The Colman family: (L-R) Caroline Colman, Percy Colman (Paternal Grandparents), Mary Colman (Mother), Keith Colman (Father), Olivia Colman (child in the middle), Patricia Leaky and Alexander Graham Leakey (Maternal Grandparents)
Gallery of Olivia Colman
Young Olivia Colman
College/University
Gallery of Olivia Colman
Young Olivia Colman (on the bench)
Gallery of Olivia Colman
Young Olivia Colman with her friends
Gallery of Olivia Colman
Young Olivia Colman
Gallery of Olivia Colman
Young Olivia Colman
Career
Gallery of Olivia Colman
2007
London, England, UK
(L-R) Robert Webb, Nick Frost, and Olivia Colman attend the British Comedy Awards at London Studios on December 5, 2007, in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Davies)
Gallery of Olivia Colman
2014
53 Park Ln, Mayfair, London W1K 1QA, UK
Olivia Colman attends a drinks reception at the South Bank Sky Arts awards at the Dorchester Hotel on January 27, 2014, in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett)
Gallery of Olivia Colman
2016
7920 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046, USA
(L-R) Olivia Colman, AMC President, and General Manager Charlie Collier, Actor Hugh Laurie and AMC's president of original programming Joel Stillerman attend the premiere of AMC's 'The Night Manager' at DGA Theater on April 5, 2016, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mark Davis)
Gallery of Olivia Colman
2016
(L-R) Tom Hiddleston, Olivia Colman, and Hugh Laurie
Gallery of Olivia Colman
2017
Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7 2AP, UK
L-R) Sergei Polunin, Olivia Colman, Derek Jacobi, Dame Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Tom Bateman attend the 'Murder On The Orient Express' World Premiere at Royal Albert Hall on November 2, 2017, in London, England. (Photo by Mike Marsland)
Gallery of Olivia Colman
2017
High St, Ascot SL5 7JX, UK
Olivia Colman attends day 5 of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse on June 24, 2017, in Ascot, England. (Photo by Kirstin Sinclair)
Gallery of Olivia Colman
2017
Upper Ground, Lambeth, London SE1 9PX, UK
Olivia Colman as Jenny and Olivia Williams as Alice in Lucy Kirkwood's Mosquitoes directed by Rufus Norris at the National Theatre on July 24, 2017, in London, England. (Photo by Robbie Jack)
Gallery of Olivia Colman
2018
Lungomare Guglielmo Marconi, 30126 Lido VE, Italy
Emma Stone and Olivia Colman attend 'The Favourite' photocall during the 75th Venice Film Festival at Sala Casino on August 30, 2018, in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Stefania D'Alessandro)
Gallery of Olivia Colman
2018
London, England, UK
(L-R) Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, and Emma Stone attend the UK Premiere of "The Favourite" & American Express Gala at the 62nd BFI London Film Festival on October 18, 2018, in London, England. (Photo by Dave J Hogan)
Gallery of Olivia Colman
2019
300 Doheny Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
(L-R) Emma Stone, Olivia Colman, and Rachel Weisz attend The BAFTA Los Angeles Tea Party at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on January 5, 2019, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter)
Gallery of Olivia Colman
2019
8440 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, USA
Olivia Colman arrives at the 8th AACTA International Awards at Mondrian Los Angeles on January 04, 2019 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards)
Gallery of Olivia Colman
2019
Brook Street, Mayfair, London W1K 4HR, UK
Olivia Colman and Ed Sinclair attend attends the 91st Academy Awards Champagne Tea Reception at Claridge's Hotel on February 8, 2019, in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett)
Gallery of Olivia Colman
2019
Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7 2AP, UK
Olivia Colman attends the EE British Academy Film Awards at Royal Albert Hall on February 10, 2019, in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett)
Gallery of Olivia Colman
2019
Brook Street, Mayfair, London W1K 4HR, UK
Olivia Colman attends the 91st Oscars Nominee Champagne Tea Reception at Claridges Hotel on February 08, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Dave J Hogan)
Gallery of Olivia Colman
2019
Upper Ground, Lambeth, London SE1 9PX, UK
Olivia Colman attends the 'Up Next Gala' at The National Theatre on March 05, 2019, in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang)
Gallery of Olivia Colman
2019
101 New Bond St, Mayfair, London W1S 1SR, UK
Olivia Colman attends 'Art For Eve', a charity auction in aid of The Eve Appeal, at Bonhams on April 29, 2019, in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett)
Gallery of Olivia Colman
2019
277 N Avenida Caballeros, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
Melissa McCarthy (L) and Olivia Colman attend the 30th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Film Awards Gala at Palm Springs Convention Center on January 3, 2019, in Palm Springs, California. (Photo by Vivien Killilea)
