Cornelia Guest | |
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| Born | Cornelia Cochrane Churchill Guest (1963-11-28)November 28, 1963 (age 61) |
| Education | Foxcroft School |
| Occupation(s) | Socialite, author, actress |
| Parent(s) | Winston Guest C. Z. Guest |
| Relatives | Henry Phipps, Jr. (great-grandfather) Frederick Guest (grandfather) Edward VIII (godfather) Wallis Simpson (godmother) |
Cornelia Cochrane Churchill Guest (born November 28, 1963) is a New Yorksocialite,author,actress, and theDebutante of the Decade for the 1980s of theInternational Debutante Ball in New York City. She is avegan, and known for her advocacy ofanimal rights.
Cornelia Cochrane Churchill Guest was born on November 28, 1963, inNew York City, New York. Cornelia Guest is the daughter of the British polo championWinston Guest (1906–1982) and socialiteLucy "C.Z." Douglas Cochrane (1920-2003). She was the fourth and last child for Winston Guest and the second and last of C.Z. Guest’s children.[1] She was named for her great-grandmother Lady Cornelia Spencer-Churchill (1847–1927), a daughter ofJohn Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough. Hergodparents were her parents' friends,King Edward VIII (1894–1972) and his wifeWallis, Duchess of Windsor (1896–1986).[2][3]
Guest attendedFoxcroft School, but dropped out at 15[3] and completed her high-school diploma through a correspondence course.[4] Guest became an accomplished equestrian, like her father, and rode competitively.[2][5] She continued riding until her mother died in 2003.[2]
Cornelia made her debut in the winter of 1981-1982 at theInternational Debutante Ball at theWaldorf-Astoria in New York City.[4] Her 18th birthday party included authorTruman Capote (a family friend), PrinceEgon von Fürstenberg (1946–2004), supermodelCheryl Tiegs, John Bowes-Lyon who isQueen Elizabeth’s cousin,Andy Warhol (another childhood friend), make-up artistWay Bandy, heiress and philanthropistDoris Duke, andJerry Zipkin, a socialite, escort, and confidante of First LadyNancy Reagan, as guests.[4][5] Capote, a Guest family friend, explained toPeople magazine why Guest’s soiree attracted so many celebrities, royals, and powerful people: "Cornelia has a No. 1 name. The Guests are from real patrician stock, unlike the Vanderbilts and Rockefellers, who are descended from crooks."[4]
Guest was 1982’s Deb of the Year and was named the Deb of the Decade in 1986.[5][6][7]The New York Times called her “the first ‘celebutante.’”[5] As the newspaper noted at the time, “Before her, debs were quiet about their ambitions. They aimed to mingle with the equally posh and then marry. Cornelia had different plans: she wanted to be an actress. ‘Cornelia is some number,’ her mother said when Cornelia had left New York for Hollywood. ‘She is a star, and she wants to be a superstar.’”[5]
Guest was a constant presence in the society press and the national news throughout the decade – including a photo shoot in which she appeared “topless in Time magazine, her hands covering her breasts.”[6] She appeared inTime, Life, People, New York magazine andThe Washington Post.[8] Some were critical of Guest’s flamboyance and self-promotion in particular and of the resurgence of debutante balls, with the lavish spending that comes with them, in general.[8][9]
Soon after the publication of her memoir, Guest headed to Hollywood for an acting career, quickly securing the services of both an agent and a much-in-demand acting coach,Sandra Seacat.[10][2] Guest scored mostly small roles, beginning in 1989.[7] In the early 2000s, she served as a spokeswoman for the upscale LaPrairie skin-care line.[5]
In 2013, Guest became a member of "TeamGuy" on the second season ofFood Network'sRachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off.[11] In 2017, she appeared inTwin Peaks.[12]
Guest is a vegan and has been a spokesperson for animal rights.[3] Her line of upscale handbags forBloomingdale's and 50 other stores includes no leather purses.[2][13][14] In 2011, Guest posed nude as part of the ongoing “I’d rather go naked than wear fur” campaign forPeople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).[13][3]
In August 2015, Guest became Brand Ambassador for Donna Salyers' Fabulous Furs, aCovington, Kentucky-based fashion house which specializes infaux fur clothing and products,[15] and announced plans to release between five and ten designs through the company for the fall 2016 season.[16]
In January 2020, Guest moved to Dallas, Texas, to make a better home for the menagerie of animals she has rescued, including mini horses, donkeys, Guinea hens, a Sulcata tortoise, ducks, chickens, peacocks, cats, and dogs.[17]
Guest serves as a Director on the Board of the Humane Society of New York,[18] an animal adoption center and veterinary clinic.
In 1986, she published a memoir,The Debutante’s Guide to Life.[2] As part of the book tour for The Debutante’s Guide to Life, Guest crooned “It’s My Party and I’ll Cry If I Want To” onLate Night with David Letterman.[2]
In June 2012, Guest published a vegan cookbook and entertaining guide,Cornelia Guest's Simple Pleasures: Healthy Seasonal Cooking & Easy Entertaining.[19][20] She also launched a vegan catering business in 2010.[20][21] According to Guests' events website,[22] "the menus are not limited to vegan and vegetarian options."
Now the prep school dropout who got her diploma by mail is taking acting lessons for 12 hours every week from Hollywood coach Sandra Seacat, whose students have included Jessica Lange and Rachel Ward. [...] A friend helped her get an agent, Kelly Newby at the La Rocca Talent Agency in Burbank.
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