There are many people who have embraced a simpler life in recent years, and this includes one actress who was willing to step away from the limelight. She used to be a sensation in Hollywood but she gave it up to move to a farm.
During the 1980s and 1990s, this actress was a part of our everyday life, as she was often seen on television. She had a wonderful screen presence, and she was at the top of her game at Hollywood.
Rachel Ward was an amazing actress and she was well noted for playing in the miniseries The Thorn Birds. She played Maggie Cleary in the drama, a young woman who was in love with a priest. She even won a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in the miniseries as a Golden Globe in 1984.
After The Thorn Birds, she continued to land a number of major roles and showed herself to be very talented. This included the crime drama Sharkey’s Machine, Against All Odds, and the Drama Miniseries, Rain Shadow.
Every time she would show up in a movie or some type of series on television, she proved herself to be an absolute powerhouse of an actress. She even tried writing and producing, and was often seen on the covers of magazines.
Eventually, she would cross paths with an Australian actor, Bryan Brown. They hit it off and in 1983, they were married.
They have endured many years as a married couple, which is rare to see in Hollywood. They also have three children together: Rosie, Joe, and Matilda Brown.
Despite the fact that they came from two different types of upbringing, they did quite well as a married couple. She once said of him: “He had very strong values, from his mum, from being Catholic, voting Labor, he was a very moral man and I loved that.”
Bryan also had a lot to say about his wife. He said: “She made me laugh a lot.” He also said that she had a curiosity that made her special.
When they moved to Australia, she at first found life to be exotic and fabulous. Eventually, however, there was an adjustment to continue to live in the country. She even struggled to find her ‘real place’ in Australia while raising the children.
Being from England, she was a little far from her roots but she continued to look to her husband to provide the support she needed in every way.
Many people appreciated her portrayal of Maggie in The Thorn Birds, but she was also criticized in some ways as well. She said of that criticism: “When I got slaughtered, I really took it to heart. I never really got my confidence back after that.”
When she was at the height of her career, she decided to step away and focus on her family life. These days, she lives far away from Hollywood and enjoys the simplicity of everyday moments that she shares with her husband.
Now she is a grandmother and she can’t help but smile when she thinks about her growing family. She spends her days looking after the farm and is dedicated to promoting sustainable methods of cultivating crops and irritable farming.
Things have certainly changed a lot for her over the years, but Rachel Ward continues to be someone to look to. We wish her many more years of happiness.
