Rebecca Van Cleave
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Biography
Rebecca Van Cleave is a British-American actress, singer-songwriter, artist, activist, and model.
Born in London and raised in Virginia, she spent her youth in numerous theatrical and musical productions and trained intensively at the Shenandoah Valley Governor's School for the Arts.
In 2012, she moved back to London to further her acting career. Since then, she has appeared in a number of films, television shows, and commercials as well as becoming the co-founder and lead singer of the americana rock band Ophelia.
She received critical acclaim for her portrayal of "Mel", the principal role, in James Webber's award-winning horror short The Prey, which screened internationally in 2015. It was picked up for distribution in 2016 by Eli Roth and Blumhouse's Crypt TV and has since gained over 500k views to date.
She also gained international praise and recognition for her work as Lena Headey's double in the multi-award winning episode "Mothers Mercy" of HBO's Game of Thrones. Emmy award-winning director David Nutter told Entertainment Weekly, "We found a tremendous actress in Rebecca. The courage of this girl... who understood what was important about this... once I had her I felt like I could accomplish anything."
As a commercial model, Rebecca has appeared in print and film ads for clients including MTV's Catfish, AGA, TK Maxx, Playstation, AX Paris, Pop Chips, Merci, Hilton, Head and Shoulders, Migros, Lipton Tea, and Dunlop (with Benedict Cumberbatch). In 2017, she became the face of the fashion brand Freemans.
In the fall of 2015, she released her debut EP The Bedroom Sessions, which was recorded in Sheffield with singer-songwriter Samuel Taylor, John Redgrave, and Ed Cosens of Reverend and The Makers fame. The EP received airplay from BBC Radio and went on to sell out of all physical copies.
In 2016, she and Taylor formed the band Ophelia. Their first two singles received airplay from BBC Radio and they spent 2017 touring the UK and Europe. Their debut album, Blackbox Memories, was released in January 2018.
As an advocate for body positivity, Rebecca continues to use her social media presence to help encourage the growing movement of healthy body image, not only within the fashion and entertainment industry, but to women and men of all ages around the world.
