Caroline Goodall

Caroline Goodall (born 13 November 1959) is an English–Australian actress, screenwriter and producer. Awards and nominations include Best Actress nominations AFI Awards for her roles in the 1989 miniseries Cassidy and the 1995 film Hotel Sorrento, a Logie Awards Nomination for the mini series A Difficult Woman, and a Best Actress award (Rome Film Festival). Her film appearances include Hook (1991), Cliffhanger (1993), Schindler's List (1993), Disclosure (1994), White Squall (1996), The Princess Diaries (2001) and The Best of Me (2014).

Early life

Goodall was born in London to a publisher father and journalist mother. She attended St Leonards-Mayfield School and graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Drama and English from the University of Bristol. Her sister is producer Victoria Goodall.

Career

Goodall appeared extensively on stage, joining the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and then the National Theatre. Her roles for the RSC include Lady Anne in Richard III, Australian tour opposite Sir Anthony Sher and Hypatia in Misalliance; while for the National Theatre she played Rebecca in Command or Promise. She played Juliet in Romeo and Juliet at the Shaw Theatre, Viola In Twelfth Night ( Plymouth) starred at the Manchester Royal Exchange, Royal Court Theatre as Susan in Jonathan Gem's comedy Susan's Breasts; Alan Ayckbourn's Steven Joseph Theatre in Scarborough and as Isobel in David Hare's US premiere of The Secret Rapture at the SCR. Goodall has starred in over 80 feature film and TV productions. The only actress to have worked twice with Steven Spielberg Goodall was cast as Moira Banning in Steven Spielberg's film Hook in 1991 and then as Emilie Schindler in Steven Spielberg'smulti Oscar winning film Schindler's List (1993) She played Kristel in the Stallone film Cliffhanger (1993), and Susan Hendler ] in Barry Levinson's Disclosure (1994) opposite Michael Douglas. She co-starred with Russell Crowe in The Silver Brumby in 1993, and was nominated for the AFI Award for Best Actress for her role as Meg in Richard Franklin's 1995 film Hotel Sorrento. She was also nominated for the AFI Award for Best Actress in a TV film or miniseries for the 1989 miniseries Cassidy. She starred opposite Jeff Bridges in Ridley Scott's White Squall (1996) and in the same year starred in the Bafta winning BBC miniseries The Sculptress. In 1998, she was nominated for a Logie Award for Best Actress for A Difficult Woman, which also won best TV mini series at the New York Festival in 1998. She played Helen Thermopolis in Garry Marshall's classic The Princess Diaries (2001), ' (2004) and worked again with Mandy Moore as FLOTUS in Chasing Liberty. She starred opposite Bruce Willis and Henry Cavill in the thriller The Cold Light Of Day (2012). In 2012, she played Doris in PJ Hogan's comedy Mental and in 2015, she played Elsbeth Beaumont in Jocelyn Moorhouse's film The Dressmaker, with Kate Winslet and Judy Davis. Other films include POTUS in Hunter Killer (2018) The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (2021) and Grace Vessler in Fred and Freddy Macdonald's Sew Torn (2024). European credits include appearances in Urs Egger's Opernball (1998) The Thief Lord (2006), and Denis De La Patelliere's Épées Des Diamants. She appeared in Lars von Trier's Nymphomaniac Vol. II (2013) and won a RIFF Best Actress Award for her role in Massimo Cogliatore's two-hander thriller The Elevator (2014). Other credits include Italian thriller Ferine (2026) and The Wrong People.