Fairly or not, British actress Sienna Miller became tabloid fodder at the age of just 22 after a supporting role in the forgettable feature film “Alfie” (2004) starring Jude Law, landed her the leading man’s heart off-screen. Miller was instantly catapulted into the blistering limelight for all the wrongs reasons – none of which had anything to do with her film roles. The press was quick to dissect the newcomer’s romance with her older movie star boyfriend, as well as her bohemian chic style, while continually ignoring her acting talent. A shift occurred when Law was caught cheating with his nanny, pigeonholing Miller into a role she could have never foreseen – that of victim. With public sympathy firmly on her side, Miller went on to deliver competent performances in such films as “Layer Cake” (2005) and “Factory Girl” (2006) – proving she was more than a fashion plate and wronged woman.
Sienna Rose Miller was born in New York City, NY on Dec. 28, 1981 after her mother went into labor while watching a live performance of “The Nutcracker” in New York City. Her father, Ed Miller, was a successful American banker and her bohemian South African mother, Jo, ran the Lee Strasberg Drama School in London. Miller lived in an artistic and lively household in London with her mother and older sister Savannah after her parents’ divorce when she was six. By the age of eight, she was shipped off to Heathfield, an upper crust all girls boarding school. An outgoing and mischievous child, she always yearned to be larger than life on the silver screen. She also combated the loneliness of being away from home by making lots of friends and playing schoolgirl pranks. Not bothered by modesty or the damp English air, Miller was known on occasion to streak around the lacrosse field – a proclivity for going au natural that would never leave her. After she graduated from Heathfield, Miller took her dramatic aspirations to the next level, studying acting in New York, where she also starred in several theatrical productions.
In 2002, Miller jumped the pond again, returning to England to make her television acting debut on the short lived “Keen Eddie” (Fox 2002-03) playing, Fiona, a woman living with an NYPD cop-turned private-detective on the hunt for a drug dealer in London. “Keen Eddie” may have been short lived, but Miller was on the cusp of a groundbreaking year. In 2004, she co-starred with the future James Bond, Daniel Craig, in the sexy British gangster feature, “Layer Cake,” portraying the unnamed drug dealers (Craig) love interest.
But before “Layer Cake” was even released, Miller’s follow up film “Alfie” (2004) a remake of the 1966 film about a womanizer who is forced to face his bad karma as his life slowly unravels was released. Critics panned the film, but the real story was hardly the film; it was the on-set romance between Miller and Law, the 31-year-old star of the film. Law was internationally famous and just coming out of a divorce from actress Sadie Frost, the mother of his three children. Despite the bad timing, Law was instantly smitten with Miller and the two wasted no time in becoming an item, much to the delight of the international press.
From the beginning, the media seemed suspicious of the young upstart landing the handsome star. The couples every move was documented, especially by the British press, where the couple was the most famous. Miller and Law appeared to be weathering the storm just fine; even becoming engaged on Christmas day, 2004. To the casual observer it looked like Miller was living a dream of landing a Hollywood hunk who loved her, until August of 2005, when Law admitted to cheating on Miller with his children’s nanny. Like fellow British beauty Liz Hurley, who had years earlier faced her partner Hugh Grant’s public philandering, the brokenhearted starlet found herself embroiled in the “Nannygate” scandal seemingly overnight. Not surprisingly, Miller called off the engagement. The scrutiny on Miller and Law only intensified, and for a moment Miller had the public’s sympathy. What followed was a reconciliation with Law, followed by another break-up, followed by another reconciliation… The couple finally called it quits for good in November of 2006.
If Miller thought the demise of her relationship with Law would refocus the spotlight on her career, she was mistaken. Post-break-up, Miller’s private escapades continued to overshadow her modest acting resume. Deservedly, or not, the press dubbed her a rabid party girl, linking her with every man who crossed her path – especially co-stars. On the upside, they praised her personal style, labeling her a fashionista. Miller denied allegations of countless affairs and spending inordinate amounts of time trolling pubs and clubs. According to Miller, she led a quiet, ordinary life. However, the constant paparazzi often documented just the opposite.
In 2005, she landed a starring role opposite Aussie actor, Heath Ledger, in “Casanova” portraying Francesca; an independent woman who wins Casanova’s (Ledger) heart despite rebuffing his advances. The following year, Miller got her chance to finally quiet the rumblings of her critics with her lead role in the Edie Sedgwick biopic “Factory Girl.” The films reviews were mixed, but Miller surprised many critics, who praised the young beauty for her impressive portrayal of Sedgwick. Though she delivered a strong performance, Miller inadvertently distracted from the buzz of “Factory Girl” by creating a much louder buzz on another topic.
