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Elizabeth Jane Hurley (born 10 June
1965) is an English actress, fashion model, producer and
designer.
Early life: Elizabeth Hurley was born in
Basingstoke, Hampshire, England in 1965. Hurley's
father, a lapsed Catholic of Irish descent, was a
British Army major, while her mother, an Anglican, was a
schoolteacher at Kempshott Infant School. She has an
older sister, Debbie, and a younger brother, Michael.
Hurley took ballet classes as a child. She went to
Kempshott Junior and Infants school, and the Harriet
Costello School now known as Costello Technology
College. Hurley later attended Queen Mary's College,
Basingstoke, for one year, followed by Basingstoke
College of Technology and won a scholarship to the
London Studio Centre.
Whilst in her teens and before she was in the public
eye, she became involved with punk fashion, where she
dyed her hair pink and pierced her nose. She associated
with New Age Travellers who, typically, sat under The
Buttercross monument and the grounds of the Cathedral in
Winchester, near to where she lived.
Career: A start in Hurleys' career came in the
late 1980s, when she won a Face of the Year competition
at a local newspaper in Winchester, and gained a year's
modelling contract with a prestigious London firm as the
first prize. She made her first film appearance in Aria
in 1987 and attracted some attention with the Dennis
Potter-directed UK TV movie Christabel in the late
1980s, and appeared in several low budget English and
Hollywood films, including the 1992 thriller Passenger
57, in which Hurley played a stewardess. 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 première of the film
Four Weddings and a Funeral starring her then-companion
Hugh Grant. Hurley's appearance in a black plunging
Versace dress held together with gold safety pins gained
her considerable media attention. It has often been
referred to simply as "that dress" and is
credited with the launch of her high profile career.
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
Estée Lauder as their main spokes model. Within her
first month with the company, Hurley launched the
best-selling perfume, Pleasures. In 2007 Hurley's
contract with Estée Lauder was renewed for the 13th
year with a subsequent contract extension.
Hurley and Grant had previously joined forces to create
Simian Films, a production company, during their
relationship. 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.
Hurley was cast as the female lead as Vanessa Kensington
in the hit Mike Myers spy comedy Austin Powers:
International Man of Mystery in 1997 which gained her
further crucial exposure in the film industry. After the
success of that film, she reprised the role of Vanessa
in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me in 1999 and
appeared in several more high-profile films, including
EdTV, Bedazzled, Double Whammy and 2002's Serving Sara,
which was her last American film to date. Hurley also
hosted the first season of the British reality series
Project Catwalk featuring novice fashion designers.
Hurley became a favourite with the press again in 2000
when she fell foul of US acting unions. She had filmed
an advertisement for Estée Lauder which broke a
five-month strike. She was subsequently fined £70,000
by the Screen Actors Guild. She apologised for breaking
the strike but said she had been unaware that it was
going on as she had been based in the UK and the union
had not informed her of the industrial action. She was
confronted by a protest of angry actors at the US première
of her film Bedazzled in October where protesters
brandished banners stating "Elizabeth Scably".
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. In 2007, Hurley was voted best
"British Body Idol" in New Woman magazine.
5,000 women cast their votes on which British woman they
thought was the best body idol.
Charity work: Since she signed with Estée
Lauder, Hurley has taken an active role in the company's
breast cancer charity. Hurley revealed that her
grandmother died from breast cancer because for a number
of years she refused to reveal the existence of a lump.
By the time this 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. Additionally, Estée
Lauder created a lipstick named "Elizabeth
Pink" after Hurley; proceeds from 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 Great Britain. She has also helped
cricketer and friend Imran Khan with his cancer hospital
in Pakistan. Ironically, Imran's ex-wife was the
girlfriend of Hurley's ex boyfriend, Hugh Grant,
connecting all four together.
Personal life: Hurley had a high profile 13-year
relationship with actor Hugh Grant, spanning from
1986-2000. After their relationship ended, the two
reportedly remained cordial. Hurley's romantic
relationship with American billionaire Ted Forstmann is
also thought to have begun in 2000. After dating, the
two remained friends. In October 2000, Hurley began a
relationship with multi-millionaire American film
producer Stephen Bing. In 2001 Hurley revealed that she
was pregnant with Bing's child, but the couple had
already separated after 18 months together, before the
announcement was made. Bing publicly questioned the
paternity of the child and disputed Hurley's description
of a faithful relationship.
On 4 April 2002, Hurley gave birth to a son, Damian
Charles Hurley. In June 2002 DNA test conducted four
months after the child's birth vindicated Hurley, and
Bing was proven to be the father after much dispute.
Hugh Grant is one of Damian's godfathers. Hurley is
thought to have negotiated a $2.1 million deal for the
first photos with her son.
According to the Daily Mail in 2004, Hurley has earned
£13 million through her career. Elizabeth Hurley
maintains three homes: in London; in Ampney Crucis, a
village in Gloucestershire; and in Beverly Hills,
California.
Wedding: On 2 March 2007, Hurley married Indian
businessman Arun Nayar in a secret service at Sudeley
Castle, near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. The couple
were due to get married on March 3, 2007, but decided to
keep the ceremony private so held it one day early but
with only the guests being informed of this change in
date. Hurley contracted an exclusive magazine deal with
magazine Hello!, thought to be worth £2 to 5 million
with the overall cost of the wedding being estimated at
a total of £2 million. Many famous celebrities attended
the wedding ceremonies and other celebrations. Some
included Elton John (who gave her away), David Furnish,
Elle Macpherson, Donatella Versace, Patsy Kensit, Trinny
Woodall, Susannah Constantine, Tamara Mellon, Eva
Herzigova, Janet Street-Porter, Valentino, Tracey Emin,
Prince Pavlos, Marie-Chantal Miller, Tom Ford, Flavio
Briatore, Tania Bryer, Charles Dean and Leonard Lauder.
The wedding festivities continued in Mumbai, India where
they joined a private celebration held at Juhu Beach
before moving on to Jodhpur, India. In Jodhpur, they
held a private Hindu ceremony held at Umaid Bhawan
Palace, where she wore couture sari made especially by
her designer friend Donatella Versace. On the eve of the
Hindu marriage, the couple held a sangeet, a traditional
night of music, at the Nagaur Fort, 90 miles outside the
city, where Hurley had her hands and feet decorated with
intricate henna designs.
The ceremony followed by private
candle-lit reception on March 8 at Mehrangarh Fort in
Jodhpur. The whole fort was decorated with lights for
the function. On Hurley and Nayar's arrival outside
Mehrangarh fort in Jodhpur, a fight broke out between
reporters and security guards when reporters tried to
block the celebrity couple's Bentley as it entered the
venue for a dinner. The journalists and paparazzi then
chased the car into the fort, forcing a lockdown. |
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