Romola Sadie Garai English actress of Hong Kong origin Date of Birth: 06.08.1982 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Romola Garai


Romola Sadie Garai is an English actress of Hong Kong descent and the recipient of several awards. She was born in Hong Kong to journalist Janet Garai and high-ranking bank official Adrian Garai. Her first name, Romola, is the feminine form of 'Romulus', the name of one of the founders of Rome. Her father, Adrian Garai, is of Hungarian Jewish descent, and her great-great-grandfather is Bert Garai, the founder of 'Keystone Press'. Garai is the third child out of four siblings. When she was five years old, her family moved to Singapore, and at the age of eight, they relocated to Wiltshire, United Kingdom. She attended a regular private school here, and at sixteen, after moving to London, she enrolled in the London School for Girls, which she later graduated from with honors. It was during her time at school that Romola developed a passion for theater. She tried acting for the first time here and caught the attention of an agent who offered her the role of a young version of Judi Dench's character in the television production of 'The Last of the Blonde Bombshells'. After school, Romola studied English literature at the University of London. Initially, she planned to focus solely on her studies, but she became increasingly interested in acting and also worked as a model for a while. Her first major role was in the aforementioned television production of 'The Last of the Blonde Bombshells'. Soon after, she landed a role in the BBC TV series 'Attachments'. It was after this that Romola decided to quit her studies and concentrate solely on her acting career.

Career Highlights


Romola's first significant film role was in the 2002 movie 'Nicholas Nickleby', where she played the supporting role of Kate Nickleby. The film received positive reviews, and the entire cast, including Romola, was honored with the National Board of Review Award for Best Ensemble Cast. She then appeared in the 2003 film 'I Capture the Castle', where she portrayed the seventeen-year-old Cassandra Mortmain, receiving critical acclaim and a nomination for the British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer. In 2004, she starred in the widely panned film 'Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights', which was considered a career setback for her. However, she quickly bounced back with the 2004 film 'Vanity Fair'. In 2005, Romola received a BIFA nomination for Best Supporting Actress and won the London Film Critics Circle Award for British Supporting Actress for her role in the independent film 'Inside I'm Dancing'. The same year, she played the lead role in the two-part television project 'The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant', which received critical acclaim for her performance. In 2007, Romola landed her most significant role to date when she was cast in Francois Ozon's film 'Angel'. She was nominated for the Prix Lumiere, the French equivalent of the Golden Globe, becoming the first English actress to receive such an honor. Her subsequent projects until 2009 were unable to surpass the success of this French film. However, as of now, Romola's career is at its peak, and she is considered one of the most promising actresses in the UK. Undoubtedly, she will continue to delight us with a series of successful works.