Claire Forlani

Claire Forlani was born on July 1, 1972. She grew up in London. She had an English mother and an Italian father who managed a music producer. From she was young she knew that she had a lot of potential. When she became 11 Forlani was admitted to London's Arts Educational School, where she studied dance and drama for the following six years.

She had some early theater performances, including a part in The Nutcracker Ballet and Orpheus in the Underworld.

In 1991 Claire Forlani had her debut in English television. She made two appearances in the series Press Gang and appeared on the program Shrinks. In 1992 she had to spend 11 weeks in Zagreb (Croatia) for her first movie Gypsy Eyes. It was released in the US on video as C.I.A. Trackdown.

In 1993 she and her parents moved to San Francisco, California. Now she decided to drop out of collage to pursue her acting career full-time. Almost a year later, she made her American debut in the minor role of Ann Cannon, a girl who dances with the young JFK in the ABC mini-series JFK: Reckless Youth. Her next appearance was in the 1994 movie Police Academy 7: Mission to Moscow. She also played a small role in the 30-minute Showtime movie The Gift, starring Isabella Rosellini and Laura Dern in 1993.

Claire Forlani got a role in Mallrats, in 1995. The writer-director Kevin Smith had auditioned over 600 people before he found Claire, he was immediately taken with her spot-on impersonation of a callow American youth, and promptly offered her a role. Not until after they had a done deal did he learn that Claire whose delivery had so impressed him, was British. Mallrats gave Claire Forlani the exposure to help her get in The Rock.

The Rock was a big hit in 1996. It was in The Rock that people really started to notice her, mainly from the movie's success. She also got a role in Basquiat, in which she was a good sweet waitress who wins the heart of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Also in 1996, she made her first starring role in an independent short film named Garage Sale, in which she played a woman who strikes at her, fashion-model boyfriend who she think is cheating on her, by selling his wardrobe in a garage sale to pay her rent.

Claire made just one film in 1997 because of the death of her mother. She made the semi-autobiographical The Last Time I Committed Suicide. Her performance as the extremely disturbed girlfriend of poet Neal Cassady won her further critical notice. Given the insurance of a strong critical reputation, she showed no hesitation in walking off the set of the undersea thriller Deep Rising following a dispute with director Stephen Sommers. That movie failed at the box office in early 1998. In 1998 Forlani also ended up on the cover of Vanity Fair, as one of a dozen rising stars. Her biggest brake was when she starred in Meet Joe Black with Brad Pitt. She also appeared in the movie Basil, which was screened at a few festivals before being showed on the Romance Classics channel and released on video.

Claire appeared in the action/comedy Mystery Men, in 1999. A movie about a bunch of outcast super heroes trying to save the world. Claire also starred in a romantic drama Into My Heart also called Elements, with Rob Morrow. The last movie that came out in 1999 with Claire Forlani, was the comedy film Magicians, with Alan Arkin. She is currently filming her next role in Boys And Girls. She will also soon star in the vampire movie Johnny Domino. That's the future.

She hates the Hollywood scene and it's gossip. She also does not want to go on the Internet. She says, I'm not a club person. I'm not a bar person. I'm not a socialite. She spends most of her free time outdoors. Including running, biking, and hiking. When she is inside she reads and plays the guitar. Claire Forlani is single right now, but she has been in a relationship with John Cusack, and a few other that the press have made up.

top of this page | index of contents

gallery 1 | gallery 2 | gallery 3

originated 20000801 | uploaded 20000804 | last improved 20000922