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Koo Stark: Difference between revisions

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==Early life and education==
Stark was born in New York. Her parents were [[Wilbur Stark]], a writer and producer, and [[Kathi Norris]], a writer and television presenter in New York City. She is the youngest of three children, the others being Pamela and Brad. At the time of her birth, the family was livinglived in [[Manhattan]].<ref>''TV Personalities: Biographical Sketch Book'' Volume 3 (1957), p. 148</ref> Her grandfather, Edwin Earl Norris, was a cabinetmaker and musician, playing the [[FrenchHorn (instrument)|horn]] and the [[viola]] in the [[New Jersey Symphony Orchestra|Newark Symphony Orchestra]]. Her mother's family were Presbyterians.<ref>Andrew Devore Boyd, ''Joseph Boyd, Sr. (died 1799) of Prince George's County, Maryland, and his family through six generations' (2010), p. 34: '221. Lena A. Loyd'</ref><ref>'Edwin Earl Norris, 80, widely known cabinetmaker and musician', obituary in ''Newark Advocate'' dated February 27, 1957</ref> After a divorce in the 1960s, her mother remarried.<ref>Andrew Morton, Mick Seamark, ''Andrew, the Playboy Prince'' (1983), p. 137</ref>
 
Koo Stark attended the [[Hewitt School]] in New York and the [[Glendower Preparatory School]] in Kensington, London. After training at a stage school, she began her acting career.<ref name=telegraph2011/><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/14/obituaries/wilbur-stark-tv-producer-81.html Wilbur Stark, TV Producer, 81] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113112755/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/14/obituaries/wilbur-stark-tv-producer-81.html |date=2017-11-13 }}, dated August 14, 1995, at nytimes.com, accessed 12 November 2017</ref>
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==Career==
 
=== Acting ===
Her first film role was in the comedy ''[[All I Want Is You... and You... and You...]]'' (1974), produced by her father. In 1975 she appeared in ''Las adolescentes'' (The Adolescents), opposite [[Anthony Andrews]],<ref>"Adolescentes, Las", in Luis Gasca, ''Un siglo de cine español'' (Planeta, 1998), p. 17</ref> and starred in an episode of ''[[Shades of Greene]]''.<ref>Quentin Falk, ''Travels in Greeneland: The Complete Guide to the Cinema of Graham Greene'' (2000), p. 149</ref>
Also that year she had an uncredited role as a bridesmaid in ''[[The Rocky Horror Picture Show]]''.<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/metropolitan-life-why-are-they-famous-no-4-koo-stark-1311337.html "Metropolitan Life: Why Are They Famous?"]. ''[[The Independent]]''. 8 August 1996. Retrieved 21 February 2020.</ref> Her best-remembered performance is the lead role in the erotic film ''[[Emily (1976 film)|Emily]]'' (1976), directed by [[Henry Herbert, 17th Earl of Pembroke]].<ref>[[Christopher Neame]], ''A Take on British TV Drama: Stories from the Golden Years'' (Scarecrow Press, 2004), p. xiv-xv</ref> Uncertain whether to accept the part, Stark did so on the advice of [[Graham Greene]], with whom she had worked the year before. Of working with her in ''Emily'', actor [[Victor Spinetti]] later wrote "I found Koo Stark to be an enchanting girl and terribly bright and interesting".<ref>''Beatlefan'', volume 7 (Goody Press, 1985), p. 12</ref>
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She also appeared in ''[[Cruel Passion]]'' (1977), a film based on the novel ''[[Justine (Sade)|Justine]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title = Justine (1977) |first = Mark |last = Deming |url = http://www.allmovie.com/movie/justine-v146684 |publisher = [[AllMovie]] |access-date = January 23, 2017 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170131190350/http://www.allmovie.com/movie/justine-v146684 |archive-date = January 31, 2017 }}</ref> Around the same time, she played the part of Camie Marstrap in ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (1977); the scenes in which she appeared were cut from the film before its original release,<ref>Marcus Hearn, ''The Cinema of George Lucas'' (2005), p. 106</ref> but can be seen in ''[[Star Wars: Behind the Magic]]'' (1998).<ref>''[[Newsweek]]'', Volume 132 (1998), p. 122</ref>
 
Stark also began to work as a fashion model, particularly for [[Norman Parkinson]].<ref>[[Hugh Massingberd|Hugh Montgomery Massingberd]], ''The Daily Telegraph Third Book of Obituaries: Entertainers'' (1998), p. 122</ref> In February 1981, she was an understudy in the [[Edward Albee]] play ''[[Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?]]'' at the [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]] .<!-- The National Theatre did not become the Royal National Theatre until 1988--><!--[[CTRL+F]] asdoes annot understudy in the [[Edwardfind Albee]], playWoolf, ''[[Who'sTheatre, Afraidor ofTheater Virginiain Woolf?]]''cited article<ref name=rebuttal/>-->
 
She appeared in the comedy ''[[Eat the Rich (film)|Eat the Rich]]'' (1987), and then featured in "[[Timeslides]]", an episode of the sci-fi show ''[[Red Dwarf]]'' (1989), playing Lady Sabrina Mulholland-Jjones, the fiancée of a more successful Dave Lister. <ref>Paul Green, ''Encyclopedia of Weird War Stories: Supernatural and Science Fiction Elements'' (2017), p. 148</ref>
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Stark has worked as a photographer since the 1980s, and may have been the first person to turn the tables on the pursuing [[paparazzi]] by taking photos of them.<ref name=clifford>Liam Clifford, [http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/latest/photo-news/koo-stark-returns-to-london-for-the-first-time-in-23-years-104411 Koo Stark returns to London for first exhibition in 23 years] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903070945/http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/latest/photo-news/koo-stark-returns-to-london-for-the-first-time-in-23-years-104411 |date=2017-09-03 }} dated April 12, 2017 at amateurphotographer.co.uk, accessed 12 November 2017</ref> [[Prince Andrew, Duke of York|Prince Andrew]] has told how in 1983 a photographic printer, Gene Nocon, invited Stark to take photographs of people taking photos of her, for his exhibition, ''Personal Points of View'', planned for October. She persuaded Nocon to include Andrew's work as well.<ref>Prince Andrew, ''Photographs'' (Hamilton, 1985), p. 8: "The next step in my development as a photographer, apart from my trial and error experimenting, came when Koo Stark, now Jefferies, came back to the U.K. with some pictures of herself for printing, taken by Norman Parkinson. She went to see photographic printer Gene Nocon. At this time Gene was organising an exhibition planned for October 1983. The theme was photographs taken by people who were the subjects of photographers. He invited her to take part. It was called "Personal Points of View". Koo came to see me and suggested that I should take part as well. I replied that I was sure that I wouldn't be allowed to. Koo then went back to see Gene without my knowledge and asked him if a friend of hers could also take part. Although Koo was reluctant to name names and Gene was equally reluctant to agree to an unknown person taking part, it seems they came to an understanding..."</ref> Her early photographs led to a book deal, for which she took lessons from [[Norman Parkinson]]. She travelled to [[Tobago]], where he lived, and he became her mentor. Her book ''Contrasts'' (1985) included about a hundred of her photographs. She went on to study the work of leading photographers, including [[Angus McBean]], whom she met and photographed,<ref>Phil Coomes, [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-39816498 In pictures: Koo Stark on both sides of the lens] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170717051328/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-39816498 |date=2017-07-17 }} dated 8 May 2017 at BBC.co.uk</ref> developing her interests in photography to include reportage, portraits, landscapes, still life, and other work.<ref name=clifford/>
 
The book ''Contrasts'' was launched at Hamiltons Gallery, London, in September 1985, at an exhibition of the same name.<ref name=bjp85>''British Journal of Photography'', Volume 132 (Henry Greenwood & Co., 1985), p. 1022</ref> In 1994, the Gallery Bar at the [[Grosvenor House Hotel]] in [[Park Lane]] hosted an exhibition called 'The Stark Image', forty photographs by Stark, including several previously unpublished.<ref name=bjp94>''[[British Journal of Photography]]'', Volume 141 (Henry Greenwood & Co., 1994), p. 58</ref> In 1998, her work was featured at the Como Lario in Holbein Place, [[Belgravia]].<ref>Jim Ainsworth, ''The Good Food Guide 1998'' (Which? Books, 1998), p. 87</ref> In July 2001 she had an exhibition called 'Stark Images" at the Fruitmarket Gallery in [[Edinburgh]],<ref name=bjp01>''British Journal of Photography'', Volume 148 (Henry Greenwood & Co., 2001), issue 7346</ref> duplicated from June to July 2001 at [[Dimbola Lodge]] on the [[Isle of Wight]].<ref name=observer>Harriet Lane, [https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2001/jun/17/featuresreview.review The Stark ages] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113113008/https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2001/jun/17/featuresreview.review |date=2017-11-13 }}, in ''[[The Observer]]'' dated 17 June 2001, accessed 12 November 2017</ref> A solo exhibition of portraits was at the Winter Gardens, [[Ventnor]], from September to October 2010,<ref name=onthewight>David Bartlett, [https://onthewight.com/koo-stark-exhibition-at-winter-gardens/ Koo Stark Exhibition At Winter Gardens] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117122111/https://onthewight.com/koo-stark-exhibition-at-winter-gardens/ |date=2017-11-17 }} dated 8th September, 2010, at onthewight.com, accessed 12 November 2017</ref> and another at Dimbola Lodge from February to April, 2011.<ref name=iwcp>[http://www.iwcp.co.uk/events-february-2011.aspx Events February 2011] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201032835/http://www.iwcp.co.uk/events-february-2011.aspx |date=2017-12-01 }} at iwcp.co.uk, Isle of Wight County Press, accessed 19 November 2017: "Koo Stark Contrasts Art Exhibition at Dimbola Lodge Museum, Freshwater, closed Mondays."</ref>
 
