Lesley Manville

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Lesley Manville

Leslie Manville (cropped).jpg
Born
Lesley Ann Manville[1]

(1956-03-12) 12 March 1956 (age 64)
Brighton, Sussex, England
Alma materItalia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts
OccupationActress
Years active1972–present
Spouse(s)
(m. 1987; div. 1990)

(m. 2000; div. 2004)
Children1

Lesley Ann Manville OBE (born 12 March 1956)[2] is an English actress. She is known for her frequent collaborations with director Mike Leigh, with her winning the London Film Critics Circle Award for British Actress of the Year for the films All or Nothing (2002) and Another Year (2010), and the National Board of Review Award for Best Actress for the latter. Her other collaborations with Leigh include Grown-Ups (1980), High Hopes (1988), Secrets & Lies (1996), Topsy-Turvy (1999), Vera Drake (2004) and Mr. Turner (2014). For her performance in Paul Thomas Anderson's historical drama Phantom Thread (2017), she won the London Film Critics' Circle Award for Supporting Actress of the Year and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Making her film debut in Dance with a Stranger (1985), her other films include High Season (1987), The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael (2005), Sparkle (2007), A Christmas Carol (2009), Womb (2010), Spike Island (2012), The Christmas Candle (2013), Maleficent (2014), Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism (2015), Hampstead (2017), Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019), Ordinary Love (2019), and Misbehaviour (2020).

Her television roles include Emmerdale Farm (1974–1976), A Bunch of Fives (1977), The Firm (1989), Soldier Soldier (1992), Ain't Misbehavin' (1994), Holding On (1997), David Copperfield (2000), The Cazalets (2001), North & South (2004), Perfect Parents (2006), Cranford (2007), Mayday (2013), Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond (2014), River (2015), Mum (2016–2019), Harlots (2017–2019), World on Fire (2019) and Save Me (2020). She is also a five-time British Academy of Film and Television Arts nominee for Another Year, Mum, River and Phantom Thread.

Manville's extensive stage career includes roles in I and Albert (1972), Chorus Girls (1981), Top Girls (1982), Saved (1984), As You Like It (1985), Les Liaisons Dangereuses (1986), The Cherry Orchard (1989), Three Sisters (1990), His Dark Materials (2005), The Alchemist (2006), All About My Mother (2007), Her Naked Skin (2008), Six Degrees of Separation (2010), and The Visit (2020). Nominated for an Olivier Award for Leigh's 2011 play Grief and Richard Eyre’s 2018 revival of Long Day's Journey into Night, she won the 2014 Olivier Award for Best Actress for her role as Helene Alving in the 2013 revival of Ghosts.

In July 2020, it was announced that Manville will portray Princess Margaret in seasons 5 and 6 of the Netflix series The Crown.

Early life[edit]

Manville was born in Brighton, East Sussex, the daughter of Jean, a former ballet dancer, and Ron Manville, a taxi driver.[3][4] She was brought up in nearby Hove, as one of three daughters.[5][6] Training as a soprano singer from age 8, she twice became under-18 champion of Sussex.[5] She began acting as a teenager, appearing in television series such as King Cinder. As a result, at age 15, she gained a place at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts.[7]

Career[edit]

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.[5][5][6][7] She made her professional stage debut in the 1972 West End musical I and Albert directed by John Schlesinger and paid for her first flat taking a part in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale Farm (1974–76), appearing in 80 episodes.[5]

Manville built a career as a distinctive theatre actress, appearing in new plays at the Royal Shakespeare Company's Warehouse and Royal Court Theatre from 1978.[8] She met Mike Leigh in 1979, when he was looking for RSC actors who could improvise.[6] In the 1980s, her work for the Royal Court included Andrea Dunbar's Rita, Sue and Bob Too (1981) and Caryl Churchill's Top Girls (1982) and Serious Money (1987). She also starred in the Top Girls Off-Broadway production in 1983. For the RSC, she starred in As You Like It (1985) and Les Liaisons Dangereuses (1985–86). She made her film debut in 1985s Dance with a Stranger directed by Mike Newell, and went on to appear in Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (1987) directed by Stephen Frears, and High Season (1987). Back on the stage, she starred in The Cherry Orchard at the Aldwych Theatre in 1989, directed by Sam Mendes, and in Three Sisters at the Royal Court in 1990.

