Imelda Staunton

Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton CBE (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 early roles include Antonia and Jane (1990), Peter's Friends (1992), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Sense and Sensibility (1995), and Shakespeare in Love (1998). She received the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Vera Drake (2004) as well as a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She gained a wider audience for her role as Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter films The Order of the Phoenix (2007) and The Deathly Hallows - Part 1 (2011). Other notable roles include in Nanny McPhee (2005), Another Year (2010), Pride (2014), Finding Your Feet (2017), and Downton Abbey (2019), as well as voice roles for Chicken Run (2000), Arthur Christmas (2011), and Paddington (2014).