- Born
- Birth nameCharlotte Tessa Rampling
- Nickname
- The Legend
- Height5′ 6½″ (1.69 m)
- Tessa Charlotte Rampling was born 5 February 1946 in Sturmer, England, to Isabel Anne (Gurteen), a painter, and Godfrey Lionel Rampling, an Olympic gold medalist, army officer, and colonel, who became a NATO commander. She was educated at Jeanne d'Arc Académie pour Jeunes Filles in Versailles, France and at the exclusive St. Hilda's school in Bushey, England. She was a model before entering films in Richard Lester's The Knack... and How to Get It (1965), followed by roles in Georgy Girl (1966) and Luchino Visconti's The Damned (1969). Rampling is best known for her role in Liliana Cavani's The Night Porter (1974), where she played a concentration camp survivor who is reunited with the Nazi guard (Dirk Bogarde) who tortured her throughout her captivity. In 1974, she co-starred with Sean Connery in John Boorman's science fiction adventure Zardoz (1974), with Robert Mitchum in Farewell, My Lovely (1975), with Woody Allen in his Stardust Memories (1980), and with Paul Newman in Sidney Lumet's The Verdict (1982). An actress always willing to take on bold and meaningful roles, Rampling had perhaps the most off-beat one in Nagisa Ôshima's 1986 comedy Max My Love (1986) as Margaret, a woman in love with a chimpanzee. She has also voiced video games, such as The Ring.- IMDb mini biography by: Anonymous
- SpousesJean-Michel Jarre(October 8, 1976 - 1996) (divorced, 1 child)Bryan Southcombe(1972 - 1976) (divorced, 1 child)
- Children
- ParentsIsabel Anne Rampling (Gurteen)Godfrey Lionel Rampling
- RelativesSarah Rampling(Sibling)
- Piercing eyes
- Husky voice
- Slender figure and high cheekbones
- Speaks French fluently and often stars in French films.
- Her father Godfrey won silver in the 4x400m relay at the 1932 Olympics, and gold in the 4x400m relay at the 1936 Olympics. He died on 20 June 2009 at age 100.
- The character she played in François Ozon's Swimming Pool (2003), "Sarah Morton", was named after her elder sister, Sarah, who committed suicide at age 23. She told The Guardian, "I thought that after such a very long time of not letting her be with me that I would like to bring her back into my life".
- Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#97).
- Became a Dame of France's Legion d'Honneur in 2002.
- [on her tendency to play villainous roles] I'd rather be thought of like that than to play Mary Poppins.
- Difficult acting with a chimp? No, no. The emotions were the same. In a way it was like playing opposite Paul Newman. The chimpanzee reacted differently, that's all.
- Oh, directors want me to be really stern sometimes. They like that quality in a woman. They find it compelling.
- I didn't allow myself to have fun for a very long time, for all sorts of reasons. What's happened now is that I've lived through that, and I've come to a point where I can say that. I can feel happy too!
- I'm just amazed. I'm glad to be alive, because I know what it's like not to want to be here, and glad that young directors want to put me in fantastic films. So say no more.
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