Natascha McElhone

{{Short description|British actress (born 1971)}}

{{Use British English|date=August 2011}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Natascha McElhone

| image = Natascha McElhone May 2018.jpg

| caption = McElhone in 2018

| birth_name = Natascha Abigail Taylor

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|12|14|df=y}}

| birth_place = Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England

| alma_mater = London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art

| occupation = Actress

| years_active = 1990–present

| spouse = {{Marriage|Martin Hirigoyen Kelly|1998|2008|end=died}}

| relatives = Roy Greenslade (stepfather)

| children = 3

}}

Natascha Abigail Taylor (born 14 December 1971), known professionally as Natascha McElhone ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|æ|k|əl|h|oʊ|n}}), is an English actress of Irish origin. In film, she has starred in the action thriller Ronin (1998), the psychological comedy-drama The Truman Show (1998) and the science fiction drama Solaris (2002). On television, she has starred in the Showtime comedy-drama series Californication (2007–2014), the ABC political drama series Designated Survivor (2016–2017), the Hulu science fiction drama series The First (2018), the Netflix historical series The Crown (2022) and the Paramount+ military science fiction series Halo.

Early life

McElhone was born Natascha Abigail Taylor in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England on 14 December 1971{{Cite news |last=Cadwalladr |first=Carole |date=26 April 2009 |title=The interview: Natascha McElhone |newspaper=The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/apr/26/natascha-mcelhone-californication-interview |access-date=26 August 2024 |issn=0029-7712}} to Noreen McElhone and Michael Taylor, who are both journalists.[https://movies.yahoo.com/person/natascha-mcelhone/biography.html Biography]yahoo.com {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727233827/https://movies.yahoo.com/person/natascha-mcelhone/biography.html |date=27 July 2014 }} She took her mother's maiden name as her stage name. McElhone has a brother and two half-brothers. Her parents separated when she was two. Her Irish mother moved the family to Brighton and later married journalist and columnist Roy Greenslade.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2014/feb/28/daily-mirror-national-newspapers |title=Mike Taylor - the Daily Mirror night editor who loved to laugh |newspaper=The Guardian |date=28 February 2014 |last1=Greenslade |first1=Roy}}

McElhone was educated at St Mark's Church of England Primary School, Brighton; St Mary's Hall, Brighton; Fortismere School, London; Camden School for Girls, London; and William Ellis, London. She took lessons in Irish dancing from ages 6 to 12. She studied acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.{{cite web |url=https://www.lamda.ac.uk/students-alumni/acting-alumni |title=Meet our LAMDA Acting Alumni |website=lamda.ac.uk |access-date=6 June 2023}}

Career

McElhone began her career in the theatre, including starring roles in Richard III and A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park, London, and in The Count of Monte Cristo and The Cherry Orchard at the Haymarket Theatre, Leicester. She made her television debut in 1990, credited as "Natascha Taylor", in Television South's adaptation of the Inspector Wexford story An Unkindness of Ravens.{{cite web |url=https://inspectorwexford.info/episodes/an-unkindness-of-ravens/ |title=An Unkindness of Ravens}} She appeared the following year, again credited as "Natascha Taylor," in the series Bergerac as Louise Calder, a rebellious daughter of very wealthy parents.{{cite AV media | url=https://therokuchannel.roku.com/watch/8ce0b6544a47598c88727c0e44d051f5 | title=Bergerac | series=Series 9, Episode 3 | type=television production | location=United Kingdom | publisher=BBC | people=Dow, Tony (director) | publication-date=January 19, 1991 | access-date=September 2, 2024}}

File:Natascha McElhone (13034107645) (cropped).jpg, London in March 2014]]

