Olivia Williams
Encyclopedia
Olivia Haigh Williams (born 26 July 1968) is an English film, stage and television actress who has appeared in British
and American films
and television series.
, London, England. Both of her parents are barrister
s.
, an independent school
for girls in Hampstead
in North London
, followed by Newnham College
at the University of Cambridge
, from which she graduated with a degree in English literature
. She then studied drama at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
for two years and spent three years at the Royal Shakespeare Company
.
and London. In 1995, she toured the United States in a production of Shakespeare's Richard III
starring Ian McKellen
. Her first significant appearance before the cameras was as Jane Fairfax in the British TV film Emma
(1996), based on Jane Austen
's 1816 novel
.
Williams made her film debut in 1997's The Postman
, after doing a screen test for Kevin Costner
. She later won the lead role of Rosemary Cross in Wes Anderson
's Rushmore
(1998). She then starred as Bruce Willis
' wife in the blockbuster The Sixth Sense
(1999), a film she would later parody during her brief appearance in British sit-com Spaced
. Since then, Williams has appeared in several British films, including Lucky Break (2001), The Heart of Me (2002), for which she won the British Independent Film Award
for Best Actress, and An Education
(2009). She played Mrs. Darling in the 2003 film adaptation of Peter Pan
. Williams was uncredited for her role as Dr. Moira MacTaggert
in the 2006 film X-Men: The Last Stand
.
On TV, Williams portrayed British author Jane Austen
in Miss Austen Regrets
(2008) and was cast as Adelle DeWitt in Joss Whedon
's Dollhouse
, which ran on Fox
from 2009 to 2010.
In 2010, she won acclaim for her performance as Ruth Lang in Roman Polanski
's The Ghost Writer, winning the National Society of Film Critics Award, London Critics Circle Film Award for best supporting actress and was runner-up for best supporting actress at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards.
In Hanna (2011), she played Rachel, a bohemian mother traveling across North Africa and Europe, who comes into contact with the titular teen assassin, who is on the run. The film starred Saoirse Ronan
, Eric Bana
and Cate Blanchett
, and was a critical and sleeper hit.
In 2000, Williams wrote the short story
The Significance Of Hair for BBC Radio
, and read it on the air.
. The couple have two children, Esmé Ruby (born 6 April 2004) and Roxana May (born 7 April 2007). Many years ago she was in a 3-year-long relationship with Radosław Sikorski, the current Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs.
After filming The Postman, she spent time in Bolivia studying spectacled bears
in the rainforest
. Since 2006, she has written occasional travel reports for the "Independent Traveller" section of the British newspaper The Independent on Sunday
.
Cinema of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
and American films
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
and television series.
Early life
Williams was born in Camden TownCamden Town
-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
, London, England. Both of her parents are barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
s.
Education
Williams was educated at South Hampstead High SchoolSouth Hampstead High School
South Hampstead High School is an all-girls independent day school situated in Hampstead, north-west London. The school was founded and is still supported by The Girls' Day School Trust . The school operates over two sites, the Senior school and Junior school which are run as a single unit with...
, an independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
for girls in Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
in North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
, followed by Newnham College
Newnham College, Cambridge
Newnham College is a women-only constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1871 by Henry Sidgwick, and was the second Cambridge college to admit women after Girton College...
at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, from which she graduated with a degree in English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
. She then studied drama at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, opened by Laurence Olivier in 1946, is an affiliate of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama, an organisation securing the highest standards of training in the performing arts, and is an associate school of the Faculty of Creative Arts of the University of the...
for two years and spent three years at the Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
.
Career
After graduation, Williams worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company in both Stratford-upon-AvonStratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
and London. In 1995, she toured the United States in a production of Shakespeare's Richard III
Richard III (play)
Richard III is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1591. It depicts the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of Richard III of England. The play is grouped among the histories in the First Folio and is most often classified...
starring Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...
. Her first significant appearance before the cameras was as Jane Fairfax in the British TV film Emma
Emma (1996 TV film)
Jane Austen's novel Emma was adapted for British television in 1996, directed by Diarmuid Lawrence and dramatised by Andrew Davies, the same year as Miramax's film adaptation of Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow....
(1996), based on Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
's 1816 novel
Emma
Emma, by Jane Austen, is a novel about the perils of misconstrued romance. The novel was first published in December 1815. As in her other novels, Austen explores the concerns and difficulties of genteel women living in Georgian-Regency England; she also creates a lively 'comedy of manners' among...
.