Gallery of Olivia Colman
2019
8440 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, USA
Olivia Colman arrives at the 8th AACTA International Awards at Mondrian Los Angeles on January 04, 2019 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards)
Gallery of Olivia Colman
2019
Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7 2AP, UK
Olivia Colman attends the EE British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Albert Hall on February 10, 2019, in London, England. (Photo by Max Mumby)
Gallery of Olivia Colman
2019
6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, USA
(L-R) Rami Malek, winner of Best Actor for "Bohemian Rhapsody"; Olivia Colman, winner of Best Actress for "The Favourite"; Regina King, winner of Best Supporting Actress for "If Beale Street Could Talk"; and Mahershala Ali, winner of Best Supporting Actor for "Green Book" pose in the press room during the 91st Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 24, 2019, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison)
Gallery of Olivia Colman
Olivia Colman (Photo by Linda Brownlee)
Achievements
Membership
Awards
Empire Award
2012
86-90 Park Ln, Mayfair, London W1K 7TN, UK
Olivia Colman poses in the press room at the Jameson Empire Awards at Grosvenor House on March 25, 2012, in London, England. (Photo by Dave M. Benett)
Evening Standard British Film Award
2012
45 Wellington St, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7BN, UK
Olivia Colman (L) and Alexander Walker Special Award winner John Hurt attend the London Evening Standard British Film Awards 2012 at the London Film Museum on February 6, 2012, in London, England. (Photo by Dave M. Benett)
BAFTA TV Award
2013
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, Lambeth, London SE1 8XX, UK
Olivia Colman poses with her awards in front of the winner's boards at the BAFTA TV Awards 2013 at The Royal Festival Hall on May 12, 2013, in London, England. (Photo by Dave J Hogan)
British Independent Film Award
2018
1 Old Billingsgate Walk (Riverside, 16 Lower Thames St, London EC3R 6DX, UK
Olivia Colman poses in the winner's room at the 21st British Independent Film Awards at Old Billingsgate on December 02, 2018, in London, England. (Photo by Dave J Hogan/Dave J Hogan)
Venice Film Festival Award
2018
Lungomare Guglielmo Marconi, 30126 Lido VE, Italy
Olivia Colman receives the Coppa Volpi Award for 'The Favourite' during the Award Ceremony during the 75th Venice Film Festival at Sala Grande on September 8, 2018, in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Daniele Venturelli)
Academy Award
2019
6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, USA
Olivia Colman, the winner of Best Actress for 'The Favourite,' poses in the press room during the 91st Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 24, 2019, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison)
BAFTA Film Award
2019
Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7 2AP, UK
Olivia Colman poses in the press room during the EE British Academy Film Awards at Royal Albert Hall on February 10, 2019, in London, England. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain)
Golden Globe Award
2019
9876 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, USA
Olivia Colman poses in the press room during the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 06, 2019, in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by George Pimentel)
The Colman family: (L-R) Caroline Colman, Percy Colman (Paternal Grandparents), Mary Colman (Mother), Keith Colman (Father), Olivia Colman (child in the middle), Patricia Leaky and Alexander Graham Leakey (Maternal Grandparents)
(L-R) Robert Webb, Nick Frost, and Olivia Colman attend the British Comedy Awards at London Studios on December 5, 2007, in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Davies)
45 Wellington St, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7BN, UK
Olivia Colman (L) and Alexander Walker Special Award winner John Hurt attend the London Evening Standard British Film Awards 2012 at the London Film Museum on February 6, 2012, in London, England. (Photo by Dave M. Benett)
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, Lambeth, London SE1 8XX, UK
Olivia Colman poses with her awards in front of the winner's boards at the BAFTA TV Awards 2013 at The Royal Festival Hall on May 12, 2013, in London, England. (Photo by Dave J Hogan)
Olivia Colman attends a drinks reception at the South Bank Sky Arts awards at the Dorchester Hotel on January 27, 2014, in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett)
(L-R) Olivia Colman, AMC President, and General Manager Charlie Collier, Actor Hugh Laurie and AMC's president of original programming Joel Stillerman attend the premiere of AMC's 'The Night Manager' at DGA Theater on April 5, 2016, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mark Davis)
Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7 2AP, UK
L-R) Sergei Polunin, Olivia Colman, Derek Jacobi, Dame Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Tom Bateman attend the 'Murder On The Orient Express' World Premiere at Royal Albert Hall on November 2, 2017, in London, England. (Photo by Mike Marsland)
Olivia Colman as Jenny and Olivia Williams as Alice in Lucy Kirkwood's Mosquitoes directed by Rufus Norris at the National Theatre on July 24, 2017, in London, England. (Photo by Robbie Jack)
1 Old Billingsgate Walk (Riverside, 16 Lower Thames St, London EC3R 6DX, UK
Olivia Colman poses in the winner's room at the 21st British Independent Film Awards at Old Billingsgate on December 02, 2018, in London, England. (Photo by Dave J Hogan/Dave J Hogan)
Olivia Colman receives the Coppa Volpi Award for 'The Favourite' during the Award Ceremony during the 75th Venice Film Festival at Sala Grande on September 8, 2018, in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Daniele Venturelli)
Emma Stone and Olivia Colman attend 'The Favourite' photocall during the 75th Venice Film Festival at Sala Casino on August 30, 2018, in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Stefania D'Alessandro)
(L-R) Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, and Emma Stone attend the UK Premiere of "The Favourite" & American Express Gala at the 62nd BFI London Film Festival on October 18, 2018, in London, England. (Photo by Dave J Hogan)
Olivia Colman, the winner of Best Actress for 'The Favourite,' poses in the press room during the 91st Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 24, 2019, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison)
Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7 2AP, UK
Olivia Colman poses in the press room during the EE British Academy Film Awards at Royal Albert Hall on February 10, 2019, in London, England. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain)
Olivia Colman poses in the press room during the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 06, 2019, in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by George Pimentel)
(L-R) Emma Stone, Olivia Colman, and Rachel Weisz attend The BAFTA Los Angeles Tea Party at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on January 5, 2019, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter)
Olivia Colman arrives at the 8th AACTA International Awards at Mondrian Los Angeles on January 04, 2019 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards)
Olivia Colman and Ed Sinclair attend attends the 91st Academy Awards Champagne Tea Reception at Claridge's Hotel on February 8, 2019, in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett)
Olivia Colman attends the 91st Oscars Nominee Champagne Tea Reception at Claridges Hotel on February 08, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Dave J Hogan)
Olivia Colman attends 'Art For Eve', a charity auction in aid of The Eve Appeal, at Bonhams on April 29, 2019, in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett)
277 N Avenida Caballeros, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
Melissa McCarthy (L) and Olivia Colman attend the 30th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Film Awards Gala at Palm Springs Convention Center on January 3, 2019, in Palm Springs, California. (Photo by Vivien Killilea)
Olivia Colman arrives at the 8th AACTA International Awards at Mondrian Los Angeles on January 04, 2019 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards)
(L-R) Rami Malek, winner of Best Actor for "Bohemian Rhapsody"; Olivia Colman, winner of Best Actress for "The Favourite"; Regina King, winner of Best Supporting Actress for "If Beale Street Could Talk"; and Mahershala Ali, winner of Best Supporting Actor for "Green Book" pose in the press room during the 91st Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 24, 2019, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison)
(Three wacky British couples battle no holds barred as the...)
Three wacky British couples battle no holds barred as they set out to win the title of "Most Original Wedding of the Year!" Tension, rivalry, and wedding bliss are inevitable in this witty and affectionate comedy.
(The creators of Shaun of the Dead bring you this hilariou...)
The creators of Shaun of the Dead bring you this hilarious hit about a reassigned big city cop, his bumbling partner, their small town, several grisly accidents, and high-octane justice!
(I Could Never Be Your Woman is a 2007 American romantic c...)
I Could Never Be Your Woman is a 2007 American romantic comedy film directed and written by Amy Heckerling and starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Paul Rudd.
(Joseph is an unemployed widower with a drinking problem a...)
