986). This was another highly praised drama series.

In 1987, Joanne met American actor Val Kilmer while filming Willow. This was her first main role in a US movie. After they married in 1988, she moved to Los Angeles to continue her film career. For a while, she used the name 'Joanne Whalley-Kilmer' for her acting roles.

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

Later Career and Iconic Roles

Joanne Whalley continued to take on challenging and memorable roles. She played Margaret Mitchell's famous character Scarlett O'Hara in the TV miniseries Scarlett (1994). This role was originally played by Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind.

After her divorce from Val Kilmer in 1996, she went back to using her original surname, Whalley. Her first role under this name was in the spy comedy The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997), starring Bill Murray.

She then played the important role of former US First Lady Jackie Kennedy in the TV movie Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (2000).

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

From 2011 to 2013, she played Vannozza dei Cattanei, the mistress of a future Pope, in the historical drama The Borgias. For this role, she was nominated for a Best Actress award at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival.

In 2014, she played Aunt Patience in Jamaica Inn for BBC One. In 2015, she took on two more historical roles: Claudia, the wife of Pontius Pilate, in A.D. The Bible Continues, and Catherine of Aragon in the BBC miniseries Wolf Hall.

More recently, Joanne 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 Willow movie in the Willow series on Disney+ (2022). In 2023, she had a starring role in an episode of Carnival Row on Prime.

Joanne Whalley's Personal Life

Joanne Whalley met actor Val Kilmer while they were filming the movie Willow. They got married in 1988.

Joanne decided to take a break from acting for a while to focus on raising her two children with Val Kilmer. Their daughter was born in 1991, and their son, Jack, was born in 1995. The couple later separated and divorced in 1996.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

See also

In Spanish: Joanne Whalley para niños