Rachel Ward: Biography

Former model, and daughter of the Earl of Dudley, actress Rachel Ward has appeared in several mainstream films and on television primarily during the 1980s. She attended Byram Art School in London before leaving at 16 to become a top fashion model who made many television commercials. In 1983 Ward, with her thick dark hair, husky voice, and large eyes, was voted one of the ten most beautiful women in the U.S. Although she had appeared in two slasher movies, she made her official feature film debut in Sharky's Machine in 1981. More films followed, but she didn't become really well-known until she starred opposite Richard Chamberlain in the popular television mini-series "The Thorn Birds." Ward disappeared from pictures for three years as she played wife to husband Bryan Brown, whom she met on the "Thorn Birds" set, and studied acting. She then reappeared in 1987, playing opposite her husband in The Good Wife. Though she has continued to work sporadically in films, she has yet to achieve true stardom. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide