Vanessa Kirby Age, Partner, Net Worth & Biography

Vanessa Kirby is an English actress who has gone from acclaimed stage work to one of the most sought-after screen careers in Britain. Born in London, England, she first won wide attention as Princess Margaret in Netflix’s The Crown, earned an Academy Award nomination for Pieces of a Woman (2020) and joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, in The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025). Her exact year of birth is disputed in published sources, which report it as 1987 or 1988.

Vanessa Kirby Quick Facts

Full Name	Vanessa Nuala Kirby
Age	38 or 39 (birth year reported as 1987 or 1988)
Birthplace	London, England
Occupation	Actress
Years Active	2010–present
Partner	Paul Rabil (2022–present)
Children	1
Known For	The Crown (Princess Margaret); Pieces of a Woman; The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Sue Storm)
Net Worth	Approx. $4 million (Celebrity Net Worth, 2026)

Who Is Vanessa Kirby?

Vanessa Kirby is an English actress whose career has moved from the London stage to the biggest film franchises in the world. She began as a theatre actress, winning a Rising Star Award for her first professional roles, and she made her television debut in 2011 in the BBC dramas The Hour and Great Expectations. Her breakthrough came in 2016, when she was cast as Princess Margaret in the first two seasons of Netflix’s The Crown, a performance that won her a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress and an Emmy nomination.

Since then Kirby has built a film career defined by bold choices. She played the White Widow in the Mission: Impossible films, starred as Hattie Shaw in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her devastating performance as a grieving mother in Pieces of a Woman (2020). In 2024 she was cast as Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, debuting in The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025). She is also a producer, co-founding the production company Aluna Entertainment with her sister Juliet in 2021.

Vanessa Kirby’s Early Life & Background

Vanessa Nuala Kirby was born in London, England, and raised in Wimbledon. Her mother, Jane Cooper Kirby, was a writer for Country Living magazine, and her father, Roger Kirby, is a retired surgeon who served as president of the Royal Society of Medicine. She has two siblings: her brother Joe is a school teacher, and her sister Juliet is a theatrical agent, with whom she would later found a production company.

Kirby was educated at Lady Eleanor Holles School and studied English at the University of Exeter. After being turned down by the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), she took a gap year travelling and working in an AIDS hospice in South Africa before deciding to pursue acting. After graduating from Exeter she returned to the theatre, and in 2010 she made her professional stage debut with three starring roles at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton, winning the BIZA Rising Star Award for her performance in All My Sons.

Vanessa Kirby’s Career

Kirby’s early career was built on the stage. After her debut at the Octagon Theatre, she appeared as Rosalind in As You Like It at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, made her National Theatre debut in Women Beware Women (2011) and played Masha in Three Sisters at the Young Vic in 2012. In 2014 she played Stella Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire at the Young Vic, opposite Gillian Anderson as Blanche and Ben Foster as Stanley, winning Best Supporting Actress at the WhatsOnStage Awards. Her television debut came in 2011 with The Hour and the BBC’s Great Expectations, in which she played Estella, and her early film roles included About Time (2013), Everest (2015) and Jupiter Ascending (2015).

The role that made her a star was Princess Margaret in Netflix’s The Crown, which she played in the first two seasons (2016–2017), with a guest appearance in season five. Her performance won her the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress in 2018 and earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination. Like Olivia Colman, who played Queen Elizabeth II in the third and fourth seasons of The Crown, Kirby brought a member of the royal family to life with a mix of glamour and vulnerability. While still on The Crown she also played Zelda Fitzgerald in Genius (2016) and Elena in Uncle Vanya at the Almeida Theatre.

Kirby’s film career took off in the late 2010s. She played the White Widow in Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) opposite Tom Cruise, Hattie Shaw in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) and Empress Joséphine in Ridley Scott’s Napoleon (2023), stepping into the role after Jodie Comer left the production. Her most acclaimed performance came in Pieces of a Woman (2020), in which she played Martha, a woman coping with the loss of her newborn child; she won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival and was nominated for the Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress. In 2021 she co-founded Aluna Entertainment with her sister Juliet, with a first-look deal at Netflix. In 2024 she was cast as Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, debuting in The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) and set to return in Avengers: Doomsday (2026). She also starred in and produced the Netflix thriller Night Always Comes (2025).

Facts About Vanessa Kirby

• Kirby won the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress in 2018 for playing Princess Margaret in The Crown.
• Her performance in Pieces of a Woman (2020) won her the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
• She made her professional stage debut in 2010 with three starring roles at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton, winning the BIZA Rising Star Award for All My Sons.
• In 2021 she co-founded the production company Aluna Entertainment with her sister Juliet, with a first-look deal at Netflix.
• She was cast as Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, debuting in The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025).

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Vanessa Kirby?

Vanessa Kirby’s exact year of birth is disputed: published sources report it as 1987 or 1988, which would make her 38 or 39 years old in 2026. She was born on 18 April in London, England.

What is Vanessa Kirby’s net worth?

Vanessa Kirby’s net worth is approximately $4 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth (2026).

Who is Vanessa Kirby’s partner?

Vanessa Kirby’s partner is Paul Rabil, an American former professional lacrosse player and co-founder of the Premier Lacrosse League. They have been together since 2022, and Kirby gave birth to their first child in 2025.

What is Vanessa Kirby best known for?

Vanessa Kirby is best known for playing Princess Margaret in Netflix’s The Crown (2016–2017), for her Academy Award-nominated performance in Pieces of a Woman (2020) and for playing Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, in The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025).

What is Vanessa Kirby doing now?

Vanessa Kirby starred as Sue Storm in The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) and in the Netflix thriller Night Always Comes (2025), which she also produced. She is set to return as Sue Storm in Avengers: Doomsday (2026).

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