Lesley Ann Manville (born 12 March 1956) is an English actress. She has received various accolades, including two Laurence Olivier Awards and nominations for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

, two British Academy Film Awards, four British Academy Television Awards, a

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...

and a

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

. She is known for her frequent collaborations with Mike Leigh, appearing in the films '' Grown-Ups'' (1980), '' High Hopes'' (1988), '' Secrets & Lies'' (1996), '' Topsy-Turvy'' (1999), '' All or Nothing'' (2002), '' Vera Drake'' (2004), '' Another Year'' (2010), and '' Mr. Turner'' (2014). She has been nominated for two British Academy Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress for her roles in ''Another Year'' (2010) and '' Phantom Thread'' (2017), and received a nomination for the

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 9th Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performanc ...

for her performance in the latter. On television, Manville has appeared in '' Emmerdale Farm'' (1975–1976), '' Cranford'' (2007), and '' Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond'' (2014). For her roles in ''

River A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

'' (2015), '' Mum'' (2016–2019), '' Sherwood'' (2022–2024), and ''

The Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

'' (2022–2023), she garnered five British Academy Television Award nominations. Her portrayal of

Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She was the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II. Ma ...

in the latter also earned her a nomination for a

. A four-time

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 ...

nominee, Manville has won twice for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress for her performances in ''

Ghosts In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...

'' (2014) and '' Oedipus'' (2025). Her other notable credits include the films '' Dance with a Stranger'' (1985), '' High Season'' (1987), '' The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael'' (2005), ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. It recounts the ...

'' (2009), '' Spike Island'' (2012), '' Maleficent'' (2014), '' Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism'' (2015), '' Maleficent: Mistress of Evil'' (2019), '' Let Him Go'' (2020), '' Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris'' (2022), ''

The Critic ''The Critic'' is an American Adult animation, adult animated sitcom revolving around the life of New York film critic Jay Sherman, voiced by Jon Lovitz. It was created by writing partners Al Jean and Mike Reiss, who had previously worked as w ...

'' (2023), ''

Queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...

'' (2024) and '' Mr Burton'' (2025).

Early life and education

Manville was born in

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

East Sussex East Sussex is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Kent to the north-east, West Sussex to the west, Surrey to the north-west, and the English Channel to the south. The largest settlement ...

, the daughter of Norma (known as Jean), a former

ballet dancer A ballet dancer is a person who practices the Art (skill), art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet. They rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of a professional ballet company. B ...

, and Ron Manville, a

taxi driver ''Taxi Driver'' is a 1976 American neo-noir psychological drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. Set in a morally decaying New York City following the Vietnam War, it stars Robert De Niro as veteran Marine and ...

. She was brought up in nearby Hove, the youngest of three daughters. Training as a

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

singer from age 8, she was twice under-18 champion of Sussex. She began acting as a teenager, appearing in television series such as '' King Cinder''. At age 15, she gained a place at the

Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, also known simply as Italia Conti, is a drama school based in Woking, Woking, England. It was founded by the English actress Italia Conti in 1911. Italia Conti offers courses in acting, musical theatre, ...

Career

After turning down teacher Arlene Phillips's invitation to join her new dance troupe Hot Gossip, she was taught

improvisation Improvisation, often shortened to improv, is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. The origin of the word itself is in the Latin "improvisus", which literally means un-foreseen. Improvis ...

by Italia Conti teacher Julia Carey. She made her professional stage debut in the 1972 West End musical '' I and Albert'' directed by John Schlesinger. She paid for her first flat by landing a part in the ITV

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

'' Emmerdale Farm'' (1975–76), in which she appeared in 80 episodes. Manville built a career as a distinctive theatre actress; from 1978 she appeared in new plays at 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 ...

's Warehouse and Royal Court Theatre. She met Mike Leigh in 1979, when he was looking for RSC actors who could improvise. In the 1980s, her work for the Royal Court included Andrea Dunbar's '' Rita, Sue and Bob Too'' (1981) and Caryl Churchill's '' Top Girls'' (1982), and '' Serious Money'' (1987). She also starred in the ''Top Girls''

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

production in the US in 1983. For the RSC, she starred in ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wil ...

