Lucy Gordon (actress)
| Lucy Gordon | |
|---|---|
 Gordon at the 2007 premiere of Spider-Man 3 | |
| Born |
22 May 1980 Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK |
| Died |
20 May 2009 (aged 28) Paris, France |
| Cause of death | Suicide by hanging |
| Occupation | Actress, model |
| Years active | 1995–2009 |
| Partner(s) | Jérôme Alméras (?-2009; her death) |
Lucy Gordon (22 May 1980 – 20 May 2009) was a British actress and model. She became a face of CoverGirl in 1997 before starting an acting career. Her first film was Perfume in 2001 before going on to have small roles in Spider-Man 3, Serendipity and The Four Feathers. Gordon had played the actress and singer Jane Birkin in the film Gainsbourg, a biopic of singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. Before the film was released, she was found hanged in her flat in Paris on 20 May 2009 after committing suicide.[1]
Biography
Early life
Gordon was born in Oxford, to Richard and Susan Gordon in 1980; she had a younger sister, Kate.[1] She went to Oxford High School where she passed nine GCSEs in 1997. She stated in an interview in 1997 that she was continuing her studies for history, biology and French A-levels. She spent some of her childhood in France particularly during the summer holidays, and was bilingual in French and English.[2] She moved to Paris after living in New York for several years.[3]
Career
While in the fourth form of Oxford High School she was noticed by a talent-spotter from a modelling agency as she and her mother visited a Clothes Show Live exhibition. She went on to appear as one of the faces of CoverGirl and soon after she moved into acting.[2] She was signed to Select modelling agency in London and had appeared in the covers of Italian Glamour and Elle.
Gordon made her film debut in the 2001 as the character Sarah in Perfume. She appeared alongside Heath Ledger in the 2002 film The Four Feathers. She appeared as the reporter Jennifer Dugan in the 2007 film Spider-Man 3.
Gordon had played the actress and singer Jane Birkin in a film biopic of singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. The film, entitled Serge Gainsbourg, vie héroïque was presented at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and was released in early 2010. Gordon's father, Richard Gordon said that she had loved playing her latest role in this film about Gainsbourg.[4] The director Joann Sfar and the producers of the film Marc du Pontavice and Didier Lupfer released a statement that the film "owes a lot to the generosity, gentleness and immense talent of Lucy Gordon."[1]
Death
On 20 May 2009, Gordon was found hanging in the Paris flat she shared with cinematographer Jérôme Alméras.[1][5][6] A French police official said she appeared to have committed suicide by hanging.[7] She left two suicide notes, one detailing her last wishes regarding her estate, the other a letter for her parents.[2] Her father, Richard Gordon, said a post-mortem examination proved she had died from hanging and that no other marks were found on her body. He said, "There is no question of foul play. Lucy committed suicide."[2]
Gordon wrote her will on 19 May 2009, the day before her death. She split her estate between Alméras, her friends, her parents and her sister.[8]
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2001 | Perfume | Sarah | |
| Serendipity | Caroline Mitchell | ||
| 2002 | The Four Feathers | Isabelle | |
| 2005 | The Russian Dolls | Celia Shelburn | |
| 2007 | Spider-Man 3 | Jennifer Dugan | |
| Serial | Sadie Grady | ||
| 2009 | The Last International Playboy | Kate Hardwick | |
| Brief Interviews with Hideous Men | Hitchhiker | ||
| Cinéman | Viviane Cook | ||
| 2010 | Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque) | Jane Birkin | |
| Television | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2005 | Stella | China | 1 episode, 'Office Party' |
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 Henry Samuel (21 May 2009). "British actress Lucy Gordon found dead in Paris flat". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
- 1 2 3 4 Allen, Peter; Sparks, Ian; Sears, Neil; Kelly, Tom (22 May 2009). "Spider-Man actress Lucy Gordon left two suicide notes before hanging herself in Paris flat". Daily Mail. UK. Retrieved 22 May 2009.
- ↑ "British star found dead in Paris". BBC. 21 May 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2009.
- ↑ French police confirm the death of actress Lucy Gordon Enjoy France. (25 May 2009)
- ↑ "Spider-Man's Lucy Gordon In Paris Suicide". Sky News. 21 May 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
- ↑ Sutherland, Keri (24 May 2009). "Tragic Spider-Man 3 actress Lucy Gordon was "so in love"". Daily Mail.co.uk. London. Retrieved 24 May 2009.
- ↑ Jean-Pierre Verges (21 May 2009). "Actress Lucy Gordon found dead at age 28 in Paris". Yahoo! News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 27 May 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
- ↑ "Spider-Man star Lucy Gordon's poignant will, hand written hours before she took her life", 3 February 2010, The Daily Mail
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lucy Gordon. |
- Lucy Gordon at the Internet Movie Database
- Lucy Gordon at the Fashion Model Directory
- Lucy Gordon at Find a Grave