Rachel Clare Hurd-Wood is an English actress and model, widely recognized for her captivating performances in various film and television roles. Born on August 17, 1990, in South London, England, she is the daughter of Philip and Sarah Hurd-Wood.
Hurd-Wood's acting career began in 2002, when she was selected to play the iconic role of Wendy Darling in the feature film Peter Pan, after her grandparents spotted a television clip announcing P.J. Hogan's search for a "young English rose." She traveled to Gold Coast, Australia for eight months to film the movie, receiving positive reviews and earning nominations for a Saturn Award and a Young Artist Award.
In 2004, Hurd-Wood appeared in the TV film Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking, portraying the character Imogen Helhoughton, a 13-year-old victim of a serial killer. She also starred in the thriller An American Haunting, playing the role of Betsy Bell, a girl haunted and tormented by an unrelenting demon. Her performance earned her a nomination for the 2006 Teen Choice Awards.
Hurd-Wood's subsequent roles include Laura Richis in the adaptation of Patrick Süskind's best-selling novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, for which she was nominated for a Saturn Award. She also appeared in the music video for the song "A Little Bit" by Madeleine Peyroux in 2007.
In 2008, Hurd-Wood starred as Meredith Crowthorn, a Puritan captured by marauders, in the film Solomon Kane, and as Sibyl Vane in the film Dorian Gray, based on Oscar Wilde's novel. She was studying linguistics at UCL while working on the film.
Hurd-Wood's contemporary roles include Corrie Mackenzie in the 2009 Australian action-adventure film Tomorrow, When the War Began, and Mae-West O'Mara in the 2010 film Hideaways, which received positive reviews from critics. She also appeared in the short film The Mapmaker and the music video for "Revolver" by Warehouse Republic in the same year.
In 2014, Hurd-Wood played the lead role of Elisabeth James in the film Highway to Dhampus, a story about the impact of foreigners and Nepali expatriates on local communities in Nepal.
