Rebecca Pidgeon

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Rebecca Pidgeon

Pidgeon at the premiere of Redbelt, April 2008
Born October 10, 1965 (1965-10-10) (age 42)
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Spouse(s) David Mamet (1991-present)

Rebecca Pidgeon (born October 10 or October 25, 1963 or 1965)[1] is a Scottish and American actress, singer and songwriter, and the wife of playwright David Mamet.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Pidgeon was born to English parents in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States,[2] while her father was a visiting professor at MIT. Her family moved to Edinburgh, Scotland in 1970. She thus holds dual United States/United Kingdom citizenship. Growing up in Edinburgh, she was a teenage friend of singer Shirley Manson.

Pidgeon attended drama college and graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. After some promising work as an actress in the United Kingdom, she moved to the United States.

[edit] Career

From 1986 to 1990, Pidgeon was the lead singer of the British folk/pop band Ruby Blue. Pidgeon left Ruby Blue, shortly after the band had signed a major record label and was beginning to gather both commercial and critical success. She appeared in her first feature film in 1988, The Dawning. She then decided to concentrate on her acting career, starring in David Mamet's plays and films, initially in the movie Homicide, then in the play Oleanna, a part written for her. Pidgeon composed the music for the film version which starred Debra Eisenstadt in her role.

Returning to music in 1994, she released the solo album The Raven, followed by New York Girls' Club. A further album, The Four Marys, a collection of traditional Celtic folk songs, followed in 1998. In 2005, she released Tough on Crime and her most recent album, Behind the Velvet Curtain: Songs from the Motion Picture Redbelt, includes a cover version of the Beach Boys song, "Wouldn't It Be Nice?" and a duet with Luciana Souza.

She appeared in the United States Television show, The Unit, playing Charlotte Ryan, and in the 2008 movie Redbelt. In October 2005, she released Tough on Crime, which featured the late Billy Preston on keyboards.

[edit] Personal life

Pidgeon had met American writer/director David Mamet while acting in his play Speed the Plow during its run at The National Theatre in London. She subsequently became his wife in 1991. She and Mamet have two children, Clara and Noah. Pidgeon, who was born to a non-practicing Christian family, has converted to Mamet's Jewish faith.[3][4][5]

[edit] Filmography

Pidgeon in her first acting role, as Nancy Gulliver in The Dawning
Pidgeon in her first acting role, as Nancy Gulliver in The Dawning

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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