Celia Diana Savile Imrie (born 15 July 1952) is a British actress and author. She is best known for her film roles, including the '' Bridget Jones'' film series, '' Calendar Girls'' (2003), '' Nanny McPhee'' (2005), '' The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'' (2011), '' The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'' (2015), ''

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again ''Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again'' is a 2018 jukebox musical romantic comedy film written and directed by Ol Parker, from a story by Parker, Catherine Johnson (playwright), Catherine Johnson, and Richard Curtis. It is the sequel and prequel to t ...

'' (2018), the FX TV series '' Better Things'' (2016–2022) and the

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

series '' The Diplomat'' (2023–present), and her frequent collaborations with actress and comedian Victoria Wood.

Early life and education

Imrie was born on 15 July 1952 in

Guildford Guildford () is a town in west Surrey, England, around south-west of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The nam ...

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

, the fourth of five children of Dr. David Andrew Imrie, a

radiologist Radiology ( ) is the medical specialty that uses medical imaging to diagnose diseases and guide treatment within the bodies of humans and other animals. It began with radiography (which is why its name has a root referring to radiation), but tod ...

from

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, Scotland, and Diana Elizabeth, née Cator. Her mother was a granddaughter of Sir John Ralph Blois, 8th Baronet, from an ancient Suffolk family. Imrie was educated at Guildford High School, an independent school for girls in her home town of Guildford, followed by the Guildford School of Acting.

Career

Film

Imrie's film credits include the mischievous Mrs. Selma Quickly in '' Nanny McPhee'', Iris du Pré in '' Hilary and Jackie'', Homily Clock in the 1997 film '' The Borrowers'', '' House of Whipcord'', '' Bridget Jones's Diary'', '' Calendar Girls'', '' Highlander'' and '' Mary Shelley's Frankenstein''. Imrie played Fighter Pilot Bravo 5 in '' Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'',Nicholson, Rebecca
Celia Imrie: ‘People go wild when I tell them I was a fighter pilot in ''Star Wars''
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', 22 September 2020 Matron in '' St Trinian's'' (2007), Claudia Bing in '' Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie'' (2016), Victoria Watkins in '' A Cure for Wellness'' (2016), Bif in '' Finding Your Feet'' (2017), Vice-Chancellor in ''

'' (2018), Mimi in '' Love Sarah'' (2020), and Imelda in '' Good Grief'' (2024).

Television

Imrie's television credits include '' Upstairs, Downstairs'', '' Bergerac'', '' The Nightmare Man'', '' Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit'', '' Casualty'', '' Absolutely Fabulous'', and '' The Darling Buds of May''.Biography of Celia Imrie

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

Screenonline She also played Vera in '' A Dark-Adapted Eye'' (1994) by Ruth Rendell. She first worked with Victoria Wood in the 1980s on Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV, which included the popular sketch Acorn Antiques. In 1994, she reunited with Wood in the television film Pat and Margaret, and later appeared in Dinnerladies from 1998 to 1999. Imrie's other roles include ''

Still Game ''Still Game'' is a Scotland, Scottish sitcom produced by Effingee Productions, The Comedy Unit and BBC Scotland. It was created by Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill, who played the lead characters, Jack Jarvis (Still Game character), Jack Jarvis, ...

'', '' Cloud Howe'', ''

Taggart ''Taggart'' is a Scottish detective fiction television programme created by Glenn Chandler, who wrote many of the episodes, and made by STV Studios for the ITV network. It originally ran as the miniseries ''Killer'' from 6 until 20 Septe ...

'', '' Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit'', and ''Blue Black Permanent'' (1992). In 2000, she played Lady Gertrude in '' Gormenghast'', while, in 2001, she was in '' Love in a Cold Climate'' with Alan Bates. In 2002, she played Mrs Violet Pearman to Albert Finney's Churchill in '' The Gathering Storm''. She appeared in the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

television drama '' Mr. Harvey Lights a Candle'' (2005), appeared opposite Nicholas Lyndhurst in the BBC

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

'' After You've Gone'' (2007–2008), opposite

Stephen Fry Sir Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director, narrator and writer. He came to prominence as a member of the comic act Fry and Laurie alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring in ''A Bit of ...

in the

ITV1 ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the ITV (TV network), Channel 3 ...

drama '' Kingdom'', and with

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage ...

in '' Cranford''. In 2013, she guest-starred in the BBC's ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'', playing the villainous Miss Kizlet in " The Bells of Saint John". In May 2016, she made her US television debut in the DC action-adventure series '' Legends of Tomorrow''. In September 2016 she began starring as Phyllis in the FX series '' Better Things''.