She appeared in two episodes of the Dennis Potter television miniseries Karaoke. McElhone's first major box-office role came with Surviving Picasso (1996), with co-star Anthony Hopkins. One of her most successful films to date has been The Truman Show (1998) with Jim Carrey.{{cite news |last=O'Sullivan |first=Michael |title='Truman': A Surreally Big Show |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/trumanshowosullivan.htm |access-date=1 August 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=5 June 1998}} She had leading roles opposite Brad Pitt in The Devil's Own (1997), Robert De Niro in Ronin (1998){{cite news |last=O'Sullivan |first=Michael |title=Run-of-the-Mill 'Ronin' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/roninosullivan.htm |access-date=1 August 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=25 September 1998}} and George Clooney in Solaris (2002).{{cite magazine |last=Gleiberman |first=Owen |title=Solaris |url=https://ew.com/article/2002/11/27/solaris-3/ |access-date=1 August 2024 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=27 November 2002}}{{cite web |title=Natascha McElhone- Biography |url=https://movies.yahoo.com/person/natascha-mcelhone/biography.html |publisher=Yahoo! Movies |access-date=11 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727233827/https://movies.yahoo.com/person/natascha-mcelhone/biography.html |archive-date=27 July 2014 |url-status=dead}}

Co-starring with Bill Pullman, she appeared in the NBC miniseries Revelations (2005). McElhone starred in a 2006 West End production of Honour at the Wyndham's Theatre alongside Diana Rigg and Martin Jarvis. She accepted the role as Karen in the Showtime cable television series Californication, alongside David Duchovny.{{cite web |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/interview-natascha-mcelhone-on-becoming-a-writer-1-3475127 |title=Interview: Natascha McElhone on becoming a writer |website=The Scotsman}} In 2009, she became a spokeswoman for Neutrogena.{{cite web |last=Clott |first=Sharon |title=Neutrogena Casts Natascha McElhone; Valentino Does 'Fearless' Eyes |date=30 January 2009 |url=https://nymag.com/thecut/2009/01/neutrogena_casts_natascha_mcel.html |work=New York |access-date=11 May 2013}} In 2010, McElhone voiced Marie in the video game Castlevania: Lords of Shadow from Konami.{{cite news |title=Konami Announces Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is Now Available |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/10/05/konami-announces-castlevania-lords-of-shadow-is-now-available |access-date=11 May 2013 |newspaper=IGN |date=5 October 2010}}

She featured as Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet (2013), a film adaptation of Shakespeare's play. Douglas Booth and Hailee Steinfeld were the leads, and Damian Lewis played her husband.{{cite news |last=Fernandez |first=Jay A. |title='Homeland' Star Damian Lewis Cast in 'Romeo and Juliet' (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/risky-business/homeland-star-damian-lewis-cast-286523 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=1 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150327001514/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/risky-business/homeland-star-damian-lewis-cast-286523 |archive-date=27 March 2015 |url-status=dead}} In 2014, McElhone played Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. In 2015, she starred as Sarah Churchill in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Helen Edmundson's Queen Anne.{{cite web |url=http://www.rsc.org.uk/queen-anne/cast-and-creative |title=Cast and creative | Royal Shakespeare Company |access-date=30 November 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151202055919/http://www.rsc.org.uk/queen-anne/cast-and-creative |archive-date=2 December 2015}}

In February 2016, McElhone was cast alongside Kiefer Sutherland in ABC's political drama series Designated Survivor, which premiered in September 2016.{{cite web |last1=Andreeva |first1=Nellie |title='Designated Survivor' Casts Kal Penn, Maggie Q, Natascha McElhone, Italia Ricci |url=https://deadline.com/2016/02/kal-penn-maggie-q-natascha-mcelhone-italia-ricci-cast-designated-survivor-abc-1201696876/ |website=Deadline |access-date=22 September 2016 |date=5 February 2016}} She left the show in Season 2 to star as Laz Ingram in the Hulu science fiction drama series The First (2018).{{cite interview |title=The First: Interview with Natascha McElhone who plays Laz |url=https://www.channel4.com/press/news/first-interview-natascha-mcelhone-who-plays-laz |access-date=1 August 2024 |publisher=Channel 4 |date=29 October 2018}} In 2022, McElhone appeared as Penelope Knatchbull in the Netflix historical series season 5 of The Crown.{{Cite news |date=5 November 2022 |title=The Crown: Seven takeaways from the latest series of Netflix's royal drama |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-63512840 |access-date=9 November 2022}} From 2022 to 2024, she starred as Catherine Halsey in the Paramount+ military science fiction series Halo.{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/halo-season-2-trailer-new-showrunner-1235785490/ |title=Halo Season 2 Trailer Shows Dark Space Action, Has New Showrunner |last=Hibberd |first=James |date=11 January 2024 |work=The Hollywood Reporter}}

