Lesley Manville

Biography

Lesley Manville is an acclaimed English actress renowned for her extensive work across theatre, film, and television, particularly for her long and successful collaboration with director Mike Leigh.

🌟 Early Life and Background

Born on March 12, 1956, in Brighton, East Sussex, England, Lesley Manville was the youngest of three daughters. Her mother was a former ballet dancer, and her father worked as a taxi driver. Manville originally trained as a soprano singer from the age of eight, twice becoming the under-18 champion of Sussex.

At the age of 15, she was accepted into the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London, shifting her focus from singing to acting. Her professional stage debut came at age sixteen in the West End musical I and Albert.

🎬 A Distinguished Career on Stage and Screen

Manville has built a formidable career defined by her versatility and commitment to character-driven roles:

Collaboration with Mike Leigh: A pivotal element of her career is her recurring work with director Mike Leigh, which began in 1979. This collaboration includes critically praised performances in films like High Hopes (1988), Secrets & Lies (1996), All or Nothing (2002), and Another Year (2010), the latter earning her a BAFTA nomination.

Oscar and BAFTA Recognition: She received widespread international acclaim and her first Academy Award and BAFTA nominations for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of the severe and fastidious Cyril Woodcock in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2017 film, Phantom Thread.

Major Television Roles: She has starred in several acclaimed television series, including the BBC sitcom Mum (2016–2019), for which she received two BAFTA nominations. More recently, she gained global recognition and an Emmy nomination for playing Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, in the final two seasons of the historical drama series The Crown.

Other Notable Films: Her filmography also includes the title role in Vera Drake (2004), playing Flittle in the fantasy film Maleficent (2014) and its sequel, and a Golden Globe-nominated performance as Ada Harris in Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022).

Theatre Excellence: Manville is a highly celebrated theatre actress, a two-time Laurence Olivier Award winner for Best Actress—for Ghosts (2014) and Oedipus (2025). Her stage work includes performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.

Manville was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2015 and later promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2021 for her services to drama and charity.