Minnie Driver

Music career

Driver was born to parents of English, Irish, Scottish, Italian and French descent. She was raised in Barbados and educated at Bedales school near Petersfield, Hampshire, England. Prior to her success as an actress, Driver was a member of a band called "Puff, Rocks and Brown"; the band was signed to a development deal with Island Records, which ended without a release.

She began a low-profile return to music in 2000; in 2004 she signed recording contracts with EMI and Rounder Records and performed at SXSW. Canadian music producer Colin Craig assisted in the eventual release of "Everything I've Got in My Pocket", which reached No. 34 in the UK, and a second single, "Invisible Girl" peaking at No.68. An album, Everything I've Got in My Pocket, also reached No. 44 in the UK album chart, backed by a group that includes members of the Wallflowers and Pete Yorn's band. Driver wrote ten of the eleven songs on the album and also covered "Hungry Heart" from Bruce Springsteen's The River. In 2004 Minnie Driver was the support act for the Finn Brothers on the UK portion of their world tour.

In 2004, Driver played Carlotta Giudicelli in Joel Schumacher's film of The Phantom of the Opera. Due to the vocal requirements of the role, Driver was the sole cast member to have her voice dubbed. However, she did lend her own voice to Learn to be Lonely, a song written by Andrew Lloyd Webber specifically for the film version of his musical (it plays over the closing credits of the movie).

Personal life

She has been linked romantically with several of her film costars, including John Cusack, Josh Brolin, and Matt Damon. Damon was widely reported to have announced their breakup on the Oprah Winfrey show, a version of events that both Damon and Driver have repeatedly denied. Driver was engaged to marry Brolin before a sudden breakup in 2001. Driver has said her relationship with Brolin's step-mother, Barbra Streisand was difficult. She was also linked to tennis player Robby Ginepri and illusionist Criss Angel.

Driver is a fan of Chelsea FC.

Filmography

Animated filmography

She had voice roles in three films released in 1999:

She will also provide voice-over work for The Simpsons Movie.

Other appearances

Minnie Driver provided the voice for the female protagonist, Anne, in the computer game Jurassic Park: Trespasser.

She also played a transsexual Playboy diva in Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge, an aggressive police sergeant alongside Dawn French in a 1996 episode of Murder Most Horrid, and appeared as herself in the fifth series of Absolutely Fabulous.