Williams made her film debut in 1997's The Postman
The Postman (film)
The Postman is an American post-apocalyptic epic film based on the 1985 novel of the same name by David Brin. It was filmed in northeastern Washington , Fidalgo Island, Washington, central Oregon and Tucson, Arizona, and was directed by Kevin Costner, who also stars in the film...
, after doing a screen test for Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Costner's roles include Lt. John J...
. She later won the lead role of Rosemary Cross in Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson
Wesley Wales Anderson is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer of features, short films and commercials....
's Rushmore
Rushmore (film)
Rushmore is a 1998 comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson about an eccentric teenager named Max Fischer , his friendship with rich industrialist Herman Blume , and their mutual love for elementary school teacher Rosemary Cross . The film was co-written by Anderson and Owen Wilson...
(1998). She then starred as Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
' wife in the blockbuster The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American psychological thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film tells the story of Cole Sear , a troubled, isolated boy who is able to see and talk to the dead, and an equally troubled child psychologist who tries to help him...
(1999), a film she would later parody during her brief appearance in British sit-com Spaced
Spaced
Spaced is a British television sitcom written by and starring Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, and directed by Edgar Wright. It is noted for its rapid-fire editing, frequent pop culture references and jokes, eclectic music, and occasional displays of surrealism and non-sequitur humour...
. Since then, Williams has appeared in several British films, including Lucky Break (2001), The Heart of Me (2002), for which she won the British Independent Film Award
British Independent Film Awards 2003
The 6th British Independent Film Awards, given on 4 November 2003 at the Hammersmith Palais, London, honoured the best British independent films of 2003.-Winners:*Best Actor:**Chiwetel Ejiofor - Dirty Pretty Things*Best Actress:...
for Best Actress, and An Education
An Education
An Education is a 2009 British coming-of-age drama film, based on an autobiographical article in Granta by British journalist Lynn Barber. The film was directed by Lone Scherfig from a screenplay by Nick Hornby, and stars Carey Mulligan as Jenny, a bright schoolgirl, and Peter Sarsgaard as David,...
(2009). She played Mrs. Darling in the 2003 film adaptation of Peter Pan
Peter Pan (2003 film)
Peter Pan is a 2003 fantasy film released as a joint venture of Universal Studios, Columbia Pictures and Revolution Studios. P. J. Hogan directed a screenplay co-written with Michael Goldenberg which is based on the classic play and novel by J. M. Barrie. Jason Isaacs plays the roles of Captain...
. Williams was uncredited for her role as Dr. Moira MacTaggert
Moira MacTaggert
Dr. Moira Kinross MacTaggert is a fictional character appearing in X-Men stories in the Marvel Comics universe. She works as a geneticist and is an expert in mutant affairs. Olivia Williams played a minor role of Dr. Moira MacTaggert in X-Men: The Last Stand...
in the 2006 film X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men: The Last Stand is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. It was directed by Brett Ratner and stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones,...
.
On TV, Williams portrayed British author Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
in Miss Austen Regrets
Miss Austen Regrets
Miss Austen Regrets is a BBC-produced drama film. The film is based on the last few years of Jane Austen's life as she looks back on her life and loves and helps her favorite niece, Fanny, find a husband...
(2008) and was cast as Adelle DeWitt in Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
's Dollhouse
Dollhouse (TV series)
Dollhouse is an American science fiction television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon under Mutant Enemy Productions. It premiered on February 13, 2009, on the Fox network and was officially cancelled on November 11, 2009. The final episode aired on January 29, 2010...
, which ran on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
from 2009 to 2010.
In 2010, she won acclaim for her performance as Ruth Lang in Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."...
's The Ghost Writer, winning the National Society of Film Critics Award, London Critics Circle Film Award for best supporting actress and was runner-up for best supporting actress at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards.
In Hanna (2011), she played Rachel, a bohemian mother traveling across North Africa and Europe, who comes into contact with the titular teen assassin, who is on the run. The film starred Saoirse Ronan
Saoirse Ronan
Saoirse Una Ronan is an Irish film actress. She began her career as a child and came to international prominence in 2007 after co-starring in the film Atonement, which gained her nominations for a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.Ronan has since appeared in...
, Eric Bana
Eric Bana
Eric Bana is an Australian film and television actor. He began his career as a comedian in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal before gaining critical recognition in the biopic Chopper...
and Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett
Catherine Élise "Cate" Blanchett is an Australian actress. She came to international attention for her role as Elizabeth I of England in the 1998 biopic film Elizabeth, for which she won British Academy of Film and Television Arts and Golden Globe Awards, and earned her first Academy Award...
