Rebecca Pidgeon combines careers as a singer-songwriter and actress. She has recorded several albums of pop and folk songs and appeared in plays and movies, including some written and directed by her husband, American playwright David Mamet, such as 'The Spanish Prisoner' (1997) and 'State and Main' (2000). She tours regularly despite her busy acting work. Her latest album, 'Bad Poetry' in 2014, features what she termed a rougher approach to lyrics influenced by William S. Burroughs. Her latest screen appearance was in Robert Schwentke's 'Allegiant' , the third in the Shailene Woodley adventure series following 'Divergent' and 'Insurgent'.
Born in Massachusetts to visiting English parents, she sang as a child and later studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. In the late 1980s she performed with the folk-pop British group Ruby Blue with whom she released an album titled 'Down from Above' in 1989. In 1988 she acted in the British TV drama series 'Bust', the BBC miniseries 'Campaign' and opposite Anthony Hopkins in the drama 'The Dawning' about the troubles in Northern Ireland. She starred on stage in Mamet's play 'Oleana' and wrote the music for his 1994 film version. Other Mamet movies she has appeared in include 'The Winslow Boy' (1999), 'Heist' (2001) and 'RED' (2010) and she has acted in many American TV series such as 'The Shield', 'In Justice' and 'The Unit'.
Pidgeon made her solo recording debut with 'The Raven' on the Chesky Records label in 1994 and followed it with 'The New York Girls' Club' (1996), 'The Four Marys' (1998) and 'Retrospective' (2003). Other releases were 'Tough On Crime' (2005), 'Behind the Velvet Curtain' (2008) and 'Slingshot' (2012). Following her 2013 release, 'Blue Dress On', she opted for an edgier approach to her most recent album, 'Bad Poetry'. With acclaimed guitarist Tim Young as producer, she says on her website, "I wanted it to be more of a hardcore record. I wanted to let my hair down and be more rock, more nasty in the sound instead of gentle. But I still wanted it to be beautiful."
