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Patsy Kensit

 
Actor: Patsy Kensit
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  • Born: Mar 04, 1968 in London, England, UK
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '80s-2000s
  • Major Genres: Drama, Comedy
  • Career Highlights: Grace of My Heart, Angels & Insects, Twenty-One
  • First Major Screen Credit: Great Expectations (1981)

Biography

International filmgoers first became aware of golden-haired British child actress Patsy Kensit when she appeared as Patsy Buchannan, the daughter of Daisy and Tom Buchanan (Mia Farrow and Bruce Dern), in the 1974 version of The Great Gatsby. Two years later she was sharing the spotlight with such veterans as Elizabeth Taylor and Ava Gardner in the U.S./Russian co-production The Blue Bird (1976). Having learned her craft in TV commercials, the 17-year-old Kensit was up to the task of stepping into the difficult leading role of "Crepe Suzette" in Absolute Beginners (1986). As a bonus, Absolute Beginners allowed Kensit to perform a song that she composed herself, "Having It All," which briefly hit the charts in England. Always a favorite of critics, Kensit tried to become a major box office attraction by appearing as Mel Gibson's leading lady in Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), but the role simply wasn't up to her talents. She fared far better with her riveting performance (considered her best by many observers) in the little-seen Twenty-One (1991). Patsy Kensit's output in the 1990s has included Blame it on the Bellboy (1991), The Turn of the Screw (1993) and Bitter Harvest (1995), as well as a 1991 TV adaptation of Adam Bede. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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Patsy Kensit Healy

Patsy Kensit at the 2009 BAFTAs.
Born Patricia Jude Francis Kensit
4 March 1968 (1968-03-04) (age 41)
Hounslow, Greater London, England
Occupation Actress
Years active 1972-present
Spouse(s) Dan Donovan (1988-91)
Jim Kerr (1992-96)
Liam Gallagher (1997-2000)
Jeremy Healy (2009-present)
Official website

Patricia Jude Francis "Patsy" Kensit Healy (born 4 March 1968 in Hounslow, West London) is an English actress and former singer well known for her many appearances on television.

Contents

Early life

One of two children born to James and Margaret Kensit (née Doohan) who came from Ireland, Kensit has an older brother Jamie.[1] Her mother (1947-93)[1] was a publicist, and her father (1915-87)[1] was an associate of the notorious London gangsters the Kray twins.[2] Nicknamed "Jimmy the Dip",[1] he was also reportedly an associate of the rival Richardsons,[1] running long firms for the gang. He served time in prison before Kensit was born, she believed he was an antiques dealer.[1][3] Her paternal grandfather was a robber and counterfeiter,[4] and her brother's godfather was Reggie Kray.[5]

Kensit attended the independent Newland House School in Twickenham, West London and then the independent Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts stage school.[6] Kensit's first tabloid-published relationship was with Spandau Ballet's Gary Kemp when she was 15 and he was 24.

Career

Early work

At the age of four, Kensit appeared in a television advert for Birds Eye frozen peas.[1] In 1972, she had her first role in the film For the Love of Ada. Her next film role was two years later in The Great Gatsby[1] starring with Mia Farrow—whom she would later portray in the 1995 biopic Love and Betrayal: The Mia Farrow Story.

As a pupil at the Italia Conti Academy stage school, Kensit's first starring roles were in British children's television programmes such as The Adventures of Pollyanna (1982) and Luna. She also appeared as Estella in a BBC adaptation of Great Expectations in 1981.

Rise to fame

In 1985 Kensit led a dual career as the lead singer of the band Eighth Wonder and an actress. Eighth Wonder had two Top 40 singles ("I'm Not Scared" UK #7 and "Cross My Heart" UK #13) and appeared on Top of the Pops, while Kensit also starred as Eppie in an adaptation of Silas Marner, with Ben Kingsley. At the time, Kensit infamously stated: "All I want is to be more famous than anything or anyone".[4]

In 1986, she won the lead female role in the film version of Absolute Beginners, based on the book by Colin MacInnes. In November 1987, she sang a duet with the Italian singer and songwriter, Eros Ramazzotti, entitled 'La Luce Buona Delle Stelle', which in English translates to 'The Good Light Of The Stars'. In 1988, Eighth Wonder had their only UK top 10 hit with "I'm Not Scared", which was written and produced by the Pet Shop Boys. Although the band's success quickly waned, the song appeared in the 1989 film Lethal Weapon 2, in which Kensit, now focused solely on being an actress, played Rika van den Haas, a South African consulate secretary with whom cop Martin Riggs (played by Mel Gibson) falls in love.

Following Lethal Weapon 2, she appeared in 1991's little-seen Twenty-One. Of her role, Variety magazine wrote, "Fans of Kensit get plenty of her; her lovely face and form are always the center of attention. The cool control with which she executes the role is admirable".[7] In 1992, she had a leading role in the British film Blame it on the Bellboy as Miss Carolyn Wright, a desperate real estate dealer in Venice who would stop at nothing to clinch a deal. In 1995, Kensit starred in Angels & Insects, with Kristin Scott Thomas and Mark Rylance, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Costume Design and in which she complied with film director Philip Haas' request to bleach her pubic hair. Kensit's last major lead film role was in the Newcastle-based The One and Only.

