Kelly Macdonald

Kelly Macdonald (born 23 February 1976) is a Scottish actress. Known for her performances on film and television, she has received various accolades including a BAFTA Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Macdonald made her film debut in Danny Boyle's Trainspotting (1996). She was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in the Coen brothers film No Country for Old Men (2007). During her career, she has taken roles in Elizabeth (1998), Gosford Park (2001), Intermission (2003), Nanny McPhee (2005), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011), Anna Karenina (2012), T2 Trainspotting (2017), and Operation Mincemeat (2021). She voiced Princess Merida in the Disney Pixar animated film Brave (2012).

On television, she won Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for her role in the BBC One film The Girl in the Cafe (2005). She was further Emmy-nominated for her portrayal of Margaret Thompson in the HBO period crime drama series Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014). She also acted in Black Mirror'''s Hated in the Nation (2016), the limited series Giri/Haji (2019), Line of Duty (2021) and HBO superhero series Lanterns (2026).

Early life Kelly Macdonald was born on 23 February 1976 in Glasgow, Scotland, and grew up in Neilston.

She attended Eastwood High School from 1989 to 1993.

Career

Macdonald's career began while she was working as a barmaid in Glasgow. She saw a leaflet advertising an open casting session for Trainspotting and decided to audition, winning the part of Diane, the underage seductress to Ewan McGregor's Renton. Other roles include Mary O'Neary in Two Family House, and an actress playing Peter Pan in Finding Neverland. She had major roles in Robert Altman's British period piece Gosford Park, where she played an aristocrat's maid, and in Intermission (2003), as Deirdre.

On radio she portrayed Mary in the 1999 BBC radio drama Lifehouse, based on Pete Townshend's abandoned rock opera, some of the songs for which were released on The Who's album Who's Next. On television, her highest profile roles have been in two BBC dramas, the Paul Abbott serial State of Play (2003), and the one-off Richard Curtis piece The Girl in the Café (2005). Both of these were directed by David Yates, and both also starred Bill Nighy. For her performance in The Girl in the Café, she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film in 2006, and won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie.

Macdonald had a supporting role in the Coen brothers' Academy Award-winning film No Country for Old Men (2007), for which she was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. It was reported that she had to fight her agent to be considered for the role, but Macdonald later denied the story.

Other films where she had supporting roles include Choke (2008), adapted by Clark Gregg from the 2001 Chuck Palahniuk novel, as Paige Marshall; In the Electric Mist (2009) (based on James Lee Burke's In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead (1993), as Kelly Drummond, alongside Tommy Lee Jones and John Goodman; and Skellig (2009), as Louise. She played the lead in The Merry Gentleman (2008).

In 2011 she played the "Grey Lady" (revealed to be Helena Ravenclaw) in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, the final instalment of the Harry Potter film franchise. She replaced Nina Young, who originally played the role. In 2012, she provided the voice of Merida, the heroine of the Disney/Pixar film Brave, and played Dolly in Anna Karenina. She starred in the romantic comedy film The Decoy Bride, which was released in 2012.

From 2010 until its ending in 2014, she starred in the HBO crime drama Boardwalk Empire as Margaret Thompson, the wife of Prohibition-era Atlantic City crime boss Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi). She appeared in all five seasons of the series. In 2011, she and the rest of the show's cast were awarded the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.

In 2016 she starred in Ricky Gervais' Special Correspondents as Claire Maddox, and Swallows and Amazons as Mrs. Walker. In 2016, she played the lead role in "Hated in the Nation", an episode of the anthology series Black Mirror for which she received critical acclaim. On 3 November 2016 Macdonald was featured in the trailer for Danny Boyle's T2 Trainspotting confirming she would reprise her role as Diane from the original film, which she did. In 2017, she co-starred opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in the BBC film The Child in Time. Macdonald played the guest lead in the sixth series of the BBC's police drama Line of Duty.

In 2025 Macdonald appeared as a therapist in the Netflix thriller Dept. Q. Her next role will be as a sheriff in the HBO series Lanterns''.

