Actresses

Carlyss Peer is known for Dalgliesh (2021), County Lines (2019) and The Crown (2016).

Charlotte McCurry is known for Ballywalter (2022), Three Families (2021) and Say Nothing (2024).

Daughter of Catherine and Isaac Routledge. Her father was a haberdasher, and, during WWII, the family lived weeks at a time in the basement of her father's shop. She attended Birkenhead High School, where she sang in the choir and ran the Sunday School. She studied English at Liverpool University, and, after graduation, worked without pay at the Liverpool Playhouse. She was asked to join the company, and she later studied at Old Vic Theatre School in Bristol. She then moved to London, where she built an impressive stage career over the next several years, also appearing on Broadway 1966-1968. Patricia has worked in TV since the early 1950s, most recently in Keeping Up Appearances (1990). She also recorded an album, "Presenting Patricia Routledge", and worked in film and radio. She has never married or had children, has said that she will not retire, and lives in Kensington and Surrey when not working.

Patience Collier was born on 19 August 1910 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Fiddler on the Roof (1971), Every Home Should Have One (1970) and Endless Night (1972). She was married to Henry Oswald Jackson Collier. She died on 13 July 1987 in London, England, UK.

Liz Smith found fame as an actress at an age when most people are considering retirement. It was a long road to eventual stardom, during which she struggled to raise a family after a broken marriage. She became best known for her roles in The Vicar of Dibley (1994) and The Royle Family but her talents encompassed serious drama too. And while she made something of a name playing slightly dotty old ladies, the real Liz Smith was far removed from these on-screen personas. She was born Betty Gleadle in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. Her early life was not happy. Her mother died in childbirth when she was just two years old and her father abandoned her when he remarried. "My father was a bit of a sod, really. He just went off with loads of women and then married one who said he had to cut off completely from his prior life and that meant me." She started going to the local cinema with her grandfather when she was four and she quickly gained a fascination for acting.

By the age of nine, she was appearing in local dramatic productions, often playing the part of elderly ladies. World War Two thwarted her plans and she joined the WRNS because, as she later told the BBC's Desert Island Discs, she loved the cut of the naval uniform. She continued appearing in plays and entertainments while serving in the Royal Navy. She met her future husband Jack Thomas while she was stationed in India and the couple married at the end of the war. Her grandmother had left her enough money to buy a house in London. Smith later remembered that she had picked it at random from a magazine and bought it without crossing the threshold.

But what had been an idyllic marriage failed shortly after the family moved to Epping Forest in Essex and she was left to bring up her two children alone. With money tight, she worked in a number of jobs including delivering post and quality control in a plastic bag factory. But her love for acting remained and she began buying the theatrical magazine, The Stage, and sending her photograph to casting agents. Eventually she became part of a group studying method acting under a teacher who had come to the UK from America.

She performed at the Gate Theatre in west London and spent many years in repertory, as well as spells as an entertainer in Butlins holiday camps. In 1970, she was selling toys in London's Regent Street when she got a call from the director Mike Leigh to play the downtrodden mother in his film Bleak Moments. Leigh cast her again in Hard Labour, part of the BBC's Play for Today series, a role that allowed her to shine. She received critical acclaim as the middle-aged housewife who endures a life of domestic drudgery, constantly at the beck and call of her demanding husband and daughter.

It was the breakthrough she had sought for years and, as she later recalled: "I never went back to grotty jobs again." She was seldom off the screen over the next 20 years, with appearances in a number of TV programmes including Last of the Summer Wine, The Sweeney, The Duchess of Duke Street and The Gentle Touch. She was cast as Madame Balls in the 1976 film The Pink Panther Strikes Again, but her scenes were left on the cutting-room floor. However, she did appear in the role six years later in The Curse of the Pink Panther. In 1984 she received a Bafta for Best Supporting Actress when she played Maggie Smith's mother in the film A Private Function.

