Rachel Pickup

Rachel Pickup is a British actress known for her extensive work in Shakespearean theatre. She has portrayed many of Shakespeare's heroines in productions on and off the West End, and with the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 2016, she portrayed Portia opposite Sir Jonathan Pryce's Shylock in The Merchant of Venice at Shakespeare's Globe, which toured internationally to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. Pickup received a Critics' Circle Theatre Award nomination for her titular performance in August Strindberg's Miss Julie at the Rose Theatre Kingston.

In film, she starred as Sarah Holt in Michel Franco's Chronic, which received wide-spread acclaim at the 68th Cannes Film Festival. Her additional film roles include Clara Fairfax in Radha Bharadwaj's Basil (1998), Stella Primrose in Duncan Roy's AKA (2002), and Fausta Grables in Patty Jenkins's Wonder Woman (2017). On television, Pickup is best known for her roles as Kaye Bentley in the 10-part BBC miniseries No Bananas (1996), Henrietta Standish in Victoria & Albert (2001), Lesley Parkes in Live!Girls! present Dogtown (2006) and Miss André in The Gilded Age (2023–present). Her father was British actor Ronald Pickup.

Early life and education Pickup was born in London, England to actors Lans Traverse and Ronald Pickup.

Career 1996–2003: Early stage & screen work Shortly after graduating from RADA, Pickup booked the lead role of Kaye Bentley in the 10-part BBC miniseries No Bananas, which premiered in 1996. Later that year she made her professional stage debut in Alan Ayckbourn's Way Upstream at Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, followed by a performance opposite Alan Bates in Mike Poulton's Fortune's Fool at the Chichester Festival Theatre. In 1998, she made her film debut as Clara Fairfax in Radha Bharadwaj's Basil, appearing opposite Jared Leto and Christian Slater. Based on Wilkie Collins' 1852 novel of the same name, Basil premiered as the closing night film of the Toronto International Film Festival. Pickup appeared as Hazel Conway in J. B. Priestley's Time and the Conways at the Royal Exchange, Manchester, earning a Manchester Theatre Award. In 2000 Pickup made her Off West End debut as Corrie in Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park at Jermyn Street Theatre. That same year, Pickup appeared as Cordelia in the English Touring Theatre's production of King Lear directed by Stephen Unwin. Later that year she appeared as Ophelia in Calixto Bieito's production of Hamlet at the Royal Lyceum Theatre for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. For this performance she earned a Herald Angel Award. Later that year portrayed Amanda Prynne in Darko Tresnjak's production of Private Lives at Hartford Stage. In 2015, she starred as Sarah Holt in Michel Franco's Chronic, which premiered in competition at the 68th Cannes Film Festival, where it won Best Screenplay. The film received wide-spread acclaim, and was named a "Critic's Pick" by The New York Times. During this period she began appearing in American television series, including House of Anubis, Elementary, Great Performances, Dietland, and Madam Secretary.

In 2016, Pickup starred as Portia opposite Sir Jonathan Pryce's Shylock in The Merchant of Venice at Lincoln Center, commemorating the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death.

From 2015-2016 Pickup starred as Portia in The Merchant of Venice opposite Sir Jonathan Pryce as Shylock. The production toured internationally in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, with performances at Shakespeare's Globe, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. The production garnered critical acclaim, with The Arts Desk calling Pickup's performance "brilliant" and The Stage noting "The female cast members in particular make their mark, notably Rachel Pickup’s elegant, intelligent Portia." In 2017 Pickup made her Broadway debut in Noël Coward's Present Laughter at the St. James Theatre, starring Kevin Kline. That same year she appeared as primary antagonist Fausta Grables in Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman. The following year she returned to London to appear in the Finborough Theatre revival of Robert Graves' But It Still Goes On. In 2019 she appeared in Helen Banner's Intelligence at New York Theatre Workshop and reprised her performance as Amanda Prynne in Private Lives at the Dorset Theatre Festival. In 2021 Pickup starred as Miranda in The Tempest at Jermyn Street Theatre. During this period, she returned to British television, appearing in the drama serials Grantchester, The Beast Must Die, Sister Boniface Mysteries, and Casualty. Since 2023, Pickup has appeared on the HBO drama series The Gilded Age, portraying Miss André, lady's maid to Carrie Coon's character, Bertha Russell.

By the 2020s, Pickup had established a transatlantic stage career encompassing more than fifty productions. Particularly noted for her work in Shakespeare, she has portrayed many of the playwright's principal heroines across productions in the West End, Broadway, and regional theatres in the United Kingdom and United States.

Personal life Pickup is a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and the United States. She splits her time between London and New York City.

