Rachel Ward

Posted May 25, 201312 yr

Rachel Claire Ward.

Born in Cornwell near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England 12 September 1957 Is an English actress, former model, columnist, film director, and screenwriter who has primarily pursued her career in Australia.

Born to Peter Alistair Ward, son of the 3rd Earl of Dudley, and his wife Claire Leonora Baring (born on 29 February 1936), daughter of first-class cricketer Giles Baring, her parents later divorced.

She is granddaughter of the 3rd Earl of Dudley and his first wife Lady Rosemary Leveson-Gower (once tipped as a possible bride for the future Edward VIII, later Duke of Windsor). Her uncle the Earl of Dudley is married to former actress Maureen Swanson; her sister Tracy-Louise Ward(now wife of the Marquess of Worcester, eldest son and heir of the 11th Duke of Beaufort) also acted, and her cousin the Honourable Leander Ward is also an actor.

Rachel Ward met her husband, Bryan Brown, while working on ''The Thorn Birds'' (1983). She played the heroine, and he played the heroine's husband (who was not however the hero!).

Has two daughters, Rosie (born in 1984) and Matilda Brown (born in 1987), and a son, Joe Brown (born in 1992), with husband Bryan Brown.

She was awarded the A.M. (Member of the Order of Australia) in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in June 2005 for "raising awareness of social justice through lobbying, mentoring and advocacy for the rights of disadvantaged and at-risk young people".

Rachel was voted as one of the ten most beautiful women in the United States (1983)

- Imdb