Personal life In August 2003 Macdonald married musician Dougie Payne, bassist of the band Travis. They have two sons. The couple moved back to their hometown of Glasgow in 2014 after living in London and New York City. They separated in 2017.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1996 Trainspotting Diane Coulston Film debut Dancing, Some Days Sharon Short film Stella Does Tricks Stella McGuire 1997 Dead Eye Dick Wendy Short film 1998 Cousin Bette Hortense Hulot Elizabeth Isabel Knollys 1999 Splendor Mike Entropy Pia The Loss of Sexual Innocence Susan My Life So Far Elspeth Pettigrew Tube Tales Emma Segment: "Mr. Cool" 2000 Two Family House Mary O'Neary House! Linda Some Voices Laura 2001 Strictly Sinatra Irene Gosford Park Mary Maceachran 2003 Intermission Deirdre 2004 Finding Neverland Peter Pan 2005 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Reporter Jin Jenz All the Invisible Children Jonathan's wife Segment: "Jonathan" Nanny McPhee Evangeline Lassie Jeanie A Cock and Bull Story Jenny 2007 No Country for Old Men Carla Jean Moss 2008 The Merry Gentleman Kate Frazier Choke Paige Marshall 2009 In the Electric Mist Kelly Drummond 2011 The Decoy Bride Katie Nic Aodh Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Helena Ravenclaw 2012 Brave Princess Merida Voice Anna Karenina Dolly Oblonskaya 2016 Special Correspondents Claire Maddox Swallows and Amazons Mrs. Walker The Journey Is the Destination Duff 2017 T2 Trainspotting Diane Coulston Goodbye Christopher Robin Olive 2018 Puzzle Agnes Ralph Breaks the Internet Princess Merida Voice Holmes & Watson Mrs. Hudson 2019 Dirt Music Georgie Jutland 2021 Operation Mincemeat Jean Leslie 2022 I Came By Lizzie Nealey Typist Artist Pirate King Sandra 2024 The Radleys Helen Radley

Television Year Title Role Notes 1996 Flowers of the Forest Amy Ogilvie Television film 2003 Brush with Fate Aletta Pieters State of Play Della Smith 6 episodes 2005 Alias Kiera MacLaine/Meghan Keene Episode: "Ice" The Girl in the Café Gina Television film 2009 Skellig Louise/Mum 2010–2014 Boardwalk Empire Margaret Thompson 45 episodes 2016 Black Mirror DCI Karin Parke Episode: "Hated in the Nation" 2017 The Child in Time Julie Television film 2019 The Victim Anna Dean Television miniseries Giri/Haji DC Sarah Weitzmann Main role Urban Myths Princess Margaret Episode: "Mick and Margaret" 2020 Truth Seekers Jojo74 2 episodes 2021 Line of Duty DCI Joanne Davidson Main role, Series 6 2022 Ten Percent Herself Episode #1.1 2024 Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Pokkit 2 episodes Somebody Feed PhilHerselfEpisode: "Scotland" 2025 Dept. Q Dr Rachel Irving Main role 2026 Lanterns Sheriff Kerry Kane

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2012 Brave Merida Voice

Awards and nominations Year Nominated work Award Category Result 1997 Trainspotting BAFTA Scotland Awards Best Film Actress 2000 Two Family House Independent Spirit Awards Best Female Lead 2002 Gosford Park Online Film Critics Society Best Cast Phoenix Film Critics Society Best Acting Ensemble Satellite Awards Best Cast – Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Acting Ensemble Florida Film Critics Circle Best Ensemble Cast 2003 Empire Awards Best British Actress 2006 The Girl in the Café Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie Golden Globe Awards Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film 2008 Choke Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize for Best Dramatic Ensemble Cast No Country for Old Men Online Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actress British Academy Film Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role London Film Critics' Circle Supporting Actress of the Year Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture 2011 Boardwalk Empire Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series 2012 Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Brave Annie Awards Outstanding Voice Acting in a Feature Production 2017 Goodbye Christopher Robin British Independent Film Awards Best Supporting Actress 2019 The VictimBritish Academy Scotland AwardsBest Actress Television 2021Line of Duty Audience Award

Honours Eastwood High School, where she was a pupil, has a drama studio and theatre named in her honour.