Alice Evans

Alice Evans
Evans during a tour of the Pentagon in 2006
Born
Alice Jane Evans

Citizenship
  • United Kingdom
  • United States[1]
OccupationActress
Years active
  • 1996–2015
Spouse
(m. 2007; div. 2023)
Children2
ParentDavid Evans

Alice Evans is a British-American actress.

Early life

Evans was born in New Jersey, U.S.,[2] the daughter of a professor in applied mathematics and a teacher of English literature, and was raised in Bristol, England. She attended Henbury School, along with her two brothers.[3] She graduated from University College London with a focus in French and Italian.[3]

Career

After graduation, she enrolled at the Cours Florent in Paris. She gained work in French television, with her breakthrough role as French student Susan in the French sitcom, Elisa Top Model [fr], which ran for 18 months. Next, she went to Italy to play "Nathalie", in the 1998 Italian miniseries Le ragazze di Piazza di Spagna. Her first English-speaking role was in the Highlander episode 'Patient Number 7'. After making her first film, Monsieur Naphtali [fr] (1999), director Claude Lelouch cast Evans as Macha in Une pour toutes (1999), alongside Samy Naceri and Anne Parillaud.

In 1999, Disney cast Evans alongside Glenn Close, Gérard Depardieu, and her later husband, Ioan Gruffudd, in 102 Dalmatians.[4][5] Evans' mother died at age 59, the day before Evans's final screen test for the role, which introduced her to British viewers.[citation needed]

After appearing in Blackball, she moved to Los Angeles in 2003. She has since appeared in both in films and in television series, including The Mentalist, Brothers & Sisters, Lost, and Grimm. Evans also had a recurring turn as the villainous Esther on The Vampire Diaries[6] and The Originals.

Personal life

Evans met actor Ioan Gruffudd during the filming of 102 Dalmatians.[7] They became engaged on New Year's Day 2006 and married on 14 September 2007 in Mexico.[8] They have two daughters, born in 2009 and 2013.[9] In January 2021, Evans announced their separation, which Gruffudd initiated.[10] In March 2021, Gruffudd filed for divorce from Evans.[11] In February 2022, Gruffudd was granted a temporary domestic violence restraining order against Evans; he was then granted a three-year permanent restraining order in August 2022.[12] In January 2023, Evans faced charges over allegedly breaching her restraining order on two occasions.[13] Evans pleaded not guilty to the charges, which were dropped in March 2023.[14]

In 2017, following a slew of sexual assault allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein, Evans claimed that 15 years prior, in 2002, Weinstein made sexual advances towards her, which she declined. Evans said that Weinstein insinuated that her rejection would affect her and Gruffudd's careers.[15]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1998 Rewind Helga
1999 10 Things I Hate About You Perky Girl
1999 The Escort Sue
2000 One 4 All Macha Desachy
2000 102 Dalmatians Chloe Simon
2001 My Wife Maurice Emmanuelle
2002 The Abduction Club Catherine Kennedy
2003 Blackball Kerry Speight
2004 Fascination Kelly Vance
2005 Four Corners of Suburbia Susan Harris
2006 Hollywood Dreams Vida
2006 The Christmas Card Faith Spelman
2006 Dangerous Parking Etta
2007 Save Angel Hope Sonia Zeller
2007 Agent Crush Alex Voice
2009 Reunion Minerva
2013 Liars All Sandra
2018 The Liquid Psychologist Herself Short

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1996–99 Elisa Top Modèle Clara 22 episode; aka Elisa
1996 Strangers Charlotte Episode: "Crash"
1997 Highlander: The Series Kyra Episode: "Patient Number 7"
1998 Au cœur de la loi Muriel Highsmith Episode: "En vert et contre tous"
1998 H Sabri's Girlfriend Episode: "Une belle maman"
1998–2000 Le Ragazze di Piazza di Spagna Nathalie 6 episodes
2001 Best of Both Worlds Diane Sullivan 3 episodes
2003 CSI: Miami Leslie Warner Episode: "Bait"
2006 Mayo Clair Wishart Episode: "Killing Me Softly"
2006 The Christmas Card Faith Spelman Television film
2007 Curb Your Enthusiasm Heather Mills Voice; episode: "The Freak Book"
2009 Lost Younger Eloise Hawking 3 episodes
2010 The Mentalist Ilsa Engels Episode: “Red Letter”
2010 Brothers & Sisters Dr. Evans Episode: "Get a Room"
2011–12 The Vampire Diaries Esther Mikaelson 6 episodes
2011 Brothers & Sisters Dr. Felicity Milton Episode: "Brody"
2011 American Dad! Birth Show Narrator Episode: "Home Wrecker"
2012 Grimm Mia Gaudot Episode: "Over My Dead Body"
2014–15 The Originals Esther Mikaelson 3 episodes

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
1996 MegaRace 2 Co-host of the racing show MegaRace 2 Her name is different each time it is mentioned.[16][17]

References

  1. ^ Alice Evans' biodata, mtv.com; accessed 25 September 2014.
  2. ^ Turner, Robin (21 April 2009). "Ioan Gruffudd expecting first child". Wales Online.
  3. ^ a b "Meet La Belle Anglaise" by Anna Pursglove, Evening Standard, 15 December 2000.
  4. ^ Mia Sulpor (15 November 2000). "Disney lets dogs out". Variety. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  5. ^ "102 Dalmatians (2000)". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  6. ^ Shaunna Murphy (9 February 2012). "'The Vampire Diaries': Talk tonight's shocking twist, and find out what's next from producer Julie Plec". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2016. When Original vampire mama Esther (Alice Evans) returned to Mystic Falls after spending the last millennium six feet under, we knew she'd have some deeply hidden tricks up her sleeve.
  7. ^ Ioan Gruffudd, Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, 21 February 2007.
  8. ^ Mary Margaret (15 September 2007). "Fantastic Four Star Ioan Gruffudd Gets Married". People. Archived from the original on 31 October 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  9. ^ Andrew Asare (2 October 2013). "Ioan Gruffudd and Alice Evans welcome second child". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  10. ^ Juneau, Jen (26 January 2021). "Alice Evans Tweets Husband Ioan Gruffudd 'Has Announced He Is to Leave His Family': We Are 'Confused and Sad'". People. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  11. ^ "Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd files for divorce from Alice Evans". South Wales Argus. 3 March 2021. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  12. ^ Fernández, Alexia (16 February 2022). "Ioan Gruffudd Files for Domestic Violence Restraining Order Against Estranged Wife Alice Evans". People. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  13. ^ Lewis, Isobel (28 January 2023). "Alice Evans 'facing arrest after missing court appearance' over ex Ioan Gruffudd's restraining order". independent. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  14. ^ "Alice Evans Thanks Fans After Charges Are Dropped in Ioan Gruffudd Restraining Order Case (Report)". Peoplemag. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  15. ^ Kiefer, Halle (14 October 2017). "Actress Alice Evans Wonders What Effect Rejecting Harvey Weinstein Had on Her and Her Husband's Careers". Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  16. ^ "Alice Evans". Lockerdome. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  17. ^ "MegaRace 2 (DOS)". Moby Games. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2015.