'' (1985) and '' Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' (1985–86). She made her film debut in 1985 with '' Dance with a Stranger'', directed by Mike Newell, and telling the story of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain. She also appeared in '' Sammy and Rosie Get Laid'' (1987) directed by

Stephen Frears Sir Stephen Arthur Frears (born 20 June 1941) is a British director and producer of film and television, often depicting real life stories as well as projects that explore social class through sharply-drawn characters. He has received numerous a ...

, and '' High Season'' (1987). Back on the stage, she starred in ''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' () is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition later that year in Saint Petersburg, via A.F. Marks Pu ...

'' at the Aldwych Theatre in 1989, directed by

Sam Mendes Sir Samuel Alexander Mendes (born 1 August 1965) is a British film and stage director, producer, and screenwriter. In 2000, Mendes was appointed a CBE for his services to drama, and he was Knight Bachelor, knighted in the 2020 New Year Honours ...

, and in '' Three Sisters'' at the Royal Court in 1990. In 1994, Manville starred in the first series of 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 ...

sitcom '' Ain't Misbehavin'''. For her work in the 2000 miniseries '' Other People's Children'', and the 2002 TV film ''Bodily Harm'', she received nominations for Best Female Actor at the

Royal Television Society The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present, and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It currently has fourteen r ...

Awards. Her extensive television credits include prominent roles in the dramas '' Holding On'' (1997), ''Real Women'' (1998–99), '' The Cazalets'' (2001), '' North & South'' (2004) and '' Cranford'' (2007). She also starred in ''

Cards on the Table ''Cards on the Table'' is a detective fiction novel by the English author Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 2 November 1936 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. The UK edition reta ...

'', a 2006 feature-length episode of '' Agatha Christie's Poirot''. Since 2005, Manville has starred in several National Theatre productions, including ''

His Dark Materials ''His Dark Materials'' is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman consisting of '' Northern Lights'' (1995; published as ''The Golden Compass'' in North America), '' The Subtle Knife'' (1997), and '' The Amber Spyglass'' (2000). It follo ...

'' (2005), '' The Alchemist'' (2006), and '' Her Naked Skin'' (2008). She also starred in The Old Vic productions of '' All About My Mother'' (2007) and '' Six Degrees of Separation'' (2010). In 2009, she played

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013), was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...

in the

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

drama '' The Queen''. Manville has appeared in numerous Mike Leigh films throughout her career, including '' High Hopes'' (1988), '' Secrets & Lies'' (1996), '' Topsy-Turvy'' (1999), '' Vera Drake'' (2004) and '' Mr. Turner'' (2014). Her most notable Mike Leigh films are '' All or Nothing'' in 2002 and '' Another Year'' in 2010. For each, she won the London Film Critics' Circle Award for British Actress of the Year. For ''Another Year'', she also won the National Board of Review Award for Best Actress, and was nominated for the British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actress and the European Film Award for Best Actress, as well as the Chicago Film Critics Award for Best Actress. She won Best Supporting Actress from the

San Diego Film Critics Society The San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS) is an organization of film reviewers from San Diego–based publications that was founded in 1997. Overview The San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS) is composed of print, television, radio and digit ...

. On 18 January 2011, she received a

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category. On 7 February 2011, former '' Charlie's Angels'' stars Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd presented the Best Actress Award to her at the "Movies for Grownups Awards". In 2011, Manville starred in Mike Leigh's play ''Grief'' at the National Theatre, which earned her a Best Actress Olivier Award nomination. For her role as Helene Alving in the 2013 revival of the

Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

play ''

'', she won the 2014 Olivier Award for Best Actress and the Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress. She also appeared in the films ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

'' (2013) and '' Maleficent'' (2014). In 2015, she starred opposite Stellan Skarsgård in the BBC drama ''

