Rachel Kempson (28 May 1910 – 24 May 2003), also known as Rachel Redgrave and formally as Lady Redgrave, was an English actress. She was the matriarch of the renowned Redgrave acting dynasty, having married actor Sir Michael Redgrave.
Early Life
Kempson was born in Dartmouth, Devon, England, the daughter of Eric William Edward Kempson, a headmaster of the Royal Naval College, and Beatrice Hamilton (née Ashwell). She trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Career
Kempson made her professional stage debut in 1932, famously playing Juliet in a production of Romeo and Juliet at Stratford. She appeared frequently on stage alongside her husband, Michael Redgrave.
Her film and television work spanned nearly six decades (1938–1997). Notable film appearances include The Captive Heart (1946), Tom Jones (1963), Georgy Girl (1966), The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968), Out of Africa (1985), and Uncle Vanya (1991). On television, she appeared in Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill (1974) and The Jewel in the Crown (1984).
She appeared in three films with her daughter Lynn Redgrave (Tom Jones, Georgy Girl, The Virgin Soldiers) and two with her daughter Vanessa Redgrave (The Charge of the Light Brigade and Déjà Vu).
In 1986, she published her autobiography, Life Among the Redgraves.
Personal Life and Death
Kempson married Michael Redgrave in 1935. Upon his knighthood in 1959, she became Lady Redgrave, though she declined to use the title professionally. The couple had three children: Vanessa Redgrave (born 1937), Corin Redgrave (1939–2010), and Lynn Redgrave (1943–2010), all of whom became distinguished actors. Her grandchildren include actresses Joely Richardson, the late Natasha Richardson (1963–2009), and Jemma Redgrave.
Rachel Kempson died of a stroke on 24 May 2003, four days before her 93rd birthday, at the home of her granddaughter Natasha Richardson in Millbrook, New York, United States.
