Rachel Hurd-Wood
Encyclopedia
Rachel Clare Hurd-Wood is an English
actress. Her break-out role was as Wendy Darling
in the 2003 movie Peter Pan
.
, England
, the daughter of Philip and Sarah Hurd-Wood. She has a younger brother, Patrick who appeared with her in Peter Pan as one of the sleeping children in the "I Do Believe In Fairies" scene. He also plays the role of Samuel Crowthorn alongside his sister in her later film, Solomon Kane
in which she plays Meredith Crowthorn. She currently resides in a Victorian
cottage at the edge of a forest in Godalming
, Surrey
, along with her parents and brother. Her father's work involves performing, writing scripts and doing voice-overs for commercials. She joined a drama club in her school and took part in its stage production during her second year.
In a 2010 live Myspace
web chat
for the film Tomorrow, When the War Began
, Hurd-Wood dispelled the false rumour that her uncle is Hugh Laurie
.
Hurd-Wood had considered becoming a marine biologist
, until she became interested in working with children who have special needs
or disabilities. She studied
Linguistics
at University College London
, having completed her first year in 2009.
in director P. J. Hogan
's 2003 feature film Peter Pan
, based on J. M. Barrie
's Peter and Wendy
, and went to Australia for filming. Her performance received good reviews and was nominated for a Saturn Award
for Best Performance by a Younger Actor, and a Young Artist Award
for Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actress.
She joined Rupert Everett
on the BBC TV movie Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking
in 2004, which follows Sherlock Holmes
tracking down a serial killer
who stalks teenaged daughters of the aristocracy.
She joined Donald Sutherland
and Sissy Spacek
in the 2006 thriller, An American Haunting
. In the Courtney Solomon
-directed film, based on events that took place in Tennessee
during the 1800s, Hurd-Wood plays Sutherland and Spacek's youngest daughter Betsy, who is haunted and tormented by an unrelenting demon.
She next appeared with Alan Rickman
and Dustin Hoffman
in director Tom Tykwer
's adaptation of the bestselling novel by German writer Patrick Süskind
, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
. In the drama, set in 18th century France, Hurd-Wood portrays Laura, Alan Rickman
's character's daughter, a red-headed virgin who would be the crown 13th note of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille
's (played by British actor Ben Whishaw
) perfume. It was released to theaters on 27 December 2006.
In 2007 she appeared alongside L.S.C. Oakeshott in the music video for "Fatherhood/Motherhood
" by Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man
.
In 2009 she played Meredith Crowthorne, a girl whose fate is entwined with that of James Purefoy
's title role in the film adaption of Solomon Kane
. The same year she was also seen in Dorian Gray alongside Ben Barnes
and Colin Firth
. She portrayed the role of Sibyl Vane.
She was cast to play Corrie in the film Tomorrow, When the War Began
, which was filmed in Australia and released on 2 September 2010.
In May 2010 she began filming The Last Furlong
in Ireland, and in November of that year, she was ranked #54 in TC Candler's list of "Most Beautiful Faces", along with Jessica Alba
as #53 and Kerry Washington
as #55.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
actress. Her break-out role was as Wendy Darling
Wendy Darling
Wendy Moira Angela Darling is a fictional character, the female protagonist of Peter and Wendy by J. M. Barrie, and in most adaptations in other media. Her exact age is not specified in the original play or novel by Barrie, though she is implied to be 12 or 13 years old or younger, as she is "just...
in the 2003 movie Peter Pan
Peter Pan (2003 film)
Peter Pan is a 2003 fantasy film released as a joint venture of Universal Studios, Columbia Pictures and Revolution Studios. P. J. Hogan directed a screenplay co-written with Michael Goldenberg which is based on the classic play and novel by J. M. Barrie. Jason Isaacs plays the roles of Captain...
.
Personal life
Rachel Hurd-Wood was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the daughter of Philip and Sarah Hurd-Wood. She has a younger brother, Patrick who appeared with her in Peter Pan as one of the sleeping children in the "I Do Believe In Fairies" scene. He also plays the role of Samuel Crowthorn alongside his sister in her later film, Solomon Kane
Solomon Kane (film)
Solomon Kane is a 2009 epic action film directed by Michael J. Bassett based on the pulp magazine character Solomon Kane created in 1928 by Robert E. Howard. James Purefoy stars in the title role. Despite optioning the rights in 1997, filming did not begin until January 2008. The film is an origin...
in which she plays Meredith Crowthorn. She currently resides in a Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
cottage at the edge of a forest in Godalming
Godalming
Godalming is a town and civil parish in the Waverley district of the county of Surrey, England, south of Guildford. It is built on the banks of the River Wey and is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt. Godalming shares a three-way twinning arrangement with the towns of Joigny in France...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, along with her parents and brother. Her father's work involves performing, writing scripts and doing voice-overs for commercials. She joined a drama club in her school and took part in its stage production during her second year.