Personal life

McElhone married plastic surgeon Martin Hirigoyen Kelly on 19 May 1998.{{cite news |date=10 October 2009 |author=Gráinne Faller |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/magazine/2009/1010/1224256064873.html |title=Shot in the Arm |newspaper=The Irish Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822163834/https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/shot-in-the-arm-1.754676 |archive-date=22 August 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=22 August 2018}} The couple lived in Fulham, south-west London. They had three sons, the third born five months after Kelly's death.[https://people.com/parents/natascha-mcelhone-opens-up-about-delivering-rex-alone/ Natascha McElhone Opens Up About Delivering Rex Alone]. People, 7 May 2009

On 20 May 2008, 43-year-old Kelly was found slumped in the doorway of his family's home by a fellow doctor, who had him rushed to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital (where he worked). He could not be revived and died one day after his 10th wedding anniversary. A postmortem exam revealed the cause of death to have been dilated cardiomyopathy.{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3975839.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100601073425/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3975839.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 June 2010 |title=Natascha McElhone's plastic surgeon husband dies at couple's home |work=The Times |location=UK |date=21 May 2008 |access-date=21 May 2008 |first=Jenny |last=Booth}}{{cite journal |last1=Watts |first1=Geoff |title=Obituary: Martin Hirigoyen Kelly |journal=The Lancet |date=July 2008 |volume=372 |issue=9632 |pages=24 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(08)60979-4 |s2cid=54309762}} {{open access}}

After her husband's death, McElhone continued to write letters to him, sometimes documenting the daily trivia of life but also dealing with how she and their young children were coping with their loss. These letters and diary entries formed the basis of her book After You: Letters of Love, and Loss, to a Husband and Father. The book was published in July 2010.{{cite news |last=Day |first=Elizabeth |title=After You: Letters of Love, and Loss, to a Husband and Father by Natascha McElhone |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/jul/04/after-you-natascha-mcelhone |access-date=11 May 2013 |newspaper=The Guardian |date=3 July 2010}}{{cite book |last=McElhone |first=Natascha |title=After you: letters of love, and loss, to a husband and father |publisher=Viking |location=London |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-670-91909-3}}

Filmography

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

|+ List of film works

scope="col"| Year

! scope="col"| Title

! scope="col"| Role

! scope="col" class="unsortable"| Notes

! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{abbr|Ref.|References}}

1996

| Surviving Picasso

| Françoise Gilot

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

1997

| {{sortname|The|Devil's Own}}

| Megan Doherty

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

1997

| Mrs Dalloway

| Young Clarissa Dalloway

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

1998

| {{sortname|The|Truman Show}}

| Lauren Garland / Sylvia

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

1998

| What Rats Won't Do

| Kate Beckenham

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

1998

| Ronin

| Deirdre

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

2000

| Love's Labour's Lost

| Lady Rosaline

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

2000

| Contaminated Man

| Holly Anderson

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

2002

| Laurel Canyon

| Sara

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

2002

| FeardotCom

| Terry Huston

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

2002

| Killing Me Softly

| Deborah Tallis

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

2002

| City of Ghosts

| Sophie

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

2002

| Solaris

| Rheya Kelvin

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

2004

| Ladies in Lavender

| Olga Daniloff

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

2005

| Guy X

| Sgt. Irene Teal

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

2006

| Big Nothing

| Penelope Wood

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

2008

| The Secret of Moonacre

| Loveday de Noir

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

2008

| Blessed

| Lou

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

2010

| {{sortname|The|Kid|The Kid (2010 film)}}

| Gloria

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

2013

| The Sea

| Connie Grace

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

2013

| Romeo and Juliet

| Lady Capulet

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

2014

| Believe

| Erica Gallagher

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

2016

| Mr. Church

| Marie Brooks

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

2016

| London Town

| Sandrine Baker

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

2021

| Carmen

| Carmen

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

|+ List of television works

scope="col"| Year

! scope="col"| Title

! scope="col"| Role

! scope="col" class="unsortable"| Notes

! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{abbr|Ref.|References}}

1990

| {{sortname|The|Ruth Rendell Mysteries}}

| Helen Blake

| 2 episodes

| style="text-align: center;" |

1991

| Bergerac

| Louise Calder

| Episode: "Snow in Provence"

