Editing Vanessa Redgrave (section)

=== Early stage and film career ===
Vanessa Redgrave entered the [[Central School of Speech and Drama]] in 1954. She first appeared in the West End, playing opposite her brother, in 1958.

In 1959, she appeared at the [[Shakespeare Memorial Theatre]] under the direction of [[Peter Hall (director)|Peter Hall]] as Helena in ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' opposite [[Charles Laughton]] as Bottom and ''Coriolanus'' opposite [[Laurence Olivier]] (in the title role), [[Albert Finney]] and [[Edith Evans]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Micheline Steinberg |title=Flashback, A Pictorial History 1879–1979: 100 Years of Stratford-upon-Avon and the Royal Shakespeare Company |publisher=RSC Publications |date=1985 |page=73}}</ref>

In 1960, Redgrave had her first starring role in [[Robert Bolt]]'s ''[[The Tiger and the Horse]]'', in which she co-starred with her father. In 1961, she played [[Rosalind (As You Like It)|Rosalind]] in ''[[As You Like It]]'' for the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]]. In 1962, she played [[Imogen (Shakespeare)|Imogen]] in [[William Gaskill]]'s production of ''[[Cymbeline]]'' for the [[Royal Shakespeare Company|RSC]]. In 1966, Redgrave created the role of Jean Brodie in the [[Donald Albery]] production of ''[[The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (novel)|The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie]]'', adapted for the stage by [[Jay Presson Allen]] from the novel by [[Muriel Spark]].

Redgrave had her first credited film role, in which she co-starred with her father, in [[Brian Desmond Hurst]]'s ''[[Behind the Mask (1958 film)|Behind the Mask]]'' (1958). Redgrave's first starring film role was in ''[[Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment]]'' (1966), co-starring [[David Warner (actor)|David Warner]] and directed by [[Karel Reisz]], for which she received an Oscar nomination, a [[Cannes]] award, a [[Golden Globe]] nomination and a [[BAFTA|BAFTA Film Award nomination]]. Following this, she portrayed a mysterious woman in ''[[Blowup]]'' (1966). Co-starring [[David Hemmings]], it was the first English-language film of the Italian director [[Michelangelo Antonioni]]. Reunited with Karel Reisz for the biographical film of dancer [[Isadora Duncan]] in ''[[Isadora (film)|Isadora]]'' (1968), her portrayal of Duncan led her gaining a National Society of Film Critics' Award for Best Actress, a second Prize for the Best Female Performance at the [[Cannes Film Festival]], along with a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination. In 1970 and 1971, Vanessa was directed by Italian filmmaker [[Tinto Brass]] in two films: ''[[Dropout (film)|Dropout]]'' and ''[[La vacanza (film)|La vacanza]]''.
In the same period came other portrayals of historical (or semi-mythical) figures – ranging from Andromache in ''[[The Trojan Women (film)|The Trojan Women]]'' (1971) to the lead in ''[[Mary, Queen of Scots (1971 film)|Mary, Queen of Scots]]'' (1971), the latter earning her a third Oscar nomination. She also played the role of [[Guinevere]] in the film ''[[Camelot (film)|Camelot]]'' (1967) with [[Richard Harris]] and [[Franco Nero]], and briefly as [[Sylvia Pankhurst]] in ''[[Oh! What a Lovely War]]'' (1969). She portrayed the character of Mother Superior Jeanne des Anges (Joan of the Angels) in ''[[The Devils (film)|The Devils]]'' (1971), the once controversial film directed by [[Ken Russell]].