Credits

Film +YearTitleRoleNotesRef.1998BasilClara Fairfax 2002AKAStella Primrose 1996No BananasKaye BentleyMain role: 10 episodes Chichester Festival Theatre 1997 All's Well That Ends Well Helena William Shakespeare Oxford Stage Company 1998 Three Sisters Irina Anton Chekhov Birmingham Repertory Theatre Home Truths Fanny David Lodge 1999 Twelfth Night Olivia William Shakespeare Theatr Clwyd 2000 The Sea Rose Jones Edward Bond Chichester Festival Theatre Barefoot in the Park Corrie Neil Simon Jermyn Street Theatre 2001 Time and the Conways Hazel J.B. Priestly Royal Exchange, Manchester The Fall Guy Lucienne Vatelin Georges Feydeau Royal Exchange, Manchester 2002-2003King LearCordelia William Shakespeare English Touring Theatre The Old Vic 2003HamletOpheliaWilliam Shakespeare Royal Lyceum Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre Olympia Theatre, Dublin Teatre Romea, Barcelona 2004-2005 The Two Gentlemen of Verona Silvia William ShakespeareRoyal Shakespeare Company Julius CaesarPortia 2005 The Lyric Theatre Paradox SuperBaby Hanna Berrigan Royal Shakespeare Company Dr. Foster Dr. Foster Adrian Schiller Menier Chocolate Factory 2006 Troilus and Cressida Helen of TroyWilliam ShakespeareRoyal Shakespeare Company A Midsummer Night's Dream Helena 2007 The 39 Steps Annabelle/Margaret/ Pamela Patrick Barlow Criterion Theatre 2008 Grand Slam Madeleine Lloyd Evans King's Head Theatre Love's Labour's Lost Princess of France William Shakespeare Rose Theatre Kingston 2009 Miss Julie Miss Julie August Strindberg Rose Theatre Kingston Bedroom FarceSusannahAlan Ayckbourn Rose Theatre Kingston 2010 Duke of York's Theatre 2011 An Ideal Husband Lady Chiltern Oscar Wilde Shakespeare Theatre Company 2012 Dancing at Lughnasa Agnes Mundy Brian Friel Irish Repertory Theatre Handicapped People in Their Formal Attire Agnes Kathryn Grant Premiere Stages 2013 Airswimming Persephone Charlotte Jones Irish Repertory Theatre The Explorers' Club Phyllida Spotte-Hume (u/s) Nell Benjamin Manhattan Theatre Club Twelfth Night Olivia William Shakespeare Shakespeare Theatre Company A Mind-Bending Evening of Beckett Erskine / Woman 1 Samuel Beckett Irish Repertory Theatre 2014 King Lear Goneril William Shakespeare Theatre for a New Audience 2015 Private Lives Amanda Prynne Noël Coward Hartford Stage The Cottage Sylvia Van Hipness Sandy Rustin Engeman Theater The Merchant of Venice PortiaWilliam Shakespeare Shakespeare's Globe 2016 Lincoln Center Theatre The Kennedy Center Chicago Shakespeare Theater National Centre for the Performing Arts (China) 2017 Present Laughter Liz Essendine / Monica Reed / Lady Saltburn (u/s) Noël Coward St. James Theatre The Home Place Margaret O'Donnell Brian Friel Irish Repertory Theatre 2018 But It Still Goes On Dorothy Robert Graves Finborough Theatre 2019 Intelligence Sarah MacIntyre Helen Banner New York Theatre Workshop Private Lives Amanda Prynne Noël Coward Dorset Theatre Festival For Services Rendered Eva Ardsley W. Somerset Maugham Jermyn Street Theatre 2019-2020 London Assurance Lady Gay Spanker Dion Boucicault Irish Repertory Theatre 2020 The Skin Game Mary Booker Tony CoxJermyn Street Theatre 2021 The Tempest Miranda William Shakespeare 2022 Still Life Laura Jepson Noël Coward The Mill at Sonning 2023 Twelfth Night Viola William Shakespeare 2025 The Daughter of Time Marta Hallard Josephine Tey & M. Kilburg Reedy Charing Cross Theatre 2026 Dear Liar Mrs Patrick Campbell Jerome Kilty Jermyn Street Theatre Still Life Laura Jepson Noël Coward Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Radio

Audio books Year Title Author PublisherRef.2014 The Island Jill Jones Audible 2015 All That Matters Rebecca Schiller Audible 2003 Herald Angel Award Best Actress in a Play Hamlet 2009 Critics' Circle Theatre Awards Best Actress in a Play Miss Julie 2020 1st Irish Awards Best Actress London Assurance