A photo to remember...Vanessa Redgrave decked to the nines on the red carpet with beloved daughter, the late Natasha Richardson.

Vanessa Redgrave’s destiny was prophesied on the day of her birth. She was announced by Sir Laurence Olivier on the stage of the Old Vic. In Olivier style he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, tonight a great actress has been born. Laertes has a daughter!” The play that night was Hamlet and Laertes was played by Vanessa’s father, renowned actor Michael Redgrave. Her family tree contains actors dating from the early 1800s. Imagine receiving Christmas cards from that clan! Inevitably, she chose the stage and followed up with film and the small screen as her choice of professions.

Vanessa has used her fame to fight for social causes in which she firmly believes. Her controversial stands for human rights and defense of the oppressed often put her at odds with the mainstream. This probably more than anything has left her without the British title of Dame that has been bestowed upon her peers. Her radical stands have taken her as far as raising funds for a Marxist school in London. Her commitment to her ideals at times overshadows her acting and she uses her fame as an actress to promote her beliefs.

Vanessa Redgrave’s marriage to actor Tony Richardson produced two beautiful daughters, Natasha and Joely, who both chose to follow in the family’s acting footsteps. Natasha died tragically in a skiing accident in March of 2009. Viewing pictures of Vanessa entering the hospital in New York and later at Natasha’s gravesite in upstate New York showed the absolute grief she was experiencing. It never seems right for a parent to bury a child. We all mourned with Vanessa and the rest of the family. Natasha was above the Hollywood glare, living a peaceful life in rural New York with her husband, Irish actor Liam Neeson, and their two sons. Her death was a tragedy that won’t soon be forgotten. She was an elegant, graceful woman who also lived life according to her beliefs.

Like the suffragettes of old, Vanessa’s ideals have often left her in unsteady relationships with men. Upon her divorce from Tony Richardson, she started a life-long relationship with actor Francesco Sparanero, known as Franco Nero. This union produced a son, Carlo Sparanero, who goes by the name Carlo Nero. Vanessa and Franco’s relationship was torn apart by her commitment to activism and her dedication to her former husband, Tony Richardson, when he was dying of AIDS. Franco wanted her to be a traditional wife and mother but she was true to her beliefs and traveled the world promoting her causes no matter how controversial they were. She also had a relationship with Timothy Dalton that was broken up due to her activism. Franco Nero was never far from her and they finally recognized their commitment to each other by marrying in 2006. They were spied walking hand and hand on the beach on the Isle of Capri during Christmas 2008.

I cannot imagine what Vanessa Regdrave’s Christmas cards would look like. There is rarely a mention of Christmas, other than her time with Franco last year, in any mainstream media publication. She came from a traditional British acting family so I assume they celebrated Christmas in the traditional British manner. She has become an icon of controversy so it is difficult to envision her celebrating the holiday in any way. She attended the Christmas Market in Grayshotts, England in 2008 with her daughter Joely. She is pictured joining in the holiday spirit and seems to be enjoying herself at the event. It was a pre-Christmas event staged by the shopkeepers of the town to support various organizations. Of course, Vanessa is a UNICEF good will ambassador, so if she were to send out Christmas cards, she could opt for one of their charitable designs.

Even if not dubbed Dame, Vanessa has given her all to her acting career. She has been recognized as a leading actor by her peers. Vanessa won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1977 for her portrayal of Julia in the film of the same name. The movie also included fellow activist Jane Fonda as Lillian Hellman. Among her other achievements include BAFTA, Golden Globe, Emmy, and Cannes Film Festival awards along with nominations too lengthy to mention.

Vanessa was due to perform The Year of Magical Thinking at a charity benefit at New York’s St. John the Divine church in April. She has postponed this performance until later in the year. It will be a challenging performance for her as the play is a monologue about a mother’s grief at the loss of her 39 year old daughter. I am sure her acting skills will help her keep her own emotions at bay during the performance.