Date of Birth: June 10, 1965
Place of Birth: Basingstoke, England
Sign:Sun in Gemini, Moon in Scorpio
Relations: Ex-boyfriend: Hugh Grant
HURLEY WAS BORN in Basingstoke, a town near London. The middle of three children in a working-class family (dad was in the Army, mom was a teacher), she attended a Catholic elementary school, then spent an ill-fated year at a boarding school for ballet.
It was when Hurley was nine that her aunt gave some electric blue eyeshadow to a niece that would later become the spokes-model for Estee Lauder cosmetics. Although Liz’s love affair with make-up was born, it took a good long time before Elizabeth learned quite the right cosmetic balance. Think about it: Working-class. London. early 80s. All that equals punk, and punk Elizabeth became, complete with bright pink spiky hair and piercing on various parts of her face. As most people do, Hurley experimented with looks. In the late '80s, she tried a working girl-type big-hair-and-lipstick thing, while the early '90s found her refusing to wear any makeup at all.
Hurley enrolled in the London Studio Center, a drama college, where she landed leads in Cabaret and Grease. But the traditional life bored her, so she took off for a vacation in Greece... without telling the school. Hurley was summarily expelled, and just a week later, she landed her first professional role in a touring company.
Over the next four years, Hurley lived in 12 different apartments. The nomadic model landed pitch spots for Schweppes and United Westminster Bank, but nothing big, nothing challenging. Then she landed the biggest challenge of her life: Hugh Grant.
The two met while filming a Spanish movie, Rowing in the Wind, in 1986 Each was forced to relinquish part of their own personal spotlight. ''Obviously [Hugh] dislikes it when [I get the attention], as do I when it's for him,'' Hurley told English People in 1988. ''But we're even-Steven now. We take turns playing the bimbo role on each other's film sets, grinning inanely. It's cripplingly embarrassing.''
The turning point in Hurley's career, at least, in terms of Hollywood, came on the evening of the premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral. In a moment, it seemed, the world took notice of the woman in the black slinky barely there Versace number. Oh yeah, and her boyfriend's movie was okay, too. A contract with Estee Lauder followed shortly thereafter, and the rest fell into place like dominoes.
Although long a household name in her native Britain, Hurley didn't become fodder for the American paparazzi until her beau was caught with his pants down, literally! Hugh was caught in a sexual act with a prostitute on Sunset Boulevard. Her name was Divine. For a while, Elizabeth became the "how could she stay with him?" woman. However, although her boyfriend achieved cinematic fame, she did not until she was given the chance to co-star with Mike Myers in a spy spoof he wrote; Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. Between her sexy role in Austin Powers and a surprisingly strong performance in Ben Stiller's Permanent Midnight as a long suffering junkie’s wife, Hurley was finally being perceived as a talent as well as a tart. Never mind that she'd already portrayed a strung-out junkie herself in 1995's Mad Dogs and Englishmen.
Hurley and Grant have their own production company, Simian Films. In addition to demonstrating Hurley's passion for the close-to-extinct chimpanzee, the name reflects an inside joke: Hurley thinks Grant looks like a monkey. Elizabeth's first exec-producing venture, Extreme Measures, was a moderate success. She continues to appear in various movies.
However, Hurley and Hugh did not stand the Hollywood test and broke up around mid 2000. The couple said that they would maintain their business relationship and will continue to be very good friends.
The friendship does not seem to be one that is enduring, since according to Jane magazine, Hurley is more than happy to attack Hugh.
According to the American publication, Hurley said that sex with Hugh was less than satisfactory. Elizabeth denied the story. Let’s see what happens next.
Movies:
1999 EDtv
1999 My Favorite Martian
1999 House on Haunted Hill
1998 Permanent Midnight
1997 Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
1997 Dangerous Ground
1995 Mad Dogs and Englishmen
1995 The Shamrock Conspiracy
1995 The World of 007
1993 Beyond Bedlam
1992 Passenger 57
1991 El Largo invierno
1990 Der Skipper
1989 Act of Will
1987 Aria
1987 Remando al viento
TV:
1997 Happy Birthday Elizabeth: A Celebration of Life
1996 Samson and Delilah
1995 Harrison: Cry of the City
1994 Sharpe's Enemy
1991 Orchid House
1990 Death Has a Bad Reputation
1988 Christabel
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
