Joanna Vanderham

Joanna Vanderham (born 18 october 1991) is a Scottish actress. She was nominated for an International Emmy Award for her debut role in the Sky One crime drama The Runaway.

Early life and education Joanna Vanderham was born in Perth, Scotland, and grew up in Scone and Dundee. Her father Tom, a Dutch businessman, and mother Jill Belch, a Scottish professor of cardiovascular research at Ninewells Hospital, divorced when she was a child. She has two sisters and a brother.

She attended Robert Douglas Memorial School in Scone and then the High School of Dundee. She then went on to study acting at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff.

Career Vanderham made her screen debut in 2011 as Cathy Connor in the Sky TV six-part crime drama The Runaway, an adaptation of the novel by Martina Cole. She also had a supporting role in the BBC One biographical drama Young James Herriot.

From 2012 to 2013, in two series, Vanderham starred as Denise Lovett in the BBC television series The Paradise, written by Bill Gallagher and loosely based on the novel Au Bonheur des Dames by Émile Zola. She made her film debut as Margo in What Maisie Knew with Alexander Skarsgård and Julianne Moore.

Vanderham played society girl Pamela Luscombe in the BBC drama Dancing on the Edge, directed by Stephen Poliakoff.

In 2015, she appeared as Katherine "Kitty" McVitie in BBC Two period drama series Banished and Marian Maudsley in the BBC One romance television film The Go-Between.

Vanderham received a Commendation at the 2016 Ian Charleson Awards for her performance as Queen Anne in Richard III at the Almeida Theatre in London.

Also in 2016, Vanderham starred in the romance television film The Boy with the Topknot opposite Sacha Dhawan. The following year, she played Claire Elliot in the miniseries One of Us (also known as Retribution) and the younger version of Vanessa Redgrave's character Flora in the two-part drama Man in an Orange Shirt. In 2019, Vanderham joined the main cast of the American action series Warrior as Penelope Blake. She played Atropos, a recurring character in the fifth season of DC's Legends of Tomorrow. She starred as DS Amanda Drummond opposite Dougray Scott in the 2021 BritBox and later ITVX series Crime, an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh.

Also in 2025, she played the infamous Diana Mitford in the Britbox later BBC series Outrageous.

Personal life Vanderham lives in Hackney, East London.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2012 What Maisie Knew Margo 2013 Blackwood Jessica 2016 And Then I Was French Cara Queimafobia Alice Short films 2020 A Song Still Inside Laura 2022 Selkie Selkie Eddie & Sunny Sunny

Television Year Title Role Notes 2011 The Runaway Cathy Connor Main role; miniseries; 6 episodes Young James Herriot Jenny Muirhead Miniseries; 3 episodes 2012 Above Suspicion Amanda Delany 3 episodes 2012–2013 The Paradise Denise Lovett Main role; 16 episodes 2013 Dancing on the Edge Pamela Luscombe Main role; miniseries; 6 episodes Marple Ellie Episode: "Endless Night" 2015 Banished Katherine "Kitty" McVitie Main role; miniseries; 7 episodes The Go-Between Marian Maudsley Television film 2016 One of Us Claire Elliot Main role; miniseries; 4 episodes 2017 Man in an Orange Shirt Flora Talbot Miniseries; Episode 1 The Boy with the Topknot Laura Television film 2019 The Tanner Caitlin Episode: "Babe's Got a Back Problem" 2019–2020 Warrior Penelope Blake Main role; 20 episodes 2020 Legends of Tomorrow Atropos Recurring role; 5 episodes 2021–present Crime DS Amanda Drummond Main role; 14 episodes 2022 The Control Room Sam Main role; 3 episodes 2025 Outrageous Diana Mitford Main cast: 6 episodes

Stage

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result Ref 2012 International Emmy Awards Best Actress The Runaway 2016 Ian Charleson Awards Richard III