Beatrice Eleanor Margaret Fitzallan (born 21 August 1988) is an English actress. Fitzallan's feature film debut was as Kitty Bennet in the 2005 film adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. In 2008, Fitzallan made her Broadway debut in a lauded revival of Chekhov's The Seagull to critical acclaim.
Since 2005, Fitzallan has gone on to appear in numerous films; most notably for her role as the titular character in Cary Fukunaga's Jane Eyre (2011) and her performance as Jane Hawking in The Theory of Everything (2014), which earned her critical acclaim, including Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Actress. Also in 2015, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Play for her performance in the Broadway revival of David Hare's Skylight. She is also set to play a role in the Untitled Star Wars Han Solo film.
EARLY LIFE
Fitzallan was born in Belgravia, London, the daughter of Henry Fitzallan, CEO of Fitzallan's Brewery and heir to a real estate fortune, and Helena Spencer, a socialite and senior director of Old Master Paintings at Sotheby's London. She has three older siblings: Charles, Victoria, and Christopher. Her maternal grandfather is Harold Spencer, the chief executive of the Formula One Group, which manages Formula One and controls the commercial rights to the sport, and part-owns Delta Topco, the ultimate parent company of the Formula One Group. Helena and her sisters are known in high society circles and tabloids as 'The Spencer Sisters', the fascination with them borne from all three gaining advantageous marriages; Helena married a businessman and heir, Lady Eugenia Grafton married the 10th Duke of Winstead, and Princess Louisa married Prince Alexander, a businessman and member of the former German princely House of Rothenberg.
She and her siblings boarded at Marlborough College, where Fitzallan participated heavily in the drama department as a set painter and played tennis. She has described her childhood as "idyllic", if somewhat uneventful, as she was "painfully well behaved" and never had much of a wild streak (unlike her oldest brother who, along with a handful of other teenagers in the high society circle, was involved in a very public drug sting in 1997). Before breaking into the entertainment industry, Fitzallan had intended to attend university for History of Art with dreams of becoming a museum curator, and had accepted an offer to study at Oxford when her first role came along.
CAREER
Fitzallan's feature film debut in Pride & Prejudice has been described by the actress as a "happy accident." A good friend of Fitzallan's father who worked in casting for the film recommended that she come in and read for the part of Kitty after the previously tapped actress had to pull out due to scheduling conflicts, and a few screen tests later she was given the part. Prior to the role, Fitzallan had only acted very briefly in choral roles in various school productions having preferred to work behind the scenes, and she was surprised to find how much she enjoyed it. Over the next few years, she found herself with a handful of other supporting roles, all of them period pieces. When asked about why she shied away from contemporary works, she mentions how she's been given the opportunity as an actress to wear someone else's skin, and it seemed a waste to take a role that didn't allow her some creativity and glimpse into another world.
2007 was a turning point for her career - albeit slowly. She appeared onstage in a revival of Chekhov's The Seagull as Nina to widespread acclaim, with critics praising how "radiating" and "affecting" she was. She stayed with the production when it transferred to Broadway in 2008, winning a nomination for a Drama Desk Award, although she ultimately lost to Angela Lansbury. 2011 saw her first leading role on film in Cary Fukunaga's adaptation of Jane Eyre, a role she said she fought "tooth and nail" for, as the novel had been a favourite of hers growing up. That same year, she returned to the stage in the off-Broadway adaptation of Ingmar Bergman's Through a Glass Darkly. Fitzallan played the central character, a mentally unstable woman recently released from an asylum following treatment for schizophrenia. She went on to appear alongisde Leonardo DiCaprio in Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby (2013) as Daisy Buchanan, a role she had won in 2010. In May 2012 she was a co-chair, alongside Anna Wintour, for the Gatsby-themed 2012 Met Ball Gala.
Her biggest career highlight, however, came in 2014 with her performance as Jane Hawking in The Theory of Everything. The film earned her critical acclaim and catapulted her to more of a mainstream forefront, offering her opportunities to audition for roles she claims she would have otherwise not gotten. The role garnered nominations for an Academy Award for Best Actress, a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, a Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role.
The following year saw further success on stage - she starred in both the West End and Broadway revivals of Skylight alongside Bill Nighy. Her performance as Kyra Hollis was received with critical acclaim and she has received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play.
UPCOMING PROJECTS
In September 2016, it was announced that Fitzallan would star in The Aftermath, a film adaption of the novel by Rhidian Brook (working alongside director James Kent, who she worked with on 2014's Testament of Youth). In November 2016, Fitzallan was cast as the female lead in the Untitled Star Wars Han Solo film.
She is also set to appear in the Francis Lyon directed Under the Silver Lake (after having previously worked with him on The Light Between Oceans), Charlie McDowell's The Discovery, and Dee Rees' adaptation of the Hillary Jordan novel Mudbound.
