Imelda Staunton
Biography
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

Midsomer Murders

The Crown

Doctor Who

The Graham Norton Show

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

Golden Globe Awards

Natural World

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
All Movies (97)
- Testimony2025 · as Narrator (voice)
- National Theatre Live: Mrs. Warren's Profession2025 · as Mrs Peggy Warren
- & Sons2025 · as Isabel
- Paddington in Peru2024 · as Aunt Lucy (voice)
- Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget2023 · as Bunty (voice)
- The Canterville Ghost2023 · as Mrs Umney (voice)
- Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends2022 · as Self
- Downton Abbey: A New Era2022 · as Maud Bagshaw
- Victorian Britain on Film2021 · as Narrator
- Sense and Sensibility: 25th Anniversary Reunion2021 · as Self
- The Gruffalo and Me: The Remarkable Julia Donaldson2020 · as reader
- The Magical World of Julia Donaldson2020 · as Self - Readings
- Amulet2020 · as Sister Claire
- The Far Traveller2020 · as Narrator
- Maleficent: Mistress of Evil2019 · as Knotgrass
- A Confession As Told By ITV News2019 · as Imelda Staunton - Self / Karen Edwards
- Downton Abbey2019 · as Maud Bagshaw
- Finding Your Feet2017 · as Sandra Abbott
- National Theatre Live: Follies2017 · as Sally Durant Plummer
- Paddington 22017 · as Aunt Lucy (voice)
- Harry Potter: A History Of Magic2017 · as Narrator
- National Theatre Live: Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?2017 · as Martha
- Little Bird2017 · as First Officer Simpkins
- Jim Carter: Lonnie Donegan and Me2016 · as Self
- Gypsy2015 · as Rose
- That Day We Sang2014 · as Enid
- Victoria Wood - That Musical We Made2014 · as Self
- Paddington2014 · as Aunt Lucy (voice)
- Pride2014 · as Hefina
- Maleficent2014 · as Knotgrass
- Mouse and Mole at Christmas Time2013 · as Shrew (voice)
- The Girl2012 · as Alma Reville Hitchcock
- London: The Modern Babylon2012 · as Spoken Quotations (voice)
- The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!2012 · as Queen Victoria (voice)
- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street2012 · as Mrs. Lovett
- Arthur Christmas2011 · as Mrs Santa (voice)
- The Awakening2011 · as Maud Hill
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 12010 · as Dolores Umbridge
- White Other2010 · as Lynne McDermott
- Another Year2010 · as Janet
- Psychoville Halloween Special2010 · as Grace Andrews
- Alice in Wonderland2010 · as Talking Flowers (voice)
- Taking Woodstock2009 · as Sonia Teichberg
- Adapting Austen2009 · as Self
- A Bunch of Amateurs2008 · as Mary
- Three and Out2008 · as Rosemary Cassidy
- Clay2008 · as Mary Doonan
- How About You...2007 · as Hazel Nightingale
- Where Have I Been All Your Life?2007 · as Angela
- Stephen Fry: 50 Not Out2007 · as Self
- Guilty Hearts2007 · as Naomi
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix2007 · as Dolores Umbridge
- Freedom Writers2007 · as Margaret Campbell
- The Wind in the Willows2006 · as Barge Lady
- Shadow Man2006 · as Ambassador Cochran
- Bill Douglas: Intent on Getting the Image2006 · as Herself
- My Family and Other Animals2005 · as Mother
- Nanny McPhee2005 · as Mrs. Blatherwick
- Vera Drake2004 · as Vera Drake
- Bright Young Things2003 · as Lady Brown
- I'll Be There2003 · as Dr. Bridget