| style="text-align: center;" |

1994

| Absolutely Fabulous

| Art Gallery Assistant

| Episode: "Death"

| style="text-align: center;" |

1994

| Minder

| Vanessa

| Episode: "All Quiet on the West End Front"

| style="text-align: center;" |

1994

| Cadfael

| Cecily Corde

| Episode: "The Sanctuary Sparrow"

| style="text-align: center;" |

1994

| Screen One

| Janet

| Episode: "A Breed of Heroes"

| style="text-align: center;" |

1996

| Karaoke

| Angie

| 2 episodes

| style="text-align: center;" |

1996

| Cold Lazarus

| Angie

| 2 episodes

| style="text-align: center;" |

2003

| {{sortname|The|Other Boleyn Girl|The Other Boleyn Girl (2003 film)}}

| Mary Boleyn

| Television film

| style="text-align: center;" |

2005

| Revelations

| Sister Josepha Montafiore

| Miniseries

| style="text-align: center;" |

2007

| {{sortname|The|Company|The Company (TV miniseries)}}

| Elizabet Nemeth

| Miniseries

| style="text-align: center;" |

2007–2014

| Californication

| Karen

| 84 episodes

| style="text-align: center;" |

2009

| 10 Minute Tales

| Woman

| Television short; segment: "Deep & Crisp & Even"

| style="text-align: center;" |

2010

| Thorne: Sleepyhead

| Anne Coburn

| Episodes 1-3

| style="text-align: center;" |

2015

| Saints & Strangers

| Elizabeth Hopkins

| Miniseries

| style="text-align: center;" |

2016–2017

| Designated Survivor

| First Lady Alex Kirkman

| Series regular (Season 1 and 2)

| style="text-align: center;" |

2018

| The First

| Laz Ingram

| Series regular

| style="text-align: center;" | {{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2017/09/natascha-mcelhone-cast-beau-willimon-the-first-hulu-exit-designated-survivor-abc-1202177797/ |title=Natascha McElhone To Star in Beau Willimon's 'The First' Hulu Series, Will Depart 'Designated Survivor' |first=Nellie |last=Andreeva |date=27 September 2017}}

2022–present

| Hotel Portofino

| Bella Ainsworth

| Series regular

| style="text-align: center;" |

2022–2024

| Halo

| Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey

| Series regular; also producer

| style="text-align: center;" | {{cn|date=March 2024}}

2022

|The Crown

|Penelope Knatchbull, Lady Romsey

|Main role (Season 5)

| style="text-align: center;" |

2022

| Better Things

| Mark's girlfriend (uncredited)

| Season 5 Episode 9

| style="text-align: center;" |

{{TBA}}

|Young Sherlock

|Cordelia Holmes

|Filming

|

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

|+ List of video game appearances

Year

! Title

! Role

! scope="col" class="unsortable"| Notes

! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{abbr|Ref.|References}}

2010

| Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

|rowspan="2"|Marie Belmont

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

2014

| Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

|

| style="text-align: center;" |

Awards

{{BLP unreferenced section|date=January 2023}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
+ Awards and nominations
Year

! Nominated work

! Award

! Category

! Result

1999

| Ronin

| MTV Movie Award

| Best Action Sequence (shared with Robert De Niro)

| {{Nominated}}

2003

| rowspan="2" | Solaris

| Saturn Award

| Best Actress

| {{Nominated}}

2003

| IFTA Award

| Best Actress in Film

| {{Nominated}}

2005

| Revelations

| Satellite Award

| Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television

| {{Nominated}}

2010

| The Kid

| Irina Palm

| Worst British Supporting Actress

| {{Win}}

2022

| Halo

| WIN Award

| Actress Drama Series

| {{Nominated}}

References

{{Reflist}}