Two years later she appeared as Patricia Hodge's alcoholic mother in the BBC drama The Life and Loves Of A She Devil. It was a part, she said, that she really enjoyed as it gave her the chance to wear more glamorous outfits than her usual roles required. And she was able to dress up again for her next film appearance, this time in the role of Grace in Peter Greenaway's film The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover. She was still much in demand at the beginning of the 1990s, appearing in the sitcom 2point4 Children and in the series Lovejoy and Bottom.

In 1994 she became a household name with her portrayal of Letitia Cropley in the series The Vicar of Dibley (1994). The character was famous for her idiosyncratic recipes such as parsnip brownies and lard and fish paste pancakes, but was killed off in 1996. Two years later Liz Smith starred as Nana in The Royle Family, a sitcom that ran for nearly four years. She took the part again in 2006 in a special edition in which Nana died. Typically, she attributed her success to Caroline Aherne's scripts rather than her own talent.

"They were great roles," she later remembered. "I was so lucky that things did come my way then." Unlike some actors, she watched recordings of her own performances looking for ways in which she could improve her acting. She continued to appear in feature films, playing Grandma Georgina in Tim Burton's 2005 version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and she was the voice of Mrs Mulch in Wallace & Gromit -The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. In 2006 she published her autobiography Our Betty and moved into a retirement home in north London but continued acting. She appeared in the BBC's Lark Rise to Candleford, finally announcing her retirement in 2008 at the age of 87. It was a belief in her own talent that drove Liz Smith on when her life was at a low ebb. "All I wanted was a chance," she told the BBC. "It was wonderful when it did happen."

Smith died on Christmas Eve 2016. She was 95.

Mischa Barton is a versatile actress with a passion for storytelling and an impressive career spanning over two decades. Working with such acclaimed directors and writers as M. Night Shyamalan, James Lapine and Naomi Wallace, she is known for her magnetic on-screen presence and natural acting abilities that have captivated audiences worldwide. She has earned her reputation as one of the most talented performers of her generation.

Born in London, England, Barton quickly made her mark in the entertainment industry with her debut film role in "Lawn Dogs" (1997). From there, she continued to showcase her versatility in a variety of film and television projects, including the hit supernatural thriller "The Sixth Sense" (1999) and the critically acclaimed drama series "Once and Again" (2002-2003).

However, it was her iconic role as Marissa Cooper in the hit television series "The O.C." (2003-2006) that truly launched Barton to superstardom. Her portrayal of the troubled, yet lovable character resonated with audiences worldwide, cementing her place as a pop culture icon and earning her widespread critical acclaim with critics praising her nuanced portrayal of a complex character.

She has appeared in several stage productions throughout her career, including the acclaimed Off-Broadway productions of "Where the Truth Lies," "Twelve Dreams," and "One Flea Spare." Her performances were praised for their depth, nuance, and emotional range, demonstrating her versatility as an actress.

Jenny Galloway was born in 1959 in the UK. She is an actress, known for Les Misérables in Concert: The 25th Anniversary (2010), Crooked House (2017) and Frankenstein (1994).

Katy Murphy was born in 1963 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. She is an actress, known for Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008), Our Mutual Friend (1998) and Donovan Quick (2000).

Brigit Forsyth was born on 28 July 1940 in Malton, Yorkshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Likely Lads (1976), Playing the Field (1998) and Doctor Who (1963). She was married to Brian Mills. She died on 1 December 2023 in the UK.

Freda Dowie was born on 22 July 1928 in Carlisle, Cumbria, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Omen (1976), The Old Curiosity Shop (1979) and Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988). She was married to David Thompson, John Harding Goodrich and Lionel Tolson Butterworth. She died on 10 August 2019 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England, UK.

Cora Kirk is known for Prey for the Devil (2022), Your Christmas or Mine? (2022) and CC: Emily.

Sharon Duncan-Brewster was born on 8 February 1976 in London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Dune: Part One (2021), Enola Holmes 2 (2022) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016).

Born in Britain to Australian parents, Caroline Goodall is internationally known as a leading actress who has starred in some of the biggest blockbusters of the 90's, including Schindler's List (1993), Hook (1991), Cliffhanger (1993), Disclosure (1994), White Squall (1996) and The Princess Diaries (2001).

