Londoner Charlotte Cornwell was born on April 26 1949. She is the half-sister of novelist John Le Carre - whose real name is David Cornwell - and his novel 'The Little Drummer Girl' had a leading character based on her, Le Carre being disappointed that in the film version the star was not Charlotte but the more bankable Diane Keaton. Charlotte studied drama at London's Webber Douglas School and made her professional debut at the Bristol Old Vic and has since performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre both in Britain and overseas. To many of a certain age however she will be affectionately associated with the television series of 'Rock Follies' in the late 1970s where she was an original member of singing group the Little Ladies, performing on the accompanying soundtrack albums. Since the start of the twenty-first century she has lived in America,teaching acting at the University of South California.