Claire Forlani

Claire Antonia Forlani is an English actress. She became known in the mid-1990s for her leading role in the film Mallrats, and in the Jean-Michel Basquiat 1996 biopic Basquiat. In 1998, she achieved wide recognition for starring in the fantasy romance film Meet Joe Black. Her other notable films include Mystery Men (1999), Boys and Girls (2000), Antitrust (2001), The Medallion (2003), and In the Name of the King (2007). She appeared in numerous TV films and series, including a starring role on the historical-fantasy-drama series Camelot, and recurring roles on the CBS action series CSI: NY, NCIS: Los Angeles, and Hawaii Five-0. She played the role of Meredith Newman in the 2019 film Five Feet Apart.

Early life and education

Claire Antonia Forlani was born on 17 December 1971 in Twickenham, London, the daughter of Barbara (née Dickinson), who was English, and Pier Luigi Forlani, an Italian music manager from Ferrara, Italy.

At age 11, Forlani entered the Arts Educational School in London, where she began to study acting. During her six years at the school, she also studied ballet, which led to performances on stage in The Nutcracker and Orpheus in the Underworld.

Career

Forlani's parents moved to San Francisco in 1993, to allow for wider casting opportunities in Hollywood films. Subsequently, she was cast in the television mini-series JFK: Reckless Youth and the film Police Academy: Mission to Moscow (1994). In 1995, she played Brandi Svenning in Mallrats. In 1996, Forlani appeared in a supporting role as Sean Connery's daughter in the film The Rock.