Dame Vanessa Redgrave is one of the most decorated stars in British history, being nominated for a total of 97 awards during her extensive acting career, which has lasted for over 60 years.
Vanessa has been acting since she made her stage debut in 1958 in a production of A Touch of Sun. She has also appeared in the likes of Julia, A Man for All Seasons, Howards End, Murder on the Orient Express and Mission: Impossible. And the star also has an incredible accolade, being one of the few people to have won the 'Triple Crown of Acting', which consists of an Oscar, an Emmy Award and a Tony.
Throughout her life, the 89-year-old has experienced both great joy and profound heartbreak. Married twice and a mother of three, she suffered a devastating loss in 2009 when her daughter, Natasha, was killed in a skiing accident.
Her two marriages were over 50 years apart, with her first wedding taking place in 1962, and her second happening in 2006. And during the intervening period, she also fit in a 15-year relationship with James Bond actor Timothy Dalton.
Scroll down for all you need to know about Vanessa's love life…
Marriage to Tony Richardson
Vanessa's first marriage was to the film and theatre director Tony Richardson, with the pair meeting after he watched her performing in As You Like It. The couple married in 1962, and welcomed two daughters, Natasha and Joely; however, Tony began a romance with a local silversmith named Michael.
The director eventually left Vanessa, with the pair splitting in 1967 when Tony started a relationship with the French actress and singer Jeanne Moreau. The two met on the set of Tony's 1966 film, Mademoiselle, and Vanessa reportedly confided her worries of an affair to Tony's sister, Dierdre.
© Getty Images"Tony came back literally elated," the actress said. "It frightens me because I recognise that feeling: I've felt it myself. She must be extraordinary – Tony seemed transformed, set alight."
Despite the end of their marriage, Vanessa and Tony remained close, and reflecting on failing to save their marriage in a 2006 interview with The Guardian, Vanessa said: " I thought – but it was a delusion on my part – that I could save my marriage if I went back to Italy, where my husband was. So I missed China to save my marriage, but I didn't save my marriage. But that was OK, because we loved each other to the end."
Franco Nero
Although Vanessa and Franco didn't marry until 2006, they first met all the way back in 1967 when they starred together in the historical epic, Camelot. However, Franco once revealed to People that he was unimpressed with his future wife when he first met her. Speaking to the publication, he revealed: "It was terrible! I see this woman with blue jeans with holes, no makeup, glasses. I asked the director, 'Are you sure you made the right choice?'"
Two years after they met, the couple welcomed their son Carlo, who is now a filmmaker. However, in 1971 they split following a major row, with Franco going on to romance the likes of Ursula Andress and Goldie Hawn.
© Getty ImagesDespite splitting, the pair remained friends, and following Tony's death in 1991, Vanessa's children encouraged her to reconcile with Franco. The pair reunited and married in 2006, and speaking to The Times in 2016 about their wedding, Vanessa shared: "It happened in 2006, around the time of my 70th birthday. We didn't want all that wedding claptrap; we just had a simple ceremony and Carlo presented me with the ring."
The couple remain close, and earlier this year, Franco credited his wife with the longevity of his own acting career. Speaking to Variety, he said: "I am absolutely convinced that the longevity of my career is also due to a profound lesson I learned from Vanessa: determination. She used to repeat it to me often."
Timothy Dalton
During the time that Vanessa and Franco were split up, the actress found love with Timothy Dalton, with the pair meeting on the set of Mary, Queen of Scots in 1971. The couple had an on-off relationship for the next 15 years, and reportedly once had a six-hour row about the meaning of Hamlet's line 'To be or not to be'.
© Getty ImagesHowever, despite their romance lasting for over a decade, the pair have been private about their relationship. In 2007, Timothy told the Mail: "I've never talked about my relationship with Vanessa before. We have known each other for a long time. We worked on a movie called Mary, Queen of Scots and became friends.
"I don't feel it was because I thought her world was more colourful, and I wasn't ever caught up in it. Everyone seemed perfectly normal. I know her. I know her family. I met her mum and dad."
