
Imelda Staunton
Birthday: 1956-01-09
Place of Birth: Archway, London, England, UK
Biography: 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.

Much Ado About Nothing, 1993
Drama
Comedy
Romance

Sense and Sensibility, 1995
Drama
Romance

Citizen X, 1995
Detective
Drama

Shakespeare in Love, 1998
Romance
Historical
Comedy

Chicken Run, 2000
Animation
Comedy

Vera Drake, 2004
Drama

Nanny McPhee, 2005
Fantasy
Comedy

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 2007
Adventure
Fantasy

Freedom Writers, 2007
Detective
Drama

Taking Woodstock, 2009
Comedy
Drama

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, 2010
Adventure
Fantasy

Alice in Wonderland, 2010
Fantasy
Adventure

Another Year, 2010
Drama
Comedy

Arthur Christmas, 2011
Drama
Animation
Comedy

The Awakening, 2011
Horror
Thriller
Mystery

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!, 2012
Animation
Adventure
Comedy

Maleficent, 2014
Fantasy
Adventure
Action
Romance

Paddington, 2014
Comedy
Adventure

Pride, 2014
Drama
Comedy

Paddington 2, 2017
Adventure
Comedy

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, 2019
Fantasy
Adventure
Action

Downton Abbey, 2019
Drama
Romance
Historical

Downton Abbey: A New Era, 2022
Drama
Romance
Historical
Mystery

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, 2023
Animation
Adventure
Comedy