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Alex Kingston, who won acclaim in the title role of the PBS miniseries 'Moll Flanders,' joined television’s top-rated series, 'ER,' during its fourth season, as the spirited British surgeon, Dr. Elizabeth Corday. |
| Growing up on the outskirts of London, Kingston was first introduced to the theater when she and her family visited her mother’s native Germany to see her uncle perform. She made her own stage debut at age five, playing the angel Gabriel in a Nativity play. 'My mother made me these big, beautiful wings,' says Kingston, 'and the other kids-without wings-were all jealous. I was very excited, and then more than a bit upset when I discovered that Gabriel was really a guy.' |  |
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Kingston was inspired to pursue an acting career by her English teacher at the all-girls grammar school she attended in Epsom, where she often had leading roles in school plays. She landed her first professional role at age 15 as a judo-trained bully on the successful British TV series 'Grange Hill.' |
| After finishing school, she moved to London, where she was accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. After completing the two-year study program, Kingston worked in repertory theater across England. She joined the famed Royal Shakespeare Company, where she appeared in productions of 'Much Ado About Nothing,' 'King Lear,' 'Love’s Labours Lost,' 'The Curse of the Starving Class' and 'The Bright and Bold Design.' She also starred in the Birmingham Repertory’s productions of 'Othello,' 'The Alchemist,' 'Travelling Players,' 'Saved,' 'Julius Caesar' and 'See How They Run.' |  |
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While Kingston tended to play classical characters on the stage, she took on contemporary roles in British television programs, including 'A Killing Exchange,' 'The Bill,' 'Crocodile Shoes,' 'The Knock' and 'I Hate Christmas,' and in the American cable movies 'Weapons of Mass Distraction' and 'The Infiltrator.' Her feature film credits include 'Carrington,' 'The St. Exupery Story,' 'The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover,' 'Curran’s Wife,' 'The Wildcats of St. Trinians,' 'A Pin for the Butterfly,' 'The Woman and the Wolf', 'Croupier' and an independent film called 'This Space Between Us.' Kingston recently played the lead role in the British pop-culture film 'Essex Boys,' playing the double-crossing girlfriend of an underground drug criminal. |
| Having relocated from London, Kingston now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, German journalist Florian Haertel, their daughter Salome, and their two dogs. Her birthday is March 11. |  |