- Blackball2003 · as Bridget
- The Virgin of Liverpool2003 · as Sylvia Conlon
- Crush2002 · as Janine
- Ready2002 · as Naomi
- Another Life2001 · as Ethel Graydon
- Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings2000 · as Mrs. Cottisloe
- Rat2000 · as Conchita Flynn
- Chicken Run2000 · as Bunty (voice)
- Jack and the Beanstalk1999 · as Dilly (voice)
- Shakespeare in Love1998 · as Nurse
- The Ugly Duckling1997 · as Scruffy (voice)
- Remember Me?1997 · as Lorna
- Twelfth Night1996 · as Maria
- The Adventures of Toad1996 · as Voice
- The Snow Queen's Revenge1996 · as Elspeth / Rowena (voice)
- The Wind in the Willows1995 · as Mother Squirrel
- The Adventures of Mole1995 · as Voice
- Sense and Sensibility1995 · as Charlotte Jennings Palmer
- The Pen1995
- Citizen X1995 · as Mrs. Burakov
- The Snow Queen1995 · as Ivy / Angorra
- Mole's Christmas1994 · as (voices)
- Deadly Advice1994 · as Beth Greenwood
- Don't Leave Me This Way1993 · as Bridget Bennet
- Much Ado About Nothing1993 · as Margaret
- Roots1992 · as Jenny Beales
- Peter's Friends1992 · as Mary Charleston
- A Masculine Ending1992 · as Bridget Bennet
- They Never Slept1991 · as The Producer
- Yellowbacks1990 · as Cheryl Newman
- Antonia and Jane1990 · as Jane Hartman
- The Englishman's Wife1990 · as Stephanie
- The Heat of the Day1989 · as Louie
- Comrades1987 · as Betsy Loveless
- Easy Money1982 · as Mary Price
- West the Road—
All TV Shows (48)
- Tommy & Tuppence2026 · as Aunt Ada
- Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg2022 · as Self
- Thirties in Colour: Countdown to War2021 · as Self - Narrator
- Alan Bennett's Talking Heads2020 · as Irene Ruddock
- Trying2020 · as Penny
- Flesh and Blood2020 · as Mary Bennett
- A Confession2019 · as Karen Edwards
- The Crown2016 · as Queen Elizabeth II
- Lily's Driftwood Bay2014 · as Rowena Rabbit (voice)
- The Story of Musicals2012 · as Self – Narrator (voice)
- The Michael Ball Show2010 · as Self
- Psychoville2009 · as Grace Andrews
- Big & Small2008 · as Twiba / Ruby (voice)
- Big & Small2008 · as Twiba (voice)
- Cranford2007 · as Miss Pole
- The Graham Norton Show2007 · as Self
- Live! Girls! Present Dogtown2006
- The One Show2006 · as Self
- ShakespeaRe-Told2005
- Fingersmith2005 · as Mrs. Sucksby
- Doctor Who2005 · as Interface (voice)
- The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson2005 · as Self
- Little Britain2003 · as Mrs. Mead
- Strange2003 · as Reverend Mary Truegood
- Cambridge Spies2003 · as The Queen
- Murder2002 · as DCI Billie Dory
- David Copperfield1999 · as Mrs. Micawber
- Midsomer Murders1997 · as Christine Cooper
- Is It Legal?1995
- Look at the State We're In!1995 · as Councillor Johnson
- If You See God, Tell Him1993 · as Muriel Spry
- Frank Stubbs Promotes1993 · as Susan
- Performance1991 · as Jenny Beales
- Up the Garden Path1990
- Tales from the Crypt1989 · as Sarah
- A Bit of Fry & Laurie1989
- Thompson1988 · as Self
- The Play on One1988 · as Cheryl Newman
- The Ruth Rendell Mysteries1987 · as Polly Flinders
- The Singing Detective1986 · as Staff Nurse White
- ScreenPlay1986 · as Jane Hartman
- ScreenPlay1986 · as Stephanie
- Ladies in Charge1986 · as Edith
- Screen Two1985 · as The Producer
- Natural World1983 · as Narrator
- Playhouse1974 · as Mary Price
- The Oscars1953 · as Self
- Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Nominee