1. Overview
Gabriella Zanna Vanessa Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe (born 8 April 1989), known professionally as Gabriella Wilde or Gabriella Calthorpe, is an English actress and model. Her career began in modeling, where she gained recognition before transitioning to acting. She is known for her roles in films such as St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold (2009), The Three Musketeers (2011), Carrie (2013), Endless Love (2014), Squatters (2014), and Wonder Woman 1984 (2020). Her television work includes an appearance in the Doctor Who episode "The Vampires of Venice" (2010) and a main role in the BBC historical drama series Poldark (2016-2019). This article details her early life, family background, modeling career, acting roles, and personal life.
2. Early life and background
Gabriella Wilde's early life was marked by her aristocratic lineage and a notable educational path, leading to her eventual pursuit of an artistic career.
2.1. Birth and family
Gabriella Wilde was born Gabriella Zanna Vanessa Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe on 8 April 1989, in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. She is descended from the aristocratic Gough-Calthorpe family. Her father, John Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, is a businessman and a former chairman of the Watermark Group, and the grandson of Sir Fitzroy Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, 1st Baronet. Her mother, Vanessa Mary Theresa (née Hubbard), is a former model who posed for prominent photographers David Bailey and John Swannell. Vanessa was previously married to socialite Sir Dai Llewellyn, 4th Baronet.
Wilde has a younger sister named Octavia. She also has five half-siblings: Olivia and Arabella Llewellyn from her mother's first marriage, and Georgiana, Isabella, and Jacobi from her father's first marriage to Lady Mary-Gaye Curzon. Her unofficial stepsisters include Pandora Cooper-Key and Cressida Bonas, who are Lady Mary-Gaye's other daughters. Notably, Isabella, Olivia, and Cressida are also actresses.
2.2. Ancestry
Through her maternal grandfather, Gabriella Wilde's ancestry includes several notable figures such as Montagu Bertie, 6th Earl of Abingdon, General the Hon. Thomas Gage, and Stephanus Van Cortlandt, who served as the first native-born Mayor of New York City. Her maternal grandmother's parents were peers Bernard Fitzalan-Howard, 3rd Baron Howard of Glossop and Mona Fitzalan-Howard, 11th Baroness Beaumont. Her extensive aristocratic lineage is rooted in the distinguished Gough-Calthorpe family, reflecting a long history of noble connections within Britain.
2.3. Education
Gabriella Wilde's education began at Windlesham House School, which she attended alongside her future husband, Alan Pownall. Following this, she continued her schooling at Heathfield St Mary's School in Ascot and later at St Swithun's School, Winchester. During her time at Heathfield, she was suspended for smuggling vodka, which led to her transfer to St Swithun's. She eventually left formal schooling to pursue a course in art, concurrently developing her modeling career. She later studied fine art at the City and Guilds of London Art School but ultimately withdrew to fully commit to her acting aspirations.
3. Career
Gabriella Wilde's professional journey began in the world of fashion before she successfully transitioned to acting, establishing herself in both film and television. Her height is 69 in (175 cm).
3.1. Modeling
Wilde started her career as a model at the age of 14, after being discovered by renowned supermodel Naomi Campbell. She subsequently joined Campbell's agency, Premier Model Management. As a model, Wilde featured in advertising campaigns for various prominent companies, including L.K.Bennett, Lacoste, Abercrombie & Fitch, Burberry, and Topshop. She also graced the pages of several fashion magazines and lifestyle magazines, such as InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, and Nylon.
In 2007, she was recognized as the second-most-eligible girl in Britain. Despite this attention, Wilde consciously distanced herself from the press and rejected the "It girl" label. She avoided her first interview until 2008, where she expressed her desire for privacy, stating, "I don't understand why I got anywhere near such a list because I have done nothing to help it. It's the same with my sister Isabella - we both avoid the society thing. We never go to parties, we never hang out in the clubs associated with all that - we are incredibly private." In 2015, Wilde expanded her modeling portfolio by becoming a spokesmodel for Estée Lauder, serving as the face of the brand's advertising campaigns.
3.2. Acting
Gabriella Wilde made her acting debut in December 2009, appearing in the adventure comedy film St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold as Saffy. Her first television appearance followed in May 2010, in an episode of the BBC series Doctor Who, specifically "The Vampires of Venice", where she portrayed one of the eponymous vampires.
In December 2010, Wilde was cast in a significant role for the adventure film The Three Musketeers, an adaptation of the classic novel. In this film, she took on the role of Constance Bonacieux, the queen's lady-in-waiting, starring alongside Orlando Bloom and Logan Lerman. The film, released in October 2011, achieved a worldwide box office gross of over 132.00 M USD, but it received a largely negative critical reception, with a rating of 24% on Rotten Tomatoes based on reviews from 90 critics.
In March 2012, Wilde was cast in the ABC Sci-Fi television pilot Dark Horse, where she played Wynter-Lee Cardigan. The series was intended to center on a science student who discovers he is destined to combat evil forces, but the pilot was not picked up by ABC for the 2012-2013 television season. The same year, she starred in the short film Il Maestro as a Cellist and was attached to another film project titled Squatters, in which she would later star as Kelley.
Also in 2012, Wilde was cast in the 2013 remake of Carrie, portraying the character of Sue Snell. The film was directed by Kimberly Peirce, known for Boys Don't Cry, and featured a cast including Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore. Filming commenced in June 2012, and the movie was released in October 2013. In 2014, she also appeared in the short documentary video Creating "Carrie", playing herself and Sue Snell.
In 2013, Wilde secured a leading role in the second film adaptation of Scott Spencer's novel Endless Love, released in 2014. In this romantic drama, she played Jade Butterfield, co-starring with Alex Pettyfer. From 2016 to 2019, Wilde played a main role as Caroline Penvenen in the BBC historical drama Poldark, appearing in 32 episodes across series 2 to 5. The cast of Poldark received a Satellite Award for Best Cast - Television Series. Most recently, Wilde appeared in the 2020 film Wonder Woman 1984 as Raquel.
4. Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold | Saffy | Supporting role |
| 2011 | The Three Musketeers | Constance Bonacieux | Supporting role |
| 2012 | Il Maestro | Cellist | Short film |
| 2013 | Carrie | Sue Snell | Supporting role |
| 2014 | Creating "Carrie" | Herself / Sue Snell | Short documentary video |
| 2014 | Endless Love | Jade Butterfield | Leading role |
| 2014 | Squatters | Kelley | Direct-to-video film; leading role |
| 2020 | Wonder Woman 1984 | Raquel |
5. Televisionography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Doctor Who | Sister of the Water (Vampire Girl) | Episode: "The Vampires of Venice" |
| 2011 | Made In Hollywood | Herself | Episode: #7.4 |
| 2012 | Dark Horse | Wynter-Lee Cardigan | Unsold TV pilot |
| 2016-2019 | Poldark | Caroline Penvenen | Main role (series 2-5); 32 episodes; received a Satellite Award for Best Cast - Television Series |
6. Personal life
Gabriella Wilde married musician Alan Pownall on 13 September 2014. Both Wilde and Pownall had previously attended Windlesham House School. The couple has three sons. Their first son, Sasha Blue Pownall, was born on 3 February 2014.