Joely began her acting career while still in drama school appearing as an extra in her father's Charge of The Light Brigade in 1968 with her mother, her grandmother Rachel Kempson and her uncle Corin; as a waitress in another of her father's films - The Hotel New Hampshire with Jodie Foster and Rob Lowe in 1984; and as the young Jean Travers in Wetherby in 1985, alongside Ian Holm and Judi Dench. The role of the mature Jean Travers was played by Joely's real-life mother, Vanessa Redgrave. From 1987-1994 Joely made several undistinguished appearances in films such as Body Contact with Harry Fowler, Jack Shepherd and Miriam Margolyes (1987); Drowning by Numbers with Joan Plowright and Juliet Stevenson (1987); King Ralph with Peter O'Toole and Leslie Phillips (1991); Shining Through with Liam Neeson and Michael Douglas (1992); Rebecca's Daughters also with Peter O'Toole (1992); and I'll Do Anything with Nick Nolte and Ian McKellan (1994). In 1995 Joely won critical acclaim for her superb performance in the drama Sister, My Sister - a film inspired by true events about two sisters working as maids who ultimately kill their employer. The other sister was played by Jodhi May and the film also starred Julie Walters.

In 1995 Joely appeared as Laura in Loch Ness alongside Ted Danson and in 1996 she played Hannah Wyatt in Hollow Reed and Anita in 101 Dalmatiansalongside Glen Close and Jeff Daniels. She has since appeared in the sci-fi epic Event Horizon in 1997 with Sam Neill; as Claire in Wrestling with Alligators; and as Eleanor in Under Heaven in 1998.

The year 2000 saw the appearance of Joely in several more films - Maybe Baby, by Ben Elton, in which she starred as Lucy Bell alongside Hugh Laurie (picture on the left), Joanna Lumley and Emma Thompson; as Elizabeth Rueland in Return to Me with David Duchovny and Minnie Driver; and perhaps her biggest film that year, The Patriot with Mel Gibson. In 2001 Joely played Marie Antoinette in Affair of the Necklace with Jonathan Pryce and Christopher Walken.

Joely's television career has been no less prolific, starting in 1988 with Behaving Badly as Serafina with Frances Barber, Judi Dench and Maurice Denham; a guest appearance in an episode of Poirot with David Suchet in 1988; and as Janetta Wheatland in Heading Home in 1991 with Gary Oldman. In 1992 she won notoriety when she played the role of Lady Chatterley in the BBC mini-series Lady Chatterley's Loveropposite Sean Bean as Mellors and James Wilby as Sir Clifford Chatterley. Her most recent television appearances were as Emily in The Tribe with Jeremy Northam, Anna Friel and Trevor Eve; and Amanda Powell in The Echo with Clive Owen and Anton Lesser (both 1998).

Joely's theatrical career includes a season at the Royal Shakespeare Company where she appeared in A Midsummer Night's Dream; Every Man in His Humour; World's Apart; and Macbeth. She then went to appear in Athdark and The Flood at the Almeida; Miss Julie at the Liverpool Playhouse; Beauty and the Beast as Beauty at the Liverpool Playhouse and Old Vic; Lady Windermere as Lady Windermere at the Bristol Old Vic; and in the West End in Steel Magnolias at The Lyric Theatre, directed by Julia McKenzie.

In 1992 Joely married director Tim Bevan and they have one daughter, Daisy born in 1992. In 1997 Joely and Tim split-up and subsequently divorced and Joely is now believed to be dating British TV presenter Jamie Theakston.

Joely attended the premiere of Maybe Baby with Hugh Laurie in May 2000. The following is a new report from WENN dated 1st June 2000:

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