Charlotte Rampling
In a half-century career on screen, British actress Charlotte Rampling has shown an affinity for playing dangerous, troubled or highly-complicated characters treading pools of great emotional depth - with mesmerizing results.
Her latest film, the marital drama "45 Years" (2015), has earned Rampling her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
Portrait
Born on February 5, 1946 in Sturmer, England, Tessa Charlotte Rampling was literally plucked out of a secretarial typing pool for her first bit of acting work, to appear in an ad for Cadbury's chocolate.
"I thought, 'Oh, well, this is fun - somebody's actually sort of thinking that I can be photogenic,'" she told CBS News' Anthony Mason. "'Cause when I saw the pictures they said, 'Did you know how photogenic you are, Charlotte?' And I said, 'Well, no!'"
Portrait
Rampling followed that Cadbury's ad with more modeling work, but says she wasn't suited to it. "The '60s look was not really my look," she told Mason. "I mean, I had these rather sort of heavy eyes, and I didn't pose very well. 'Cause the '60s was more -- do you remember Twiggy, and Jean Shrimpton, and Pattie Boyd? They're very beautiful girls with very wide eyes -- and I was not that look."
"Rotten to the Core"
After an uncredited appearance in the Richard Lester film, "The Knack ... and How to Get It," Rampling won a starring role in the Boulting Brothers' comedic caper, "Rotten to the Core" (1965).
"Georgy Girl"
Charlotte Rampling came to international attention in the 1966 "Georgy Girl," starring Alan Bates (pictured), Lynn Redgrave and James Mason. Rampling played Redgrave's pregnant roommate.
"Georgy Girl"
"I think it was around 'Georgy Girl' time that I knew that I was going to commit myself to it," Rampling said. "Before it was, you know, I was playing around."
Rampling trained at the Royal Court Theatre, not wanting to be stuck playing "Dolly bird" roles. "I was into [playing] gravitas, but with humor, you know? I wanted a certain depth of feeling right then, I think because I had been through a difficult tragedy in the family. I wanted to find expression in the work that I was doing -- an outlet."
The tragedy was the suicide of her older sister, Sarah, in 1967.
"The Damned"
In Luchino Visconti's "The Damned" (1969), Charlotte Rampling plays the wife of a German industrialist who is taken prisoner by the Gestapo.
"Three"
Two young Americans (Sam Waterston and Robie Porter) pick up a young English hitchhiker (Charlotte Rambling) while traveling in Europe, and complications ensue, in "Three" (1969).
"'Tis Pity She's a Whore"
Olivier Tobias and Charlotte Rampling in "'Tis Pity She's a Whore" (1971), based on John Ford's 17th century play about incest.
"The Ski Bum"
Zalman King as a free-loving enthusiast of the slopes and Charlotte Rampling as a seductress (and ski report operator) in "The Ski Bum" (1971).
"Asylum"
Charlotte Rampling and Britt Ekland in the horror anthology "Asylum" (1972).
"The Night Porter"
Rampling courted controversy in the 1974 film, "The Night Porter," in which she played a concentration camp survivor who, after the war, resumes a sado-masochistic relationship with the Nazi officer who abused her (played by Dirk Bogarde).
Rampling called it a dangerous role, in a film that was both critically praised and vilified - and which went on to become an art house hit.
"The Night Porter"
Dirk Bogarde and Charlotte Rampling in Liliana Cavani's "The Night Porter."
"I felt that we'd made this extraordinary love story, which in a sense it is. A very bizarre love story, but it is a love story. 'Cause these two are doomed to be together and to die together after the experience that they've had. But obviously the political content, and historical content, and religious content and all that was just too much for people.
"And the way, perhaps, it was filmed in this -- people said that it was a sort of ghastly camp manifestation of a horror. But then again the naiveté that I talk about is also quite useful, because there is an innocence, I think, that I've somehow kept throughout my life around a lot of the work that I do, which also keeps it fresh and it keeps it sometimes almost childlike. Like making believe that something can happen and making believe that we can change things, and making believe that we can win people over in a certain way."
"Caravan to Vaccares"
Charlotte Rampling in the 1974 adventure, "Caravan to Vaccares," based (loosely) on the Alistair MacLean novel.
"Zardoz"
Charlotte Rampling made a handful of films for Hollywood studios in the 1970s and early '80s. One of her first, and weirdest, was John Boorman's allegorical sci-fi flick "Zardoz" (1974), starring Sean Connery. Rampling played an immortal with psychic powers.
"Farewell, My Lovely"
Robert Mitchum as detective Philip Marlowe and Charlotte Rampling as a dame with a gun in the 1975 film of Raymond Chandler's "Farewell, My Lovely."
Cannes
British actress Charlotte Rampling attends a gala in Cannes, France, January 22, 1975.
