All The Babes
Joanne Whalley
Career
Active 1974 – present
Biography
About Joanne Whalley
Joanne Whalley began acting at the age of around 12, and her first screen appearances included bit parts in British soap operas such as Coronation Street and Emmerdale. Her feature film debut came in 1979 with a role as a young Beatles fan in Birth of the Beatles. She spent her early career balancing television work with a serious theatre career, including originating the role of Rita in the first production of Andrea Dunbar's Rita, Sue and Bob Too at the Royal Court Theatre in 1982. That same year she made a non-speaking appearance in Pink Floyd – The Wall. She also fronted the pop group Cindy & The Saffrons, whose 1982 single peaked at number 56 on the UK charts.
Her breakthrough came on British television with lead roles in the serial Edge of Darkness in 1985 and The Singing Detective in 1986, both for the BBC, earning her a BAFTA nomination for the former. She met American actor Val Kilmer in 1987 while filming Willow, and they married in 1988. During their marriage she was credited as Joanne Whalley-Kilmer. She took on a wide range of roles, from historical figures to iconic heroines: she played Scarlett O'Hara in the 1994 miniseries Scarlett, Jackie Kennedy in Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, Queen Mary I in The Virgin Queen, and Catherine of Aragon in Wolf Hall. She also appeared in films like Scandal, Kill Me Again, and The Man Who Knew Too Little.
Whalley has continued working steadily, with roles in The Borgias, Daredevil, and Willow on Disney+. She returned to the role of Sorsha in that series, 34 years after the original film. In 2020 she starred in Eleanor Coppola's anthology Love Is Love Is Love. She is British and was born in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. She has a slim build, is 5'4", and has brown hair and eyes.
Record
Profile details
Personal
- Years Active
- 1974-present (started around 12 years old; 52 years active)
- Birthplace
- Salford, Greater Manchester, England, United Kingdom
- Ethnicity
- Caucasian
- Sexuality
- Straight
Body
- Hair Color
- Brown
- Eye Color
- Brown
- Measurements
- 32–24–34 (B–W–H) · WHR 0.71
- Bra/Cup Size
- 32D show conversions - UK: 32D, EU: 70D, AU: 10D, JP: 70D
- Boobs
- Real/Natural
- Piercings
- ears
Performances
- Solo
- Nudity (Full)
Frequently asked
How did Joanne Whalley's career begin?
She started acting as a child around the age of 12, appearing in British soap operas like Coronation Street and Emmerdale before her film debut in Birth of the Beatles.
Was she ever known by a different name?
From 1988 to 1996, during her marriage to Val Kilmer, she was credited as Joanne Whalley-Kilmer.
Which notable historical figures has she portrayed?
She has played Scarlett O'Hara in Scarlett, Jackie Kennedy in Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, Queen Mary I in The Virgin Queen, and Catherine of Aragon in Wolf Hall.
What was her involvement in the music scene?
She was a lead singer for the band Cindy & The Saffrons, who charted in the UK with "Past, Present and Future" in 1982, and she briefly played with Stockport band the Slowguns.
Did you know
- She originated the role of Rita in the first production of Andrea Dunbar's play Rita, Sue and Bob Too.
- She performed at the Royal Court Theatre and the Royal National Theatre early in her career.
- Her single with Cindy & The Saffrons, "Past, Present and Future", peaked at number 56 on the UK charts.
- She reunited with John Hurt in 44 Inch Chest, having acted with him in two previous films.
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