In 1994, Manville starred in the first series of the BBC sitcom Ain't Misbehavin'. For her work in the 2000 miniseries Other People's Children, and the 2002 TV film Bodily Harm, she received nominations for Best Female Actor at the Royal Television Society Awards.[9][10] 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).[11] 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 numerous Mike Leigh films throughout her career, including High Hopes (1988), Secrets & Lies (1996), Topsy-Turvy (1999), Vera Drake (2004) and Mr. Turner (2014). Her most notable Mike Leigh films are All or Nothing in 2002 and Another Year in 2010. For both, she won the London Film Critics Circle Award for British Actress of the Year.[12] 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.[13][14] She also won Best Supporting Actress from the San Diego Film Critics Society.[15] On 18 January 2011, she received a BAFTA nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category.[16] 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".[17]

In 2011, Manville starred in Mike Leigh's play Grief at the National Theatre which earned her a Best Actress Olivier Award nomination.[18] 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.[19][20] She also appeared in the films Romeo and Juliet (2013) and Maleficent (2014).

Manville was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2015 Birthday Honours. In the same year, she starred opposite Stellan Skaarsgaard in the BBC drama River, which earned her a nomination for the 2016 BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress. She then 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.[21]

In the 2017 period film Phantom Thread, Manville played the sister of the dressmaker (Daniel Day-Lewis). For her role, she was nominated for the Academy Award and BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress.[22]

Personal life[edit]

Manville's first boyfriend was actor Peter Duncan whom she met at stage school while attending Italia Conti. They are still friends.[23]

Her first husband was actor Gary Oldman. The pair split in 1989, three months after their son, Alfie (born 1988), was born,[6] although they remain friends.[24] Her second marriage was to Joe Dixon.[6]

In 2007, Manville was living with her son in East Grinstead, West Sussex.[7]

In 2020, she delivered a monologue for the Equity Benevolent Fund to support fellow actors during the COVID-19 pandemic.[25]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1985 Dance with a Stranger Maryanne
1987 Sammy and Rosie Get Laid Margy
1987 High Season Carol
1988 High Hopes Laetitia Boothe-Braine
1996 Secrets & Lies Jenny Ford the Social Worker
1999 Milk Fiona
1999 Topsy-Turvy Lucy Gilbert
1999 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
2007 Sparkle Jill
2009 A Christmas Carol Mrs. Cratchit
2010 Another Year Mary
2010 Womb Judith
2013 Romeo and Juliet The Nurse
2013 A Five Star Life Kate Sherman
2013 Spike Island Margaret
2013 The Christmas Candle Bea Haddington
2014 Maleficent Flittle
2014 Mr. Turner Mary Somerville
2015 Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism Miss Adderstone
2016 Rupture Dr. Nyman
2017 Hampstead Fiona
2017 Phantom Thread Cyril Woodcock
2019 Ordinary Love Joan
2019 Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Flittle
2020 Misbehaviour Dolores Hope
2020 Let Him Go Blanche Weboy Post-production

