✎ About Rachel Kempson

Rachel Kempson was born on May 28, 1910 in Dartmouth, Devon, England, United Kingdom, is Actress. Rachel Kempson, the matriarch of one of theatre and film's most famous acting dynasties, took rather a back seat to the attention placed on several of the others.Rachel Kempson was born on 28 May, 1910, in Dartmouth, Devon, England, to Beatrice Hamilton (Ashwell) and Eric William Edward Kempson, a headmaster. She trained at RADA and made her professional stage debut at Stratford in 1933 playing Hero in Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing." She went on to grace other famed companies including the Royal Shakespeare Company, the English Stage Company and the Old Vic. She married actor Michael Redgrave in 1935 and became Lady Redgrave when Sir Michael was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1959. Their three children grew to become celebrated acting icons of their own: Vanessa, Corin and Lynn Redgrave. Over the years, the precedence of being a wife and mother strongly overruled her career ambitions. On stage she co-starred with Sir Michael in a number of plays including "Flowers of the Forest" (1935), "Love's Labour's Lost" (1936), "Storm in a Teacup" (1936), "The Wingless Victory" (1943), "Antony and Cleopatra" (as Octavia) (1953), "King Lear" (as Regan) (1953) and Samson Agonistes (1965). She also appeared on film alongside several different family members, including her husband in The Captive Heart (1946), daughter Lynn in Tom Jones (1963) and Georgy Girl (1966) and both Vanessa and Corin in _The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968)_ . In 1986, Lady Redgrave wrote her autobiography "Life Among the Redgraves" in which she detailed her loving but difficult marriage with Sir Michael who was bisexual and had occasional discreet affairs. Their marriage endured, however, until his death in 1985, four months before they would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Today, the family's acting legacy has continued to expand into the next thriving generation. Grandchildren Natasha Richardson, Joely Richardson and Jemma Redgrave are all prominent actors. Lady Redgrave died suddenly of a stroke at age 92 while staying at granddaughter Natasha's home in Millbrook, New York.
Rachel Kempson is a member of Actress

💰 Net worth: Under Review

Some Rachel Kempson images

Biography/Timeline

1935

Kempson married fellow actor Michael Redgrave in 1935, and became the daughter-in-law of Roy Redgrave and Margaret Scudamore. Kempson was the mother of Vanessa (born 1937), Corin (1939–2010) and Lynn Redgrave (1943–2010) and the grandmother of Joely and Natasha Richardson (1963–2009), Jemma Redgrave, Luke Redgrave, Arden Redgrave, Harvey Redgrave, Carlo Gabriel Nero, Benjamin B. Clark, Kelly B. Clark and Annabel Lucy Clark.

2009

In 1959 her husband was knighted, and she became, formally, Lady Redgrave. She never used this title professionally. In 2003, four days before what would have been her 93rd birthday, she died of a stroke at the home of her granddaughter, Natasha Richardson, in Millbrook, New York. Richardson died on 18 March 2009 in a skiing accident and was buried near Kempson. Kempson's youngest daughter, Lynn Redgrave was also buried in the same cemetery on 8 May 2010, near Kempson and Richardson. When Rachel died she was survived by 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Tags:

1910 births 2003 deaths British people of English descent 20th-century English actresses Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Deaths from neurological disease English film actresses English stage actresses English television actresses People from Dartmouth, Devon Royal Shakespeare Company members Actresses from Devon