'', which earned her a nomination for the 2016 BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress. She starred opposite Peter Mullan in the BBC sitcom '' Mum'', for which she was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Female Comedy Performance in 2017 and 2019. In 2017, Manville played Lydia Quigley, the ruthless madam of a posh brothel with clients from the judiciary, nobility, and upper echelons of Georgian society, in the BBC series '' Harlots''. In Paul Thomas Anderson's 2017 period film '' Phantom Thread'', Manville played Cyril Woodcock, the sister of the dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock, played by Daniel Day-Lewis. For her role, she was nominated for the

and

for Best Supporting Actress. In 2020, she played the villainous and intimidating matriarch of an 'off the grid' family in the neo-western thriller '' Let Him Go'', opposite Diane Lane and

Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Kevin Costner, various accolades, including two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Primeti ...

. During that year, she was cast as

for the final two seasons of ''

''. Manville 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 2021 New Year Honours for services to drama and charity. In 2022, Manville starred in the Anthony Horowitz murder mystery series, ''Magpie Murders'', alongside Daniel Mays, Alexandros Logothetis, Jude Hill, and Claire Rushbrook. Manville also played the role of the titular character in '' Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris''. She received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for her performance in this film. In January 2023, it was announced that Manville was added to the cast of the

Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer, songwriter, musician, and businesswoman. With over 30 million records sold worldwide, she was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix ...

biopic ''

Back to Black ''Back to Black'' is the second and final studio album by English singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, released on 27 October 2006 by Island Records. Winehouse predominantly based the album on her tumultuous relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil, ...

'' (2024) and would be playing Winehouse's grandmother Cynthia Winehouse. In 2024, she played Jocasta in '' Oedipus'' at Wyndham's Theatre, directed by Robert Icke. For her performance, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress.

Personal life

Manville's first boyfriend was actor and former '' Blue Peter'' presenter Peter Duncan whom she met at stage school while attending Italia Conti. Her first husband was actor Gary Oldman. The pair split in 1989, three months after their son, Alfie (b. 1988), was born. Her second marriage was to actor Joe Dixon. In 2007, Manville was living with her son in

East Grinstead East Grinstead () is a town in West Sussex, England, near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders, south of London, northeast of Brighton, and northeast of the county town of Chichester. Situated in the northeast corner of the county, bord ...

West Sussex West Sussex is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Surrey to the north, East Sussex to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Hampshire to the west. The largest settlement is Cr ...

. Manville's sister Brenda, nine years her senior, died of a brain tumour. Her sister's husband and two daughters died of

Huntington's disease Huntington's disease (HD), also known as Huntington's chorea, is an incurable neurodegenerative disease that is mostly Genetic disorder#Autosomal dominant, inherited. It typically presents as a triad of progressive psychiatric, cognitive, and ...

. In 2020, she delivered a monologue for the Equity Benevolent Fund to support fellow actors during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. Manville was appointed

Officer 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 ...

(OBE) in the 2015 Birthday Honours for services to drama,United Kingdom: and promoted to

(CBE) in the 2021 New Year Honours for services to drama and charity. In February 2024, she was the guest on BBC Radio 4's '' Desert Island Discs'', where her choices included " Over the Rainbow" recorded by

Eva Cassidy Eva Marie Cassidy (February 2, 1963 – November 2, 1996) was an American singer and musician known for her interpretations of jazz, Folk music, folk, and blues music, sung with a powerful, emotive soprano voice. In 1992, she released her f ...

, " You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" recorded by

Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), better known by her stage name Dusty Springfield, was a British singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano voice, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, Pop mus ...

and " Make You Feel My Love" recorded by Adele.

Acting credits

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and nominations

References

External links

*
Interview
with ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', 2010 {{DEFAULTSORT:Manville, Lesley 1956 births 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses Actresses from Brighton Alumni of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts Commanders of the Order of the British Empire English film actresses English radio actresses English Shakespearean actresses English soap opera actresses English stage actresses English television actresses English voice actresses Laurence Olivier Award winners Living people People from East Grinstead Actresses from Hove Royal Shakespeare Company members