For Joely the theater must be in her genes. Daughter of Tony Richardson and Vanessa Redgrave, and granddaughter of actor Sir Michael Redgrave, she is the niece of Lynn Redgrave and her sister Natasha Richardson is also an actress. Former husband Tim Bevan is a director. However the genes were slow - as a child she saw her older sister Natashsa interested in acting but she was a tomboy, imagining a career in gymnastics. She grew too far too fast, and gymnastics was out. British by birth, she considers herself a sort of honorary Yank, having attended boarding school in Ojai, California. Beginning in the 80s film became her life, from small parts in Wetherby (1985) to BBC dramas such as Lady Chatterley (1993) (TV) to today's Disney studio going to the dogs in 101 Dalmatians (1996).