, and was a critical and sleeper hit.
In 2000, Williams wrote the short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
The Significance Of Hair for BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
, and read it on the air.
Film
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Beck | Karen Quinn | |
| Gaston's War | Nicky | ||
| The Postman The Postman (film) The Postman is an American post-apocalyptic epic film based on the 1985 novel of the same name by David Brin. It was filmed in northeastern Washington , Fidalgo Island, Washington, central Oregon and Tucson, Arizona, and was directed by Kevin Costner, who also stars in the film... |
Abby | ||
| 1998 | Rushmore Rushmore (film) Rushmore is a 1998 comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson about an eccentric teenager named Max Fischer , his friendship with rich industrialist Herman Blume , and their mutual love for elementary school teacher Rosemary Cross . The film was co-written by Anderson and Owen Wilson... |
Rosemary Cross | |
| 1999 | The Sixth Sense The Sixth Sense The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American psychological thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film tells the story of Cole Sear , a troubled, isolated boy who is able to see and talk to the dead, and an equally troubled child psychologist who tries to help him... |
Anna Crowe | |
| 2000 | Four Dogs Playing Poker Four Dogs Playing Poker (film) Four Dogs Playing Poker is a 2000 crime thriller directed by Paul Rachman starring Stacy Edwards, Balthazar Getty, Olivia Williams, Daniel London, Tim Curry and Forest Whitaker.-Plot:... |
Audrey | |
| Born Romantic Born Romantic Born Romantic is a 2000 British film directed by David Kane. The film is centered around a salsa club. Fergus is trying to find his ex-girlfriend, the elderly charmer Frankie the beautiful Eleanor and the robber Eddie is trying to find one of his victims, cemetery worker Jocelyn.-Plot:Salsa dancing... |
Eleanor | ||
| Dead Babies aka Mood Swingers | Diana | ||
| 2001 | The Body | Sharon Golban | |
| Lucky Break Lucky Break Lucky Break is a 2001 British comedy film starring James Nesbitt and directed by Peter Cattaneo.-Synopsis:Feelgood prison-escape movie that sees a group of prison inmates , put on a theatrical show of Nelson: The Musical to cover their daring break-out attempt... |
Annabel Sweep/Lady Hamilton in show | Best Actress, Empire Awards Empire (magazine) Empire is a British film magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. From the first issue in July 1989, the magazine was edited by Barry McIlheney and published by Emap. Bauer purchased Emap Consumer Media in early 2008... (2002) (nominated) |
|
| The Man from Elysian Fields The Man From Elysian Fields The Man from Elysian Fields is a drama film directed by George Hickenlooper. It stars Andy Garcia, Mick Jagger, Olivia Williams, Julianna Margulies and James Coburn.-Plot:... |
Andrea | ||
| 2002 | The Heart of Me The Heart of Me The Heart of Me is a 2003 British period drama film directed by Thaddeus O'Sullivan. Starring Helena Bonham Carter, Paul Bettany, and Olivia Williams. Set in London before and after World War II, it depicts the consequences of a woman's torrid affair with her sister's husband... |
Madeleine | Best Actress, British Independent Film Awards British Independent Film Awards 2003 The 6th British Independent Film Awards, given on 4 November 2003 at the Hammersmith Palais, London, honoured the best British independent films of 2003.-Winners:*Best Actor:**Chiwetel Ejiofor - Dirty Pretty Things*Best Actress:... (2003) |
| Below Below (film) Below is a 2002 World War II horror film directed by David Twohy. It was written by Lucas Sussman, Darren Aronofsky and David Twohy, and stars Bruce Greenwood, Olivia Williams, Matthew Davis, Holt McCallany, Scott Foley, Zach Galifianakis, Jason Flemyng and Dexter Fletcher.It was filmed on location... |
Claire | ||
| 2003 | To Kill a King To Kill a King To Kill a King is a UK 2003 English Civil War film directed by Mike Barker, starring Tim Roth and Dougray Scott. It relates the relationship between Oliver Cromwell and Thomas Fairfax in the post-war period from 1648 until the former's death, in 1658. It deals with the corruption of Parliament... |
Lady Anne Fairfax | |
| Peter Pan Peter Pan (2003 film) Peter Pan is a 2003 fantasy film released as a joint venture of Universal Studios, Columbia Pictures and Revolution Studios. P. J. Hogan directed a screenplay co-written with Michael Goldenberg which is based on the classic play and novel by J. M. Barrie. Jason Isaacs plays the roles of Captain... |
Mrs. Darling | ||
| 2005 | Valiant | Victoria | voice |
| Tara Road Tara Road (film) Tara Road is a film based on the novel of the same name by Maeve Binchy.-Plot:Two women trade houses without ever having met. They're both looking for an escape from their problems, but by running away, both come to discover a great deal about themselves.Ria Lynch is to married Danny Lynch and they... |
