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Imelda Staunton

Imelda Staunton

Acting

Born: January 9, 1956Archway, London, England, UK

Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born January 9, 1956) is an English actress and singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Staunton began her career in repertory theatre in 1976 and appeared in various theatre productions in the United Kingdom. Staunton has performed in a variety of plays and musicals in London throughout her career, winning four Laurence Olivier Awards; three for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her roles in the musicals Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, and Gypsy, and one for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Play for her work in both A Chorus of Disapproval and The Corn is Green. Her other stage appearances include The Beggar's Opera, The Wizard of Oz, Uncle Vanya, Guys and Dolls, Entertaining Mr Sloane, and Good People. She has been nominated for 13 Olivier Awards. On film, Staunton starred in Antonia and Jane; in several supporting roles in Kenneth Branagh's comedy Peter's Friends, his adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing; Ang Lee's adaptation of Sense and Sensibility; and the costume romantic comedy Shakespeare in Love. She drew critical acclaim for her performance in the title role in Mike Leigh's Vera Drake, for which she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role and the Venice Film Festival Volpi Cup for Best Actress, in addition to being nominated for Best Actress by the Academy Awards, the Golden Globe Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. She later gained a wider audience for her portrayal as Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter films The Order of the Phoenix and The Deathly Hallows - Part 1. She continued supporting roles in Nanny McPhee, reunited with Leigh in Another Year, and the film continuation of Downton Abbey. She portrayed human rights activist Hefina Headon in the historical film Pride, and starred in the British comedy Finding Your Feet. She also provided voice acting roles for the films Chicken Run, Arthur Christmas, and Paddington. On television, Staunton starred in the sitcoms Up the Garden Path and Is it Legal?. Her performance in My Family and Other Animals earned her a nomination for the International Emmy Award for Best Actress, while her roles in Return to Cranford and The Girl earned her BAFTA TV Award nominations for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. For the latter, she was also nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie. She portrayed Queen Elizabeth II in the final two seasons of The Crown.

Known For
Filmography
& Sons

& Sons

Isabel

2026
Testimony

Testimony

Narrator (voice)

2025
National Theatre Live: Mrs. Warren's Profession

National Theatre Live: Mrs. Warren's Profession

Mrs Peggy Warren

2025
Paddington in Peru

Paddington in Peru

Aunt Lucy (voice)

2024
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget

Bunty (voice)

2023
The Canterville Ghost

The Canterville Ghost

Mrs Umney (voice)

2023
Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends

Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends

Self

2022
Downton Abbey: A New Era

Downton Abbey: A New Era

Maud Bagshaw

2022
Victorian Britain on Film

Victorian Britain on Film

Narrator

2021

Sense and Sensibility: 25th Anniversary Reunion

Self

2021

The Gruffalo and Me: The Remarkable Julia Donaldson

reader

2020

The Magical World of Julia Donaldson

Self - Readings

2020
Amulet

Amulet

Sister Claire

2020
The Far Traveller

The Far Traveller

Narrator

2020
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Knotgrass

2019

A Confession As Told By ITV News

Imelda Staunton - Self / Karen Edwards

2019
Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey

Maud Bagshaw

2019
Finding Your Feet

Finding Your Feet

Sandra Abbott

2017
National Theatre Live: Follies

National Theatre Live: Follies

Sally Durant Plummer

2017
Paddington 2

Paddington 2

Aunt Lucy (voice)

2017
Harry Potter: A History Of Magic

Harry Potter: A History Of Magic

Narrator

2017
National Theatre Live: Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

National Theatre Live: Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Martha

2017
Little Bird

Little Bird

First Officer Simpkins

2017
Jim Carter: Lonnie Donegan and Me

Jim Carter: Lonnie Donegan and Me

Self

2016
Gypsy

Gypsy

Rose

2015

Victoria Wood - That Musical We Made

Self

2014
That Day We Sang

That Day We Sang

Enid

2014
Paddington

Paddington

Aunt Lucy (voice)

2014
Pride

Pride

Hefina

2014
Maleficent

Maleficent

Knotgrass

2014
Mouse and Mole at Christmas Time

Mouse and Mole at Christmas Time

Shrew (voice)

