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Imelda Staunton

Imelda Staunton

Birthday: 1956-01-09 | Place of Birth: Archway, 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.

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Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

2025
Paddington in Peru

as    Aunt Lucy (voice)

2025
Chicken Run

as    Bunty (voice)

2025
& Sons

as    Isabel

2025
2025
Testimony

as    Narrator (voice)

2023
A Very Brassic Christmas

as    Aunt Edie

2023
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget

as    Bunty (voice)

2023
The Canterville Ghost

as    Mrs Umney (voice)

2022
Downton Abbey: A New Era

as    Maud Bagshaw

2021
Victorian Britain on Film

as    Narrator

2020
Flesh and Blood

as    Mary Bennett

2020
The Far Traveller

as    Narrator

2020
The Magical World of Julia Donaldson

as    Self - Readings

2020
Amulet

as    Sister Claire

2019
A Confession As Told By ITV News

as    Imelda Staunton - Self / Karen Edwards

2019
A Confession

as    Karen Edwards

2018
Paddington 2

as    Aunt Lucy (voice)

2018
Finding Your Feet

as    Sandra Abbott

2017
Little Bird

as    First Officer Simpkins

2017
National Theatre Live: Follies

as    Sally Durant Plummer

2016
The Crown

as    Queen Elizabeth II

2016
2015
Paddington

as    Aunt Lucy (voice)

2015
Gypsy

as    Rose