MINNIE DRIVER
Name: Minnie Driver
Birth name: Amelia Fiona J. Driver
Born: 31 January 1970 London, England
Minnie Driver (born January 31, 1970) is an Emmy- and Academy Award-nominated
English actress and singer-songwriter. She was nominated for an Academy Award
for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1997 film Good Will
Hunting.
Driver was born Amelia Fiona J. Driver in London, the daughter of Gaynor
Churchward (née Millington), a designer and former couture model, and Ronnie
Driver, a businessman. Her sister, Kate Driver, is a model and producer.
Driver has Scottish, Irish, Italian and French ancestry. Driver's mother was
her father's mistress, and Driver's father's wife was not aware of his other
family. She was raised in Barbados, and educated at Bedales school near
Petersfield, Hampshire, England, and the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
in London.
Driver first came to broad public attention when she played the lead role in
Circle of Friends and in 1997 in Good Will Hunting. In 2003 and 2004, she had a
noted recurring role on Will & Grace as Lorraine Finster, the nemesis of Karen
Walker (Megan Mullally) and daughter of Karen's lover, Lyle Finster (John Cleese).
Driver has also worked on several animated features, including Disney's 1999
version of Tarzan and the 1999 dubbed-English version of the Japanese film
Princess Mononoke.
On March 12, 2007, Driver made her return to television starring alongside Eddie
Izzard on the FX Network show The Riches, a series about a family of Travellers
living in an upscale gated community in the suburbs. She was nominated for the
2007 Emmy Award as Best Actress in a Dramatic Series.
Early in her career Driver was a member of a band called "Puff, Rocks and Brown";
the band was signed to a development deal with Island Records, which ended
without a release.
She began a low-profile return to music in 2000; the following year, she signed
with EMI and Rounder Records and performed at SXSW. Canadian music producer
Colin Craig assisted in the eventual release of Everything I've Got in My Pocket,
which reached No. 43 in the UK, and a second single, "Invisible Girl" peaking
at No. 68. The album was backed by a group including members of the Wallflowers
and Pete Yorn's band. Driver wrote 10 of the 11 songs on the album and also
covered "Hungry Heart" from Bruce Springsteen's The River. In 2004, Driver was
the support act for the Finn Brothers on the UK portion of their world tour.
In 2004, Driver played Carlotta Giudicelli in Joel Schumacher's film of The
Phantom of the Opera. Because of the vocal requirements of the role, Driver was
the sole cast member to have her voice dubbed. However, she did lend her own
voice to Learn to be Lonely, a song written by Andrew Lloyd Webber specifically
for the film version of his musical (it plays over the closing credits of the
movie). Driver released her second album entitled Seastories on July 17, 2007.
The 12-track set is produced by Marc "Doc" Dauer, who also produced Everything I've
Got in My Pocket. Ryan Adams and Liz Phair are among the list of collaborators
for the album.
Name: Minnie Driver
Birth name: Amelia Fiona J. Driver
Born: 31 January 1970 London, England
Minnie Driver (born January 31, 1970) is an Emmy- and Academy Award-nominated
English actress and singer-songwriter. She was nominated for an Academy Award
for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1997 film Good Will
Hunting.
Driver was born Amelia Fiona J. Driver in London, the daughter of Gaynor
Churchward (née Millington), a designer and former couture model, and Ronnie
Driver, a businessman. Her sister, Kate Driver, is a model and producer.
Driver has Scottish, Irish, Italian and French ancestry. Driver's mother was
her father's mistress, and Driver's father's wife was not aware of his other
family. She was raised in Barbados, and educated at Bedales school near
Petersfield, Hampshire, England, and the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
in London.
Driver first came to broad public attention when she played the lead role in
Circle of Friends and in 1997 in Good Will Hunting. In 2003 and 2004, she had a
noted recurring role on Will & Grace as Lorraine Finster, the nemesis of Karen
Walker (Megan Mullally) and daughter of Karen's lover, Lyle Finster (John Cleese).
Driver has also worked on several animated features, including Disney's 1999
version of Tarzan and the 1999 dubbed-English version of the Japanese film
Princess Mononoke.
On March 12, 2007, Driver made her return to television starring alongside Eddie
Izzard on the FX Network show The Riches, a series about a family of Travellers
living in an upscale gated community in the suburbs. She was nominated for the
2007 Emmy Award as Best Actress in a Dramatic Series.
Early in her career Driver was a member of a band called "Puff, Rocks and Brown";
the band was signed to a development deal with Island Records, which ended
without a release.
She began a low-profile return to music in 2000; the following year, she signed
with EMI and Rounder Records and performed at SXSW. Canadian music producer
Colin Craig assisted in the eventual release of Everything I've Got in My Pocket,
which reached No. 43 in the UK, and a second single, "Invisible Girl" peaking
at No. 68. The album was backed by a group including members of the Wallflowers
and Pete Yorn's band. Driver wrote 10 of the 11 songs on the album and also
covered "Hungry Heart" from Bruce Springsteen's The River. In 2004, Driver was
the support act for the Finn Brothers on the UK portion of their world tour.
In 2004, Driver played Carlotta Giudicelli in Joel Schumacher's film of The
Phantom of the Opera. Because of the vocal requirements of the role, Driver was
the sole cast member to have her voice dubbed. However, she did lend her own
voice to Learn to be Lonely, a song written by Andrew Lloyd Webber specifically
for the film version of his musical (it plays over the closing credits of the
movie). Driver released her second album entitled Seastories on July 17, 2007.
The 12-track set is produced by Marc "Doc" Dauer, who also produced Everything I've
Got in My Pocket. Ryan Adams and Liz Phair are among the list of collaborators
for the album.