Vogue Italy
Vogue Italy
from Shakespeare theatre to TV, going through cinema (Carrington): different paths for the versatile talent of Alex Kingston, gushing British Beauty.
Looking at her, she resembles the Pre-Raphaelites Venus: tall, long thick blond-reddish hair, gushing physique. the eye-catching beauty of Alex Kingston is in contrast with her private personality: before microphones and her goals, to those attracted by her appearance like a magnet, the British actress only allows herself to talk about work and never about her private life. Married with the actor Ralph Fiennes, an international celebrity, she has always tried to escape the curiosity people have about famous couples, letting her husband shine and keeping safe her professional identity. Acting was for her like a calling: <<when I was a kid I used to improvise little plays, forcing my parents to watch…>> says smiling with her deep green eyes. After her classical education at RADA (where she also met Ralph), she joins the Royal Shakespeare Company, a great opportunity for many rising British actors. << I think at the begging of a career, doing a lot of plays is a “blessing” ; it’s a precious experience and it gives you a solid base for dealing with the international fame that cinema offers you. It’s also a good “life school” because we get to face different people who can love each other or not, but with who you’ve got to live for long periods of time, like a team play>>. Alex, who in the past was in many Shakespeare plays, has established a solid reputation as classical actress, working at the Stratford-on-Avon, Barbican theatre and in major theatres of the West End. << I am never afraid on stage, for me that’s a wonderful feeling. Even if it’s different every time: one night, the magic of theatre makes you feel like you’re “flying”; the next night, everything could be difficult>>. however the transition from stage to cinema was easy for her. Last year, in fact, Alex portrayed the role of Frances Partridge in the film “Carrington” written and directed by Christopher Hampton and co-starring Emma Thompson. A difficult role because Frances Partridge is the only character from the eccentric Bloomsbury group who’s currently alive in real life, <<her life [speaking of Frances Partridge] is documented in private diaries who had been published. I know that in some parts, the script didn’t align with her [Frances] memories so this is why she never wanted to be on set. Emma met her a few times, I didn’t: I didn’t want to embarrass her. Partridge is very old and very physically different from me. I preferred that she’d see me only in the film where I also put a black wig. However, she attended the premiere and she was satisfied with the finished product>>. The actress has worked for the British TV, filming a show side by side the actor and singer Jimmy Nail and she worked on another project that is based on real life event of the Londoner police. they wrapped filming last December: << I had the opportunity to talk with a police woman who was about my age. She deals with child abuse and her stories left me on shock. I think it’s very stimulating for an actor to work alongside people who live a different reality from the one you’re used to>> she says. It was a positive experience, even though it kept her away from the public contact… <<mostly because>>, she jokes, <<in financial terms it allows me to go back on stage>>. A possibility she took last February 27th thanks to the play “Lady from the Sea” at the Bridewell Theatre of London. Alex in this period of time is writing a script with her friend: <<Writing has always been one of my wishes, but I never dared to do it: finally, I’ve got the courage to do this project too>>