On 22 April 1987, a charity auction at [[Christie's]], [[St James's]], for the [[Campaign to Protect Rural England]], featured signed work by [[David Bailey]], [[Patrick Anson, 5th Earl of Lichfield|Patrick Lichfield]], [[Don McCullin]], [[Terence Donovan (photographer)|Terence Donovan]], [[Fay Godwin]], [[Heather Angel (photographer)|Heather Angel]], [[Clive Arrowsmith]], [[Linda McCartney]], Koo Stark, and fifteen others,<ref>''British Journal of Photography'', Volume 134 (Henry Greenwood & Co., 1987), p. 234</ref><ref>''BBC Wildlife'', Volumes 4-5 (1986), p. 201</ref><ref>''Arts Review'', Volume 39, Issues 1-13 (Richard Gainsborough Periodicals, 1987), p. 136</ref> Views by Stark, including some of [[Kirby Muxloe Castle]], were in G. H. Davies's ''England's Glory'' (1987), a CPRE book launched at the same time.<ref>Review of G. H. Davies's ''England's Glory: a Photographic Journey through England's Threatened Landscape'' in ''Antiquity'', Volume 61 (Antiquity Publications, 1987), p. 476</ref>
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===Relationships===
Stark met Prince Andrew in February 1981, and they were close for some two years, before and after his active service in the [[Falklands War]].<ref name=rebuttal/><ref>[[Alastair Burnet]], ''The ITN book of the royal wedding'' (Michael O'Mara Books, 1986), p. 38: "The actress Miss Koo Stark was a regular girlfriend of Prince Andrew for several years."</ref> [[Tina Brown]] has claimed that this was Andrew's only serious love affair.<ref name=brown>[[Tina Brown]], ''[[The Diana Chronicles]]'' (2011), p. 228</ref> In October 1982 they took a holiday together on the island of [[Mustique]].<ref>Kim McNamara, ''Paparazzi: Media Practices and Celebrity Culture'' (2015), p. 29</ref> According to [[Lady Colin Campbell]], Andrew was in love, and the Queen was "much taken with the elegant, intelligent, and discreet Koo".<ref>[[Lady Colin Campbell]], ''The Real Diana'', p. 161</ref> However, in 1983, after 18 months of dating, they split up under pressure from the Queen.<ref name=rebuttal/><ref name=brown/> In 1997, Prince Andrew became the godfather of Stark's daughter,<ref>''[[Newsweek]]'', Volume 128 (1997), p. 76</ref> and in 2015, when the Prince was accused by [[Jeffrey Epstein#Virginia RobertsGiuffre|Virginia Roberts]] over the [[Jeffrey Epstein]] connection, Stark came to his defence, stating that he was a good man and she could help to rebut the claims.<ref name=rebuttal>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/koo-stark-speaks-out-to-help-rebut-prince-andrew-sex-slave-claims-10046948.html|title=Prince Andrew's ex Koo Stark speaks about their relationship for first time in 30 years|date=February 15, 2015|work=independent.co.uk|access-date=December 21, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121050247/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/koo-stark-speaks-out-to-help-rebut-prince-andrew-sex-slave-claims-10046948.html|archive-date=January 21, 2017}}</ref>
 
