Name: Claire Forlani
Date of Birth: July 1 1972
Birth Place: Twickenham Middlesex, England, UK
Height: 5' 7''
Nationality: British
Education: London's Arts Educational School
Claim to fame: as Susan Parrish in Meet Joe Black (1998)
Occupation: Actress, dancer
She walked off the
set of Deep Rising (or was “let go,” depending upon
the source) after disagreeing with the director – a seeming
foolhardy stand for anything but a big-name actor. Yet Claire
Forlani went on to such blockbusters as Meet Joe Black and Mystery
Men (while Deep Rising sunk), and now has a reputation for artistic
integrity that hasn’t hurt a bit.
Forlani started off
on the right foot, so to speak, studying dance and performance
at The Arts Educational School in her native England, and earning
roles as a dancer in European theatre productions of The Nutcracker
and Orpheus in the Underworld. In 1991, the 19-year-old was
cast in the British television series Press Gang, and later,
in Shrinks. Her big screen debut, in Gypsy Eyes/CIA Trackdown/Pickpocket
(1992), came with some real-life danger – this multi-named
picture was filmed in war-torn Croatia.
The young actor and
her parents (her exotic good looks come from an English mother
and Italian father) moved to the United States in 1993, and
Forlani was almost immediately cast in the very American television
mini-series JFK: Reckless Youth. 1994 brought a quality TV half
hour in The Gift, and in the next year came another chance to
put on a very convincing American accent for Mallrats.
It was after perfectly
acting a very small role in The Rock (1996) that Forlani was
“noticed” and offered bigger and better parts. Basquiat,
Garage Sale, and The Last Time I Committed Suicide came before
the Deep Rising incident, and Meet Joe Black (1998), Basil (1998),
Mystery Men (1999), and Boys and Girls (2000) followed.
Off-screen, besides
enjoying that reputation for integrity, Forlani hit Vanity Fair,
Cosmopolitan, and Bikini magazine covers, and was listed amongst
eOnline’s 1998 “Sizzlin’ Sixteen.” Her web
shrines, though not numerous, are touchingly devoted to “the
most talented and beautiful actress in the world.” Eager
industry media has dotted her past with romantic links to Hollywood-heavyweight
co-stars John Cusak and Brad Pitt. Meanwhile the self-declared
unattached actor goes about the business of acting, and has
a string of films to keep her busy. Elements, Into My Heart,
Anti-Trust, Magicians, and Johnny Domino are all upcoming.
No, walking off for
artistic integrity doesn’t hurt at all – but only
if you’ve got the talent to pull it off.