Ria | ||
| Mockingbird | Mother | ||
| 2006 | X-Men: The Last Stand X-Men: The Last Stand X-Men: The Last Stand is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. It was directed by Brett Ratner and stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones,... |
Moira MacTaggert | Uncredited |
| 2008 | Flashbacks of a Fool Flashbacks of a Fool Flashbacks of a Fool is a 2008 British drama film about a Hollywood actor who, following the death of his childhood best friend, reflects upon his life and what might have been, had he stayed in England... |
Grace Scott | |
| Broken Lines | Zoe | ||
| 2009 | An Education An Education An Education is a 2009 British coming-of-age drama film, based on an autobiographical article in Granta by British journalist Lynn Barber. The film was directed by Lone Scherfig from a screenplay by Nick Hornby, and stars Carey Mulligan as Jenny, a bright schoolgirl, and Peter Sarsgaard as David,... |
Miss Stubbs | Nominated - London Film Critics Circle Award for British Supporting Actress of the Year London Film Critics Circle Awards 2009 The 30th Critics' Circle Awards, will be given by the London Film Critics Circle on 18 February 2010, honouring the best in film for 2009.-Actor of the Year:*Michael Stuhlbarg – A Serious Man*Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart... |
| 2010 | The Ghost Writer | Ruth Lang | London Film Critics Circle Award for British Supporting Actress of the Year London Film Critics Circle Awards 2010 The nominees for the 31st London Film Critics Circle Awards, honouring the best in film for 2010 were announced by the London Film Critics Circle on December 20, 2010.-Actor of the Year:*Jeff Bridges – True Grit*Jesse Eisenberg – The Social Network... National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress The National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress is one of the annual awards given by the National Society of Film Critics.This awards was given for the first time in 1967 to Marjorie Rhodes for her role in The Family Way.... |
| Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (film) Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll is a 2010 biopic of Ian Dury, starring Andy Serkis as Dury. The film follows Dury's rise to fame and documents his personal battle with the disability caused by having contracted polio during childhood. The effect that his disability and his lifestyle have upon his... |
Betty Dury | ||
| 2011 | Collaborator Collaborator (film) Collaborator is a comedy-drama film written and directed by Martin Donovan. This film held its world premiere on July 4, 2011 at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.-Plot:... |
Emma Stiles | |
| Hanna Hanna (film) Hanna is a 2011 European-American action thriller film directed by Joe Wright. The film stars actress Saoirse Ronan as the title character with Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett... |
Rachel |
Television
| Year(s) of appearance |
Film or series | Role | Awards and nominations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 (1 episode) |
Van der Valk (1972–1973, 1977, 1991–1992) "Still Waters" |
Irene Kortman | |
| 1992 (1 episode) |
The Ruth Rendell Mysteries The Ruth Rendell Mysteries The Ruth Rendell Mysteries is a British television series made by TVS and Meridian Television for ITV between 1987 and 2000.-Description:The series comprises adaptations of the works of Ruth Rendell, many of which are based on her extensive range of short stories... (1987–2000) "The Speaker of Mandarin" |
Jennifer Norris | |
| 1998 (2 episodes) |
Friends Friends Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television... (1994–2004) "The One with Ross's Wedding: Part 1" and "The One with Ross's Wedding: Part 2" |
Felicity - one of the bridesmaids | |
| 2000 | Jason and the Argonauts | Hera Hera Hera was the wife and one of three sisters of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon of Greek mythology and religion. Her chief function was as the goddess of women and marriage. Her counterpart in the religion of ancient Rome was Juno. The cow and the peacock were sacred to her... |
|
| 2001 (1 episode) |
Spaced Spaced Spaced is a British television sitcom written by and starring Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, and directed by Edgar Wright. It is noted for its rapid-fire editing, frequent pop culture references and jokes, eclectic music, and occasional displays of surrealism and non-sequitur humour... (1999, 2001) "Help" |
Knocked-down Cyclist | |
| 2004 | Agatha Christie – A Life in Pictures | Agatha Christie Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to... |
|
| 2006 | Krakatoa – The Last Days Krakatoa - The Last Days Krakatoa: The Last Days is a BBC Television docudrama that premiered on May 7, 2006 on BBC One... |
Johanna Beijerinck | |
| 2007 | Damage | Michelle Cahill | |
