kids encyclopedia robot

Robin Wright facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Robin Wright
Robin Wright Cannes 2017 (cropped).jpg
Wright attending the 2017 Cannes Film Festival
Born
Robin Gayle Wright

(1966-04-08) April 8, 1966 (age 59)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Other names Robin Wright Penn
Occupation Actress
Years active 1983–present
Spouse(s)
(m. 1986; div. 1988)
(m. 1996; div. 2010)
Clément Giraudet
(m. 2018; div. 2022)
Children Dylan Penn
Hopper Penn
Relatives Charlie Wright (nephew)
Awards Full list

Robin Gayle Wright (born April 8, 1966) is a talented American actress. She has won many awards, including a Golden Globe Award. She has also been nominated for eight Primetime Emmy Awards.

Robin Wright first became famous for playing Kelly Capwell in the TV show Santa Barbara from 1984 to 1988. She then moved into movies, starring in the fantasy film The Princess Bride (1987). She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her role in the popular movie Forrest Gump (1994).

Wright also starred in the romantic movie Message in a Bottle (1999) and the thriller Unbreakable (2000). She received praise for her work in independent films like Loved (1997) and Nine Lives (2005). Later, she took on supporting roles in movies such as Moneyball (2011), Wonder Woman (2017), and Blade Runner 2049 (2017).

On television, Wright starred in the miniseries Empire Falls in 2005. From 2013 to 2018, she played Claire Underwood in the Netflix political drama House of Cards. Her acting in this show earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. She was also nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2016, she was one of the highest-paid actresses in the U.S. She earned $420,000 per episode for House of Cards. She also directed ten episodes of House of Cards and two episodes of the Netflix show Ozark in 2022.

Early Life and Beginnings

Robin Wright was born on April 8, 1966, in Dallas, Texas. Her mother, Gayle, was a cosmetics saleswoman. Her father, Fred, worked for a pharmaceutical company. She has an older brother named Richard.

When she was two, her parents divorced. She moved to San Diego, California with her mother. She grew up in Southern California. She went to La Jolla High School and Taft High School.

Career Highlights

Wright started her career as a model when she was 14 years old. At 18, she began acting in the soap opera Santa Barbara. She received several awards nominations for this role.

Moving to Movies: 1980s–2000s

Flickr - Josh Jensen - Robin Wright Penn (cropped)
Wright attending the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival

Robin Wright began acting in feature films with Hollywood Vice Squad in 1986. Her big breakthrough came in 1987 as Princess Buttercup in the popular movie The Princess Bride.

She earned great praise for her role as Jenny Curran in Forrest Gump (1994). For this film, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 1996, she starred in Moll Flanders. She was nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Actress. She also starred with her then-husband Sean Penn in She's So Lovely (1997).

Starring in House of Cards: 2013–2018

From 2013 to 2018, Wright played Claire Underwood in the Netflix political drama House of Cards. Claire Underwood was the strong wife of a political leader. On January 12, 2014, Wright won a Golden Globe for this role. She was the first actress to win this award for a streaming TV series. She was also nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award multiple times for this role.

After the fourth season of House of Cards in 2016, Wright felt her character was as important as the main male character. She asked for equal pay as her co-star Kevin Spacey, and Netflix agreed. For her performance in the fifth season, she received her fifth Emmy nomination.

In 2017, Kevin Spacey was removed from the show. Robin Wright became the main star for the final season. Her performance was highly praised. She received more nominations for her role in 2019. She became one of only seven women to be nominated for the Emmy category six or more times for the same show.

Directing and Future Projects

In 2017, Wright directed a short film called The Dark of Night. It premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. She also played General Antiope in Wonder Woman (2017) and its sequel Wonder Woman 1984 (2020). These films were very successful. She also appeared in Blade Runner 2049 (2017) with Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford.

Her first feature film as a director was Land. It was announced in 2019. Wright also starred in the movie as Edee Mathis, a lawyer who goes to live in a forest. The film premiered in January 2021 and received positive reviews. Critics praised her directing and acting.

In 2022, Wright directed two episodes of the Netflix show Ozark. Her directing was called "powerful" by critics.

Wright will next star in and produce the thriller Where All Light Tends to Go. In 2022, she joined the cast of the Netflix fantasy film Damsel. She will also be in the movie Here with Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis. This reunites the team from Forrest Gump.

