Lynn Redgrave
A radiant and candid performer from Britain's famed acting dynasty, she forged her own path on stage and screen with emotional bravery.
1943–2010 (age 67)·British and American actress·Birthday: March 8·The Silent Generation
Biography
Lynn Redgrave carried the weight of a legendary surname with a distinctive blend of vulnerability and wit that was entirely her own. While her sister Vanessa and father Michael commanded the classical stage, Lynn's breakthrough was decidedly modern: her Oscar-nominated turn in 'Georgy Girl' (1966) captured the swinging sixties with a poignant, unconventional charm. She never shied from the personal, later crafting solo shows that explored her family dynamics and her own struggles with body image and public perception. Her career was a transatlantic tapestry, earning Tony nominations on Broadway and Emmy nods for television work. Redgrave's later years were marked by a public battle with cancer, which she faced with the same transparency that defined her art, making her not just an actress but a figure of resonant honesty.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Lynn was born in 1943, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Lynn Was Born
The biggest hits of 1943
#1 Movie
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Best Picture
Casablanca
Lynn's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1943Born
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1948Started school
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1956Became a teenager
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1959Could drive
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1961Could vote
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Turned 21
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1973Turned 30
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 40
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 50
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 60
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2010Died at 67
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
Key Achievements
- Received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her breakthrough role in 'Georgy Girl' (1966).
- Won two Golden Globe Awards, for 'Georgy Girl' and for the television film 'The Two Mrs. Grenvilles' (1987).
- Earned a Tony Award nomination for her performance in the Broadway play 'Mrs. Warren's Profession' (1976).
- Nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for her reading of 'The Diary of Anne Frank'.
Did You Know?
She was the only member of her immediate family not to have attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).
She published a journal and cookbook titled 'The Journal of a Weight Observed' about her experiences with dieting.
She became a U.S. citizen in the 1990s and lived in New York for much of her later life.
Her daughter, Annabel Clark, is a photographer who documented her mother's cancer treatment in a series of portraits.
“I think that's what we look for in our lives, anyway, a kind of immortality, something that will outlast our mortal selves.”
