Lesley Manville

Lesley Ann Manville (born 12 March 1956) is an English actress. Known for her performances on stage and screen, her accolades include a Tony Award and two Laurence Olivier Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, five British Academy Television Awards, a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.

She has acted in eight of Mike Leigh's films, including 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). For her role in the Paul Thomas Anderson romance drama Phantom Thread (2017) she was nominated for an Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress. She has also acted in the films Dance with a Stranger (1985), High Season (1987), Maleficent (2014), Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019), Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022) and Queer (2024).

On television, she acted in Emmerdale Farm (1975–1976) and Cranford (2007). She garnered five British Academy Television Award nominations for her roles in River (2015), Mum (2016–19), Sherwood (2022–24) and The Crown (2022–23). She was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon in the Netflix historical drama series The Crown. A prolific stage performer, she has won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress twice for Ghosts (2014) and Oedipus (2025). Manville also won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for the latter when she reprised her performance on Broadway (2026).

Early life and education Manville was born, on 12 March 1956, in Brighton, East Sussex, the daughter of Norma (known as Jean) Edwards, a former ballet dancer, and Ron Manville, a taxi driver. She was brought up in nearby Hove, the youngest of three daughters.

Career After turning down teacher Arlene Phillips's invitation to join her new dance troupe Hot Gossip, she was taught improvisation by Italia Conti teacher Julia Carey. She met Mike Leigh in 1979, when he was looking for RSC actors who could improvise.

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, a 2006 feature-length episode of Agatha Christie's Poirot.

Since 2005, Manville has starred in several National Theatre productions, including His Dark Materials (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 in the Channel 4 drama The Queen.

Manville has appeared in eight Mike Leigh films throughout her career: 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). In 2002, 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. On 18 January 2011, she received a BAFTA 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 Royal National Theatre, which earned her a Best Actress Olivier Award nomination. For her role as Helene Alving in the 2013 revival of the Ibsen play Ghosts, 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 (2013) and Maleficent (2014).

In 2015, she starred opposite Stellan Skarsgård in the BBC drama River, 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 Academy Award and BAFTA Award 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. During that year, she was cast as Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon for the final two seasons of The Crown.

Manville was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (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 biopic Back to Black (2024) and would be playing Winehouse's grandmother Cynthia Winehouse. For her performance, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress. Manville made her Broadway theatre debut when the production transferred to Studio 54 in October 2025. She is described in this role as embodying contradiction, simultaneously feeling deeply and burying the feelings, while evoking a taut, dramatic silence in the audience. Manville won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play and also received the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance. Manville has been announced to star as Violet Weston in a West-End revival of August: Osage County, which is scheduled to play at the Noël Coward Theatre from January to April 2027.

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, whom she divorced in 2004. In 2007, Manville was living with her son in East Grinstead, West Sussex.

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.

Manville was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2015 Birthday Honours for services to drama, and promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (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, selecting "Over the Rainbow" recorded by Eva Cassidy, a botanical encyclopaedia and a bed with linen, duvet and pillows as her chosen favourite record, book and luxury item respectively.

Acting credits +Key Denotes works that have not yet been released

Film YearTitleRoleNotes1985 Dance with a Stranger Maryanne Christmas Present Judy Tall 1987 Sammy and Rosie Get Laid Margy High Season Carol 1988 High Hopes Lætitia Boothe-Braine 1996 Secrets & Lies Jenny Ford the Social Worker 1997 Dual Balls Joanna Short film1999 Milk Fiona Topsy-Turvy Lucy Gilbert (Kitty) Toy Boys Mrs. Allen Short film 2002 All or Nothing Penny 2004 Vera Drake Mrs. Wells 2005 The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael Sarah Carmichael 2007 Richard Is My Boyfriend Mother Sparkle Jill 2008 The Escort Lesley Short film2009 A Christmas Carol Mrs. Cratchit (voice) Suicide Man Councillor Deakins Short film2010 Another Year Mary Womb Judith Retitled Clone for its UK DVD release2012 Spike Island Margaret Titchfield Ashes Cath 2013 Romeo & Juliet The Nurse A Five Star Life Kate Sherman The Christmas Candle Bea Haddington 2014 Ghosts Helene Alving Maleficent Flittle Mr. Turner Mary Somerville 2015 Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism Miss Adderstone 2016 Domestic Policy Short film Rupture Dr. Nyman 2017 Hampstead Fiona The Agency Anthea Short film Phantom Thread Cyril Woodcock 2019 Ordinary Love Joan Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Flittle 2020 Misbehaviour Dolores Hope Let Him Go Blanche Weboy 2021 Everything I Ever Wanted to Tell My Daughter About Men The Mother 2022 Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris Ada Harris Also executive producer 2023 The Critic Annabel Land 2024 Back to Black Cynthia Levy Queer Dr. Cotter 2025 Mr Burton Ma Smith Winter of the Crow Dr. Joan Andrews 2026 Cold Storage Trinny Romano Midwinter Break Stella 2027 TBA Post-production