Personal Life

Robin Wright & Sean Penn (cropped)
Wright with then-husband Sean Penn in September 2006

From 1986 to 1988, Robin Wright was married to actor Dane Witherspoon. They met while working on the show Santa Barbara.

In 1989, Wright started a relationship with actor Sean Penn. She was offered a role in the movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves but turned it down because she was pregnant. Her daughter, Dylan Penn, was born in April 1991. She also turned down a role in The Firm (1993) because she was pregnant with her second child. Her son, Hopper Penn, was born in August 1993.

Wright and Penn married in 1996. Their relationship had ups and downs, and they divorced in July 2010.

In 2012, Wright began dating actor Ben Foster. They were engaged in 2014 but ended their engagement in 2015.

In 2017, Wright started dating Clément Giraudet, a fashion executive. They married in August 2018 in France. Wright filed for divorce from Giraudet in September 2022.

Helping Others: Philanthropy and Activism

Robin Wright is a spokesperson for The Gordie Foundation. This non-profit group is based in Dallas, Texas.

In 2014, she partnered with two companies, Pour Les Femmes and The SunnyLion. The SunnyLion donates some of its money to the Raise Hope For Congo movement.

Wright is also an activist for human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She narrated and produced the documentary When Elephants Fight. This film shows how large mining companies and politicians in Congo affect human rights. It also shows how they cause conflict in the area. She supports Stand With Congo, a human rights campaign. In 2016, Wright spoke publicly to support this campaign.

Filmography

Movies

Year Title Role Notes
1986 Hollywood Vice Squad Lori Stanton
1987 The Princess Bride Buttercup
1990 Denial Sara / Loon
State of Grace Kathleen Flannery
1992 The Playboys Tara Maguire
Toys Gwen Tyler
1994 Forrest Gump Jenny Curran
1995 The Crossing Guard Jojo
1996 Moll Flanders Moll Flanders
1997 Loved Hedda Amerson starts being credited as Robin Wright Penn
She's So Lovely Maureen Murphy Quinn
1998 Hurlyburly Darlene
1999 Message in a Bottle Theresa Osborne
2000 How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog Melanie McGowan
Unbreakable Audrey Dunn
2001 The Pledge Lori
The Last Castle Rosalie Irwin Uncredited
2002 Searching for Debra Winger Herself Documentary
White Oleander Starr Thomas
2003 The Singing Detective Nicola / Nina / Blonde
Virgin Mrs. Reynolds Also executive producer
2004 A Home at the End of the World Clare
2005 Nine Lives Diana
Sorry, Haters Phoebe Torrence
Max Mother Short film
2006 Breaking and Entering Liv
Room 10 Frannie Jones Short film
2007 Hounddog Stranger Lady Also executive producer
Beowulf Queen Wealtheow Motion-capture role (credited as Robin Wright-Penn)
2008 What Just Happened Kelly
New York, I Love You Anna
2009 State of Play Anne Collins
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee Pippa Lee
A Christmas Carol Fan Scrooge / Belle Motion-capture role, last credit as Robin Wright Penn
2010 The Conspirator Mary Surratt
2011 Moneyball Sharon Beane
Rampart Linda Fentress
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Erika Berger
2013 The Congress Robin Wright Also producer
Adoration Roz
2014 A Most Wanted Man Martha Sullivan
2015 Everest Peach Weathers
2017 Wonder Woman General Antiope
Blade Runner 2049 Lieutenant Joshi
Justice League General Antiope Uncredited cameo
2018 André the Giant Herself Documentary
2020 Wonder Woman 1984 General Antiope
2021 Land Edee Holzer Also director and executive producer
Zack Snyder's Justice League General Antiope
2023 Devil's Peak Virgie Also producer
2024 Damsel Queen Isabelle
Here Margaret

Television Shows

Year Title Role Notes
1983–1984 The Yellow Rose Barbara Anderson 2 episodes
1984–1988 Santa Barbara Kelly Capwell 538 episodes
2005 Empire Falls Grace Roby Miniseries, only television credit as Robin Wright Penn
2011 Enlightened Sandy 2 episodes
2013–2018 House of Cards Claire Underwood Main role; executive producer (seasons 4–6) and director (10 episodes)
2020 First Ladies Narrator 6 episodes; voice
2022 Ozark N/A Director only; episodes: "Sangre Sobre Todo" and "Sanctified"

Awards and Nominations

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Robin Wright para niños

Images for kids

kids search engine
Robin Wright Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.