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Little is known about Helen Wanesmith, the 19-year old who, on October 27th, 1983, gave birth to Abigail Camelia Weston. Weeks before the baby's arrival, it was established that Jane and Albert Weston, a couple of scholars from London, would adopt the child. Married in 1978 but, sadly, incapable of conceiving their own children, the pair waited long and patiently for adoption services find their baby. Though the process began in early 1980, a number of hopeful-turned-disappointing opportunities came to pass before the Westons received a momentous phone call from their social worker -- a promising match had been found. It was July of 1983 when Jane and Albert initiated the first of (what would turn out to be) countless meetings with Miss Wanesmith, a quiet girl who was not prepared to be a mother.
The bond within the new family was immediate and incredibly strong. A finicky baby, she seemed to prefer staying up all night -- screaming, naturally -- and sleeping during the day. For their part, Albert and Jane were diligent first-time parents, singing lullabies and warming up bottle after bottle. The phase of night-long wailing eventually passed, but the insurmountable affection held toward the newborn only continued to grow.
In time, Jane and Albert were obliged to return to work. As an engineer and an anthropologist, respectively, each was often required to live abroad for months at a time. In January 1986, the family moved to South Africa while Albert took on a job studying the country's indigenous languages. Jane and Abby remained in Johannesburg, where Albert would return on weekends. Growing up in South Africa wasn't without its complications, but Abigail certainly did not suffer from any of them. In fact, her particular upbringing helped shape her artistic character. When out of school, the aging Abigail would bury her nose in books -- either classic children's stories or those she wrote herself. Dancing and drawing were also favorite pastimes of hers, and they kept her busy for hours. In retrospect, Abby's parents concede that their daughter's career choice was elementary, if not altogether unavoidable. Her flair for expression and remarkable imagination would later secure her ambitions of becoming an actress.
As a child, Abby also developed an interest in travel. From an early age, she was carted across the globe with her travel-enthusiast parents -- it didn't take long for their passion to pass on to her. The end of the school year meant a summer of exploring new destinations, or sometimes revisiting cherished ones. In a way, all this travel prepared Abigail for a career that would see her jet-setting across the globe.
Once work was complete in Johannesburg, the Westons briefly returned to England where, in an effort to hone in on her talents, Abby insisted on enrolling in both ballet and acting lessons. Only eight years old at the time, she exerted unusual amounts of self-discipline and determination, though her confidence occasionally faltered. When she felt her courage dip, Abigail would push harder to perfect whatever task lay ahead. No matter how tough she was on herself, the young girl was rarely unhappy.
After moving to California in 1994, Abigail finally settled down in a more conventional school environment, though this did not interfere with her creative pursuits. In fact, her new school offered more than enough plays, variety shows and dance recitals to keep her busy. Jane Weston eventually agreed to drive her daughter to various casting calls, usually for commercials, in hopes of landing a gig. Ultimately, it was through her drama teacher that Abby would come upon a pivotal opportunity. A friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend, so it goes, knew the producer of an up-and-coming television show called Freaks and Geeks, and Abby was hooked up with an audition. She landed a leading role as Lindsey Weir and, although the series didn't span longer than a single season, won the favor of viewers. The show was cancelled in 2000, but Abigail moved forward without missing a beat, starring in smaller films before nabbing supporting roles in larger ones. In time, she earned the respect of audiences and critics alike and, consequently, began landing bigger roles in bigger movies.
Today, Abigail Camelia Weston is a rising star. With an extraordinary performance in Atonement under her belt, she has secured her deserved place within the entertainment industry. Be that as it may, preserving her integrity and privacy is a priority. Attending events, signing autographs and promoting a project -- these are all fun parts of the job. However, Abigail prefers not to overly advertise the goings-on of her personal life. Paparazzi may occasionally peer in -- it's only normal, given her profession -- but contact usually ends there.
At the end of the day, she is pretty much the same friendly girl as always. She can be guarded with her deep feelings, and problems usually eat away at her without anyone ever knowing, but Abby will almost always make the effort to be positive. And if doing so isn't enough, a quick trip to Africa or Asia or anywhere will always calm her nerves.
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