Return to fame

In 2004, Kensit joined the cast of British soap opera Emmerdale, playing the character Sadie King, and also regularly featured in the third series of Channel 4's Bo' Selecta! and its 2005 spin-off series A Bear's Tail. Kensit's success as the soap super-bitch and in a popular comedy brought her back to the attention of the British public.

In September and October 2005 she appeared as a celebrity contestant in Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon, progressing through to Play Your Cards Right before being eliminated by Carol Vorderman, the eventual winner of the series. Kensit was a special guest host on The Friday Night Project on 23 June 2006 with band Placebo. She appeared as The Grand High Witch of all the World at the Children's Party at the Palace in celebration of the Queen's 80th birthday in 2006. She also became the voice of online gambling website 32red.com.[8]

Kensit left Emmerdale in September 2006, stating that commuting to Yorkshire and the resultant time away from her sons was too stressful. As part of a dramatic week of episodes which coincided with Jeff Hordley's exit from the show. Hordley's character Cain Dingle and Sadie hatched an elaborate kidnap plan involving Tom King - they set up the transfer of £2 million from the Kings to Cain in order for Tom to be released, however Cain double crossed Sadie. Her last appearance was at an airstrip watching Cain fly away, leaving her penniless and alone.

Kensit has played ward sister Faye Morton in the BBC One medical drama series Holby City since October 2006.[9]

Kensit is signed to Models 1 in London.

Personal life

Kensit has been married four times, and all her husbands have been musicians. In 1988 she married Dan Donovan of band Big Audio Dynamite. In 1992 she married Jim Kerr, lead singer of Simple Minds. During her second marriage she gave birth to her first child, James in 1993. In 1997 she married Liam Gallagher from Oasis. Kensit and Gallagher had a son, Lennon, named after John Lennon. They divorced in 2000.

By now Kensit's private life had brought her to as much attention as her acting or singing, as the tabloid newspapers detailed the break down of her marriage to Simple Minds singer Jim Kerr and her romance with Oasis singer Liam Gallagher. Her career stalled as she focused on her marriage, over which she claimed to cry every day of the marriage until it ended,[10] as it eventually headed towards divorce. This personal downward spiral led to the resumption of her acting career.

After her marriage to Gallagher ended in divorce, Kensit spoke openly about her breast augmentation, which took her bust measurement from a 32B to a 35C. She has three tattoos: on her back; above the blade of her left foot (Gaelic words); and on her ankle.[11] She changed the tattoo of her ex-husband's name from Liam to the name of their son, Lennon.

After reported relationships with Ally McCoist,[12] Calum Best, David Walliams, Matt Holbrook, and in 2005 with Jean-Christophe Novelli, Kensit began dating rap artist and beatboxer Killa Kela. They split up shortly after a year, with Kensit claiming that she did not see a future with Killa.[13] She soon became involved with the DJ Jeremy Healy and announced that she was marrying for a fourth time on 29 November 2007.[14] However, on the 31 March 2008 it was reported that the pair had mutually split and called off their wedding.[15] They eventually married on April 18, 2009 in an event covered by a magazine.[16]

Filmography

Kensit in France (1991)

Partial filmography

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Hoyle, Antonia; "BBC show finds Patsy Kensit some relatives she can be proud of" DailyMail.co.uk, 4 August 2008 (Retrieved: 30 July 2009)
  2. ^ Jefferies, Mark; "Patsy Kensit speaks about family link to the Kray Twins" Mirror.co.uk, 4 April 2008 (Retrieved: 30 July 2009)
  3. ^ "Patsy Kensit Biography (1968-)" FilmReference.com (Retrieved: 30 July 2009)
  4. ^ a b Picardie, Justine; "Patsy Kensit: super trouper" Telegraph.co.uk, 18 July 2008 (Retrieved: 30 July 2009)
  5. ^ "Patsy Kensit's grief about father's violent past with Kray Twin" Mirror.co.uk, 7 July 2008 (Retrieved: 30 July 2009)
  6. ^ Picardie, Justine; "I'm ten years older, ten years wiser" Red magazine, p.65, February 2008
  7. ^ "Twenty-One" Variety.com 1 January 1991 (Retrieved: 30 July 2009)
  8. ^ "Patsy Kensit is the voice of 32Red Online Casino" 32red.com (Retrieved: 30 July 2009)
  9. ^ "Patsy Kensit to join Holby cast " BBC.co.uk, 14 December 2005 (Retrieved: 30 July 2009)
  10. ^ "'I cried every day when married to Liam', says Patsy" DailyMail.co.uk, 30 January 2007 (Retrieved: 30 July 2009)
  11. ^ "Celebrity Tattoos - Patsy Kensit Tattoos" Tattoos-by-Design.co.uk (Retrieved: 30 July 2009)
  12. ^ Cramb, Auslan; "I have been a fool over Kensit affair, admits McCoist" Telegraph.co.uk, 28 September 2001 (Retrieved: 30 July 2009)
  13. ^ Fletcher, Alex; "Kensit breaks up with human beatbox" DigitalSpy.co.uk, 9 August 2007 (Retrieved: 30 July 2009)
  14. ^ Dadds, Kimberley; "Patsy Kensit to marry for fourth time" DigitalSpy.co.uk, 29 September 2007 (Retrieved: 30 July 2009)
  15. ^ "Actress Kensit calls off wedding" BBC.co.uk, 31 March 2008 (Retrieved: 30 July 2009)
  16. ^ "Kensit ties knot for fourth time" BBC.co.uk, 19 April 2009 (Retrieved: 30 July 2009)

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