Theatre

After appearing as a chorus girl in many a pantomime, Imrie got a job, in 1975, as an Assistant Stage Manager and understudy in the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...

with Glenda Jackson playing '' Hedda Gabler'', directed by Trevor Nunn, on a world tour. Also in the company at that time were

Patrick Stewart Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor. With a career spanning over seven decades of Patrick Stewart on stage and screen, stage and screen, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Patrick Stewart, variou ...

, Timothy West, Peter Eyre, Pam St Clement, Jennie Linden and Fidelis Morgan. In 1979, Imrie played in her first revue, ''Performing Ceals'' with Celia Foxe, which first opened at The Bonne Crepe and played at various venues in London ending up in 1980 at The Comic Strip. Other plays include ''Seduced'' at the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a West End theatre#London's non-commercial theatres, non-commercial theatre in Sloane Square, London, England, opene ...

, and ''Heaven and Hell'' at the Traverse Theatre. Imrie appeared with the company in the 1979, 1981 and 1983 seasons at the celebrated Citizens Theatre in Glasgow. In 1984 she played in '' Alfie'' with Adam Faith at the

Liverpool Playhouse The Liverpool Playhouse is a theatre in Williamson Square in the city of Liverpool, England. It originated in 1866 as a music hall, and in 1911 developed into a repertory theatre. As such it nurtured the early careers of many actors and actre ...

in a production directed by

Alan Parker Sir Alan William Parker (14 February 1944 – 31 July 2020) was an English film director, screenwriter and producer. His early career, beginning in his late teens, was spent as a copywriter and director of television advertisements. After abo ...

. In 1991 she appeared in ''The Sea'' with Dame

at the National Theatre in London. In 2005, after a successful run at the King's Head Theatre, her one woman play ''Unsuspecting Susan'' written by Stewart Permutt transferred to 59E59 Theaters in New York. In 2009 she appeared in '' Plague Over England'' in the West End, while in the same year she appeared in the world premiere of Robin Soans' ''Mixed Up North'', directed by Max Stafford-Clark. In 2010, she appeared alongside Robin Soans in a production of Sheridan's ''

The Rivals ''The Rivals'' is a comedy of manners by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in five acts which was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre on 17 January 1775. The story has been updated frequently, including a 1935 musical and a 1958 List of Maverick ...

''. In 2005, Imrie won the

Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in West End theatre, professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of We ...

for Best Supporting Actress in '' Acorn Antiques: The Musical!'' playing Miss Babs. In 1995 she played in '' The Hothouse'' at the Chichester Festival Theatre with

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...

, with the production after transferring to the West End. In 1990 she appeared in '' Hangover Square'' at the Lyric Hammersmith with Dudley Sutton, in '' Drama at Inish'' (2011) at the

Finborough Theatre The Finborough Theatre is a fifty-seat theatre in the West Brompton area of London (part of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea) under artistic director Neil McPherson. The theatre presents new British writing, as well as UK and world p ...

with Paul O'Grady, and in her cabaret ''Laughing Matters'' – all adapted and directed by Fidelis Morgan. In 2010, Imrie played in ''

Hay Fever Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of rhinitis, inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. It is classified as a Allergy, type I hypersensitivity re ...

'', and during the 2011–2012 season she appeared in '' Noises Off'' at The Old Vic and the West End, for which performance she was nominated for an Olivier Award. In 2016 Imrie re-united with Glenda Jackson after 41 years since their RSC world tour, playing a "grimly determined Goneril" in ''

King Lear ''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...

'' at The Old Vic. Imrie narrated during the ceremonial event held to mark the 75th anniversary of D-day at

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

in 2019.

Radio

Imrie's radio work includes parts in

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

's '' No Commitments'' and '' Bleak Expectations''. In early 2007, she narrated the book ''

Arabella ''Arabella'', Op. 79, is a lyric comedy, or opera, in three acts by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, their sixth and last operatic collaboration. Performance history It was first performed on 1 July 1933 at the D ...

'', broadcast over two weeks as the '' Book at Bedtime''. She was the guest on '' Desert Island Discs'' on

on 13 February 2011. She appeared on

's '' The Museum of Curiosity'' in October 2019. Her hypothetical donation to this imaginary museum was "A half-burnt candle".

