Rachel Hannah Weisz was born on March 7, 1970, in Westminster, London, England. Her mother, Edith Ruth (née Teich), was a psychotherapist, and her father, George Weisz, was an engineer. Both her parents were Jewish refugees who fled to England during World War II. Weisz was raised in Hampstead Garden Suburb and educated at North London Collegiate School. She later attended St Paul’s Girls’ School before enrolling at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where she graduated with a BA in English.
Weisz began her acting career in the early 1990s, appearing in television productions such as “Inspector Morse” (1993) and “Scarlet and Black” (1993). She also formed the theatre group “Talking Tongues” while at Cambridge, winning a Guardian Student Drama Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for their improvised drama.
Weisz gained wider recognition for her role as Evelyn “Evy” Carnahan in the adventure film “The Mummy” (1999) and its sequel, “The Mummy Returns” (2001). These films established her as a leading actress in Hollywood.
Weisz has received considerable critical acclaim for her performances in a variety of roles. She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Tessa Quayle in “The Constant Gardener” (2005). She also won a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for the same role. She won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress for her performance in “A Streetcar Named Desire” (2009) on stage. In 2018, she won the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “The Favourite”.