She is a graduate of Bristol University where she gained a BA Hons. in Drama and English, and studied alongside other notable screenwriters such as Jeremy Brock (Mrs. Brown). As a writer, in addition to "The Bay of Silence" for Radiant Pictures, credits include screen adaptations of Rupert Thomson's "Dreams Of Leaving" for HKM Films.

A former member of The Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre of Great Britain, Caroline appeared extensively on stage before being chosen by Steven Spielberg to star in Hook (1991) in 1991. Since then, she has worked on film and TV projects in the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia, striking a balance between Independent and Studio films, as well as maintaining a TV presence in Britain and Australia. She was nominated for Best Actress by the Australian Film Institute in 1990 for Cassidy (1989) and again in 1995 for Hotel Sorrento (1995). There followed a Logie nomination for Best Actress for A Difficult Woman (1998) which also won best TV mini series at the New York Festival in 1998.

She is married to Nicola Pecorini and has two children, Gemma and Leone. She is sister to producer Victoria Goodall, who is married to actor/director Dallas Campbell.

Uma Karuna Thurman was born in Boston, Massachusetts, into a highly unorthodox and internationally-minded family. She is the daughter of Nena Thurman (née Birgitte Caroline von Schlebrügge), a fashion model and socialite who now runs a mountain retreat, and of Robert Thurman (Robert Alexander Farrar Thurman), a professor and academic who is one of the nation's foremost Buddhist scholars. Uma's mother was born in Mexico City, Mexico, to a German father and a Swedish mother (who herself was of Swedish, Danish, and German descent). Uma's father, a New Yorker, has English, Scots-Irish, Scottish, and German ancestry. Uma grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts, where her father worked at Amherst College.

She and her siblings all have names deriving from Buddhist mythology; and Middle American behavior was little understood, much less pursued. And so it was that the young Thurman confronted childhood with an odd name and eccentric home life -- and nature seemingly conspired against her as well. She is six feet tall, and from an early age towered over everyone else in class. Her famously large feet would soon sprout to size 11 -- and even beyond that -- and although they would eventually be lovingly filmed by director Quentin Tarantino, as a child she generally wore the biggest shoes in class, which only provided another subject of ridicule. Even her long nose moved one of her mother's friends to helpfully suggest rhinoplasty -- to the ten-year-old Thurman. To make matters worse yet, the family constantly relocated, making the gangly, socially inept Thurman perpetually the new kid in class. The result was an exceptionally awkward, self-conscious, lonely and alienated childhood.

Unsurprisingly, the young Thurman enjoyed making believe she was someone other than herself, and so thrived at acting in school plays -- her sole successful extracurricular activity. This interest, and her lanky frame, perfect for modeling, led the 15-year-old Thurman to New York City for high school and modeling work (including a layout in Glamour Magazine) as she sought acting roles. The roles soon came, starting with a few formulaic and forgettable Hollywood products, but immediately followed by Terry Gilliam's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) and Stephen Frears' Dangerous Liaisons (1988), both of which brought much attention to her unorthodox sensuality and performances that intriguingly combined innocence and worldliness. The weird, gangly girl became a sex symbol virtually overnight.

Thurman continued to be offered good roles in Hollywood pictures into the early '90s, the least commercially successful but probably best-known of which was her smoldering, astonishingly-adult performance as June, Henry Miller's wife, in Henry & June (1990), the first movie to actually receive the dreaded NC-17 rating in the USA. After a celebrated start, Thurman's career stalled in the early '90s with movies such as the mediocre Mad Dog and Glory (1993). Worse, her first starring role was in Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993), which had endured a tortured journey from cult-favorite book to big-budget movie, and was a critical and financial debacle. Fortunately, Uma bounced back with a brilliant performance as Mia Wallace, that most unorthodox of all gangster's molls, in Tarantino's lauded, hugely successful Pulp Fiction (1994), a role for which Thurman received an Academy Award nomination.

