| Alex Kingston | |
|---|---|
Kingston signing autographs for fans |
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| Born | Alexandra Elizabeth Kingston 11 March 1963 Epsom, Surrey, England, UK |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Spouse | Ralph Fiennes (1993–1997; divorced) Florian Haertel (1998–present; 1 child) |
Alexandra Elizabeth "Alex" Kingston[1] (born 11 March 1963)[1] is an English actress. She is most widely known for her roles as Dr. Elizabeth Corday on the NBC medical drama ER and as River Song in Doctor Who.
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Kingston was born and raised in Epsom, Surrey, England. She is the eldest of three daughters of a butcher, Anthony Kingston,[1] and his German wife. Kingston's uncle is actor Walter Renneisen, her mother's younger brother.[2]
Kingston was inspired to pursue acting by one of her teachers at her school Rosebery School for Girls. Kingston auditioned and performed in the Surrey County Youth Theatre production of Tom Jones, as Mrs Fitzpatrick alongside Sean Pertwee, Captain Fitzpatrick and Thwackum played by Tom Davison. She later completed a three-year programme at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and went on to join the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Kingston has appeared in a number of British-produced television dramas, including Grange Hill, Crocodile Shoes, The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders, The Knock and a guest role on The Bill.
Kingston's film credits include The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989), A Pin for the Butterfly (1994), Croupier (1998), Essex Boys (2000), Boudica (Warrior Queen in the USA) (2003) in which she played the eponymous Boudica, Sweet Land (2005), and Crashing (2007).
In September 1997, Kingston gained North American television fame after being cast on the long-running medical drama ER. Her first appearance was in the premiere of the fourth season which was the award-winning live episode "Ambush". She portrayed Elizabeth Corday, a surgeon arriving from England. Kingston played this role for just over seven seasons until leaving in October 2004, in season 11: episode 4 called "Fear". In Spring 2009, Kingston returned to ER during its fifteenth and final season for two episodes which were season 15: episode 12 called "Dream Runner" and season 15: episode 22 which was the two-hour series finale called "And in the End...".
In November 2005, Kingston guest-starred in the long-running mystery drama Without a Trace in season 4: episode 6 called "Viuda Negra" (Spanish for "black widow"). The episode was directed by Kingston's former ER cast mate Paul McCrane. She played Lucy Costin, one of two wealthy vacationers from the U.S. whose husband is kidnapped by a Mexican street gang on the last night of their honeymoon.
In 2006, Kingston revealed that she was turned down for a role on ABC's Desperate Housewives, as Lynette Scavo, for being too curvy.[3] In the same article, she admitted to considering and nearly attempting suicide after her separation from her ex-husband Ralph Fiennes.
In 2008, Kingston guest-starred in the fourth series of the long-running science fiction television programme Doctor Who in the two-part story "Silence in the Library"/"Forest of the Dead" as River Song. She reprised the role in several episodes of the 2010 and 2011 series. Kingston says she thought her role was simply a one-off, but was delighted that she would be a returning character as she has now appeared in twelve episodes and counting[4]
In September 2008, Kingston took the part of Mrs Bennet in ITV's acclaimed four-part production Lost in Austen which is based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. In October that same year, Kingston appeared in the crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in season 9: episode 3 called "Art Imitates Life" where she portrayed Patricia Alwick, a psychiatrist and grief counsellor who helps the team cope with the recent death of CSI member Warrick Brown.
In February 2009, Kingston portrayed Miranda Pond, a defence attorney in two episodes of the legal drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. This guest spot reunited Kingston with her former cast mate from ER, Mariska Hargitay. Hargitay had a recurring role during the fourth season of ER. In June, Kingston starred as the lead character Ellie Lagden, one of four former convicts in the BBC One drama series Hope Springs until its cancelation in July. In September that year, she had a recurring role in FlashForward, playing Inspector Fiona Banks.
In 2010, Kingston returned to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in season 12: episode 7 entitled "Trophy", which reunited Kingston with her former ER castmate Maria Bello.
