Natascha McElhone was born in Walton on Thames, London, where she began her educational journey, attending several schools before concluding at Camden School for Girls.
Establishing herself as a talented leading actress, McElhone made her mark in the film industry with her first role in Merchant Ivory's Surviving Picasso, opposite the renowned Anthony Hopkins, following her departure from drama school in 1993.
She swiftly built upon this success with notable appearances in Peter Weir's The Truman Show, Alan J. Pakula's The Devil's Own, alongside Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford, and John Frankenheimer's action-packed Ronin, co-starring with the iconic Robert De Niro. Additionally, she played the role of Rosalind to Kenneth Branagh's Berowne in his musical adaptation of William Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost.
In 2003, McElhone co-starred with George Clooney in Steven Soderbergh's futuristic love story, Solaris. She also starred in TNT's Golden Globe-nominated drama, The Company, and in 2005, she appeared in NBC's Emmy-nominated mini-series, Revelations.
Notably, McElhone has starred opposite David Duchovny in the Golden Globe-winning Showtime series Californication (2007).
In addition to her television work, McElhone has appeared in several major films, including The Secret Of Moonacre Manor, with Ioan Gruffud; Mrs. Dalloway, alongside Vanessa Redgrave, directed by Oscar-winning director Marleen Gorris; City Of Ghosts, with Matt Dillon and Gérard Depardieu; Laurel Canyon, with Christian Bale and Francis McDormand; and Ladies In Lavender, with Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith.
More recently, McElhone has starred in The Kid and in two other British feature films, 'The Theatre Of Dreams' with Toby Stephens and Brian Cox, and Julian Fellowes' adaptation of 'Romeo And Juliet', set to be released in March 2013. She has also completed filming 'The Sea', starring with Rufus Sewell, Ciaran Hinds, and Charlotte Rampling, scheduled for release in 2013.