Since then, Thurman has had periods of flirting with roles in arty independents such as A Month by the Lake (1995), and supporting roles in which she has lent some glamorous presence to a mixed batch of movies, such as Beautiful Girls (1996) and The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996). Thurman returned to smaller films after playing the villainess Poison Ivy in the reviled Joel Schumacher effort Batman & Robin (1997) and Emma Peel in a remake of The Avengers (1998). She worked with Woody Allen and Sean Penn on Sweet and Lowdown (1999), and starred in Richard Linklater's drama Tape (2001) opposite Hawke. Thurman also won a Golden Globe award for her turn in the made-for-television film Hysterical Blindness (2002), directed by Mira Nair.

A return to the mainstream spotlight came when Thurman re-teamed with Quentin Tarantino for Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), a revenge flick the two had dreamed up on the set of Pulp Fiction (1994). She also turned up in the John Woo cautioner Paycheck (2003) that same year. The renewed attention was not altogether welcome because Thurman was dealing with the break-up of her marriage with Hawke at about this time. Thurman handled the situation with grace, however, and took her surging popularity in stride. She garnered critical acclaim for her work in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) and was hailed as Tarantino's muse. Thurman reunited with Pulp Fiction (1994) dance partner John Travolta for the Get Shorty (1995) sequel Be Cool (2005) and played Ulla in The Producers (2005).

Thurman had been briefly married to Gary Oldman, from 1990 to 1992. In 1998, she married Ethan Hawke, her co-star in the offbeat futuristic thriller Gattaca (1997). The couple had two children, Levon and Maya. Hawke and Thurman filed for divorce in 2004.

Janeane, the petite woman with the acerbic wit, was born in Newton, New Jersey, in 1964, to Joan, a secretary, and Carmine Garofalo, an Exxon executive. She is of Italian and Irish descent. Janeane had many jobs before breaking into show biz. She worked as a bike messenger, a shoe saleswoman, waitress and temp secretary. Watching David Letterman on TV inspired her to write comedy, and by 1985 she was doing stand up comedy. As such, Janeane has become a cult figure, giving a voice to a generation, venting her frustration at T.V., romance, life in general and anything that ticks her off in particular. Janeane did sketches on The Ben Stiller Show (1992) (an Emmy-winning, but canceled show). She would continue to collaborate with Ben Stiller in future projects. Janeane received 2 Emmy nominations for her work on The Larry Sanders Show (1992), developing her signature character: a smart, cynical woman with a razor wit. She was not happy with her Saturday Night Live (1975) stint in 1994, and was vocal about it (of course). Transferring her persona from TV to the big screen, she moved on to movies, basically playing the character she had defined for herself. In Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997) she portrayed a smart, cynical, successful businesswomen with a razor wit, and this time with swear words (in the movie she had developed a brand of cigarettes with fast-burning paper, for the gal on the go; in real life it is alleged she smokes Marlboros). Janeane continues to work in TV and movies, often collaborating with Ben Stiller in a number of movies like Mystery Men (1999), his easygoing style being a counterpoint to her caustic nature.

Bronagh Waugh was born on 6 October 1982 in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for The Fall (2013), Ridley (2022) and Unforgotten (2015). She has been married to Richard Peacock since 6 September 2018. They have one child.

Erin Shanagher is known for The Bay (2019), Peaky Blinders (2013) and Censor (2021).

Sonita Henry was born in Dover, Kent, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Black Cake (2023), The Chelsea Detective (2022) and Silo (2023).

Sophie McShera was born on 17 May 1985 in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Cinderella (2015), Downton Abbey (2010) and Galavant (2015).

Joanna Riding was born on 9 November 1967 in Lancashire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Into the Woods (2014), McDonald & Dodds (2020) and Midsomer Murders (1997).

