1956-01-09 Archway, London, England, UK
Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born 9 January 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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Paddington in Peru | Aunt Lucy (voice) | 2024-11-08 |
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Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget | Bunty (voice) | 2023-12-08 |
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The Canterville Ghost | Mrs Umney (voice) | 2023-09-22 |
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Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends | Self | 2022-05-03 |
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Downton Abbey: A New Era | Maud Bagshaw | 2022-04-27 |
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Victorian Britain on Film | Narrator | 2021-11-20 |
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The Magical World of Julia Donaldson | Self - Readings | 2020-12-23 |
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Amulet | Sister Claire | 2020-07-24 |
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Guðríður víðförla | Narrator | 2020-03-18 |
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The Gruffalo and Me: The Remarkable Julia Donaldson | reader | 2020-12-25 |
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A Confession As Told By ITV News | Imelda Staunton - Self / Karen Edwards | 2019-10-07 |
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Maleficent: Mistress of Evil | Knotgrass | 2019-10-16 |
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Downton Abbey | Maud Bagshaw | 2019-09-12 |
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Finding Your Feet | Sandra Abbott | 2017-12-26 |
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Paddington 2 | Aunt Lucy (voice) | 2017-11-09 |
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Harry Potter: A History Of Magic | Narrator | 2017-10-28 |
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Little Bird | First Officer Simpkins | 2017-04-22 |
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National Theatre Live: Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | Martha | 2017-05-18 |
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National Theatre Live: Follies | Sally Durant Plummer | 2017-11-16 |
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Jim Carter: Lonnie Donegan and Me | Self | 2016-05-17 |
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Gypsy | Rose | 2015-12-27 |
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Pride | Hefina | 2014-09-12 |
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That Day We Sang | Enid | 2014-12-26 |
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Maleficent | Knotgrass | 2014-05-28 |
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Victoria Wood - That Musical We Made | 2014-12-26 | |
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Paddington | Aunt Lucy (voice) | 2014-11-24 |
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Mouse and Mole at Christmas Time | Shrew (voice) | 2013-12-16 |
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The Girl | Alma Reville Hitchcock | 2012-10-22 |
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London: The Modern Babylon | Spoken Quotations (voice) | 2012-08-03 |
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The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! | Queen Victoria (voice) | 2012-03-12 |
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Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Mrs. Lovett | 2012-03-10 |
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Arthur Christmas | Mrs Santa (voice) | 2011-11-10 |
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The Awakening | Maud Hill | 2011-08-17 |
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Another Year | Janet | 2010-11-05 |
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Psychoville Halloween Special | Grace Andrews | 2010-10-31 |
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Alice in Wonderland | Talking Flowers (voice) | 2010-03-03 |
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 | Dolores Umbridge | 2010-11-17 |
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White Other | Lynne McDermott | 2010-11-13 |
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Taking Woodstock | Sonia Teichberg | 2009-08-26 |
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A Bunch of Amateurs | Mary | 2008-11-17 |
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Clay | Mary Doonan | 2008-03-30 |
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Three and Out | Rosemary Cassidy | 2008-10-12 |
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How About You... | Hazel Nightingale | 2007-11-16 |
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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | Dolores Umbridge | 2007-07-08 |
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Guilty Hearts | Naomi | 2007-07-30 |
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Stephen Fry: 50 Not Out | Self | 2007-08-11 |
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Freedom Writers | Margaret Campbell | 2007-01-05 |
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Bill Douglas: Intent on Getting the Image | Herself | 2006-06-18 |
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The Wind in the Willows | Barge Lady | 2006-12-18 |
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Shadow Man | Ambassador Cochran | 2006-09-05 |
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My Family and Other Animals | Mother | 2005-12-27 |
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Nanny McPhee | Mrs. Blatherwick | 2005-10-21 |
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Vera Drake | Vera Drake | 2004-10-22 |
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Blackball | Bridget | 2003-05-18 |
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I'll Be There | Dr. Bridget | 2003-06-13 |
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The Virgin of Liverpool | Sylvia Conlon | 2003-03-15 |
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Bright Young Things | Lady Brown | 2003-10-03 |
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Crush | Janine | 2002-06-07 |
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Ready | Naomi | 2002-01-01 |
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Rat | Conchita Flynn | 2001-04-01 |
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Another Life | Ethel Graydon | 2001-06-15 |
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Chicken Run | Bunty (voice) | 2000-06-23 |
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Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings | Mrs. Cottisloe | 2000-12-25 |
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Jack and the Beanstalk | Dilly | 1999-10-11 |
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Shakespeare in Love | Nurse | 1998-12-11 |
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Remember Me? | 1997-01-02 | |
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The Ugly Duckling | Scruffy (voice) | 1997-09-04 |
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The Adventures of Toad | Voice | 1996-07-30 |
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The Snow Queen's Revenge | Elspeth / Rowena (voice) | 1996-01-01 |
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Twelfth Night | Maria | 1996-10-25 |
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The Adventures of Mole | Voice | 1995-12-24 |
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The Snow Queen | Ivy / Angorra | 1995-01-01 |
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Citizen X | Mrs. Burakov | 1995-02-25 |
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Sense and Sensibility | Charlotte Jennings Palmer | 1995-12-13 |
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The Wind in the Willows | Mother Squirrel | 1995-12-25 |
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The Pen | 1995-08-25 | |
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Mole's Christmas | (voices) | 1994-12-25 |
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Deadly Advice | Beth Greenwood | 1994-04-29 |
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Much Ado About Nothing | Margaret | 1993-05-07 |
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Don't Leave Me This Way | Bridget Bennet | 1993-05-30 |
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Roots | Jenny Beales | 1992-11-28 |
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Peter's Friends | Mary Charleston | 1992-09-18 |
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A Masculine Ending | Bridget Bennet | 1992-04-12 |
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They Never Slept | The Producer | 1991-01-20 |
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Yellowbacks | Cheryl Newman | 1990-08-30 |
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Antonia and Jane | Jane Hartman | 1990-01-01 |
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The Englishman's Wife | Stephanie | 1990-01-08 |
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The Heat of the Day | Louie | 1989-06-09 |
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Comrades | Betsy Loveless | 1987-08-23 |
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Easy Money | Mary Price | 1982-05-28 |
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