Charlotte Cornwell
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Charlotte Cornwell (born c. 1949) is an actress and sister of spy novelist John Le Carré (David Cornwell). She describes him as "the best brother a girl could have".
She has a daughter, Nancy Cranham, from a former relationship with Kenneth Cranham.
Cornwell's 30-year career began when she trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London. She made her professional debut with three seasons at the Bristol Old Vic Company, playing a broad range of roles from Kate Hotspur in Shakespeare's Henry IV to Becky in Sam Shepherd's Tooth of Crime. She spent three years as a leading member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and has worked as a leading actress with the Royal National Theatre since 1984. She has worked extensively both in the West End and on the Fringe, and has appeared in the US in several productions, including Richard III and An Enemy of the People opposite Sir Ian McKellen, Athol Fugard's The Road to Mecca and most recently Terence McNally's Master Class.
She has appeared in films such as The Krays, The Russia House, White Hunter Black Heart, The Saint, Ghosts of Mars (voiceover). Cornwell has also worked extensively on television including appearances in Rock Follies, Shoestring, The Men's Room, The House of Eliott, A Touch of Frost, Silent Witness, CI5: The New Professionals and The West Wing, amongst others.
She currently teaches at the University of Southern California.
[edit] Miscellenia
John Le Carré has said in an interview with Melvyn Bragg (reprinted in Bold, Alan: The Quest for John Le Carré, 1988) that the main female character in his novel, The Little Drummer Girl - an English actress called "Charlie" - is based on his sister, Charlotte.
In 1985 Ms Cornwell sued the Sunday People TV critic Nina Myskow for slander. The critic saying that "Her bum is too big". Ms Cornwell was eventually awarded £10,000 by the court after 2 appeals Ref 1, ref 2, ref 3
