Romola Garai Biography

Date of Birth: August 6, 1982

Born in London, Romola Garai lived in Hong Kong and Singapore before her family settled back in England when she was nine. Several years later, during a drama class at the City School for Girls in London, a casting director noticed her and cast the teen as young Elizabeth in the TV movie The Last of the Blonde Bombshells (2000), starring Judi Dench and Ian Holm. Next up was a seven episode run in the TV series Attachments, followed by a role in the miniseries Perfect (2001).

Garai began a university English Literature degree course, but when she was offered the lead role of Cassandra Mortmain in the BBC produced feature film I Capture the Castle, she decided to leave school and pursue acting full time. Before the film was released, she turned in a star performance as the spoiled Gwendolyn in the BBC miniseries Daniel Deronda (2002) and as Kate Nickleby in her second feature, Nicholas Nickleby (2002). She received a British Independent Film Award nomination for Most Promising Newcomer in 2003 for her role in I Capture the Castle.

Her beauty and talent attracted attention in Hollywood and she was soon offered the lead role as Katey Vendetto, an American girl who falls in love with a Latino boy in Havana Nights: Dirty Dancing 2 (2004). A fan of the original Dirty Dancing movie, she was thrilled to get the part, although she had to undergo rigorous salsa dancing training, which she compared to daily aerobics. Back in England, she played Amelia Sedley opposite Reese Witherspoon in Vanity Fair (2004). For her role in Rory O'Shea Was Here (2005) (aka Inside I'm Dancing), she received a Best Supporting Actress nomination from the British Independent Film Awards.

In her spare time, Garai enjoys horseback riding, singing and playing the violin. Her aspirations include writing and directing.

Filmography:

The Other Man (2008)
Angel (2008)
Running for River (2007)
Atonement (2007)
Amazing Grace (2006)
As You Like It (2006)
Scoop (2006)
Renaissance (2006) (voice)
Midsummer Dream (2005) (voice)
Rory O'Shea Was Here (2005)
Vanity Fair (2004)
Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004)
I Capture the Castle (2003)
Nicholas Nickleby (2002)