Joely Richardson starred opposite Mel Gibson in the Revolutionary War epic The Patriot. She also recently starred in Return To Me, with David Duchovny and Minnie Driver, and in the lead role in the romantic comedy Maybe Baby, written and directed by Ben Elton. Richardson's film debut came at age 19, when she appeared in David Hare's Wetherby alongside her mother, actress Vanessa Redgrave; the two played the same woman, at different stages in her life. Richardson was nominated for The Evening Standard's Best Newcomer Award for her performance.

Among Richardson's film credits are James L. Brooks' I'll Do Anything, with Nick Nolte; 101 Dalmatians; Loch Ness, opposite Ted Danson; and Event Horizon, with Laurence Fishburne. In 1998 Richardson was nominated for an American Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Under Heaven, in the same category as her aunt, Lynn Redgrave.

Her most famous television role was in Ken Russell's Lady Chatterly's Lover, opposite Sean Bean, which attracted 16 million viewers and was immensely popular throughout Europe. She worked again with David Hare in the television movie Heading Home, opposite Steven Dillane and Gary Oldman.

After eleven years, Joely returned to the stage to play the title role in the critically acclaimed Madame Melville opposite Macaulay Culkin in New York.