Joely Richardson shares ‘beautiful’ rare photo of mother Vanessa Redgrave at 89

Joely Richardson delighted fans when she shared a touching new photograph of herself with her famous mother Vanessa Redgrave.

The 61-year-old actress was seen hugging Vanessa, 89, in the tender image depicting an emotional reunion between Joely and her thespian mother. The photo was simply captioned: “All the travelling, miss you mum.”

Howard’s End screen legend Vanessa, who is still acting as she approaches 90, looked fresh-faced and beautiful, smiling as her daughter leant on her shoulder.

Wearing a cream coloured coat over a white knit, the Hollywood legend was the picture of bliss as she enjoyed some quality family time.

It was plain to see the resemblance between Joely, who is best known for her roles in Nip/Tuck, 101 Dalmatians and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and her famous mother.

Fans were quick to praise the two actresses in the comments, branding the moment a “beautiful” reunion. “You’re so lucky to have her still with you,” one wrote.

Vanessa continues to act to this day 

Hollywood icon Vanessa is one of just a handful of stars to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting, securing an Academy Award, Emmy Award and Tony Award over the course of her almost 70-year career.

While she has yet to retire from acting, the star has scaled back the number of projects she takes on. She continues to voice Jennifer Worth in the BBC’s long-running drama Call the Midwife, and her last film credit was the 2026 thriller Cold Storage opposite Liam Neeson.  

The star is still active on London’s West End, including an acclaimed performance in My Fair Lady at the London Coliseum.

The Redgrave acting dynasty

Vanessa is part of one of Hollywood’s most iconic and enduring acting dynasties, which spans five generations.

The screen star welcomed daughters Natasha and Joel with film director Tony Richardson. Their marriage wouldn’t last, but her children inherited the acting bug, and both went on to have highly successful film careers.

Early in her career, Joely was concerned about nepotism claims, revealing it took years to feel she had earned her own place in the industry independent of her mother and grandfather Sir Michael Redgrave.

Discussing how her family impacted her and her sister’s career, Joely previously told Venice magazine that she was very aware of their privilege. “Certainly when I was younger, I think I did. I don’t think I liked it. I hated being aware that I had to be careful in what I did and said,” she said.

“I was aware of the press, even though it wasn’t like it is now. It was a different sort of responsibility for a child. It also made me very aware of people’s projections on us because of who our parents were.”

Tragedy struck the family when eldest daughter Natasha, who was married to actor Liam Neeson, died in a skiing accident in 2009.

Natasha sustained a head injury and was admitted to hospital after complaining of a severe headache two hours later. She was later declared brain dead and passed away at the age of 45 on 18 March 2009.

Joely’s life lessons inherited from Vanessa

Joely previously sat down with HELLO! for an exclusive interview, sharing some acting advice from her mother that she holds dear to this day.

“‘Stay forever a student’. It’s a life lesson, really. Never think you know the answers, be open and you’ll learn something new every day. Another expression is: ‘Be of service,'” she recalled.

Elsewhere, she touched upon her childhood in a thespian household and how acting coloured everything they did.  

“I was always acting and putting on plays for friends… We’d visit my dad on holidays; there was a little wooden and stone stage in the wilds where he lived, and we put on plays there,” she told us.

Joely’s daughter Daisy Bevan – whose father is Joely’s ex-husband, film producer Tim Bevan – has also followed in the family’s footsteps to become an actress, making her the fifth generation of Redgraves to do so.