Kirsten Lea
| Kirsten Lea | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
29 June 1984 (age 32) Westminster, London, England |
| Occupation | Writer, actress, producer |
| Website | Kirsten Lea |
Kirsten Lea (born 29 June 1984) is a British actress, writer and producer. She has starred in numerous independent films[1] and is the founder and president of Love Lea Media. Lea has been a producer on several feature films and the entertainment news television show HollyScoop, which airs on KTLA and CW stations across America. Kirsten often works alongside her Emmy Award winning producing partner Vincent De Paul. The pair have several feature films currently in production, including a sequel to the popular movie Beverly Hills Christmas which was shown to more than 70 million viewers on UP television network[2] during Christmas 2015. Lea is a current member of the Producer's Guild of America.[3]
Biography
Early life
Lea was born in Westminster, England and is the daughter of Charlie Lea, a comedic actor turned manager and producer, and his wife Patricia Lea. Charlie Lea managed Anthony Newley, husband of Joan Collins.[4] Kirsten Lea grew up immersed in the acting profession and first appeared on stage at the tender age of four, when her father invited her to tread the boards of the world famous stage at the London Palladium, where he worked as a producer.
Lea began taking classes in performing arts at age four, and was consequently cast in lead roles in plays as soon as she began attending preparatory school. Throughout her teens, she continued to win lead roles in plays such as Romeo & Juliet, Great Expectations, A Midsummer's Night Dream and Wuthering Heights. She twice won awards for Best Actress at her local theatre school and later went on to teach children dance and drama at the Theatre Train School for Performing Arts.
Career
In early 2008, Kirsten made a highly publicized appearance at both the Independent Spirit Awards and the 80th Annual Academy Awards, where she was one of 'the most photographed stars on the red carpet'.[5] She then went on to make her feature film debut in the highly anticipated production of 'The Soloist' (2008) directed by Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride & Prejudice), where she starred alongside Robert Downey Jnr. Lea considers her finest performance that of Sarah in the romantic comedy Walk a Mile in My Prada's (2011) which led to her being nominated as Best Supporting Actress in 2011 at the Hoboken Film Festival.[6]
As a trained journalist, Lea wrote her own fashion column.[7] and contributed to well known British publications. In 2010, Lea became a fashion and lifestyle contributor to the Benjamin Kanarek blog.[8] and in 2011, Lea launched her own fashion and lifestyle website Lea Privé.
2015–present
Lea was cast as Carol Foxworth-Bennett in Beverly Hills Christmas (2015), which aired to more than 70 million viewers on UP television network over Christmas 2015. Lea was also a producer on the project.
During 2016, Lea appeared in four feature length films for the Lifetime television network including Deprivation, Woman on the Edge, A Mother's Sacrifice as well as the upcoming Frequent Flyer, to be filmed in Rome, Italy.
Personal life
In 2007, Lea married European Hedge Fund Manager David Craigen[9] of Lansdowne Partners.[10] In June 2017, they will have been married for ten years. They share a home together in Belgravia, London.[11] Lea also has a home in the Hollywood Hills West in Los Angeles.[12] In June 2012, Lea gave birth to her daughter, Ava Sequoia at the Portland Hospital in London.
Philanthropy and Humanitarian work
Lea has been a lifelong supporter of the British Heart Foundation, despite sadly losing her father to a fatal heart attack in 1996.
Lea is a supporter and ambassador for the University of East Anglia where she read History of Art and Film Studies. It is alleged that Kirsten will be on the judging panel of an annual award for current filmmaking and drama students, launching in 2017.
Lea is also passionate about protecting wildlife and in 2009 hosted a fundraising event for the Whaleman Foundation's charity Save The Whales alongside actress Hayden Pannettiere.[13]
Lea has made other notable contributions to children's charity The Art of Elysium.[14] and Tickets for Troops (31), a British charity that supports male and female veterans of the Armed Forces. In 2014, Lea was invited to 10 Downing Street by Samantha Cameron.[15] to celebrate the cause.
References
- ↑ "Kirsten Lea Profile".
- ↑ "Beverly Hills Christmas".
- ↑ "PGA Newsletter".
- ↑ "Dailymail – Sir David Jason Touch Frost star left cold BBC ITV turn new spy thriller".
- ↑ "Independent – Kirsten Lea girls just wanna have funds".
- ↑ "Hoboken international film festival – Winners and Nominees 2011".
- ↑ "leaprive – Kristen Lea".
- ↑ "Benjamin Kanarek blog – Welcome kirstenlea fashion lifestyle contibutor".
- ↑ "Dailymail – With 1m diamond necklace Jamie Cullum performing wedding meet UKs hedge fund WAG".
- ↑ "FT".
- ↑ "Herald Scotland – 3000 donation from Tory millionaire".
- ↑ "talkingmakeup – Kirsten Lea Interviews with Marta Walsh".
- ↑ "Alamy – Kristen Lea gilles Marini-Hayden-Panettiere-the-Whaleman-Foundation".
- ↑ "Zimbio – Kristen Lea".
- ↑ "Dailymail – Sam Cam invites injured troops Downing Street reception Prince Andrew".