Vanessa Kirby Biography
Vanessa Kirby is a British actress who gained recognition for her roles in the series "Great Expectations" and "The Crown."
Childhood and Youth
Vanessa Kirby was born on April 18, 1988, in Wimbledon, a London suburb. Her father, urologist Roger Kirby, was friends with renowned British actors Vanessa and Corin Redgrave — and this connection partly influenced the young girl's future career choice.
Acting Career
In 2009, Kirby met director David Tecker, who cast her in three leading roles at The Octagon Theatre Bolton. Her performance in Arthur Miller's "All My Sons" earned the rising star the prestigious BIZA Rising Star award and a £5,000 cash prize.
Next came leading roles in the crime thriller "The Disappeared" (2012) alongside Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom from the Harry Potter films), as well as supporting parts in the action thriller "Charlie Countryman" (2013) with Shia LaBeouf and the romantic drama "About Time" (2014) starring Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams.
Other notable performances in recent years include her roles as Alicia Dewar, the ex-girlfriend of paralyzed wealthy man Will Traynor (Sam Claflin), and writer Zelda Fitzgerald in the biographical drama "Genius" (F. Scott Fitzgerald was played by Guy Pearce).
On July 26, 2018, "Mission: Impossible – Fallout" hit theaters with Tom Cruise leading the charge. This latest action-packed installment of Ethan Hunt's adventures also featured Vanessa Kirby as the White Widow.
In 2019, the actress played MI-6 agent Hattie Shaw in "Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw," marking a crucial step in her transition from theater and television to big-budget cinema. In interviews, Kirby admitted she was "very clumsy" and generally bad at sports, so she felt uncertain in the action genre. Working with Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham expanded her acting range.
Ellen Burstyn, who played her character's mother, was impressed by Kirby: "I could see right away that she was special, a really talented actress. Extraordinarily talented."
Also in 2020, Kirby starred in the romantic drama "The World to Come" directed by Mona Fastvold, playing Tallie. It's a story about love between two farmers' wives in the mid-19th century. For Kirby, these two roles were "like polar opposites."
That same year, she played the lead role in the experimental drama "Italian Studies" directed by Adam Leon. Kirby revealed that filming took place while she was performing in a theater production: "Adam said: I want you to come as you are. If you're exhausted, come exhausted."
In 2022, the actress appeared in the drama "The Son" with Hugh Jackman. It premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival. Despite mixed reviews from critics, audiences warmly received the performances by Jackman and Kirby.
2023 brought Kirby one of the most significant roles of her career. She replaced Jodie Comer as Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais in Ridley Scott's historical epic "Napoleon." Joaquin Phoenix played Napoleon himself.
Preparing for the role, Kirby discovered contradictory historical sources: "When I've played real people before, usually every book you read adds to the previous one. For Joséphine, every book I read almost contradicted the previous one." Kirby herself described Napoleon and Joséphine's relationship as "toxic, codependent, complicated."It was just before Christmas, and one of my agents called me and said, 'Ridley Scott is going to call you about something,' and he called and asked me to play Joséphine. I was so scared that I knew nothing, and Joaquin and Ridley had already decided this long ago.
Vanessa Kirby's Personal Life
From 2009-2011, Vanessa dated British actor Christian Cooke, followed by a year-long relationship with actor Douglas Booth, star of the new "Romeo and Juliet" adaptation (2013). Vanessa then spent two years in a relationship with English actor Callum Turner.
Vanessa Kirby Now
Vanessa and her sister's company Aluna Entertainment continues to thrive. In 2023, they launched the Aluna Labs program to support emerging female filmmakers, and the company served as executive producer on the Swiss film "Thunder," which earned an Oscar nomination.In February 2024, Kirby was cast as Susan Storm/Invisible Woman in Marvel's "Fantastic Four: First Steps," which hit theaters on July 25, 2025. Kirby was thrilled that "in the middle of the film, this woman giving birth takes center stage, and three kind and loving men are supporting her."
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In March 2024, it was announced that Kirby would star as Lynette in Netflix's adaptation of "The Night Always Comes" based on Willy Vlautin's novel. Filming took place in Portland during spring 2024.I'm dying to play Malice. One of the things I love most about Sue's story is when she becomes Malice and all her dark side comes out.
Kirby returned to her Invisible Woman role from "Fantastic Four" alongside her co-stars in "Avengers: Doomsday," which was set to premiere in December 2026.
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