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Imelda Staunton

Imelda Staunton

Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born 9 January 1956) is an English actress and singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Staunton began her career in repertory theatre in 1976 and appeared in various theatre productions in the United Kingdom.

Staunton has performed in a variety of plays and musicals in London throughout her career, winning four Laurence Olivier Awards; three for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her roles in the musicals Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, and Gypsy, and one for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Play for her work in both A Chorus of Disapproval and The Corn is Green. Her other stage appearances include The Beggar's Opera, The Wizard of Oz, Uncle Vanya, Guys and Dolls, Entertaining Mr Sloane, and Good People. She has been nominated for 13 Olivier Awards.

On film, Staunton starred in Antonia and Jane; in several supporting roles in Kenneth Branagh's comedy Peter's Friends, his adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing; Ang Lee's adaptation of Sense and Sensibility; and the costume romantic comedy Shakespeare in Love. She drew critical acclaim for her performance in the title role in Mike Leigh's Vera Drake, for which she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role and the Venice Film Festival Volpi Cup for Best Actress, in addition to being nominated for Best Actress by the Academy Awards, the Golden Globe Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. She later gained a wider audience for her portrayal as Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter films The Order of the Phoenix and The Deathly Hallows - Part 1. She continued supporting roles in Nanny McPhee, reunited with Leigh in Another Year, and the film continuation of Downton Abbey. She portrayed human rights activist Hefina Headon in the historical film Pride, and starred in the British comedy Finding Your Feet. She also provided voice acting roles for the films Chicken Run, Arthur Christmas, and Paddington.

On television, Staunton starred in the sitcoms Up the Garden Path and Is it Legal?. Her performance in My Family and Other Animals earned her a nomination for the International Emmy Award for Best Actress, while her roles in Return to Cranford and The Girl earned her BAFTA TV Award nominations for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. For the latter, she was also nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie. She portrayed Queen Elizabeth II in the final two seasons of The Crown.

  • BIRTH 09/01/1956
  • Country United Kingdom
  • SHOWS 14
  • MOVIES 47

Shows (14)

The Crown
The Crown
Queen Elizabeth II
Doctor Who (2005)
Doctor Who (2005)
Interface (voice)
Trying
Trying
Penny
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders
Christine Cooper
The Graham Norton Show
The Graham Norton Show
Self
Fingersmith
Fingersmith
Mrs. Sucksby
Flesh and Blood (2020)
Flesh and Blood (2020)
Mary
Cranford
Cranford
Miss Pole
David Copperfield (1999)
David Copperfield (1999)
Mrs. Micawber
Cambridge Spies
Cambridge Spies
The Queen
Natural World
Natural World
Narrator
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Self
If You See God, Tell Him
If You See God, Tell Him
Muriel Spry
The Singing Detective
The Singing Detective
Staff Nurse White

Movies (47)

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
Bunty (voice)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Dolores Umbridge
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Dolores Umbridge
Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland
Tall Flower Faces (voice)
Chicken Run
Chicken Run
Bunty (voice)
Downton Abbey: A New Era
Downton Abbey: A New Era
Maud Bagshaw
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Knotgrass
Paddington
Paddington
Aunt Lucy (voice)
Maleficent
Maleficent
Knotgrass
Paddington 2
Paddington 2
Aunt Lucy (voice)
Freedom Writers
Freedom Writers
Margaret Campbell
Sense and Sensibility
Sense and Sensibility
Charlotte Jennings Palmer
Nanny McPhee
Nanny McPhee
Mrs. Blatherwick
Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey
Maud Bagshaw
Shakespeare in Love
Shakespeare in Love
Nurse
Arthur Christmas
Arthur Christmas
Mrs Santa (voice)
Paddington in Peru
Paddington in Peru
Aunt Lucy (voice)
Pride
Pride
Hefina
Harry Potter: A History Of Magic
Harry Potter: A History Of Magic
Narrator
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!
Queen Victoria (voice)
Taking Woodstock
Taking Woodstock
Sonia Teichberg
The Canterville Ghost
The Canterville Ghost
Mrs Umney (voice)
The Awakening
The Awakening
Maud Hill
Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing
Margaret
Peter's Friends
Peter's Friends
Mary Charleston
Another Year
Another Year
Janet
Shadow Man
Shadow Man
Ambassador Cochran
Citizen X
Citizen X
Mrs. Burakov
A Bunch of Amateurs
A Bunch of Amateurs
Mary
Another Life
Another Life
Ethel Graydon
Another Life
Another Life
Ethel Graydon
Finding Your Feet
Finding Your Feet
Sandra Abbott
Amulet
Amulet
Sister Claire
Crush
Crush
Janine
The Girl
The Girl
Alma Reville Hitchcock
Gypsy
Gypsy
Rose
Vera Drake
Vera Drake
Vera Drake
Jack and the Beanstalk
Jack and the Beanstalk
Dilly
I'll Be There
I'll Be There
Dr. Bridget
Comrades
Comrades
Betsy Loveless
National Theatre Live: Follies
National Theatre Live: Follies
Sally Durant Plummer
Blackball
Blackball
Bridget
Rat
Rat
Conchita Flynn
Twelfth Night
Twelfth Night
Maria
National Theatre Live: Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
National Theatre Live: Edward Albee's Who's…
Martha
The Snow Queen
The Snow Queen
Ivy / Angorra
Bright Young Things
Bright Young Things
Lady Brown