In 2011, Kingston was a cast member on British supernatural series Marchlands. She played the character Helen Maynard. The series ended on 3 March 2011. She also guest-starred in the Grey's Anatomy spin-off Private Practice as Marla Tompkins, a psychiatrist who writes book reviews for newspapers. Kingston is currently cast in Friedrich Schiller's Luise Miller at the Donmar Warehouse in London.
Kingston met English actor Ralph Fiennes while they were both students at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. They were together for ten years before marrying on 28 October 1993. They divorced in December 1997.
At the end of 1998,[5] Kingston married her second husband, German writer and freelance journalist Florian Haertel, having met the previous year on a blind date arranged by friends;[6] they have a daughter together, Salome Violetta Haertel, born 28 March 2001.[7] There have been reports that Kingston and Haertel separated in 2010,[8] but Kingston refuses to confirm them.[4]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Wildcats of St. Trinian's | Uncredited | |
| Grange Hill | Jill Harcourt | TV series (3 episodes) | |
| 1987 | A Killing on the Exchange | Ellen | TV mini-series (2 episodes) |
| 1988 | The Bill | Various | TV series (4 episodes: 1988-1995) |
| 1989 | Hannay | Kirsten Larssen | TV series (1 episode: "The Terrors of the Earth") |
| The Play on One | Daniella | TV series (1 episode: "These Foolish Things") | |
| The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover | Adela | ||
| 1992 | Covington Cross | Helen | TV series (1 episode: "Cedric Hits the Road") |
| 1993 | Foreign Affairs | Actress | TV movie |
| Soldier Soldier | Ursula Kröhling | TV series (1 episode: "Camouflage") | |
| 1994 | Woman of the Wolf | Woman | Voice only, TV movie |
| A Pin for the Butterfly | |||
| Crocodile Shoes | Caroline Carrison | TV series (5 episodes) | |
| 1995 | Carrington | Frances Partidge | |
| The Infiltrator | Anna | ||
| 1996 | The Knock | Katherine Roberts | TV series (13 episodes) |
| The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders | Moll Flanders | TV movie | |
| Saint-Ex | Chic Party Guest | ||
| 1997 | Weapons of Mass Distraction | Verity Graham | TV movie |
| ER | Dr. Elizabeth Corday | TV series (Series regular: 160 episodes: 1997-2004, 2009) | |
| 1998 | Croupier | Jani de Villiers | |
| 1999 | This Space Between Us | Peternelle | |
| 2000 | Essex Boys | Lisa Locke | |
| 2003 | Boudica | Boudica | Warrior Queen in the U.S.A. |
| 2005 | The Poseidon Adventure | Suzanne Harrison | TV movie |
| Sweet Land | Brownie | ||
| Without a Trace | Lucy Costin | TV series (1 episode: "Viuda Negra") | |
| 2006 | Alpha Dog | Tiffany Hartunian | |
| 2007 | Crashing | Diane Freed | |
| 2008 | Freezing | Serena Wilson | TV series (1 episode: "Episode #1.3") |
| Lost in Austen | Mrs. Bennett | TV mini-series (4 episodes) | |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Dr. Patricia Alwick | TV series (1 episode: "Art Imitates Life") | |
| 2008, 2010–present |
Doctor Who | River Song/Melody Pond | Appeared in a total of twelve episodes:
|
| 2009 | Sordid Things | Eve Manchester | |
| Hope Springs | Ellie Lagden | TV series: Lead role (8 episodes) | |
| FlashForward | Inspector Fiona Banks | TV series (3 episodes) | |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Miranda Pond | TV series (4 episodes) | |
| 2010 | Ben Hur | Ruth | TV series (2 episodes) |
| Callers | Sheila | Post-production | |
| 2011 | Like Crazy | Jackie | |
| Private Practice | Marla Tompkins | TV series | |
| Marchlands | Helen Maynard | TV series (5 episodes) | |
| Teaching awards 2011 | As herself |
| Year | Award | For | Win |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | BAFTA TV Award | Best Actress in The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders | Nominated |
| 1998 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in ER | Won |
| 1999 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in ER | Won |
| 2001 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in ER | Nominated |
| 2001 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in ER | Nominated |
| 2009 | TV Land Icon Award | ER | Won |