Amanda Donohoe is an English actress. She first came to attention as a 16-year-old living with pop singer Adam Ant, appearing in the music videos for the Adam and the Ants singles "Antmusic" and "Stand and Deliver" during their four-year relationship. She later moved to the United States, where she appeared in films and on television series, including a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress-winning performance during her two years as C.J. Lamb on the NBC drama series L.A. Law. Other television roles include Natasha Wylde on the British soap operaEmmerdale. She has had numerous stage roles, including Yelena in Uncle Vanya.
Early life
Donohoe was born in London, to Ted and Joanna Donohoe. She has an older sister, Cordelia. She is of Irish, Russian and Swiss ancestry. Her father worked for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which led to her family moving a great deal, with a base in London but also living for periods overseas. After her father's retirement, he joined her mother in her antiques-dealing business. Educated at the Francis Holland School, at age 15 she met Adam Ant. At 16 she left her parents' home, and moved in with Ant in Notting Hill. In 1981, Donohoe appeared in the video clips for the songs "Antmusic" and "Stand and Deliver" by Adam and the Ants, when the band were at the height of their fame. Shortly before the band began their 1981 world tour, Donohoe was offered a place at the Central School of Speech and Drama. She left Ant and went to drama college.
Career
After graduation, Donohoe came to the attention of worldwide audiences with her film debut in 1986 when she was cast as Lucy Irvine in Castaway. She followed this with roles in two Ken Russell films, The Lair of the White Worm and The Rainbow. Another major film role was Liar, Liar. After moving to Los Angeles in 1990, Donohoe made her debut on television in the role of lawyer Cara Jean "C.J." Lamb on the American television seriesL.A. Law in which she appeared during the fifth and sixth seasons of the series. In February 1991, she took part in the first of the so-called "lesbian kiss episodes" on American television when her character privately kissed fellow lawyer Abby Perkins, played by Michele Greene. Some of her other television roles include Murder City, Bad Girls and a guest appearance in Ally McBeal. Donohoe made her Broadway debut in a 1995 production of Uncle Vanya, at the Circle in the Square Theatre. She returned to the UK to play Mrs. Robinson in a 2001 stage production of The Graduate. After moving back to the UK in the early 2000s, Donohoe took the role of DI Susan Alembic in the crime drama Murder City. In 2009 she joined the cast of ITV soap operaEmmerdale as businesswoman Natasha Wylde. Donohoe played the character until leaving the series in November 2010. On 18 and 19 February 2010, she was a guest panellist on Loose Women. She has also lent her voice to the ActivisionPC video gameSanta Fe Mysteries: The Elk Moon Murder as Karen Gordon.
Personal life
Donohoe's domestic partner is the multidisciplinary artist Russell Haswell.
