Rachel's Story

Voted by U.S. audiences as one of the ten most beautiful people in the world, Rachel Ward has dazzled audiences and graced magazine covers since the 1980s. At the height of her fame, Ward fell in love with the Australian actor Bryan Brown, turned her back on Hollywood and moved to Sydney where she now lives with her family.

Through the years, Rachel continued to challenge herself, moving behind the camera to pursue a screenwriting and directing career. If that weren't enough, Rachel dedicates much of her time to social issues ranging from environmental to humanitarian causes. Her short film entitled The Big House (2000), focuses on the plight of the Australian underclass involved in the prison system. She and her husband are well-known for their fund raising efforts and for taking a personal interest in individual cases. As a host of the Family TV Series, What's Going On?, Rachel Ward feels comfortable in the role of an advocate.

Her activist spirit does not stem from being born or raised in Australia; rather, Rachel was born in Oxfordshire, England of an aristocratic family. She left school at the age of 16 to pursue a career as a fashion model, appearing on the covers of magazines and in television commercials.

Her first break into the acting world came with a part in Night School in 1981. Other film roles followed, including Sharkey's Machine (1981) directed by Burt Reynolds, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination.

Her most famous role came in 1983 when she played Meggie Cleary in The Thornbirds. She was nominated for a second Golden Globe. It was while filming this series that Rachel met Bryan Brown, celebrated for his performance in Breaker Morant (1980). The couple has three children: Rose, Mathilda, and Joe.

Following her success in The Thornbirds, Rachel returned to the big screen to play a femme fatale opposite Jeff Bridges in Against All Odds (1984).

After a move to Australia, Ward took occasional roles. She paired with her husband in the film, The Good Wife in 1987 and played another femme fatale in the movie, After Dark, My Sweet (1990). In 1991, she was in the CBS miniseries, And the Sea Will Tell. More recently, Ward appeared in the USA network TV-movie called My Stepson, My Lover (1997) and a CBS feature, Seasons of Love (1999). In 2000, Rachel and Brown starred in the Showtime miniseries On the Beach.

Even as she continued to act, Ward enrolled in school in order to begin a career in journalism. She wrote some short stories and journalistic pieces, which uncovered a newfound talent in screenwriting. Her training and talent generated much acclaim, especially her short film, The Big House, (2000) which won the Australian Film Institute award.

Whatever the demands of family or the professional challenges, Ward remains dedicated to making a difference. In a 2000 interview, she noted, "It's very easy to be middle-class and middle-aged with young children and get trapped in a gilded cage, and I was always very pushy about that not happening. What's been great about writing is the opportunity to enter other worlds."

As host of the What's Going On? documentary about Jake, Michael and Belitta, Ward continues her advocacy for the rights of marginalized peoples. Indeed, she says, "Aborigines, and other indigenous people across the globe, have the same rights as everyone. And indigenous children, like all children, should grow up proud and strong knowing that they are valued and cherished members of society."