Joseph is an unemployed widower with a drinking problem and a volatile temper. Hannah is a pious woman working at a charity shop, hiding a dark secret. When circumstance brings the pair together, Hannah appears as Joseph's guardian angel only to find that he might be her savior. Striking performances and a deeply moving story make Tyrannosaur a must-see.
(Oscar-winning Meryl Streep is Margaret Thatcher in this i...)
Oscar-winning Meryl Streep is Margaret Thatcher in this insightful and intimate portrait of the first and only female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
(Bill Murray and Laura Linney star in this engaging look a...)
Bill Murray and Laura Linney star in this engaging look at the pivotal meeting between US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the King and Queen of England at FDR's home in upstate New York.
The Suspicions Of Mr. Whicher: The Murder on Angel Lane
(Inspector Jack Whicher is back, but he has left the Metro...)
Inspector Jack Whicher is back, but he has left the Metropolitan Police under a cloud and his days as a detective are behind him. But when Whicher offers to help a country lady find her niece, he's drawn into a disturbing case of murder which brings him up against wealthy and powerful figures and throws him into conflict with his former police colleagues.
(Since they met at a party, ambitious high-flyer Nat and s...)
Since they met at a party, ambitious high-flyer Nat and struggling novelist Josh have been deliriously happy despite their differences. Josh is a thinker, Nat's a doer... but the spark between them is undeniable. Their wedding is a dream come true, but family, friends and even the minister who marries them aren't convinced that they can last.
(On the eve of the biggest challenge of his career, Ivan L...)
On the eve of the biggest challenge of his career, Ivan Locke (Tom Hardy) receives a phone call that sets in motion a series of events that will unravel his family, job, and soul.
(Soon after winning Simon Cowell's smash hit TV show, Brit...)
Soon after winning Simon Cowell's smash hit TV show, Britain's Got Talent, the UK's most famous dog is starring in his first film, a cheeky and downright hilarious animal adventure for the whole family! Oh and by the way... there are songs too!
(Thomas and his friends face their fears in their boldest ...)
Thomas and his friends face their fears in their boldest adventure yet! See Thomas and Percy discover the true meaning of bravery. Come along for an exciting movie adventure!
(A love story set in the near future where single people, ...)
A love story set in the near future where single people, according to the rules of The City, are arrested and transferred to The Hotel. There they are obliged to find a matching mate in 45 days. If they fail, they are transformed into an animal and released into The Woods. A desperate Man escapes from The Hotel to The Woods where The Loners live and falls in love, though it is against their rules.
(Kenneth Branagh directs and leads an all-star cast, inclu...)
Kenneth Branagh directs and leads an all-star cast, including Johnny Depp, in this stylish, suspenseful and thrilling mystery based on the best-selling novel by Agatha Christie.
(In early 18th-century England, the relationship between Q...)
In early 18th-century England, the relationship between Queen Anne and her close friend, Lady Sarah, is threatened by a new servant who schemes to return to her aristocratic roots.
Quick-fire (and occasionally slow motion) genre-defying comedy, set in a surreal hospital but lacking medical content. From the award-winning team behind "Smack the Pony."
(Meet The Rev. Adam Smallbone. He's a Church of England Vi...)
Meet The Rev. Adam Smallbone. He's a Church of England Vicar, newly promoted from a sleepy rural parish to the busy, inner-city world of St Saviour's in East London. It's a world he has no experience of. And it shows. Rev. is an authentic - albeit highly comic - portrait of the life of a modern, inner-city vicar.
(Hugh Bonneville, Jessica Hynes, Amelia Bullmore and Olivi...)
Hugh Bonneville, Jessica Hynes, Amelia Bullmore and Olivia Colman star in this mock-documentary following the challenges faced by the team responsible for delivering the biggest show on Earth: the 2012 London Olympics. It's all in a day's work for the men and women whose job it is to stage the greatest sporting event in the world.
(The Night Manager is based on John le Carre's novel, ex-B...)
The Night Manager is based on John le Carre's novel, ex-British soldier Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) is recruited by MI-6's Angela Burr (Olivia Colman) to infiltrate the inner circle of an arms trader named Richard Onslow Roper (Hugh Laurie).
(An imaginative, cinematic comedy about an eccentric famil...)
An imaginative, cinematic comedy about an eccentric family - The Flowers - struggling to hold themselves together. Starring Olivia Colman and Julian Barratt. Written and Directed by Will Sharpe. Executive Produced by Naomi de Pear and Diederick Santer for Kudos.
