Charlotte Kate Fox

Fox was born Charlotte Elizabeth Demo Varney in Santa Fe, New Mexico to her parents, Cynthia Demo and Edward Latin Varney III, on August 14, 1985. Edward (Ted) was in the construction business, and Cynthia (Cindy) was a real estate agent. Fox’s older half-brother, Matthew, was sixteen years older than Fox, and as a result, Fox did not grow up with him. When Fox was nine, her parents divorced. Her mother remarried John Fox. She appeared in smaller independent films until she was cast as the first foreign leader of the 150-episode NHK Japanese morning drama Massan playing Ellie, a character based on the real-life Rita Cowan (Taketsuru Rita). Fox was chosen from among 521 applicants (232 from Japan, 289 from outside Japan). When polled by NHK as to the reasons for watching Massan, 60% of the viewers chose Fox as the reason (second highest, with the highest, 65%, choosing “Interesting story and theme”).