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1974 Village Hall Merle Episode: "Dancing in the Dark"
1974 Softly Softly: Task Force Janet Episode: "Pop Goes the Weasel"
1974–1976 Emmerdale Farm Rosemary Kendall 48 episodes
1975 Barlow at Large Christine West Episode: "Protection"
1976 The Emigrants Janice Parker 3 episodes
1977 A Bunch of Fives Helen Wyatt 14 episodes
1977 Leap in the Dark Julie Episode: "The Fetch"
1977 King Cinder Nikki 6 episodes
1978 Wings Francoise Episode: "Dawn Attack"
1980 The Gentle Touch Shirley Davis 2 episodes
1980 Grown-Ups Mandy Television film
1982 Objects of Affection Liz Episode: "Our Winnie"
1982 Coronation Street Jill Mason 2 episodes
1982 Our Winnie Student Television short
1984 Play for Today Vivienne Episode: "Dog Ends"
1985 Bulman Karen Tait Episode: "The Name of the Game"
1989 The Firm Sue Bissel Television film
1991 Performance Marlene Episode: "Top Girls"
1992 Soldier Soldier Rachel Elliot 5 episodes
1993 The Mushroom Picker Margot 3 episodes
1993 A Statement of Affairs Carol Episode #1.1
1993 Goggle-Eyes Rosalind Killin 4 episodes
1993 Crime Story Gail Episode: "When the Lies Run Out"
1994 Ain't Misbehavin' Melissa Quigley 6 episodes
1994 Little Napoleons Judith Silver 4 episodes
1994 A Skirt Through History Bessie Parkes Episode: "A Lady's Portion"
1995 Tears Before Bedtime Beattie Freman 4 episodes
1996 The Bite Ellie Shannon 2 episodes
1996 Kavanagh QC Lucy Cartwright Episode: "The Commitment"
1997 Holding On Hilary 7 episodes
1997 Painted Lady Susie Peel Television film
1998–1999 Real Women Karen 7 episodes
1998 Silent Witness Suzy Franklin Episode: "Fallen Idol"
1999 Real Women II Karen Turner 4 episodes
2000 Other People's Children Nadine 2 episodes
2000 Black Cab Yvonne Episode: "Lost & Found"
2000 David Copperfield Mrs. Micawber Television film
2001 The Cazalets Villy Cazalet 6 episodes
2002 Bodily Harm Mandy Greenfield 2 episodes
2002 Plain Jane Dora Bruce Television film
2003 Promoted to Glory Capt. Annie Sullivan Television film
2004 Rose and Maloney Professor Diane Marquis 2 episodes
2004 North & South Maria Hale 4 episodes
2005 Agatha Christie's Poirot Mrs. Lorrimer Episode: "Cards on the Table"
2006 Perfect Parents Sister Antonia Television film
2007 Cranford Mrs. Rose 5 episodes
2009–2011 Law & Order: UK Phyllis Gladstone 3 episodes
2009 The Queen Margaret Thatcher Episode: "The Rivals"
2011 Midsomer Murders Phoebe Archbold Episode: "Fit for Murder"
2013 An Adventure in Space and Time Heather Hartnell Television film
2013 Mayday Gail Spicer 5 episodes
2014 Fleming Evelyn St. Croix Fleming 4 episodes
2015 The Go-Between Mrs. Maudsley Television film
2015 River DCI Chrissie Read 6 episodes
2016–2019 Mum Cathy 18 episodes
2017 A Very British Brothel Narrator Documentary
2017–2019 Harlots Lydia Quigley 24 episodes
2019 World on Fire Robina Chase 7 episodes
2020 Save Me Too Jennifer Charles 4 episodes
2020 Love Life Narrator (voice) 10 episodes
2020 Talking Heads Susan Episode: "Bed Among the Lentils"

Theatre[edit]

Year Title Role Director Venue
1978 Savage Amusement Ali John Caird RSC - Warehouse
1978 The Sons of Light Sister Croy Ron Daniels RSC - Warehouse
1980 Fear of the Dark Jen Walter Donohue Royal Shakespeare Company
1981 Chorus Girls Performer Adrian Shergold Theatre Royal, Stratford East
1978 Who Needs Enemies? Second Student Walter Donohue RSC - Warehouse
1981 Borderline Susan, Valerie Max Stafford-Clark Royal Court
1981 Rita, Sue and Bob Too Sue Andrea Dunbar Royal Court Theatre, London
1982 Top Girls Patient Griselda Caryl Churchill The Public Theater, Off-Broadway
1983 Falkland Sound Performer Max Stafford-Clark Royal Court Theatre, London
1984 The Pope's Wedding Pat Max Stafford-Clark Royal Court Theatre, London
1984 Saved Liz Danny Boyle Royal Court Theatre, London
1985 Philistines Polya N/A Royal Shakespeare Company, London
1985 The Dead Monkey Dolores Roger Michell Royal Shakespeare Company, London
1985–1986 As You Like It Phebe Adrian Noble Royal Shakespeare Theatre, London
1986 Les Liaisons Dangereuses Cécile Howard Davies Barbican Centre, London
1989 Serious Money Scilla Max Stafford-Clark Royal Court Theatre, London
1989 American Bagpipes Sandra Lindsay Posner Royal Court Theatre, London
1989 The Cherry Orchard Varya Sam Mendes Aldwych Theatre, London
1990 Three Sisters Natasha Adrian Noble Royal Court Theatre, London
1990 Miss Julie Miss Julie N/A Greenwich Theatre
2005 Some Girl(s) Lindsay David Grindley Gielgud Theatre[26]
2005 His Dark Materials Mrs. Coulter Nicholas Hytner National Theatre, London
2006 Pillars of the Community Lona Marianne Elliott Lyttelton, NT, London
2006 The Alchemist Dol Common Nicholas Hytner National Theatre, London
2007 All About My Mother Manuela Tom Cairns The Old Vic, London
2008 Her Naked Skin Celia Cain Nicholas Hytner National Theatre
2010 Six Degrees of Separation Ouisa Kittredge David Grindley The Old Vic, London
2011 Grief Dorothy Mike Leigh National Theatre
2013 Ghosts Helene Alving Richard Eyre Almeida Theatre, London
2015 The Illiad Performer Rupert Gould Almeida Theatre, London
2016 Long Day's Journey into Night Mary Tyrone Richard Eyre Bristol Old Vic
2018 Wyndham's Theatre
Brooklyn Academy of Music
2020 The Visit Claire Zachanassian Jeremy Herrin National Theatre

