Lydia Wilson (born 30 November 1984) is an English-American actress. Since graduating in 2009 from the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central London ...

, she has performed in numerous television and theatre productions including the

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

-winning ''

Blasted ''Blasted'' is the first play by the British author Sarah Kane. It was first performed in 1995 at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in London. Synopsis The play is set in an expensive hotel room in Leeds. Ian, a foul-mouthed middle-aged tablo ...

'' by

Sarah Kane Sarah Kane (3 February 1971 – 20 February 1999) was an English playwright, screenwriter and theatre director. She is known for her plays that deal with themes of redemptive love, sexual desire, pain, torture—both physical and psychological ...

in 2010 at the Lyric Theatre, and as Kate Middleton in the

winning ''

King Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

at the

Almeida Theatre The Almeida Theatre is a 325-seat producing house located on Almeida Street off Upper Street in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre opened in 1980, and produces a diverse range of drama. Successful plays are often transferred to West E ...

Wyndham's Theatre Wyndham's Theatre is a West End theatre, one of two opened by actor/manager Charles Wyndham (the other is the Criterion Theatre). Located on Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, it was designed c. 1898 by W. G. R. Sprague, the arch ...

and

Music Box Theatre The Music Box Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 239 West 45th Street (George Abbott Way) in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1921, the Music Box ...

on Broadway.

Early life

Wilson was born to an American mother, who was an ex-model turned philosophy teacher, and to an English advertising executive father, and was brought up in Queen's Park in London. She has said that her acting ambitions came from her grandparents, who were stage actors from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. She attended

Henrietta Barnett School The Henrietta Barnett School is a grammar school with academy status for girls, in Hampstead Garden Suburb in London. The '' Good Schools Guide'' called the school 'One of the best academic state schools in the country, providing a gentle, ins ...

, a state Grammar school in Hampstead Garden Suburb. After completing a foundation course at the

Chelsea College of Art and Design Chelsea College of Arts is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London, a public art and design university in London, England. It offers further and higher education courses in fine art, graphic design, interior design, prod ...

, she graduated with an English degree from

Queens' College, Cambridge Queens' College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the 16 "old colleges" of the university, and was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. Its buildings span the R ...

,
- then trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), graduating with a degree in Acting in 2009.

Career

Wilson made her film debut in the alternative history romance drama '' Never Let Me Go'' (2010). In 2014, she was included in the London ''Evening Standard'' list of the 1,000 most influential Londoners.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

* ''House of Special Purpose'' (2009) as Maria * ''Pains of Youth'' (2009) as Desiree * ''

'' (2010) as Cate * '' The Heretic'' (2011) * ''The Acid Test'' (2011) as Jessica * ''

'Tis Pity She's a Whore ''Tis Pity She's a Whore'' (original spelling: ''Tis Pitty Shee's a Who'' 'o'''re'') is a tragedy written by John Ford (dramatist), John Ford. It was first performed or between 1629 and 1633, by Queen Henrietta's Men at the Cockpit Theatre. ...

'' (2011) as Annabella * ''

Hysteria Hysteria is a term used to mean ungovernable emotional excess and can refer to a temporary state of mind or emotion. In the nineteenth century, female hysteria was considered a diagnosable physical illness in women. It is assumed that the bas ...

'' (2013) as Jessica * ''

'' (2014) as Kate, Duchess of Cambridge Olivier Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actress * ''

The Duchess of Malfi ''The Duchess of Malfi'' (originally published as ''The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy'') is a Jacobean revenge tragedy written by English dramatist John Webster in 1612–1613. It was first performed privately at the Blackfriars Theat ...

'' (2020) as The Duchess * ''Walden'' (2021) as Cassie * '' The 47th'' (2022) as

Ivanka Trump Ivana Marie "Ivanka" Trump (; born October 30, 1981) is an American businesswoman. She is the second child of Donald Trump, the president of the United States, and his first wife, Ivana. Trump was a senior advisor in her father's first admi ...

Radio

* ''

A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by English author Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long impr ...

'' (2011) as Lucie Manette * '' An American Rose'' (2012) as Kathleen Kennedy * '' The Bell Jar'' (2013) Audiobook for BBC Radio * ''

The Exorcist ''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin from a screenplay by William Peter Blatty, based on The Exorcist (novel), his 1971 novel. The film stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller (play ...

'' (2014) as

Regan MacNeil Regan Teresa MacNeil (born April 6, 1959) is a fictional character in the 1971 novel '' The Exorcist'' and one of the supporting characters in its 1973 film adaptation and the 1977 film '' Exorcist II: The Heretic'', while being one of the mai ...

* '' The Letters of Sylvia Plath'' as

Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath (; October 27, 1932 – February 11, 1963) was an American poet and author. She is credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry and is best known for '' The Colossus and Other Poems'' (1960), '' Ariel'' (1965), a ...

* '' Black Water, An American Story'' (2019) as Kelly, Nominated for Best Actress, BBC Audio Awards *'' Klara and the Sun'' (2021) as Narrator * ''

Mansfield Park ''Mansfield Park'' is the third published novel by the English author Jane Austen, first published in 1814 by Thomas Egerton (publisher), Thomas Egerton. A second edition was published in 1816 by John Murray (publishing house), John Murray, st ...

'' (2022) as Fanny Price * '' Happy Birthday, Mr President'' (2023) as

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...

, Nominated for Best Actress, BBC Audio Awards

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Lydia 1984 births Living people Actresses from London Actors from the London Borough of Brent Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge English film actresses English people of American descent English radio actresses English stage actresses English television actresses 21st-century English actresses People from Kilburn, London