Books

Imrie's debut novel ''Not Quite Nice'' was published by

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London, part of the London Borough of Camden in England. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural institution, cultural, intellectual, and educational ...

in 2015, had six weeks in the '' Sunday Times'' Top Ten, was cited by ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' as a 'delicious piece of entertainment', and also reached number 5 in the

Apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...

ibook chart and 8 in Amazon's book chart. Her second novel, ''Nice Work (If You Can Get It)'', was published in 2016; and her third, ''Sail Away'', was published in February 2018. Her next work, ''A Nice Cup of Tea'', was published in 2019. Her fifth novel, ''Orphans of the Storm'', was published in 2021. *''The Happy Hoofer'' (2011),

Hodder & Stoughton Hodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint of Hachette.H ...

, *''Not Quite Nice'' (2015),

Bloomsbury Publishing Bloomsbury Publishing plc is a British worldwide publishing house of fiction and non-fiction. Bloomsbury's head office is located on Bedford Square in Bloomsbury, an area of the London Borough of Camden. It has a US publishing office located in ...

, *''Nice Work (If You Can Get It)'' (2016), Bloomsbury Publishing, *''Sail Away'' (2018), Bloomsbury Publishing, *''A Nice Cup of Tea'' (2019), Bloomsbury Publishing. *''Orphans of the Storm'' (2021), Bloomsbury Publishing. *''Meet Me At Rainbow Corner'' (2024), Bloomsbury Publishing.

''Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again''

As part of the cast of the 2018 film ''

'', Imrie achieved her first UK Top 40 single alongside Lily James with a cover of the

ABBA ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...

song " When I Kissed the Teacher", which reached number 40 in August 2018.

Personal life

Imrie lives in London and in

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one millionAngus Imrie, born in 1994, with the actor Benjamin Whitrow. Angus appears as her on-screen son in '' Kingdom'' (2007–2009) and has acted in other productions, having studied drama and performance at the

University of Warwick The University of Warwick ( ; abbreviated as ''Warw.'' in post-nominal letters) is a public research university on the outskirts of Coventry between the West Midlands and Warwickshire, England. The university was founded in 1965 as part of ...

. When she was 14, she was admitted to the Royal Waterloo Hospital suffering from

anorexia nervosa Anorexia nervosa (AN), often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by Calorie restriction, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. Individuals wit ...

. Under the care of controversial psychiatrist William Sargant, she was given electroshock and large doses of the anti-psychotic drug Largactil. In July 2005, she suffered a

pulmonary embolism Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blockage of an pulmonary artery, artery in the lungs by a substance that has moved from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream (embolism). Symptoms of a PE may include dyspnea, shortness of breath, chest pain ...

and was hospitalised for two weeks. Imrie was featured in the

genealogy Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kin ...

series '' Who Do You Think You Are?'' in October 2012 and discovered that an ancestor on her mother's side was William, Lord Russell, a Whig parliamentarian executed for

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state (polity), state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to Coup d'état, overthrow its government, spy ...

in 1683, after being found guilty of conspiring against Charles II. Imrie's great-great uncle, William Imrie, was a founder of the White Star Line. Imrie is the ten-times-great granddaughter of the infamous Frances Carr, Countess of Somerset. In 2013, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the

University of Winchester The University of Winchester is a public research university based in the city of Winchester, Hampshire, England. The university has origins tracing back to 1840 as a teacher training college, but was established in 2005. Winchester University ...

Honours and awards

Imrie was appointed

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(CBE) in the

2023 Birthday Honours The 2023 King's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 15 Commonwealth realms of King Charles III to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as part ...

for services to drama. *1992: The Clarence Derwent Award for Best Supporting Actress in '' The Sea'' *2006: Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical in ''Acorn Antiques:The Musical!'' *2017: UK WFTV (Women in Film and Television) Award for the EON Productions Lifetime Achievement

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Source:

References

External links

* * *
Photograph of Celia as Marianne Bellshade in 1982
in Bergerac {{DEFAULTSORT:Imrie, Celia 1952 births Living people 20th-century British actresses 21st-century British actresses Actresses from Guildford Alumni of the Guildford School of Acting Anglo-Scots British film actresses British musical theatre actresses British people of Scottish descent British television actresses British women comedians Clarence Derwent Award winners Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Laurence Olivier Award winners People educated at Guildford High School WFTV Award winners