Stark married Tim Jefferies, manager of a photographic gallery, in August 1984,<ref>''Milestones'', in ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' dated Aug. 27, 1984</ref> at St Saviour's, [[Chalk Farm]], with the minister, [[Christopher Neil-Smith]], commenting that "It was such a quiet affair you wouldn't have known it was happening."<ref>'Stark weds Green Shield heir', [[Associated Press|AP]] report in ''[[The Daily Register]]'' dated August 17, 1984, page A2, col. 1</ref> They stayed together for a year, later divorcing.<ref name=time1997/>
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In 1988, Stark brought a successful libel action against ''[[The Mail on Sunday]]'' over an untrue story headed 'Koo dated Andy after she wed'.<ref>'Koo Stark v Mail on Sunday (1988) unreported', in Vivienne Harpwood, ed., ''Modern Tort Law'', 6th edition (2005), p. 340</ref> In 1989, ''[[The Spectator]]'' reported that she had received £300,000 from one newspaper "for years of inaccurate persecution" and was also collecting money from others.<ref>''[[The Spectator]]'', Volume 262 (1989), p. 19</ref>
 
In another libel action in 2007, Stark won an apology and substantial damages from ''[[Zoo Weekly]]'' magazine, which had described her as a [[porn star]]. She commented "I am relieved that my name has been cleared of this false, highly damaging and serious allegation which has been proved to be completely untrue."<ref name=carter-ruck>[https://www.carter-ruck.com/news/read/koo-stark Koo Stark news release] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113114400/https://www.carter-ruck.com/news/read/koo-stark |date=2017-11-13 }} at carter-ruck.com, accessed 25 May 2018</ref> In 2011 ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' called her an early "[[Kate Middleton]] prototype" and suggested that if she had not appeared in the film ''[[Emily (1976 film)|Emily]]'' early in her career she might have gone on to become the [[Duchess of York]].<ref name=telegraph2011>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/8319716/Koo-Stark-From-Royal-Romance-to-the-High-Court.html|title=Koo Stark: From Royal Romance to the High Court|author=Bryony Gordon|author-link=Bryony Gordon|date=February 11, 2011|journal=[[Daily Telegraph]]|access-date=April 15, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110310063230/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/8319716/Koo-Stark-From-Royal-Romance-to-the-High-Court.html|archive-date=March 10, 2011}}</ref>
 
In November 2012, Stark appeared at Hammersmith magistrates court accused of stealing a painting by Dutch master [[Anthonie van Borssom]], worth £40,000, from the home of her ex-partner, American financier Warren Walker. She strenuously denied the allegation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/358682/Date-with-Dalai-Lama-delays-Koo-Stark-s-trial|title=Date with Dalai Lama delays Koo Stark's trial|work=Daily Express|first=David|last=Pilditch|date=17 November 2012|accessdate=19 November 2022}}</ref> Before the matter came to trial, the painting was returned to Walker and by agreement the prosecution was abandoned.<ref>[https://amp.theguardian.com/uk/2013/jun/20/koo-stark-not-guilty-theft "Koo Stark not guilty of theft after returning painting to former partner"], ''[[The Guardian]]'', 20 June 2013, accessed 16 May 2024</ref>
 
In November 2022, Stark was awarded substantial damages and received an apology in a court case brought against ''[[Daily Mail]]''{{'}}s parent company for a 2019 article which falsely referred to her as "a soft porn actress".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/nov/18/prince-andrews-ex-girlfriend-koo-stark-wins-damages-against-daily-mail|title=Prince Andrew’sAndrew's ex-girlfriend Koo Stark wins damages against Daily Mail|work=The Guardian|first=Jim|last=Waterson|date=18 November 2022|accessdate=19 November 2022}}</ref>
 
===Health===
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In 2002 Stark was diagnosed with [[breast cancer]] and underwent a double [[mastectomy]] and [[chemotherapy]], causing her to lose her hair for a time.<ref>[https://www.standard.co.uk/news/koos-battle-against-cancer-7280553.html Koo's battle against cancer] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171120155729/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/koos-battle-against-cancer-7280553.html |date=2017-11-20 }} in ''[[London Evening Standard|Evening Standard]]'' dated 23 March 2004, accessed 17 November 2017</ref>
 
==Filmography==
==Films and television==
 
=== Film ===
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[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Actresses from New York CityManhattan]]
[[Category:American Buddhists]]
[[Category:American emigrants to England]]
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[[Category:American women photographers]]
[[Category:Hewitt School alumni]]
[[Category:FineAmerican fine art photographers]]
[[Category:American portrait photographers]]
[[Category:Mistresses of British royalty]]