| 2008 | Miss Austen Regrets Miss Austen Regrets Miss Austen Regrets is a BBC-produced drama film. The film is based on the last few years of Jane Austen's life as she looks back on her life and loves and helps her favorite niece, Fanny, find a husband... |
Jane Austen Jane Austen Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived... |
|
| 2009–2010 | Dollhouse Dollhouse (TV series) Dollhouse is an American science fiction television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon under Mutant Enemy Productions. It premiered on February 13, 2009, on the Fox network and was officially cancelled on November 11, 2009. The final episode aired on January 29, 2010... |
Adelle DeWitt | |
| 2010 | Terriers Terriers (TV series) Terriers is an American crime comedy-drama television series created by Ted Griffin for FX. It premiered on September 8, 2010. The show was canceled by FX on December 6, 2010 after the first season.-Premise:... |
Miriam Foster | |
| 2011 | Case Sensitive | DS Charlie Zailer |
Theatre
| Year(s) of appearance |
Production | Role | Awards and nominations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Richard III Richard III (play) Richard III is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1591. It depicts the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of Richard III of England. The play is grouped among the histories in the First Folio and is most often classified... (c. Circa Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date... 1591) by William Shakespeare William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"... |
||
| 2003 | Love's Labour's Lost Love's Labour's Lost Love's Labour's Lost is one of William Shakespeare's early comedies, believed to have been written in the mid-1590s, and first published in 1598.-Title:... (c. 1595–1596) by William Shakespeare William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
|
The Princess | |
| 2003 | The Hotel in Amsterdam (first performed 1968) by John Osborne John Osborne John James Osborne was an English playwright, screenwriter, actor and critic of the Establishment. The success of his 1956 play Look Back in Anger transformed English theatre....
|
Annie | |
| 2006 | The Changeling The Changeling (play) The Changeling is a Jacobean tragedy written by Thomas Middleton and William Rowley. Widely regarded as "among the best" tragedies of the English Renaissance, the play has accumulated a significant body of critical commentary.... (1653) by Thomas Middleton Thomas Middleton Thomas Middleton was an English Jacobean playwright and poet. Middleton stands with John Fletcher and Ben Jonson as among the most successful and prolific of playwrights who wrote their best plays during the Jacobean period. He was one of the few Renaissance dramatists to achieve equal success in... and William Rowley William Rowley William Rowley was an English Jacobean dramatist, best known for works written in collaboration with more successful writers. His date of birth is estimated to have been c. 1585; he was buried on 11 February 1626...
|
Beatrice-Joanna | |
| 2011 | In a Forest, Dark and Deep In a Forest, Dark and Deep In a Forest, Dark and Deep is a play by Neil LaBute. It received its world premiere production in the West End's Vaudeville Theatre on 14 March 2011 following previews from 3 March 2011, running for a limited season until 4 June 2011. The production starred Matthew Fox and Olivia Williams.... by Neil LaBute Neil LaBute Neil N. LaBute is an American film director, screenwriter and playwright.-Early life:LaBute was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Marian, a hospital receptionist, and Richard LaBute, a long-haul truck driver. LaBute is of French Canadian, English and Irish ancestry, and was raised in Spokane,...
|
Betty |
Personal life
On 2 November 2003, Williams married American stage actor and playwright Rhashan StoneRhashan Stone
Rhashan Stone is a British-American actor, comedian, musician, composer, singer and playwright. He is best known for appearing in many BBC television comedy shows such as Desmond's and Mutual Friends. As well as his numerous television appearances, Rhashan is also an accomplished stage actor...
. The couple have two children, Esmé Ruby (born 6 April 2004) and Roxana May (born 7 April 2007). Many years ago she was in a 3-year-long relationship with Radosław Sikorski, the current Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs.
After filming The Postman, she spent time in Bolivia studying spectacled bears
Spectacled Bear
The spectacled bear , also known as the Andean bear and locally as ukuko, jukumari or ucumari, is the last remaining short-faced bear and the closest living relative to the Florida spectacled bear and short-faced bears of the Middle Pleistocene to Late Pleistocene age.The spectacled bear is a...
in the rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
. Since 2006, she has written occasional travel reports for the "Independent Traveller" section of the British newspaper The Independent on Sunday
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
.