The news that Julia Ormond will be turning her acting talents in the direction of “The Walking Dead: World Beyond” has been greeted by excitement by fans of the series, who are no doubt looking forward to the gravitas the British actress will be bringing to the show. Ormond has been around the business since the early 1990s, going from the leading lady of Hollywood blockbusters like Legends of the Fall to the acclaimed actress of TV shows such as Howards End, Mad Men, and Witches of East End. Find out more about the actress with these 10 fast facts.
1. She’s a multi-award winner
Over the course of her career, Ormond has been garlanded with numerous accolades. Her first (a London Critics’ Award for Best Newcomer in 1989) came at the age of 24. She’s since won 5 out of 12 award nominations, including a Female Star of Tomorrow at the 1995 ShoWest Convention, a Krzysztof Kieslowski Award at Camerimage 2006, as well as an Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie Award at the 2010 Primetime Emmys.
2. She’s twice married, twice divorced
In 1988, Ormond married her first husband, the actor Rory Edwards. The marriage lasted just 6 years, with the couple calling it a day in 1994. “Sadly, we found that marriage along with careers for us did not match,” Ormond has since said. In 1999, she married again, this time to the political activist Jon Rubin. In 2004, the couple welcomed a daughter, Sophie, but later split.
3. She’s an active campaigner against human trafficking
Ormond has been an active campaigner against human trafficking since the mid-1990s. In 2005, she doubled her efforts in the area when she teamed up with the United Nations to become a Goodwill Ambassador. As part of her role, she’s focused heavily on raising awareness around human trafficking, traveling the world to spread the message, as well as appearing as a counsel to the United States House of Representatives, Committee on International Relations, Subcommittee on Africa, and Global Human Rights. Her other notable efforts in the field of philanthropy include working as an advocate for Transatlantic Partners Against AIDS, and as founding co-chairman of FilmAid International.
4. Her TV debut was on Traffik
In 1989, Ormond made her TV debut on the British TV series, Traffik. The series focused on the illegal heroin trade, with Ormond taking on the role of the drug-addicted daughter of the lead character. The role won the actress glowing reviews, paving the way to parts in the likes of Capital City (1989), The Ruth Rendell Mysteries (1990), Young Catherine (1991), and Stalin (1992).
5. Her breakthrough role was in Legends of the Fall
After working for several years on British TV and stage, Ormond landed her breakthrough role opposite Brad Pitt in 1994s Legends of the Fall. The film led to a string of Hollywood successes, including First Knight (1995). In 1997, she landed the lead role in the mystery thriller, Smilla’s Sense of Snow; the following year, she appeared in the critically acclaimed Russian feature, The Barber of Siberia. The latter would prove to be Ormond’s last film for several years; the next time we’d see the actress would be in 2001s The Prime Gig.
6. She’s a multi-millionaire
Given that she’s been active in the industry for the best part of three decades, it’s little wonder Ormond has a healthy bank balance. Thanks to her success in big hitters such as Legends of the Fall, First Knight, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the talented actress is now worth in the region of $5 million… at least if Celebrity Net Worth is to be believed.
7. Being a mother takes priority
Despite the seemingly unstoppable rise in Ormond’s career, the day job will always take 2nd place to the most important thing in her life: her daughter. She does, however, sometimes struggle to get the balance right, as she explained to Female. “The reality is, I don’t always manage to do it all,” she admitted. “Balancing it is always a juggling match. But I think I’ve got better at being aware of the need for there to be a balance.”
8. She suffered a major backlash
In the 1990s, Ormond experienced a surge in work that saw her appear in three of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters of the period (Legends of the Fall, Sabrina, and First Knight). Those that weren’t aware of the 10 years she’d spent toiling away on UK stage and screen took a dim view of her sudden rise to fame, claiming she’d connived in creating her “overnight” celebrity. Although she now says she saw the backlash coming, she admits it wasn’t an easy period. “The backlash was so predictable,” she told the Daily Mail in 2007.”I could see it coming. I was at the center of all this hype. I think it probably stopped me from really enjoying that period.”
9. She took a break from acting
After becoming the subject of intense media scrutiny in the late 1990s, Ormond decided to beat a quiet, and as it turned out temporary, retreat from Hollywood. “I chose to take myself out of it because I was so confused. I’d got into a rut,” she told Redbook. “And I’d also done a film in Russia that had taken a year to shoot which was such an exhausting thing. So, I took some time off.”
10. She doesn’t miss being the ingenue
While some actresses dread the day they turn 40, Ormond enjoys the experience of being an older actress, suffering no nostalgic feelings for the ingenue roles of her youth. “I’m really happy that (in my 40s) I’m no longer (the IT girl),” she told Redbook. “I couldn’t wait for the meaty roles that are so hard to get when you’re 22. Although I’m not totally disconnected from the aging process, I’m really enjoying the richness of the work that’s now coming to me.”
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