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Elizabeth Hurley
Born June 10, 1965, in Hampshire, England, Elizabeth Hurley is the
daughter of an army officer and an elementary schoolteacher mother.
While growing up in Basingstoke, England, Hurley dreamed of becoming
a dancer, which prompted her to attend a boarding school specializing
in ballet at the age of 12.
Her attendance at the boarding school was short-lived, and Hurley then
went through a different phase; the English punk stage. Although it
must be hard to imagine the now so glamorous Hurley with pink hair and
a nose ring, she was a victim of punk fashion of the early '80s, since
this was the thing to do at that time and place.
At age 21, Hurley got her first film role in the 1987 film Aria, after
having attended the London Studio Centre on scholarship. Hurley's role
in the film Remando al viento (aka Rowing In the Wind) that same year
could be considered a crucial one, as it also starred her future boyfriend
Hugh Grant. One year later, Hurley received critical acclaim for her
role as Christabel Bielenberg in the BBC miniseries, Christabel.
Hurley gained some recognition in the United States for her role in
the 1992 action film Passenger 57, starring Wesley Snipes. Although
this was a Hollywood role, she was still having difficulty receiving
quality roles, and consequently returned to England.Whoever said that
clothing is not important must not know about Elizabrth Hurley's claim
to fame. Apparently, Versace did Hurley a favor by giving the statuesque
beauty an unsold dress to wear to the 1994 London premiere of Hugh Grant's
film, Four Weddings and a Funeral. The low-cut risqué dress held
together by safety pins became Hurley's ticket to stardom, as she made
heads turn at the premiere.More attention followed when Estée
Lauder signed Hurley to be the face of the international cosmetics company.
And who can forget the Hugh Grant scandal (what was he thinking?) when
he was arrested for his one-night tryst with prostitute Divine Brown?
Contrary to public belief, Hurley and Grant remained a couple, and together
founded the production company Simian Films. Its first production was
the film Extreme Measures, a 1996 thriller starring Hugh, Gene Hackman
and Sarah Jessica Parker.
If by this time someone had still not heard of Elizabeth Hurley, 1997's
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, the little movie that became
a smash hit, was sure to get her the recognition she deserved. With
her comedic turn as agent Vanessa Kensington alongside Austin Powers,
played by Mike Myers, Hurley was now seeing the movie scripts rolling
in. Several movie roles followed the huge success of the film, including
roles in 1998's Permanent Midnight, and 1999's My Favorite Martian,
EDtv and Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me. That same year Hurley
worked as producer of Mickey Blue Eyes, which starred her boyfriend
Hugh Grant, and marked the second film for Simian Films.Hurley has continued
to appear in smaller productions over the past couple of years, including
2000's The Weight of Water and Bedazzled, 2002's Bad Boy with Denis
Leary, and Serving Sara, a comedy co-starring Matthew Perry. After a
13-year relationship, she and Hugh Grant parted ways in 2000. Rumors
that the breakup stemmed from a disagreement over having children together
abounded. Liz began a romance with L.A. millionaire producer Stephen
Bing in 2001, and gave birth to a son, Damian Charles, on April 4, 2002.
Bing initially denied being the baby's biological father, claiming he
and Liz had a non-exclusive relationship. DNA testing has since proven
that Bing is indeed the child's father, although he and Liz are no longer
romantically involved.
At certain angles, Elizabeth's face is as beautiful as
any supermodel's. Although she doesn't exactly have a button nose, her
own does give her face personality.
Her (usually) dark hair and deep-set eyes add a mysterious quality
to her stunning beauty. The fact that she was chosen to represent one
of the top cosmetics companies, Estée Lauder, over so many other
beautiful women the world over is a testament of Liz's delectable beauty.
As for her beauty secrets, Hurley claimed in an Evening Standard interview
that she gets her "hot-date look" by devouring large amounts
of watercress soup. If that's what works for her, more power to the
soup!
Birthdate: June 10, 1965
Birthplace: London, England
Occupations: Actor, Model, Producer
Quote: "I have three lives: actress, model, producer. Sometimes
I'm aware that there's a fourth life, which is somewhat neglected, which
is living a bit." -- Premiere, October 1996
Claim to Fame: Chosen as the model for Estée Lauder cosmetics
and perfumes (1995)
Significant Other(s):
Arun Nair, Textile mogul; dating since 2003
Stephen Bing, producer, writer; dated 2000-2001
Hugh Grant, actor; together 1986-2000
Ted Forstmann, executive; no longer together
Family:
Father: Army officer
Mother: Schoolteacher
Sister: Katie Hurley, literary agent; older
Brother: Michael Hurley, engineer; younger
Son: Damian Charles Hurley; born April 4, 2002; it was determined that
producer Stephen Bing was the father after a DNA test
Awards:
1997: NATO/ShoWest: Supporting Actress of the Year
Education:
Boarding school; studied ballet at age 12
London Studio Centre, London, England; won a scholarship, was expelled
for poor attendance
Elisabeth Hurley Movies
- Bedazzled (2000)
- Weight of Water, The (2000)
- Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
- Edtv (1999)
- My Favorite Martian (1999)
- Permanent Midnight (1998)
- Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
- Dangerous Ground (1997)
- Happy Birthday Elizabeth: A Celebration of Life (1997) (TV)
- Samson and Delilah (1996) (TV)
- World of 007, The (1995) (TV)
- Mad Dogs and Englishmen (1995)
- Harrison: Cry of the City (1995) (TV)
- Shamrock Conspiracy, The (1995) (TV)
- Sharpe's Enemy (1994) (TV)
- Passenger 57 (1992)
Largo invierno, El (1991)
- Orchid House (1991) (TV)
- Skipper, Der (1990)
- Death Has a Bad Reputation (1990) (TV)
- Act of Will (1989) (TV)
- ''Christabel'' (1988) (mini) TV Series
- Aria (1987)
- Remando al viento (1987)
- Awards
1998 - Nominated for Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite
Actress - Comedy for: Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
1997 -Special Award for Supporting Actress of the Year