Television YearTitleRoleNotes1974 Village Hall Merle Episode 6: "Dancing in the Dark" Softly, Softly: Task Force Janet Series 6; Episode 5: "Pop Goes the Weasel" 1975 Barlow Christine West Series 4; Episode 8: "Protection" 1975–1976 Emmerdale Farm Rosemary Kendall 79 episodes 1976 The Emigrants Janice Parker Episodes 1–31977 Leap in the Dark Julie Series 3; Episode 2: "The Fetch" King Cinder Nikki Episodes 1–6 1977–1978 A Bunch of Fives Helen Wyatt Series 1 & 2; 14 episodes1978 Wings Francoise Series 2; Episode 6: "Dawn Attack" General Hospital Tina Butler Series 5; Episode 10: "Blood and Water"1980 The Gentle Touch Shirley Davis Series 2; Episodes 5 & 7: "Hammer" and "Loyalties" BBC2 Playhouse Mandy Series 7; Episode 5: "Grown-Ups"1982 Objects of Affection Liz Episode 1: "Our Winnie" Coronation Street Jill Mason 4 episodes 1983 Give Us a Break Alma Episode 5: "One Good Stroke Deserves Another"1984 Sharing Time June Episode 4: "High Hopes" Play for Today Vivienne Series 14; Episode 10: "Dog Ends" Angels in the Annexe Jenny Bailey Television film1985 Doctors' Dilemmas Jessica Schofield Series 2; Episode 4: "You Want Me to Be Dirty and Fat" Bulman Karen Tait Series 1; Episode 5: "The Name of the Game" The Moon Over Soho Sally Spencer Television film 1989 Screen Two Sue Bissel Series 5; Episode 8: "The Firm" 1991 Performance Marlene Series 1; Episode 5: "Top Girls"1992 ScreenPlay Penny Armitage Series 7; Episode 3: "Bad Girl" Soldier Soldier Rachel Elliot (later Fortune) Series 2; 5 episodes1993 The Mushroom Picker Margot Mini-series; Episodes 1–3 A Statement of Affairs Carol Mini-series; Episode 1 Goggle-Eyes Rosalind Killin Mini-series; Episodes 1–4 Crime Story Gail Series 2; Episode 2: "When the Lies Run Out: The Ian Spiro Story"1994 Screen Two Sophie Series 10; Episode 5: "O Mary This London" Ain't Misbehavin' Melissa Quigley Series 1; Episodes 1–6 Little Napoleons Judith Silver Mini-series; Episodes 1–4 A Skirt Through History Bessie Parkes Episode 2: "A Lady's Portion" 1995 Tears Before Bedtime Beattie Freeman Episodes 1–41996 The Bite Ellie Shannon Mini-series; Episodes 1 & 2 Kavanagh QC Lucy Cartwright Series 2; Episode 1: "The Commitment"1997 Holding On Hilary Mini-series; Episodes 2–8 Painted Lady Susie Peel Television film 1998 Silent Witness Suzy Franklin Series 3; Episodes 3 & 4: "Fallen Idol: Parts 1 & 2" 1998–1999 Real Women Karen Turner Series 1 & 2; 7 episodes2000 Other People's Children Nadine Episodes 2 & 3 Black Cab Yvonne Episode 2: "Lost & Found" David Copperfield Mrs. Micawber Television film 2001 The Cazalets Villy Cazalet Episodes 1–62002 Bodily Harm Mandy Greenfield Mini-series; Episodes 1 & 2 Plain Jane Dora Bruce Television film 2003 Promoted to Glory Capt. Annie Sullivan Television film2004 Rose and Maloney Professor Diane Marquis Series 2; Episodes 3 & 4: "Katie Phelan: Parts 1 & 2" North & South Maria Hale Mini-series; Episodes 1–3 2005 Agatha Christie's Poirot Mrs. Lorrimer Series 10; Episode 2: "Cards on the Table" 2006 Perfect Parents Sister Antonia Television film2007 Richard Is My Boyfriend Michelle Television film Cranford Mrs. Rose Series 1; Episodes 1–5 2009 The Queen Margaret Thatcher Episode 3: "The Rivals" 2009, 2011 Law & Order: UK Phyllis Gladstone Series 1; Episodes 3 & 7, and Series 5; Episode 4 2010 Playhouse: Live Meryl Episode 2: "Ghost Story" 2011 Midsomer Murders Phoebe Archbold Series 13; Episode 8: "Fit for Murder"2013 An Adventure in Space and Time Heather Hartnell Television film Mayday Gail Spicer Mini-series; Episodes 1–5 My Hero Herself - Narrator Episodes 1–3 2014 Fleming Evelyn St. Croix Fleming Mini-series; Episodes 1–42015 Timeshift Herself - Narrator Series 15; Episode 2: "A Very British Map: The Ordnance Survey Story" The Go-Between Mrs. Maudsley Television film River DCI Chrissie Read Mini-series; Episodes 1–6 A Very British Brothel Herself - Narrator Television documentary film 2015–2016 CBeebies Bedtime Stories Herself - Storyteller 5 episodes 2016–2019 Mum Cathy Main role. Series 1–3; 18 episodes 2017–2019 Harlots Lydia Quigley Series 1–3; 24 episodes 2018 To Provide All People Consultant Psychiatrist Television film 2019–2023 World on Fire Robina Chase Series 1 & 2; 13 episodes2020 Save Me Too Jennifer Charles Series 2; Episodes 1–4 Love Life Herself / Narrator Main role Talking Heads 3 Susan Episode 8: "Bed Among the Lentils" 2021 I Am... Maria Series 2; Episode 3: "I Am Maria"2022 Magpie Murders Susan Ryeland Episodes 1–6 (also executive producer) Life After Life Herself - Narrator Episodes 1–4 Dangerous Liaisons Genevieve de Merteuil Episodes 1 & 2: "Love or War" and "Conquer of Die" 2022–23 The Crown Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon Series 5–6 2022– Sherwood Julie Jackson Series 1-3 2023– Citadel Dahlia Archer Main role 2023 Who Do You Think You Are? Herself Series 20; Episode 9: "Lesley Manville" 2024 Disclaimer Nancy Brigstocke Miniseries Moonflower Murders Susan Ryeland Lead role Grotesquerie Nurse Redd Main role 2025 Monster: The Ed Gein Story Bernice Worden 2 episodes 2026 Susan Ryeland Upcoming six-part series