2013
The Girl

The Girl

Alma Reville Hitchcock

2012
London: The Modern Babylon

London: The Modern Babylon

Spoken Quotations (voice)

2012
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

Queen Victoria (voice)

2012
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Mrs. Lovett

2012
Arthur Christmas

Arthur Christmas

Mrs Santa (voice)

2011
The Awakening

The Awakening

Maud Hill

2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Dolores Umbridge

2010
White Other

White Other

Lynne McDermott

2010
Another Year

Another Year

Janet

2010
Psychoville Halloween Special

Psychoville Halloween Special

Grace Andrews

2010
Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland

Talking Flowers (voice)

2010
Taking Woodstock

Taking Woodstock

Sonia Teichberg

2009

Adapting Austen

Self

2009
A Bunch of Amateurs

A Bunch of Amateurs

Mary

2008
Three and Out

Three and Out

Rosemary Cassidy

2008
Clay

Clay

Mary Doonan

2008
Where Have I Been All Your Life?

Where Have I Been All Your Life?

Angela

2007
How About You...

How About You...

Hazel Nightingale

2007
Stephen Fry: 50 Not Out

Stephen Fry: 50 Not Out

Self

2007
Guilty Hearts

Guilty Hearts

Naomi

2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Dolores Umbridge

2007
Freedom Writers

Freedom Writers

Margaret Campbell

2007
The Wind in the Willows

The Wind in the Willows

Barge Lady

2006
Shadow Man

Shadow Man

Ambassador Cochran

2006
Bill Douglas: Intent on Getting the Image

Bill Douglas: Intent on Getting the Image

Herself

2006
My Family and Other Animals

My Family and Other Animals

Mother

2005
Nanny McPhee

Nanny McPhee

Mrs. Blatherwick

2005
Vera Drake

Vera Drake

Vera Drake

2004
Bright Young Things

Bright Young Things

Lady Brown

2003
I'll Be There

I'll Be There

Dr. Bridget

2003
Blackball

Blackball

Bridget

2003
The Virgin of Liverpool

The Virgin of Liverpool

Sylvia Conlon

2003
Crush

Crush

Janine

2002

Ready

Naomi

2002
Another Life

Another Life

Ethel Graydon

2001
Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings

Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings

Mrs. Cottisloe

2000
Rat

Rat

Conchita Flynn

2000
Chicken Run

Chicken Run

Bunty (voice)

2000
Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk

Dilly (voice)

1999
Shakespeare in Love

Shakespeare in Love

Nurse

1998
The Ugly Duckling

The Ugly Duckling

Scruffy (voice)

1997
Remember Me?

Remember Me?

Lorna

1997
Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night

Maria

1996
The Adventures of Toad

The Adventures of Toad

Voice

1996
The Snow Queen's Revenge

The Snow Queen's Revenge

Elspeth / Rowena (voice)

1996
The Wind in the Willows

The Wind in the Willows

Mother Squirrel

1995
The Adventures of Mole

The Adventures of Mole

Voice

1995
Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility

Charlotte Jennings Palmer

1995

The Pen

1995
Citizen X

Citizen X

Mrs. Burakov

1995
The Snow Queen

The Snow Queen

Ivy / Angorra

1995
Mole's Christmas

Mole's Christmas

(voices)

1994
Deadly Advice

Deadly Advice

Beth Greenwood

1994
Don't Leave Me This Way

Don't Leave Me This Way

Bridget Bennet

1993
Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing

Margaret

1993
Roots

Roots

Jenny Beales

1992
Peter's Friends

Peter's Friends

Mary Charleston

1992
A Masculine Ending

A Masculine Ending

Bridget Bennet

1992
They Never Slept

They Never Slept

The Producer

1991
Yellowbacks

Yellowbacks

Cheryl Newman

1990
Antonia and Jane

Antonia and Jane

Jane Hartman

1990
The Englishman's Wife

The Englishman's Wife

Stephanie

1990
The Heat of the Day

The Heat of the Day

Louie

1989
Comrades

Comrades

Betsy Loveless

1987
Easy Money

Easy Money

Mary Price

1982