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Lindsay Duncan

Acting

Born November 7, 1950 · Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Also known as Lindsay Vere Duncan · Линдси Дункан · 린제이 던칸

Biography

Lindsay Vere Duncan, CBE (born November 7, 1950) is a Scottish stage and television actress. She is the recipient of three BAFTA nominations and one Scottish BAFTA nomination, as well as two Olivier Awards and a Tony Award for her work on stage. She has starred in several plays by Harold Pinter. Duncan's film credits include Prick Up Your Ears (1987), The Reflecting Skin (1990), City Hall (1996), An Ideal Husband, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Mansfield Park (all 1999), Under the Tuscan Sun, AfterLife (both 2003), Starter for 10 (2006), Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (2010), About Time (2013), Birdman (2014), and Blackbird (2019). Outside of stage and film, Duncan appeared as Barbara Douglas in Alan Bleasdale's critically acclaimed G.B.H. (1991), Servilia of the Junii on the HBO historical drama series Rome (2005–2007), Adelaide Brooke in the Doctor Who special "The Waters of Mars" (2009), Anjelica Hayden-Hoyle in the BBC Two miniseries The Honourable Woman (2014), and Lady Smallwood on BBC One's Sherlock (2014–2017). She also portrayed Elizabeth Longford and Margaret Thatcher in the television films Longford (2006) and Margaret (2009), respectively.

Awards & recognition

  • Tony AwardBest Actress in a Play · 2002
  • Sitges Film Festival Best Actress award · 1990
  • Theatre World Award · 1987
  • Commander of the Order of the British Empire
  • Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Actress in a Play
Show all 8 awards →
  • Evening Standard Theatre AwardBest Actress
  • Laurence Olivier Awards
  • Tony AwardBest Actress in a Play · 1987 · nominated

Filmography50+ titles

Sherlock

2010as Lady Smallwood

A History of Britain

2000as Reader

Black Mirror

2011as Alex Cairns

Rome

2005as Servilia of the Junii

The Storyteller: Greek Myths

1991as Medea

Agatha Christie's Poirot

1989as Lady Tamplin

Inside No. 9

2014as Loretta Lamb

Gifted

2017as Evelyn Adler

About Time

2013as Mum

Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars

2009as Captain Adelaide Brooke

His Dark Materials

2019as Octavia (voice)

A Discovery of Witches

2018as Ysabeau de Clermont

Merlin

2008as Queen Annis

Agatha Christie's Marple

2004as Marina Gregg

The Morning Show

2019as Martha Ellison

The Leftovers

2014as Grace Playford

Spooks

2002as Angela Wells

The Wheel of Time

2021as Anvaere Damodred

Spy

2011as The Director

Criminal Justice

2008as Alison Slaughter

The Hollow Crown

2012as Duchess of York

Toast of London

2012

Absolutely Fabulous

1992as Jeanne Durand

The History of Tom Jones: A Foundling

as Lady Bellaston

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

2014as Tabitha

Around the World in 80 Days

2021as Jane Digby

The Honorable Woman

2014as Anjelica Hayden-Hoyle

H Is for Hawk

2025as Mum

Reilly: Ace of Spies

1983as Alexandra

Sherwood

2022as Jennifer Hale

Under the Tuscan Sun

2003as Katherine

Grown-Ups

1980as Mrs Butcher

Blackbird

2019as Liz

Mansfield Park

1999as Mrs. Price / Lady Bertram

The Reflecting Skin

1990as Dolphin Blue

Prick Up Your Ears

1987as Anthea Lahr

Alice Through the Looking Glass

2016as Helen Kingsleigh

Alice in Wonderland

2010as Helen Kingsleigh

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

1999as TC-14 (voice)

My Zoe

2019as Kathy

Against the Wall

2011as Faith Kowalski

An Ideal Husband

1999as Lady Markby

Truelove

2024as Phil

Amish: A Secret Life

2012as Narrator (voice)

Starter for 10

2006as Rose Harbison

The Sinking of the Laconia

as Elisabeth Fullwood

Churchill's Secret

2016as Clemmie Churchill

Christopher and His Kind

2011as Kathleen Isherwood

Le Week-End

2013as Meg Burrows

Made in Italy

2020as Kate