Robin Wright

Robin Gayle Wright^[1] (born April 8, 1966) is an American actress and director. She currently stars as Claire Underwood in the Netflix series House of Cards, for which she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama in 2014, making her the first actress to win a Golden Globe for a web television series. Wright received Primetime Emmy nominations for House of Cards in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Wright first gained attention for her role in the NBC Daytime soap opera Santa Barbara, as Kelly Capwell from 1984 to 1988. She then made the transition to film, starring in the romantic comedy fantasy adventure film The Princess Bride (1987). She has since enjoyed a successful career in the film industry, starring in various films, including the epic romantic comedy-drama Forrest Gump (1994), the romantic drama Message in a Bottle (1999), the superhero drama-thriller Unbreakable (2000), the historical drama The Conspirator (2010), the biographical sports drama Moneyball (2011), the mystery thriller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), and the biographical drama Everest (2015). She will next appear in the superhero film Wonder Woman (2017) and will appear in the upcoming film Blade Runner 2049 opposite Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling, slated for a 2017 release.

Early life

Wright was born in Dallas, Texas, to Gayle (Gaston), a cosmetics saleswoman, and Freddie Wright, a pharmaceutical company employee.^[1][2] Wright was raised in San Diego, California. She attended La Jolla High School and Taft High School in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles.^[3]

Career

At the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival

Wright started her career as a model, when she was 14.^[4] She first became popular for playing Kelly Capwell on the NBC television soap opera Santa Barbara at age 18, which earned her several Daytime Emmy Award nominations.^[5]

1990s–2000s: Transition into feature film work

She transitioned into feature film work as Buttercup in the cult hit The Princess Bride (1987), and as Jenny Curran in Forrest Gump in (1994). The latter role garnered her widespread critical acclaim as well as Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild nominations for Best Supporting Actress.

In 1996 she starred in the film adaptation of Daniel Defoe's Moll Flanders (1996), for which she received a Satellite Nomination for Best Actress in a Drama. She went on to co-star with her then-husband in the film She's So Lovely (1997), for which she was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress. Wright received her third Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for her role in the television film Empire Falls (2005).

2013–present: House of Cards, further film work

Since 2013, Wright has portrayed Claire Underwood, political mastermind Frank Underwood's equally ruthless wife, in the Netflix series House of Cards. On January 12, 2014, she won a Golden Globe for the role, becoming the first actress to win the award for an online-only web television series;^[6] she was nominated for the same award the following year. She received nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award in 2013 and 2014 for the same role. Following season 4 in 2016, Wright stated that she felt Claire Underwood was the equal of Frank Underwood and demanded equal pay for her performance. Netflix acquiesced.^[7]

Wright has been cast in the live action Wonder Woman film alongside Gal Gadot and Chris Pine and Ridley Scott's Blade Runner sequel.

Personal life

Wright with husband Sean Penn in September 2006

From 1986 to 1988, Wright was married to actor Dane Witherspoon, whom she met in 1984 on the set of the soap opera Santa Barbara.^[8]

In 1989, Wright became involved with actor Sean Penn following his divorce from Madonna. Wright was offered the role of Maid Marian in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, but turned it down because she was pregnant. Their daughter Dylan Frances Penn was born in April 1991.^[9] She backed out of the role of Abby McDeere in The Firm (1993), with Tom Cruise, upon discovering she was pregnant with her second child, son Hopper Penn.^[3] Their son, Hopper Jack Penn, was born in August 1993.^[10]

After breaking up and getting back together,^[11] Wright and Penn married in 1996, and Wright changed her name to Robin Wright Penn.^[12] Their on-and-off relationship seemingly ended in divorce plans, announced in December 2007,^[12] but the divorce petition was withdrawn upon the couple's request four months later.^[13] In February 2009, Wright and Penn attended the 81st Academy Awards together, at which Penn won Best Actor. Penn subsequently filed for legal separation in April 2009,^[14] but withdrew the petition in May.^[15] On August 12, 2009, Wright filed for divorce once more,^[16] declaring she had no plans to reconcile.^[17] She also dropped "Penn" from her professional name.^[18] The divorce was finalized on July 22, 2010.^[19]

In February 2012, Wright began dating actor Ben Foster.^[20] Their engagement was announced in January 2014.^[21][22] The couple split and called off their engagement in November 2014,^[23] but reunited as a couple in January 2015.^[24] However, on August 29, 2015, they announced they were ending their second engagement.^[25]

Philanthropy and Activism

She is the Honorary Spokesperson for the Dallas, Texas-based non-profit The Gordie Foundation.^[26] Wright has also been an advocate for the Enough Project.

In 2014, she co-partnered with two California based companies; Pour Les Femmes^[27] and The SunnyLion.^[28] The SunnyLion donates a portion of its profits back to the Raise Hope For Congo Movement.

Wright continues her activism for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She is narrator and executive producer of the documentary When Elephants Fight.^[29] This film highlights how the complicity of multinational mining corporations and corrupt politicians in the Democratic Republic of Congo threatens human rights and perpetuates the most deadly conflict since World War II.^[30] Wright is an ardent supporter of the human rights campaign behind this film, Stand With Congo (#StandWithCongo).^[31] She spoke publicly in support of this campaign in 2016 at a film screening at the TriBeCa Film Center in New York City,^[32] in media interviews,^{[33][34] [35][36]} with journalists,^[37][38][39] and across her social media accounts.^[40][41][42]

Filmography

Film

Television

Director

Producer

Awards and nominations

See also

• List of American film actresses
• List of Santa Barbara cast and characters

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Robin Wright Penn.

• Robin Wright at AllMovie
• Robin Wright at the Internet Movie Database
• Robin Wright Fansite