(Fleabag is a hilarious and poignant window into the mind ...)
Fleabag is a hilarious and poignant window into the mind of a dry-witted, sexual, angry, grief-riddled woman, as she hurls herself at modern living in London. Award-winning playwright Phoebe Waller-Bridge writes and stars as Fleabag, an unfiltered woman trying to heal while rejecting anyone who tries to help her and keeping up her bravado all along.
(In France at a time of civil unrest, this is the story of...)
In France at a time of civil unrest, this is the story of Jean Valjean, a former convict unable to escape his past life. His future is threatened by his nemesis, the chilling prison guard Javert, who is determined to bring him to justice.
Olivia Colman is a British actress. Colman became known for roles in a number of high-profile British TV shows, leading to her selection as Queen Elizabeth II for the Netflix series The Crown. In 2019 she won an Academy Award for her performance in The Favourite.
Background
Ethnicity:
Colman is of English, Irish, Welsh, as well as 1/64th Indian, distant Scottish and French descent.
Olivia Colman was born on January 30, 1974, in Norwich, Norfolk, England, the United Kingdom, to Mary (née Leakey) and Keith Colman. Her mother was a nurse and her father was what is known in the United Kingdom as a “chartered surveyor,” which is a person who is an expert on the value, quality, and characteristics of real estate, including buildings and the land they are situated on.
In July 2018, Colman was a subject of the UK genealogy program Who Do You Think You Are? Although she expected that her family tree would mainly relate to Norfolk, it was discovered that her fourth great-grandfather, Richard Campbell Bazett, had been born on St. Helena and that he worked in London for the East India Company. Bazett's son, Colman's third great-grandfather Charles Bazett, married Harriot Slessor. Researchers discovered that she was born in the Indian city of Kishanganj, lost her British father when she was aged three, and then made the journey to England alone. Slessor's passage was paid for by her paternal grandmother. The episode speculated that Slessor's mother might have been a local Indian woman, but did not present concrete proof; after the episode aired, the Berkshire Record Office published the will of Slessor's mother, which proved that her name was Seraphina Donclere, evidently of European origin, and that she died in 1810.
Education
Colman was privately educated at Norwich High School for Girls and Gresham's School. There, she had her first acting experience, a part in a school play, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, when she was 16.
After she graduated, she briefly considered pursuing a teaching career and took courses in teaching at Homerton College at Cambridge. She met her future husband, Ed Sinclair, then a law student, at Cambridge. Still harboring an ambition to act, Colman followed him to acting school, Britain’s Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, where she graduated in 1999. During her time at Cambridge, she auditioned for the Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club and met future co-stars David Mitchell and Robert Webb as well as Peter Serafinowicz.
Soon after she kicked off her career, Olivia Colman became the glam face of most shows on BBC, ITV and Channel 4. She won the hearts of many featuring in programs like People Like Us, Look Around You, Black Books, The Office, The Time of Your Life and provided the voice-over for Five's poll for Britain's Funniest Comedy Character.
While showing off her acting stints, Olivia Colman got established in the comedy aspect of the art world. She did lots of collaborative works with other comic stars such as Mitchell and Webb, among others. Olivia played a recurring role in Green Wing from 2004 to 2006 before appearing in the 2008 BBC sitcom, Beautiful People. She guest-starred in the 2009 drama series, Skins and in 2010, portrayed Alex Smallbone in the sitcom Rev. She also notably guest-starred in Doctor Who in 2010 on the episode "The Eleventh Hour."
The following year, the Thespian appeared in the drama series, Exile and subsequently appeared in the BBC sitcom, Twenty Twelve. Olivia Colman kept on appearing in more television shows and was recently featured in one of the mind-blowing drama series on Netflix, The Crown. Meanwhile, for her performance in the ITV drama series BroadChurch, she got an International Emmy Award nomination and received a BAFTA Award for Best Actress the same year.
Colman has appeared in The Iron Lady (2011), in which she played the daughter of Margaret Thatcher (played by Meryl Streep) and Hyde Park on the Hudson (2012) starring Bill Murray as Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In the movie, Colman played Lady Elizabeth, wife of King George VI of England and mother of Queen Elizabeth II. When Streep delivered an acceptance speech after winning a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Award for Iron Lady in 2012, she called Colman “divinely gifted.”