PERSONAL LIFE
Fitzallan was in a relationship with American actor Brandon Rucco from 2013-2014; Tumblr went particularly crazy for them given their 'odd couple' pairing, but the relationship ended poorly (the actor's drug use is rumoured to be the reason behind the split, but neither camp has confirmed or denied this). As of August 2016, the pair have reconciled, and Rucco attended the Venice Film Festival premiere of The Light Between Oceans alongside her.
Her relationship with frequent costar English actor Colin Tarpey has been under speculation for years; the pair first met in 2007 when they worked on Atonement, and they have gone on to be leading costars in two other films (a third, come 2017). Reports persist that the pair have been an item over the years, but neither Fitzallan nor Tarpey's camps have ever confirmed a relationship outside of a platonic one.
Fitzallan currently resides with her older brother Christopher in Kensington, London, and in early 2015 purchased a flat in SoHo, New York City with playwright Amelia Graham. She previously owned a residence in Los Angeles that she purchased when she was still dating Rucco, but sold it a few months after their split was confirmed.
On 29 October 2014, Bea angrily stormed out of a solo interview while on the press tour for The Theory of Everything (complete with knocking over chairs and cursing out the interviewer in question) after an interviewer continually asked what caused her split with American actor Brandon Rucco, who she dated from 2013-2014. Her publicist managed to bury most mentions of the incident.
In June 2015, Variety reported that Bea had been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
In July 2015, Bea was tapped to become the new face of Louis Vuitton, following in the footsteps of stars like Michelle Williams and Charlotte Gainsborough.
On 16 February 2016, it was reported that Bea had been attached to star in Daniel Espinosa's Life in the role that eventually went to Rebecca Ferguson; when actor Brandon Rucco officially signed on, Bea pulled herself from consideration.
On 24 September 2016, Bea dropped out of The Lost Wife only weeks after attaching to star. The same day, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that she was attached to star in the WWII drama The Aftermath alongside significant other Brandon Rucco.
bea is most widely known for her desire to take on only roles in a period or somewhat fantasy setting (with a recent tentative branching out into science fiction); the first exception to this is the francis lyon helmed under the silver lake, a role she took purely out of a desire to work with lyon again. since her academy award nomination, which some found to be undeserved given her otherwise subpar resume, she has enjoyed a steady stream of work, with multiple releases spread over the next few years.
she has been praised for her ability to deliver nuanced performances even with poor material or an otherwise poorly laid out film (ex. byzantium, the light between oceans, the secret scripture). she has stated that she picks her roles based purely on her own attachment to the script, not on the probability of acclaim, and has never retroactively stated she wished she had not participated in a film, unlike other actresses of her generation.
she has been praised for her ability to deliver nuanced performances even with poor material or an otherwise poorly laid out film (ex. byzantium, the light between oceans, the secret scripture). she has stated that she picks her roles based purely on her own attachment to the script, not on the probability of acclaim, and has never retroactively stated she wished she had not participated in a film, unlike other actresses of her generation.
bea is known for her relatively introverted personality and tendency to severely limit the interviews she gives in comparison to other actors. this has earned her what some call a mysterious air; others believe it's a sign of diva behaviour. some find her childlike outlook endearing, some find it manufactured and ridiculous. she is widely known for her fashion sense, which has earned her spots on various 'best dressed' lists over the years.
henry fitzallan
father, b. 10 february, 67. CEO of Fitzallan's Brewery, which owns and manages around 400 pubs across England and is worth around £488m. sharp and ruthless, but supportive and kind with his children.
helena spencer
mother, b. 9 september, 64. Socialite and senior director of old master paintings at sotheby's london. Oxford educated. incredibly smart and witty, unwaveringly patient. more sophisticated than bea could ever hope to be.
charles fitzallan
older brother, b. 3 april, 37. CFO of Fitzallan's Brewery. smart, proud, and somewhat pompous in an attempt to disguise the fact that he's terrified to be in such a position of power. bea's best friend and fiercest protector. married with one child: luna (3).
victoria mulberry
older sister, b. 6 june, 34. professor of history (specialising in european) at cambridge. sweet and gentle but incredibly no nonsense. Married with four children: Poppy and Pippin (10), Edmund (5), and Jane (2).
christopher fitzallan
older brother, b. 28 june, 30. Current roommate, theatre actor, perpetual manchild. frequently brought to premieres as bea's date, he does not understand the entertainment world outside of theatre. quirky.
grace fitzallan
sister-in-law, b. 19 may, 33. stay at home mum, previously worked in marketing for louis vuitton. acts as beatrice's stylist and occasionally makeup artist, and she trusts grace's taste above all else.
