Robin Wright

Robin Gayle Wright^[1] (born April 8, 1966) is an American film and TV actress. She currently stars as Claire Underwood in House of Cards, for which she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama in 2014, making her the first actress to win a Golden Globe for an online-only web television series.

Wright first gained attention when starring in the NBC soap opera Santa Barbara as Kelly Capwell from 1984 to 1988. She made the transition to film, starring in the romantic comedy fantasy adventure film The Princess Bride in 1987. She then starred in the fantasy-comedy Toys (1992), the epic romantic comedy-drama Forrest Gump (1994), the romantic drama Message in a Bottle (1999), the superhero drama-thriller Unbreakable (2000), the historical drama The Conspirator (2010). She later starred in the biographical sports drama Moneyball (2011), and the mystery thriller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011).

From 1996 to 2010, she was married to actor Sean Penn, with whom she has two children. During this time, she was credited as Robin Wright Penn.

Early life

Wright was born in Dallas, Texas, to Gayle (Gaston), a cosmetics saleswoman, and Freddie Wright, a pharmaceutical-company employee.^[1][2] She was raised in San Diego, California. She attended La Jolla High School and Taft High School in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles.^[3]

Career

At the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival

Wright started her career as a model when she was 14.^[4] Wright first became known for playing Kelly Capwell on the NBC television soap opera Santa Barbara, which earned her three Daytime Emmy Award nominations. Wright was listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1986" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 38. [1986].

She rose to fame after acting in movie roles such as Buttercup in The Princess Bride in 1987, and as Jenny Curran in Forrest Gump in 1994. The latter role garnered her Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild nominations for Best Supporting Actress. Wright was offered the role of Maid Marian in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, but turned it down because she was pregnant. She backed out of the role of Abby McDeere in The Firm (1993), with Tom Cruise, upon discovering that she was pregnant with her second child, son Hopper Penn.^[3]

In 1996, she married actor Sean Penn and changed her name to Robin Wright Penn. The same year, she starred in the film adaptation of Daniel Defoe's Moll Flanders for which she received a Satellite Nomination for Best Actress in a Drama. She went on to co-star with her husband in the 1997 film She's So Lovely, for which she was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress. One of her most recent successes was a supporting role in the television film Empire Falls as Grace Roby, mother of Ed Harris's character Miles Roby. Wright received her third Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for this role.

Since 2013, Wright has portrayed Claire Underwood, political mastermind Frank Underwood's equally ruthless wife, in the Netflix series House of Cards. On January 12, 2014, she won a Golden Globe for the role, becoming the first actress to win the award for an online-only web television series.^[5] She was nominated for the same award the following year. She also received nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award in 2013 and 2014 for the same role. Wright has been cast in the 2017 live action Wonder Woman film alongside Gal Gadot and Chris Pine.

Personal life

Wright with then husband Sean Penn in September 2006

From 1986 to 1988, Wright was married to actor Dane Witherspoon, whom she met in 1984 on the set of the soap-opera Santa Barbara.^[6]

In 1989, Wright became involved with actor Sean Penn following his divorce from Madonna. Their daughter Dylan Frances was born in April 1991.^[7] Their son Hopper Jack Penn was born in August 1993.^[8] Wright and Penn married in 1996.^[9] Their on-and-off relationship seemingly ended in divorce plans, announced in December 2007,^[9] but the divorce petition was withdrawn upon the couple's request four months later.^[10] In February 2009, Wright and Penn attended the 81st Academy Awards together, at which Penn won Best Actor. Penn subsequently filed for legal separation in April 2009,^[11] but withdrew the petition in May.^[12] On August 12, 2009, Wright filed for divorce once more,^[13] declaring she had no plans to reconcile.^[14] She also dropped "Penn" from her professional name.^[15] The divorce was finalized on July 22, 2010.^[16]

In February 2012, it was reported that Wright had begun dating actor Ben Foster.^[17] Their engagement was announced in January 2014.^[18][19] The couple split and called off their engagement November, 2014,^[20] but reunited as a couple in January 2015.^[21] However, on August 29, 2015 they announced they were ending their second engagement.^[22]

She is the Honorary Spokesperson for the Dallas, Texas-based non-profit The Gordie Foundation.^[23] Wright has also been an advocate for the Enough Project. In 2014, she co-partnered with two California based companies called Pour Les Femmes^[24] and The SunnyLion.^[25] The SunnyLion gives a portion of its profit back to the Raise Hope For Congo Movement.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

See also

• List of American film actresses
• List of Santa Barbara cast and characters

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Robin Wright Penn.

• Robin Wright at AllMovie
• Robin Wright at the Internet Movie Database