In a 2010 live Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
web chat
Web chat
A web chat is a system that allows users to communicate in real time using easily accessible web interfaces. It is a type of internet online chat distinguished by its simplicity and accessibility to users who do not wish to take the time to install and learn to use specialized chat software. This...
for the film Tomorrow, When the War Began
Tomorrow, When the War Began (film)
Tomorrow, When the War Began is a 2010 Australian adventure film written and directed by Stuart Beattie and based on the novel of the same name by John Marsden. The film is produced by Andrew Mason and Michael Boughen. The story follows Ellie Linton, one of eight teenagers waging a guerrilla war...
, Hurd-Wood dispelled the false rumour that her uncle is Hugh Laurie
Hugh Laurie
James Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE , better known as Hugh Laurie , is an English actor, voice artist, comedian, writer, musician, recording artist, and director...
.
Hurd-Wood had considered becoming a marine biologist
Marine biology
Marine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather...
, until she became interested in working with children who have special needs
Special needs
In the USA, special needs is a term used in clinical diagnostic and functional development to describe individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, or psychological. For instance, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International...
or disabilities. She studied
Linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, having completed her first year in 2009.
Career
She went to an open casting call for the role of Wendy DarlingWendy Darling
Wendy Moira Angela Darling is a fictional character, the female protagonist of Peter and Wendy by J. M. Barrie, and in most adaptations in other media. Her exact age is not specified in the original play or novel by Barrie, though she is implied to be 12 or 13 years old or younger, as she is "just...
in director P. J. Hogan
P. J. Hogan
Paul John "P. J." Hogan is an AACTA Awards winning Australian film director and a writer in the film and television genre.Hogan was born in Brisbane, Australia...
's 2003 feature film Peter Pan
Peter Pan (2003 film)
Peter Pan is a 2003 fantasy film released as a joint venture of Universal Studios, Columbia Pictures and Revolution Studios. P. J. Hogan directed a screenplay co-written with Michael Goldenberg which is based on the classic play and novel by J. M. Barrie. Jason Isaacs plays the roles of Captain...
, based on J. M. Barrie
J. M. Barrie
Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, OM was a Scottish author and dramatist, best remembered today as the creator of Peter Pan. The child of a family of small-town weavers, he was educated in Scotland. He moved to London, where he developed a career as a novelist and playwright...
's Peter and Wendy
Peter and Wendy
Peter and Wendy, published in 1911, is the novelisation by J. M. Barrie of his most famous play Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up...
, and went to Australia for filming. Her performance received good reviews and was nominated for a Saturn Award
Saturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
for Best Performance by a Younger Actor, and a Young Artist Award
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...
for Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actress.
She joined Rupert Everett
Rupert Everett
Rupert James Hector Everett is an English actor. He first came to public attention in 1981, when he was cast in Julian Mitchell's play and subsequent film Another Country as an openly gay student at an English public school, set in the 1930s...
on the BBC TV movie Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking is a British television movie originally broadcast on BBC One in the UK on December 26, 2004. Produced by Tiger Aspect Productions, it was written by Alan Cubitt and was a sequel to the same company's adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles,...
in 2004, which follows Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
tracking down a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
who stalks teenaged daughters of the aristocracy.
She joined Donald Sutherland
Donald Sutherland
Donald McNichol Sutherland, OC is a Canadian actor with a film career spanning nearly 50 years. Some of Sutherland's more notable movie roles included offbeat warriors in such war movies as The Dirty Dozen, , MASH , and Kelly's Heroes , as well as in such popular films as Klute, Invasion of the...
and Sissy Spacek
Sissy Spacek
Sissy Spacek is an American actress and singer. She came to international prominence for her for role as Carrie White in Brian De Palma's 1976 horror film Carrie for which she earned her first Academy Award nomination...
in the 2006 thriller, An American Haunting
An American Haunting
An American Haunting is a 2005 horror film written and directed by Courtney Solomon. It stars Donald Sutherland, Sissy Spacek, Rachel Hurd-Wood, and James D'Arcy. The film was previewed at the AFI Film Festival on November 5, 2005 and was released in U.S. theaters on May 5, 2006. The film had an...