While awaiting the release of “Factory Girl,” Miller was dispatched to Pittsburgh to film “The Mysteries of Pittsburgh.” Apparently not a fan of the city, Miller shared her opinion with a reporter from magazine, calling the city “Sh*tsburgh.” Not unexpectedly, dwellers of this Pennsylvania city were not pleased. The “sh*t” hit the fan for Miller, who was told to go back to England if she did not have anything nice to say. Miller backpedaled, apologizing through her reps for dissing the city, as the films producers attempted massive damage control with its irate citizens. In Miller’s defense, however, anyone who had ever read her interviews knew that she was not one to carefully edit herself like most celebrities. She generally seemed to blurt out whatever popped into her head, making her refreshingly free-spirited, unguarded, and occasionally insulting, much to the dismay of any publicist.
Despite the firestorm of bad press, Miller continued to be an in-demand actress. In 2007, she had a small role in the fantasy feature “Stardust” opposite Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer. Next she starred as a vacuous soap opera actress being interviewed by a caustic journalist (Steve Buscemi) in the independent feature “Interview” (2007) also written and directed by Buscemi. Tabloid journalists eagerly awaited reports of temper tantrums and diva meltdowns from the set of Miller’s next project – the Dylan Thomas biopic “The Edge of Love.” Unfortunately for the tabloids, Miller and her co-star Keira Knightley became fast friends. With no smack downs to report between the two sexy ingénues, gossip bloggers moved onto plan B and began buzzing about the explicitness of their Sapphic sex scenes. After getting so much attention for her personal style; Miller decided to add designer to her resume. In 2006, she teamed up with her fashion designer sister, Savannah Miller, to launch the clothing line Twenty8Twelve.
- Also Credited As:
Sienna Rose Miller - Born:
December 28, 1981 in New York, New York - Job Titles:
Actress, Model
Family
- Father: Ed Miller.
- Half-brother: Charles.
- Half-brother: Stephen.
- Mother: Jo Miller. South African; ran London's Lee Strasberg drama school
- Sister: Savannah Miller.
- Step-mother: Kelly Hoppen. Married to Ed Miller 1989-2000
- Step-sister: Natasha Corrett. Mother, Kelly Hoppen
Significant Others
- Companion: Hayden Christensen. Met while filming "Factory Girl" (2006) and casually dated for a few months; no longer together
- Companion: Jamie Burke. Spotted kissing on Saturday Feb. 3, 2007; no longer together
- Companion: Jude Law. Met while filming "Alfie" (2004) in the fall of 2003; became engaged on Christmas Day 2005; split August 2005, after Jude publicly acknowledged that he cheated with his children's nanny; relationship was on-again off-again in 2006; announced split in November 2006, blaming "fundamental differences" for the end of their three year relationship
- Companion: Rhys Ifans. Began dating in 2007
Education
- Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, New York, NY, drama, 2000
- Heathfield School, Berkshire, England
Milestones
- 2000 Moved to New York at 18 and enrolled at the Lee Strasberg Institute
- 2002 Had a guest-starring role on FOX's short-lived series, "The American Embassy"
- 2002 Made acting debut in the British film "Joy Rider"
- 2002 Made her TV debut in the BBC soap opera "Bedtime," which followed three storylines confined to suburban bedrooms
- 2003 Co-starred in FOX's series "Keen Eddie," directed by Simon West
- 2004 Cast as Daniel Craig's Cockney girlfriend in Matthew Vaughn's "Layer Cake" (released in the US in 2005)
- 2004 Starred opposite Jude Law in the remake of the Michael Caine classic "Alfie"
- 2005 Co-starred in Lasse Hallström's "Casanova," opposite Heath Ledger, Jeremy Irons and Oliver Platt
- 2006 Portrayed 1960s 'It Girl' and Andy Warhold muse, Edie Sedgwick in the film "Factory Girl"
- 2007 Co-starred with Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro in the fantasy epic, "Stardust," directed by Matthew Vaughn
- 2007 Played an American soap star in the Steve Buscemi-directed "Interview"; earned an Independent Spirit Award Nomination for Best Actress
- Will co-star with James Franco in the black comedy, "Camille" (lensed 2006)
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