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Project Awards
1999 Topsy-Turvy Nominated—London Film Critics Circle Award for Best British Supporting Actress
2002 All or Nothing Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actress
London Film Critics Circle Award for Best British Actress of the Year
2010 Another Year London Film Critics Circle Award for Best British Actress of the Year
National Board of Review Award for Best Actress
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress (3rd place)
San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
Santa Barbara International Film Festival Virtuoso Award
Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Nominated—BIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress
Nominated—European Film Award for Best Actress
Nominated—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble Performance
2017 Phantom Thread London Film Critics' Circle Award for Supporting Actress of the Year
Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
2019 Mum Royal Television Society Award for Comedy Performance (Female)

References[edit]

  1. ^ Patel, Salina (12 June 2015). "Actress Lelsey Manville appointed OBE in Queen's Birthday Honours list". getwestlondon.co.uk.
  2. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  3. ^ Cooper, Glenda (23 April 2014). "After four decades on the stage, Manville is in no mood to slow down". Telegraph. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  4. ^ Appleyard, Bryan (8 May 2016). "Lesley Manville is one hot mother". The Sunday Times.
  5. ^ a b c d e Kellaway, Kate (12 August 2007). "The mother superior". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  6. ^ a b c d e Nick Curtis (6 January 2010). "Lesley Manville's six degrees of success". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 10 January 2010. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  7. ^ a b c Naomi West (4 August 2007). "The world of Lesley Manville, actress". London: daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  8. ^ "Patrons". Hub Theatre Bio of Manville. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  9. ^ "Programme Award Winners 2000". Royal Television Society. 2000. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  10. ^ "Programme Award Winners". Royal Television Society. 2002. Archived from 2002 the original Check |url= value (help) on 17 June 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  11. ^ "All-star announced to star alongside Judi Dench in Cranford". BBC. 20 April 2007. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  12. ^ London Critics Circle British Actress of the Year Archived 7 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine Critics Circle web site
  13. ^ Chicago Film Critics Award for Best Actress Archived 24 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine Chicago Film Critics web site
  14. ^ "London Film Critics: Colin Firth vs. Christian Bale Mystery". altfg.com.
  15. ^ San Diego Film Critics Society Archived 25 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine San Diego Film Critics Society web site
  16. ^ "Search Results". BAFTA site. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  17. ^ Cohrs, Jocelyn (2011). "AARP The Magazine's Movies for Grownups Awards Gala - An Evening of Congratulations, Class, and Circumstance | Splash Magazines | Los Angeles". lasplash.com. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
  18. ^ "Mike Leigh: Profile of a Playwright". Daily Telegraph. 22 September 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  19. ^ Billington, Michael (14 April 2014). "The Olivier awards were predictable, yes, but not necessarily wrong". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  20. ^ "Rory Kinnear claims double victory in 2014 Critics' Circle theatre awards". the Guardian. 28 January 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  21. ^ Saunders, Emma (9 May 2019). "Mum: Will we see a happy ending?". BBC News. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  22. ^ "Oscar-nominee Lesley Manville talks Phantom Thread, Daniel Day-Lewis and the Kardashians". The Independent. 30 January 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  23. ^ BFI (16 April 2018). "Lesley Manville and Naomi Ackie - Working Class Heroes at the BFI" – via YouTube.
  24. ^ "Both Lesley Manville and ex-husband Gary Oldman were nominated for Oscars: He's got a new wife, we get on". Hindustan Times. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  25. ^ Glynn, Paul (22 May 2020). "Lesley Manville: 'Most actors are not loaded'". BBC News. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  26. ^ Quarmby, Kevin (Spring 2005). "Interview with Lesley Manville, Some Girl(s), The Gielgud Theatre". Retrieved 2 August 2014.

External links[edit]