Alex Kingston

Classically trained at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, English-born actress Alex Kingston worked in repertory theaters across the United Kingdom before joining the famed Royal Shakespeare Company, where, she played classical characters like Cordelia in "King Lear" and Hero in "Much Ado About Nothing". The wide-eyed, curly-haired performer then moved on to more contemporary roles in British TV and American cable movies like HBO's "The Infiltrator" (1995) and "Weapons of Mass Destruction" (1997). Some savvy film buffs might recognized her from her small roles in the features "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (1989, her debut) and "Carrington" (1995, as Frances Partridge), but she did not garner major attention until her dazzling portrayal of the title heroine in the miniseries "Moll Flanders" (1996), seen on PBS' "Masterpiece Theatre". Exuding a lusty virtuosity in that part, Kingston excited the producers of "ER", who had been contemplating adding a foreigner to the mix. She came aboard the NBC drama in the fall of 1997, lending her sexy smile and no-nonsense style to British surgeon Elizabeth Corday.