Theatre

Awards and nominations Year Association Category Project Result Ref. 2001 London Film Critics Circle Best British Supporting Actress Topsy-Turvy 2003 Evening Standard British Film Award Best Actress All or Nothing London Film Critics Circle Best British Actress of the Year 2011 BAFTA Film Award Best Actress in a Supporting RoleAnother Year British Independent Film Award Best Supporting Actress Chicago Film Critics Association Best Actress European Film Award Best Actress London Film Critics Circle Best British Actress of the Year National Board of Review Best Actress National Society of Film Critics Best Actress San Diego Film Critics Society Best Ensemble Performance Best Supporting Actress Santa Barbara International Film Festival Virtuoso Award 2012 Laurence Olivier Award Best Actress Grief 2014 Critics' Circle Theatre Award Best Actress Ghosts Laurence Olivier Award Best Actress 2015 Drama League Awards Distinguished Performance 2016 BAFTA TV Award Best Supporting Actress River 2017 BAFTA TV Award Best Female Comedy Performance Mum 2018 Academy Award Best Supporting Actress Phantom Thread BAFTA Film Award Best Actress in a Supporting Role Chicago Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actress London Film Critics' Circle Supporting Actress of the Year National Society of Film Critics Best Supporting Actress Toronto Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actress San Francisco Film Critics Circle Best Supporting Actress Vancouver Film Critics Circle Best Supporting Actress Laurence Olivier Award Best Actress Long Day's Journey into Night 2019 BAFTA TV Award Best Female Comedy PerformanceMum Royal Television Society Comedy Performance (Female) 2023 Golden Globe Award Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris Actor Awards Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series The Crown (season 5) BAFTA TV Award Best Supporting Actress Sherwood 2024 BAFTA TV Award Best Supporting ActressThe Crown (season 6) Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Actor Awards Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series 2025 Critic's Circle Theatre Award Best Actress Oedipus Laurence Olivier Award Best Actress 2026Drama League AwardDistinguished Performance Drama Desk AwardsOutstanding Lead Performance in a Play Tony AwardsBest Actress in a Play Dorian AwardOutstanding Lead Performance in a Broadway Play