Kacey Ainsworth has been working in the entertainment industry since 1978. Originally starring in the West End cast of Annie. Reprising her role for a further 3 years. She then went on to study at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama gaining a BA (Bachelor of Arts for Drama). After graduation Kacey worked at The National Theatre, The Royal Court Theatre, The Bush and for the RSC. She continued to successfully mix working in both Musical and Non Musical theatre roles. In 1998 Kacey appeared in Mike Leigh's Gilbert and Sullivan movie "Topsy Turvy" which went on to win an Oscar for Make Up Design. In 2000 Kacey was cast as Little Mo in the BBC's top rated continuing drama Eastenders. A role which won her 5 acting nominations. She was awarded Most Popular Actress at The National Television Awards and Collected the award for best continuing drama the the BAFTAS. She stopped working for 7 years whilst bringing up her children but returned to create the role of Cathy Keating in the ITV/PBS masterpiece hit series "Grantchester" with James Norton and Robson Green. Her numerous credits include both short and independent British movies, television, theatre and radio. She is also a voiceover artist for many well known global brands.

Melissa Johns was born on 21 June 1990 in Hereford, Herefordshire, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for The Interceptor (2015), Adolescence (2025) and Coronation Street (1960).

Nadine Garner was born on 14 December 1970 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She is an actress and director, known for The Doctor Blake Mysteries (2013), Mull (1989) and Shakespeare Republic (2015). She is married to Cameron Barnett. They have two children.

Lucy Cohu was born on 2 October 1968 in Swindon, Wiltshire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Gosford Park (2001), Becoming Jane (2007) and The Queen's Sister (2005). She was previously married to Corey Johnson.

Rebecca Night broke onto the scene leading Andrew Davies' BBC hit show "Fanny Hill" - directed by James Hawes (Slow Horses) alongside Alison Steadman and Samantha Bond.

She and her husband actor Harry Hadden-Paton and their children split their time between New York & London.

With great range of roles across theatre, film & tv she recently co-starred in the two-hander Pulitzer-Prize- winning play "Night, Mother" alongside acting royalty Stockard Channing. As described by lead theatre critic Mark Shenton: "Night is like a young Julia Roberts... with natural stage chops... It turns out to be a riveting, revealing evening.".

Film work includes Oscar-nominee Mike Figgis' 'Suspension of Disbelief' and other television includes Catherine Linton in ITV's 'Wuthering Heights', (Tom Hardy, Tom Payne, Sarah Lancashire and Andrew Lincoln), Yvonne Moncin in 'Maigret' (Rowan Atkinson and Fiona Shaw) and a regular starring role in Sky's 'Starlings' (Lesley Sharp, Unwell Roach & Brendan Coyle) and Neil Gaiman's 'The Sandman' (Tom Sturridge).

Lead of Bella Manningham opposite James Purefoy and Cathy Tyson in the BBC's audio and podcast drama re-make of 'Gaslight"

Theatre roles include Frances in David Hares's 'Racing Demon' (Paapa Essiedu, David Haig, dir. Jonathan Church), Queen Elizabeth in Oscar-winner David Seidler's North American Premiere of The King's Speech alongside Tony-nominee Harry Hadden-Paton and James Frain at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Cecily Cardew in Peter Gill's The Importance of Being Earnest in London's West End (Daisy Haggard, Dame Penelope Keith), Eugenie in Sir Richard Eyre's production of 'A Flea in Her Ear' at the Old Vic Theatre and Rose of Sharon in Chichester Festival Theatre's production of 'Grapes of Wrath' (dir. Jonathan Church).

She created the role of Jack Cardiff's carer Lucy alongside Tony-winner Robert Lindsay in Tony-winner Terry Johnson's "Prism". Within the play she transforms into both Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Bacall.

At the Roundabout Theater's Gala Night of "The Importance of Being Earnest" on 42nd St, Broadway, NYC she reprised her role of Cecily Cardew alongside the legendary Dame Angela Lansbury, Lily Rabe, Hamish Linklater, Jayne Houdyshell, John Glover, Simon Jones, Daniel Davis and Thom Rhoads. Drama-Desk-winner Michael Wilson directed.

Trained at Rose Bruford College (alumni Gary Oldman) where she played Charity in 'Sweet Charity' and National Youth Theatre where she starred in 'Master and Margarita' alongside Matt Smith, Daniel Ings, Tom Allen, Ben Aldridge, Shane Zaza, Reece Ritchie, Charlie Covell & Harry Melling.

Writer.