Rachel Ward
A British actress who became an Australian icon, moving from Hollywood glamour to directing gritty outback dramas.
Born 1957 (age 69)·British actress·Birthday: September 12·Baby Boomers
Biography
Rachel Ward arrived in Hollywood from England and was swiftly cast as the romantic lead in the monumental TV miniseries 'The Thorn Birds,' a role that defined her early career with its sweeping emotional scale. Rather than chasing further American fame, she relocated to Australia, where she reinvented herself. Ward shifted focus from acting to directing, carving out a niche with sharply observed, often bleakly beautiful films about Australian rural life, such as 'Beautiful Kate' and 'The Big House.' Her work behind the camera is characterized by an unflinching look at family trauma and the harsh, mesmerizing Australian landscape. This second act established her not as a transient star, but as a substantive and respected filmmaker within the Australian industry.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Rachel was born in 1957, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Rachel Was Born
The biggest hits of 1957
#1 Movie
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Best Picture
The Bridge on the River Kwai
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Rachel's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1957Born
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1962Started school
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1970Became a teenager
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Could drive
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
1975Could vote
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Turned 21
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1987Turned 30
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 40
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 50
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 60
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 69 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Received a Golden Globe nomination for her breakout role as Meggie Cleary in the historic television miniseries 'The Thorn Birds.'
- Directed and co-wrote the critically acclaimed film 'Beautiful Kate,' a psychological drama that premiered at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival.
- Served as a director on multiple episodes of the award-winning Australian television drama 'Rake.'
- Was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2021 for significant services to the performing arts and to charitable organizations.
Did You Know?
She is married to Australian actor Bryan Brown, whom she met on the set of 'The Thorn Birds.'
Before acting, she worked as a model and appeared on the cover of the 1978 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
She is a passionate environmentalist and served as a board member for the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.
Her directorial debut was the short film 'The Big House,' which won an Australian Film Institute Award.
“I think you have to be brave to be a mother, a farmer, a filmmaker. You have to be brave to put one foot in front of the other in this life.”