james mulberry
brother-in-law, b. 7 october, 34. hedge fund manager. his portfolio includes politicians and celebrities, and he's heavily sought after thanks to both his unwavering discretion and shrewd business mind.
ellen fitzallan
paternal aunt, 65. editor-in-chief of condé nast traveler. incredibly sophisticated and painfully well mannered. very, very driven and independent. Divorced three times with one child: William (31).
martin fitzallan
paternal uncle, 60. noted Plastic surgeon. Rambunctious and outgoing, generally much more hip than Beatrice is. Married with three children: Samuel (30), Maxwell (25), and Caleb (22).
louisa von rothenberg
maternal aunt, 66. Socialite and documentary filmmaker. Married to a businessman, prince alexander von rothenberg, with three children: dominic (38), ingrid (34) and richard (30).
lady eugenia grafton
maternal aunt, 59. Socialite and philanthropist. Married to a duke, lord carl grafton, with two children: Georgina (30) and Lawrence (25).
personality types: leo, infp ('the mediator'), type 9 ('the peacemaker'), hufflepuff. took her pottermore sorting incredibly seriously - both times.
Speaks fluent French and Italian in addition to English. she grew up speaking french at home (her maternal grandmother grew up in paris), and grew up with a best friend that moved to london from rome. Learned Latin and Ancient Greek during her schooling, and fully recognises how useless both of those are.
diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder at eleven and a minor form of social anxiety disorder at twelve, which she treats with therapy and a mix of medications. she has cited this as the reason she tends to move quickly through premieres and limits interview opportunities.
Unashamedly obsessed with Sailor Moon, both the anime and manga (though she's slightly more secretive about the latter). Considers herself a Sailor Neptune. there are pictures buried somewhere of her dressed as sailor moon three years in a row for halloween.
On the same somewhat childish note, loves anything and everything involving unicorns. A failsafe present for her is always some sort of trinket shaped like a unicorn. she's terribly easy to please.
Knits a lot. As in, Christmas gifts are usually handknit sweaters and socks. her dream for retirement is to move to a quaint town in germany or france and open a yarn store, so she can knit her days away in peace. Yes, she knows she's essentially a grandmum. No, she does not care.
Has never lived alone. She lived with her parents until she was twenty, rented a place with a close girlfriend for a few years after that, and her older brother Christopher moved in when she purchased her flat in Kensington. She shares her flat in NYC with a playwright roommate that uses Bea's bedroom as an Airbnb whenever Bea isn't in town (which is to say she uses it as an Airbnb more often than not).
while she's never done drugs, she drinks like a fish (something she attributes to her family background, given there's really no way to be involved in a brewery without developing an appreciation for it) -- mostly in the privacy of her own home, out of a desire to never embarass her parents. While she is frequently snapped at various clubs and parties, very rarely is she intoxicated, and more often than not has tagged along to act as the 'mother' of the group. Her desire to control everything makes her hesitant to let loose in public.
Speaks fluent French and Italian in addition to English. she grew up speaking french at home (her maternal grandmother grew up in paris), and grew up with a best friend that moved to london from rome. Learned Latin and Ancient Greek during her schooling, and fully recognises how useless both of those are.
diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder at eleven and a minor form of social anxiety disorder at twelve, which she treats with therapy and a mix of medications. she has cited this as the reason she tends to move quickly through premieres and limits interview opportunities.
Unashamedly obsessed with Sailor Moon, both the anime and manga (though she's slightly more secretive about the latter). Considers herself a Sailor Neptune. there are pictures buried somewhere of her dressed as sailor moon three years in a row for halloween.
On the same somewhat childish note, loves anything and everything involving unicorns. A failsafe present for her is always some sort of trinket shaped like a unicorn. she's terribly easy to please.
Knits a lot. As in, Christmas gifts are usually handknit sweaters and socks. her dream for retirement is to move to a quaint town in germany or france and open a yarn store, so she can knit her days away in peace. Yes, she knows she's essentially a grandmum. No, she does not care.
Has never lived alone. She lived with her parents until she was twenty, rented a place with a close girlfriend for a few years after that, and her older brother Christopher moved in when she purchased her flat in Kensington. She shares her flat in NYC with a playwright roommate that uses Bea's bedroom as an Airbnb whenever Bea isn't in town (which is to say she uses it as an Airbnb more often than not).
while she's never done drugs, she drinks like a fish (something she attributes to her family background, given there's really no way to be involved in a brewery without developing an appreciation for it) -- mostly in the privacy of her own home, out of a desire to never embarass her parents. While she is frequently snapped at various clubs and parties, very rarely is she intoxicated, and more often than not has tagged along to act as the 'mother' of the group. Her desire to control everything makes her hesitant to let loose in public.