Rachel Pickup

Rachel Pickup
Born	London, England
Alma mater	Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1996–present

Rachel Pickup is an American / British theatre, television and film actress. Her first major role was the leading role of Kaye Bentley in the 10 part BBC TV series No Bananas, with Alison Steadman and Tom Bell. She has gone on to appear in many British and American TV shows and has worked extensively in theatre playing most of the great Shakespearean heroines. Most recently, Portia, in "The Merchant Of Venice" at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London, opposite Jonathan Pryce. Her upcoming film Chronic starring Tim Roth and directed by 2012 Un Certain Regard winner, Mexican Michel Franco was at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival in competition for the Palme d'Or.

She was born in London to American mother, playwright Lans Traverse and British father, the actor Ronald Pickup. She moved to New York in 2011. Aged 16 Pickup won a place at the National Youth Theatre under the artistic directorship of Edward Wilson and subsequently was offered a place at RADA.

Before graduating Pickup won a leading role in the BBC series No Bananas, her first professional engagement. This was followed by a role opposite the late Alan Bates in Mike Poulton's Fortune's Fool. Other major theatre roles followed, including Irina in Mike Poulton's translation of Three Sisters for Bill Bryden, Olivia in Twelfth Night for Terry Hands, Helena in All's Well That Ends Well for Irina Brook, Portia in Julius Caesar for David Farr at the RSC, Sylvia in The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream also for the RSC.

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