Natascha McElhone

Career

While eventually taking McElhone, her mother's maiden name, as her stage name,

She appeared the following year, again as "Natascha Taylor," in the series Bergerac as Louise Calder, a rebellious daughter of very wealthy parents. She appeared in two episodes of the Dennis Potter television miniseries Karaoke.

McElhone's first major box-office role, and an early role where she was credited as her new stage name, came with Surviving Picasso (1996), with co-star Anthony Hopkins. One of her most successful films to date has been The Truman Show (1998) with Jim Carrey. She had leading roles opposite Brad Pitt in The Devil's Own (1997), Robert De Niro in Ronin (1998) and George Clooney in Solaris (2002).

Co-starring with Bill Pullman, she appeared in the NBC miniseries Revelations (2005). McElhone starred in a 2006 West End production of Honour at the Wyndham's Theatre alongside Diana Rigg and Martin Jarvis. She accepted the role as Karen in the Showtime cable television series Californication, alongside David Duchovny. In 2009, she became a spokeswoman for Neutrogena. In 2010, McElhone voiced Marie in the video game Castlevania: Lords of Shadow from Konami.

She featured as Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet (2013), a film adaptation of Shakespeare's play. Douglas Booth and Hailee Steinfeld were the leads, and Damian Lewis played her husband. In 2014, McElhone played Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. In 2015, she starred as Sarah Churchill in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Helen Edmundson's Queen Anne.

In February 2016, McElhone was cast alongside Kiefer Sutherland in ABC's political drama series Designated Survivor, which premiered in September 2016. She left the show in Season 2 to star as Laz Ingram in the Hulu science fiction drama series The First (2018).

In 2022, McElhone appeared as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh's close friend Penelope Knatchbull in the Netflix historical series season 5 of The Crown.

From 2022 to 2024, she starred as Catherine Halsey in the Paramount+ military science fiction series Halo.

McElhone has narrated several audiobooks (alone, or in collaboration with other narrators) including Figuring by Maria Popova, Picasso by Arianna Huffington, Amok by Sebastian Fitzek, and several children's stories by Matt Haig.

Personal life McElhone married plastic surgeon Martin Hirigoyen Kelly on 19 May 1998. The couple lived in Fulham, south-west London. They had three sons, the third born five months after Kelly's death.

On 20 May 2008, 43-year-old Kelly was found slumped in the doorway of his family's home by a fellow doctor, who had him rushed to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. He could not be revived and died one day after his 10th wedding anniversary. A postmortem exam revealed the cause of death to have been dilated cardiomyopathy.

After her husband's death, McElhone continued to write letters to him, sometimes documenting the daily trivia of life but also dealing with how she and their young children were coping with their loss. These letters and diary entries formed the basis of her book After You: Letters of Love, and Loss, to a Husband and Father, published in July 2010.

Filmography + List of film works Year Title Role Notes 1996 Surviving Picasso Françoise Gilot 1997 Megan Doherty Mrs Dalloway Young Clarissa Dalloway 1998 Lauren Garland / Sylvia What Rats Won't Do Kate Beckenham Ronin Deirdre 2000 Love's Labour's Lost Lady Rosaline Contaminated Man Holly Anderson 2002 Laurel Canyon Sara FeardotCom Terry Huston Killing Me Softly Deborah Tallis City of Ghosts Sophie Solaris Rheya Kelvin 2004 Ladies in Lavender Olga Daniloff 2005 Guy X SFC Irene Teal 2006 Big Nothing Penelope Wood 2008 The Secret of Moonacre Loveday de Noir Blessed Lou 2010 Gloria 2013 The Sea Connie Grace Believe Erica Gallagher Romeo and Juliet Lady Capulet 2016 Mr. Church Marie Brooks London Town Sandrine Baker 2021 Carmen Carmen

+ List of television works Year Title Role Notes 1990 Helen Blake Episodes: "An Unkindness of Ravens: Parts 1 & 2" 1991 Bergerac Louise Calder Episode: "Snow in Provence" 1994 Absolutely Fabulous Art Gallery Assistant Episode: "Death" Minder Vanessa Episode: "All Quiet on the West End Front" Cadfael Cecily Corde Episode: "The Sanctuary Sparrow" Screen One Janet Episode: "A Breed of Heroes" 1996 Karaoke Angie Episodes: "Tuesday" & "Friday" Cold Lazarus Angie Miniseries; 2 episodes 2003 Mary Boleyn Television film 2005 Revelations Sister Josepha Montafiore Miniseries; 6 episodes 2007 Elizabet Nemeth Miniseries; 2 episodes 2007–2014 Californication Karen Van Der Beek Main role; 80 episodes 2009 10 Minute Tales Woman Episode: "Deep & Crisp & Even" 2010 Thorne: Sleepyhead Anne Coburn Miniseries; 3 episodes 2015 Saints & Strangers Elizabeth Hopkins Miniseries; 2 episodes 2016–2017 Designated Survivor First Lady Alexandra Jane "Alex" Kirkman Main role (seasons 1–2); 27 episodes 2018 The First Laz Ingram Main role; 8 episodes 2022The CrownPenelope Knatchbull, Lady RomseyMain role; 3 episodes (Season 5) Better Things Mark's girlfriend (uncredited) Episode: "England" 2022–2024 Halo Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey Main role; 16 episodes (also producer for season 2) Hotel Portofino Isabella "Bella" Ainsworth Main role; 18 episodes 2025 The Kollective Maya Blade Main role; 6 episodes 2026–presentYoung SherlockCordelia HolmesMain role; 8 episodes

+ List of video game appearances Year Title Role Notes 2010 Castlevania: Lords of ShadowMarie Belmont 2014 Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

Awards

+ Awards and nominations Year Nominated work Award Category Result 1999 Ronin MTV Movie Award Best Action Sequence (shared with Robert De Niro) 2003 Solaris Saturn Award Best Actress 2003 IFTA Award Best Actress in Film 2005 Revelations Satellite Award Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television 2010 The Kid Irina Palm Worst British Supporting Actress 2022 Halo WIN Award Actress Drama Series