She later earned recognition and critical acclaim as a dramatic actress in movies such as 2011’s Tyrannosaur, in which she played a battered wife who turns on her husband and kills him. Other movies Colman has appeared in include: Locke (2013), The Thirteenth Tale (2013) and Lobster (2015).
Colman has become one of the most recognizable character actresses on British television thanks to a string of prominent hits in which she appeared, including Beautiful People (2008), Twelve Twelve (2011) starring Hugh Bonneville, Accused (2012), Mr. Sloane (2014) and Peep Show (2015).
Her profile rose even higher as the result of starring roles in The Night Manager in 2016 (alongside Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie. Colman was also seen in the Amazon comedy series Fleabag in 2016.
In November 2017, just weeks before season two of The Crown was set to begin, Colman was announced as the next actress who would take over the starring role of Queen Elizabeth II from Claire Foy, who had played the younger Elizabeth for the Netflix series’ first two seasons.
Colman, who was 43 when she won the role, will play the Queen in middle age, starting in 1963. Foy played the role in a time frame that began in 1947 - six years before Elizabeth’s coronation as Queen of England. Foy is 10 years younger than Colman.
In 2018 Colman starred in the dark comedy-drama The Favourite as Queen Anne, an early 18th-century British monarch devoted more to her eccentric interests than to governing. In preparation for the role, Colman gained 16 kg (2st 7 lb or 35 lb) in weight. The following year she surprised presumed frontrunner Glenn Close for the best actress Oscar, validating the wisdom of those who viewed her as one of the leading talents of her generation. For her performance, she also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Comedy or Musical, and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
(Magic mushrooms, street muggings, and wedding proposals f...)
2005
Politics
In August 2014, Colman was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to September 2014's referendum on the issue.
Views
Olivia is an active supporter of numerous charities and causes including the promotion of more accurate depictions of mental health in the media. She has also helped international bodies including Amnesty International in their campaign to protect women in Afghanistan and UNICEF working to reunite refugee families affected by the Syrian war.
In December 2014, Colman was involved in a radio documentary about the plight of women in Afghanistan on behalf of Amnesty International for the BBC. Several women who told their stories to journalist Lyse Doucet were unable to appear because their lives might have been at risk. Colman read their stories as part of the documentary. In response to the work, Colman warned that the UK must not abandon Afghan women to the Taliban.
Colman became the patron of the UK charity Tender, which uses theatre and the arts to educate young people about how to prevent violence and sexual abuse. Colman says that domestic violence prevention can make a real difference in the lives of young people.
Quotations:
"I'm not a pin-up, thankfully. I'm not suggesting I feel unconfident. I am beautiful to my husband. I am beautiful to my friends. I feel sexy and all those things with the people I love."
"If the script's good, everything you need is in there. I just try and feel it, and do it honestly. I also don't learn things for auditions, because I feel like it's just a test of memorizing rather than being real. Maybe every other actor would think that was terrible, I don't know. But it seems to have worked for me, so far."
"I feel fortunate that I'm not a beauty. I'm not a classic beauty. I feel it is harder for girls who are like that. There are fewer parts."
"This may sound mad, but you sort of assume that no one's going to watch what you do. You go on set, have a lovely time, and then you forget anyone's going to see it. So it's always a bit of a shock to be recognized. I get terribly embarrassed."
Personality
Colman is intimidated by her own fame - she misses going to the pub because it’s odd when “they know your face but you don’t know theirs”.
Physical Characteristics:
Colman has a height of 5 ft 7 in or 170 cm, and a weight of 60 kg or 132 lbs. She has dark brown hair and hazel eyes.
Quotes from others about the person
“She’s not afraid to cry but she’s also incredibly tough. She’s funny, but she’s able to go into the deepest, darkest emotional territory. She inhabits a character from the inside out and, most of all, she understands what it is like to be alive - how ridiculous it is, how heartbreaking it is and how wonderful it is.” - Chris Chibnall
Interests
Writers
The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Music & Bands
The Isley Brothers
Connections
Colman met her future husband, Ed Sinclair, then a third-year law student who had become disillusioned with law and preferred to write, in a production of Alan Ayckbourn's Table Manners (from the Norman Conquests trilogy) at Footlights. Colman and Sinclair married in August 2001, and have three children together.