. In the Courtney Solomon
Courtney Solomon
Courtney Solomon is a Canadian film producer.Solomon produced and directed the 2000 film Dungeons & Dragons. His latest film, An American Haunting, is based on the Bell Witch legend in Tennessee....
-directed film, based on events that took place in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
during the 1800s, Hurd-Wood plays Sutherland and Spacek's youngest daughter Betsy, who is haunted and tormented by an unrelenting demon.
She next appeared with Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman
Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman is an English actor and theatre director. He is a renowned stage actor in modern and classical productions and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company...
and Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
in director Tom Tykwer
Tom Tykwer
Tom Tykwer is a German film director, screenwriter, and composer. He is best known internationally for directing Run Lola Run , Heaven , Perfume: The Story of a Murderer , and The International ....
's adaptation of the bestselling novel by German writer Patrick Süskind
Patrick Süskind
Patrick Süskind is a German writer and screenwriter.- Life and work :The public knows little about Patrick Süskind. He has withdrawn from the literary scene in Germany and never grants interviews or allows photos. He was born in Ambach am Starnberger See, near Munich in Germany...
, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (film)
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is a 2006 German thriller film directed by Tom Tykwer and written by Andrew Birkin, Bernd Eichinger and Tykwer. It is based on the 1985 novel Perfume by Patrick Süskind. Set in 18th century France, the film tells the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille , an olfactory...
. In the drama, set in 18th century France, Hurd-Wood portrays Laura, Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman
Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman is an English actor and theatre director. He is a renowned stage actor in modern and classical productions and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company...
's character's daughter, a red-headed virgin who would be the crown 13th note of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille
Jean-Baptiste Grenouille
Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is the protagonist from Patrick Süskind's novel Perfume, published in 1985. Grenouille is born with an extreme form of hyperosmia , which eventually leads to him becoming a serial killer....
's (played by British actor Ben Whishaw
Ben Whishaw
Benjamin John "Ben" Whishaw is an English actor who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Whishaw is perhaps best known for his breakthrough role as Hamlet, and his role as the lead character in Tom Tykwer's film Perfume: The Story of a Murderer.-Early life:Whishaw was born and raised in...
) perfume. It was released to theaters on 27 December 2006.
In 2007 she appeared alongside L.S.C. Oakeshott in the music video for "Fatherhood/Motherhood
Fatherhood/Motherhood
"Fatherhood/Motherhood" is the debut single of Progressive Rock band Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man. It was released under Transgressive Records in December 2007, on digital download, Limited Edition 7" and also on VHS, which was released with the music video on....
" by Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man
Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man
Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man. are a British band, comprising elements of prog rock, folk and post punk.-History:...
.
In 2009 she played Meredith Crowthorne, a girl whose fate is entwined with that of James Purefoy
James Purefoy
James Brian Mark Purefoy is an English actor best known for portraying Mark Antony in the HBO series Rome.-Early life and work:...
's title role in the film adaption of Solomon Kane
Solomon Kane (film)
Solomon Kane is a 2009 epic action film directed by Michael J. Bassett based on the pulp magazine character Solomon Kane created in 1928 by Robert E. Howard. James Purefoy stars in the title role. Despite optioning the rights in 1997, filming did not begin until January 2008. The film is an origin...
. The same year she was also seen in Dorian Gray alongside Ben Barnes
Ben Barnes (actor)
Benjamin Thomas "Ben" Barnes is an English actor, best known for his portrayal of Caspian X in The Chronicles of Narnia films Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.-Early life and education:...
and Colin Firth
Colin Firth
SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
. She portrayed the role of Sibyl Vane.
She was cast to play Corrie in the film Tomorrow, When the War Began
Tomorrow, When the War Began (film)
Tomorrow, When the War Began is a 2010 Australian adventure film written and directed by Stuart Beattie and based on the novel of the same name by John Marsden. The film is produced by Andrew Mason and Michael Boughen. The story follows Ellie Linton, one of eight teenagers waging a guerrilla war...
, which was filmed in Australia and released on 2 September 2010.
