Daniela Lavender

1974-12-14 · Bahia, Brazil

Daniela Lavender, Lady Kingsley (born Daniela Barbosa de Carneiro, 14 December 1974, Bahia, Brazil) is a Brazilian actress, appearing on Brazilian television and in English-language television, film, and stage. Part of a close-knit family of 30, she began training in ballet, jazz, and contemporary dance at age eight, later studied flamenco under Roberto Amaral and Yolanda Arroyo in Los Angeles, and earned a journalism degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC) before studying drama at the Dirceu de Mattos School in Rio. She moved to London and passed the audition for the London International School of Performing Arts (LIPA) despite the language barrier. She won Best Actress at the Denver Film Festival for her role in the independent film Emotional Backgammon (2003), and toured with the British Shakespeare Company in A Midsummer Night's Dream (2009, as both Hippolyta and Titania). She has been married to Sir Ben Kingsley since 3 September 2007. Her filmography spans over 15 credits across film and television. Notable film credits include Ali G Indahouse (2002, as Maid), Precious (2009), The Scientist (2010, as Claire Ryan), A Birder's Guide to Everything (2013, as Juliana Santos), Learning to Drive (2014, as Mata, alongside her husband Ben Kingsley), Zipper (2015, as Saleswoman), Backstabbing for Beginners (2018, as Ruth Zekra Kal), Intrigo: Death of an Author (2018, as Mariam Kadhar, with Ben Kingsley), and Night Hunter (2019, as Dickerman). On television she has appeared in Longitude (2000), Down to Earth (2001, as Joan), Casualty (2001, as Janine), EastEnders, Manchild, and the Canadian-American miniseries Tut (2015, as Herit, 3 episodes).