Rachael

Here is your chance to learn a bit more about the person this website is all about!

Basic Facts

Rachael Stirling

Name
Rachael Atlanta Stirling. She was originally going to have the middle name Atalanta, but her mother decided it didn't sound quite right, so went for Atlanta instead.
Date of birth
May 30th, 1977 in London, England. Her zodiac sign is Gemini.
Lives in
West London, in a Victorian cottage.
Accent
RP. (What is RP?)
Height
5'9".
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual.
Smoker?
Yes. She has been known to smoke Marlboros and Silk Cut ultra lights.

Family

Mother
Dame Diana Rigg, Yorkshire actress.
Father
Archibald Hugh Stirling, Scottish landowner, policitian and businessman, who was married to Dame Diana Rigg from 1982-1990.
Siblings
Two elder half-brothers, Ludovic (Ludo) and William (Willie), by her father's first marriage (1964-1977) to society beauty Charmain Scott. Also a younger half-brother David (born 2004) by her father's third marriage (2000-present) to Sharon Silver.
Relationship
Her two-year relationship with DJ John Lycett-Green ended in 2003. As of late 2007 she has a boyfriend (according to her mother, Dame Diana Rigg) but Rachael has not said who it is, nor has she been asked. There are suggestions that she is dating actor Oliver Chris, and they were photographed attending an event together in November 2007, many months after working together on The Taming of the Shrew. The photographer (R Stonehouse) named Oliver as her boyfriend in the photo credits, though this could have been a mistake. To my knowledge this has passed under the radar unnoticed by the press, possibly due to the fact that neither of them is a particularly high profile actor at the moment.
Other family links
Of the Baronets Stirling-Maxwell, her father is Laird of the Keir Estate in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, by whom she descends from Charles II Stuart, King of England and Scotland, and also from a first cousin of his, the grandmother of George I, King of Great-Britain. She is also a distant relative of Sir Winston Churchill and Rupert Everett.

Early life

Childhood
Her parents married in 1982 and Rachael grew up partially in Scotland, partially in London, but still considers Scotland to be her true home. She had a very normal, happy childhood, and was in no way exposed to the showbiz lifestyle that came with her mother's career.
Education
Attended Wycombe Abbey girls' boarding school in Buckinghamshire, England for her secondary education. Following this, she graduated with a BA (2:1) in History of Art from The University of Edinburgh, Scotland. While still at school she took a keen interest in drama. She was a member of the National Youth Theatre.

Achievements

Skills and hobbies
Horse-riding and jumping. Playing football.
Languages
English and Russian.
Awards
In 2003, Rachael won The Sir James Carreras Award For Outstanding New Talent at the Variety Club Awards for her performance in Tipping the Velvet.
In 1999, she was named as one of the 'Shooting Stars' of European film by the European Film Promotion.

Favourites

Favourite film
The Philadelphia Story.
Favourite book
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.
Favourite song
'Lay Lady Lay' by Bob Dylan.

Random

Five people she would invite to a dinner party
Bette Davis, Tallulah Bankhead, Mae West, Sarah Siddons and Joan Crawford.
Working with her mum
Rachael and her mum Dame Diana Rigg were to star (alongside Jonny Lee Miller and Ewan McGregor) in a feature film entitled Polyesterday, but unfortunately, funding fell through after it began filming in late 2001/early 2002.
The pair have worked together on only one project, which was the made-for-TV film In the Beginning. They had no scenes together, however, as Rachael played a younger version of her mother's character.

Agents

UK Agency
United Agents (represented by Dallas Smith)
http://www.unitedagents.co.uk/film/rachael-stirling/
Voiceover Agency
Harvey Voices
http://www.harveyvoices.co.uk/profile/view/rachael_stirling
Fan Mail Address
Fan mail and autograph requests should be sent to the postal address below. Don't forget to include a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
Rachael Stirling
c/o United Agents (Fan Mail)
130 Shaftesbury Avenue
London, W1D 5EU
United Kingdom