Imelda Staunton
Acting
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
Acting144
movie& Sons
2026
Isabel
movieTestimony
2025
Narrator (voice)
movieNational Theatre Live: Mrs. Warren's Profession
2025
Mrs Peggy Warren
moviePaddington in Peru
2024
Aunt Lucy (voice)
movieChicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
2023
Bunty (voice)
movieThe Canterville Ghost
2023
Mrs Umney (voice)
movieDownton Abbey: A New Era
2022
Maud Bagshaw
tvThirties in Colour: Countdown to War
2021
Self - Narrator
movieAmulet
2020
Sister Claire
tvAlan Bennett's Talking Heads
2020
Irene Ruddock
tvTrying
2020
Penny
movieThe Far Traveller
2020
Narrator
tvFlesh and Blood
2020
Mary Bennett
A Confession As Told By ITV News
2019
Imelda Staunton - Self / Karen Edwards
movieDownton Abbey
2019
Maud Bagshaw
tvA Confession
2019
Karen Edwards
movieFinding Your Feet
2017
Sandra Abbott
movieNational Theatre Live: Follies
2017
Sally Durant Plummer
moviePaddington 2
2017
Aunt Lucy (voice)
movieLittle Bird
2017
First Officer Simpkins
tvThe Crown
2016
Queen Elizabeth II
movieGypsy
2015
Rose
moviePaddington
2014
Aunt Lucy (voice)
moviePride
2014
Hefina
movieMaleficent
2014
Knotgrass
tvLily's Driftwood Bay
2014
Rowena Rabbit (voice)
movieMouse and Mole at Christmas Time
2013
Shrew (voice)
movieThe Girl
2012
Alma Reville Hitchcock
movieLondon: The Modern Babylon
2012
Spoken Quotations (voice)
movieThe Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!
2012
Queen Victoria (voice)
tvThe Story of Musicals
2012
Self – Narrator (voice)
movieArthur Christmas
2011
Mrs Santa (voice)
movieThe Awakening
2011
Maud Hill
movieHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
2010
Dolores Umbridge
movieWhite Other
2010
Lynne McDermott
moviePsychoville Halloween Special
2010
Grace Andrews
movieAlice in Wonderland
2010
Talking Flowers (voice)
movieTaking Woodstock
2009
Sonia Teichberg
tvPsychoville
2009
Grace Andrews
tvBig & Small
2008
Twiba / Ruby (voice) / Twiba (voice)
movieThree and Out
2008
Rosemary Cassidy
movieClay
2008
Mary Doonan
tvCranford
2007
Miss Pole
movieHow About You...
2007
Hazel Nightingale
movieHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
2007
Dolores Umbridge
movieFreedom Writers
2007
Margaret Campbell
movieThe Wind in the Willows
2006
Barge Lady
movieShadow Man
2006
Ambassador Cochran
movieNanny McPhee
2005
Mrs. Blatherwick
tvFingersmith
2005
Mrs. Sucksby
tvDoctor Who
2005
Interface (voice)
movieVera Drake
2004
Vera Drake
movieBright Young Things
2003
Lady Brown
tvLittle Britain
2003
Mrs. Mead
movieI'll Be There
2003
Dr. Bridget
tvStrange
2003
Reverend Mary Truegood
movieBlackball
2003
Bridget
tvCambridge Spies
2003
The Queen
movieThe Virgin of Liverpool
2003
Sylvia Conlon
movieCrush
2002
Janine
tvMurder
2002
DCI Billie Dory
Ready
2002
Naomi
movieAnother Life
2001
Ethel Graydon
movieVictoria Wood with All the Trimmings
2000
Mrs. Cottisloe
movieRat
2000
Conchita Flynn
movieChicken Run
2000
Bunty (voice)
tvDavid Copperfield
1999
Mrs. Micawber
movieJack and the Beanstalk
1999
Dilly (voice)
movieThe Ugly Duckling
1997
Scruffy (voice)
tvMidsomer Murders
1997
Christine Cooper
movieThe Snow Queen's Revenge
1996
Elspeth / Rowena (voice)
movieThe Wind in the Willows
1995
Mother Squirrel
movieSense and Sensibility
1995
Charlotte Jennings Palmer
Look at the State We're In!
1995
Councillor Johnson
movieCitizen X
1995
Mrs. Burakov
movieThe Snow Queen
1995
Ivy / Angorra
movieMole's Christmas
1994
(voices)
movieDeadly Advice
1994
Beth Greenwood
tvIf You See God, Tell Him
1993
Muriel Spry
movieDon't Leave Me This Way
1993
Bridget Bennet
movieMuch Ado About Nothing
1993
Margaret
movieRoots
1992
Jenny Beales
moviePeter's Friends
1992
Mary Charleston
movieA Masculine Ending
1992
Bridget Bennet
tvPerformance
1991
Jenny Beales
movieThey Never Slept
1991
The Producer
movieYellowbacks
1990
Cheryl Newman
movieAntonia and Jane
1990
Jane Hartman
movieThe Englishman's Wife
1990
Stephanie
tvThe Play on One
1988
Cheryl Newman
movieComrades
1987
Betsy Loveless
tvThe Ruth Rendell Mysteries
1987
Polly Flinders
tvThe Singing Detective
1986
Staff Nurse White
tvScreenPlay
1986
Jane Hartman / Stephanie
tvScreen Two
1985
The Producer
tvNatural World
1983
Narrator
movieEasy Money
1982
Mary Price
tvPlayhouse
1974
Mary Price
tvThe Oscars
1953
Self
tvGolden Globe Awards
1944
Self - Nominee