In May 2010 she began filming The Last Furlong
The Last Furlong (film)
Hideaways is a 2011 film directed by Agnès Merlet and written by Nick Murphy. It will star Rachel Hurd-Wood and Harry Treadaway. The film is a French/Irish/Swedish co-production.-Plot:...
in Ireland, and in November of that year, she was ranked #54 in TC Candler's list of "Most Beautiful Faces", along with Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba
Jessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...
as #53 and Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ray Charles's wife, Della Bea Robinson, in the film Ray , as Idi Amin's wife Kay in The Last King of Scotland, and as Alicia Masters, love interest of Ben Grimm, The Thing, in the live-action Fantastic Four films of 2005 and 2007...
as #55.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Peter Pan Peter Pan (2003 film) Peter Pan is a 2003 fantasy film released as a joint venture of Universal Studios, Columbia Pictures and Revolution Studios. P. J. Hogan directed a screenplay co-written with Michael Goldenberg which is based on the classic play and novel by J. M. Barrie. Jason Isaacs plays the roles of Captain... |
Wendy Darling Wendy Darling Wendy Moira Angela Darling is a fictional character, the female protagonist of Peter and Wendy by J. M. Barrie, and in most adaptations in other media. Her exact age is not specified in the original play or novel by Barrie, though she is implied to be 12 or 13 years old or younger, as she is "just... |
Nominated- Young Artist Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... s (Best Performance in a Feature Film) - Leading young Actress Nominated- Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA: Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor |
| 2004 | Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking is a British television movie originally broadcast on BBC One in the UK on December 26, 2004. Produced by Tiger Aspect Productions, it was written by Alan Cubitt and was a sequel to the same company's adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles,... |
Imogen Helhoughton | |
| 2005 | An American Haunting An American Haunting An American Haunting is a 2005 horror film written and directed by Courtney Solomon. It stars Donald Sutherland, Sissy Spacek, Rachel Hurd-Wood, and James D'Arcy. The film was previewed at the AFI Film Festival on November 5, 2005 and was released in U.S. theaters on May 5, 2006. The film had an... |
Betsy Bell | Nominated- Teen Choice Awards Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with... : Choice Movie Scream Award Movie |
| 2006 | Perfume: The Story of a Murderer Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (film) Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is a 2006 German thriller film directed by Tom Tykwer and written by Andrew Birkin, Bernd Eichinger and Tykwer. It is based on the 1985 novel Perfume by Patrick Süskind. Set in 18th century France, the film tells the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille , an olfactory... |
Laure Richis | Nominated- Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA: Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2008 | Solomon Kane Solomon Kane (film) Solomon Kane is a 2009 epic action film directed by Michael J. Bassett based on the pulp magazine character Solomon Kane created in 1928 by Robert E. Howard. James Purefoy stars in the title role. Despite optioning the rights in 1997, filming did not begin until January 2008. The film is an origin... |
Meredith Crowthorn | |
| 2009 | Dorian Gray | Sibyl Vane | |
| 2010 | Tomorrow, When the War Began Tomorrow, When the War Began (film) Tomorrow, When the War Began is a 2010 Australian adventure film written and directed by Stuart Beattie and based on the novel of the same name by John Marsden. The film is produced by Andrew Mason and Michael Boughen. The story follows Ellie Linton, one of eight teenagers waging a guerrilla war... |
Corrie Mackenzie | |
| 2011 | Hideaways | Mae-West O'Mara | |
Music video appearance
| Year | Title | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "A Little Bit All I Need is a Little Bit "A Little Bit" or "All I Need is a Little Bit" , is a song featured on Madeleine Peyroux's third solo album, Half the Perfect World and it is a self-penned composition with the help of Jesse Harris and the producer Larry Klein... " |
Madeleine Peyroux Madeleine Peyroux Madeleine Peyroux is an American jazz singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Peyroux is noted for her vocal style, which has been compared to that of Billie Holiday.... |
Appeared as a waitress |
| 2007 | "Fatherhood/Motherhood Fatherhood/Motherhood "Fatherhood/Motherhood" is the debut single of Progressive Rock band Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man. It was released under Transgressive Records in December 2007, on digital download, Limited Edition 7" and also on VHS, which was released with the music video on.... " |
Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man. are a British band, comprising elements of prog rock, folk and post punk.-History:... |
Appeared with L.S.C. Oakeshott |
| 2010 | "Revolver" | Warehouse Republic | Appeared with Henry Leroy-Salta |