"Foxtrot"
Charlotte Rampling and Peter O'Toole in "Foxtrot" (a.k.a. "The Far Side of Paradise")(1976).
"Stardust Memories"
Charlottte Rampling starred as the ex-lover of Woody Allen in the 1980 comedy, "Stardust Memories."
"The Verdict"
In "The Verdict" (19082), Charlotte Rampling played the romantic interest of lawyer Paul Newman. Her betrayal of him prompts a violent rebuke.
Portrait
British actress Charlotte Rampling in Paris, October 20, 1982.
"Viva la vie"
Charlotte Rampling in Claude Lelouch's science fiction-ish film, "Viva la vie" (1984).
Interview
British actress Charlotte Rampling appears on TF1 in Paris, September 22, 1985.
"Angel Heart"
In the supernaturally-tinged noir mystery "Angel Heart" (1987), Mickey Rourke played a detective tracking down a missing person. His search leads to the man's fiancee, played by Charlotte Rampling.
"The Wings of the Dove"
Charlotte Rampling starred in the Merchant-Ivory production of Henry James' "The Wings of the Dove" (1997), along with Alex Jennings (pictured), Helena Bonham Carter, Elizabeth McGovern and Linus Roache.
"The Cherry Orchard"
Charlotte Rampling reteamed with her "Georgy Girl" costar Alan Bates in the 1999 film version of Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard."
"Under the Sand"
In the 2000 French film "Under the Sand," Rampling played a woman whose husband goes for a swim on vacation and vanishes. The wife can't bear to confront her loss.
"The Statement"
Michael Caine starred in Norman Jewison's "The Statement" (2003), about the pursuit of a Nazi war collaborator, who seeks help from his estranged wife (Charlotte Rampling).
"Swimming Pool"
In the erotic drama "Swimming Pool" (2003), Charlotte Rampling played a crime novelist whose encounter with Ludivine Sagnier leads to some crime activity of a decidedly non-fiction nature.
"Immortal"
Adapted from a French comic book, "Immortal" (2004) is a heavily CGI'd tale of a futuristic New York City in which ancient Egyptian gods have returned to mate with humans. Charlotte Rampling played a doctor whose genetic tests of a mysterious woman may lead to a breakthrough in nascent god-homo sapien relations.
"Heading South"
In "Heading South" (2005), Charlotte Rampling plays a French literature professor and sex tourist who travels to Haiti for the purpose of enjoying the local young men.
"The Dance of the Dead"
Charlotte Rampling, Didier Sandre (right) and Bernard Verley (rear) perform a run-through of Hans Peter Cloos' production odf the Strindberg play, "La Danse de la mort" (The Dance of the death), February 13, 2007, at The Theatre de la Madeleine in Paris.
"The Duchess"
Charlotte Rampling, Ralph Fiennes, Hayley Atwell and Keira Knightley in the period drama, "The Duchess" (2008).
Paris Fashion Week
From left: Paul McCartney, Gwyneth Paltrow and Charlotte Rampling attend the Stella McCartney Pret a Porter show as part of the Paris Womenswear Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2010 at Palais De Tokyo on October 5, 2009 in Paris, France.
"The Mill and the Cross"
Charlotte Rampling in "The Mill and the Cross" (2011), Lech Majewski's film inspired by Bruegel's 1564 painting, "The Procession to Calvary."
"Melancholia"
Charlotte Rampling appeared in Lars Von Trier's apocalyptic drama, "Melancholia" (2011).
"The Eye of the Storm"
Geoffrey Rush, Charlotte Rampling and Judy Davis in the family drama, "The Eye of the Storm" (2011)
"I, Anna"
Gabriel Byrne and Charlotte Rampling in the thriller, "I, Anna" (2012).
David Lynch and Charlotte Rampling
Director David Lynch and actress Charlotte Rampling pose before singer Chrysta Bell's performance at The Hollywood Forever Cemetery on May 12, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.
"Dexter"
Rampling opened up a whole new audience with her appearance on "Dexter," the cable series about a serial killer (pictured, with Michael C. Hall). "The producer just picked the part for me on the phone," she recalled. "It was just such a fabulous role. And I loved the series, too. And so I thought, "This is something about being in the times we live in.' And series are really good, and they're a really important form of entertainment now."
Rampling also joined the cast of the British TV series "Broadchurch" during its second season.
"45 Years"
In the film "45 Years" (2015), about a marriage suddenly destabilized as the couple approach a landmark anniversary, Charlotte Rampling's nuanced performance opposite Tom Courtney earned the actress her first Academy Award nomination.
Berlin International Film Festival
Actress Charlotte Rampling attends the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival.
For more info:
"45 Years" (IFC Films)
"Qui je suis (Who am I?)" by Charlotte Rampling with Christophe Bataille (in French)
By CBS News.com senior producer David Morgan