| Liz Hurley | |
| Birth name: | Elizabeth Jane Hurley |
| Date of birth: | 10 June 1965 |
| Birth location: | Basingstoke, Hampshire, England, England |
|---|---|
| Height: | 5'8" (172 cm) |
| Notable role(s): | Vanessa Kensington in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery |
Elizabeth Jane Hurley (born 10 June 1965 in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England) is a English actress, fashion model, producer and designer.
Hurley's father, who was of Irish Catholic descent,[1] was an army major, while her mother was a schoolteacher at Kempshott Infant School where Hurley attended. She has an older sister, Katie, and a younger brother, Michael. Hurley took ballet classes as a child and at the age of twelve, received a scholarship at a boarding school, although she was subsequently expelled for poor grades. [citation needed] She then moved to the Harriet Costello School. Hurley later attended the London Studio Centre and Basingstoke College of Technology.
In the late 1980s, Hurley won a "Face of the Year" competition at a local newspaper in Winchester, England, and gained a year's modelling contract with a prestigious London firm as the first prize.[2] Hurley also launched an acting career, appearing in several low budget English and Hollywood films, including the 1992 thriller Passenger 57 in which Hurley played a terrorist. She also appeared on television on both sides of the Atlantic, appearing in the British series Rumpole of the Bailey and the George Lucas-produced The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
In 1994 Hurley attended the London premiere of the film Four Weddings and a Funeral starring her then-companion Hugh Grant. Hurley's appearance in a black Versace dress held together with gold safety pins gained her considerable media attention. It has often been referred to simply as "that dress" and, following Versace's murder in 1997, the London Times' obituary cited it as the thing for which the subject was best known. In 1995 Hurley began working with top cosmetics company Estee Lauder as their main spokesmodel. Within her first month with the company Hurley launched the best-selling perfume Pleasures. In 1997 Hurley was cast as the female lead in the hit Mike Myers spy comedy Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. After the success of that film Hurley appeared in several more high-profile films, including EdTV, Bedazzled and 2002's Serving Sara, which was her last major American film to date. In 2006 Hurley's contract with Estee Lauder was renewed for the 12th year with a subsequent contract extension.
Hurley and Grant also joined forces to create Simian Films, a production company. Through this joint venture Hurley produced two films starring Grant, Extreme Measures (1996) and Mickey Blue Eyes (1999). She also produced the 2004 film Method in which she starred. In 2006 the company was dissolved as both Hurley and Grant focused on other projects.
In 2005 Hurley's beachwear line Elizabeth Hurley Beach debuted in select Saks Fifth Avenue stores in the United States, Harrod's in the UK, various other locations worldwide and through her website. In 2006, the line expanded its distribution among Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Asia. Additionally, Hurley hosted the first season of the British reality series Project Catwalk featuring novice fashion designers.
Hurley had a long relationship with Hugh Grant, spanning from 1987-2001. After their relationship ended, Hurley began a relationship with multi-millionaire American film producer Stephen Bing. In 2001 Hurley revealed that she was pregnant with Bing's child, a claim Bing rejected. On April 4, 2002 Hurley gave birth to a son, christened Damian Charles Hurley. A DNA test conducted 4 months after the child's birth vindicated Hurley as Bing was proven to be the father.
Damian was baptised a Roman Catholic, although Hurley herself has not yet been received into the Roman Catholic church despite publicly contemplating it for a number of years. Since 2003 Hurley's companion has been Indian textile heir Arun Nayar.
She maintains three homes: in London; in Ampney Crucis, a village in Gloucestershire, England; and in Beverly Hills, California.
Since she was initially signed with Estee Lauder, Hurley has taken an active role within the company's breast cancer charity. Hurley revealed that her grandmother died from breast cancer because she refused to reveal the lump that she discovered for a number of years. By the time that it was revealed, it was too late to save her life. Hurley was the Mistress of Ceremonies at The Hot Pink Party, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, to mark the tenth anniversary of The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.[3] Additionally, Estee Lauder created a lipstick named "Elizabeth Pink" after Hurley, the proceeds of the sale of every tube of "Elizabeth Pink" benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Hurley has also acted as mistress of ceremonies for The Prince's Trust, a charity founded by Prince Charles which aids youth in Britain.