Natalie Dormer | |
|---|---|
 Dormer atSan Diego Comic-Con in 2015 | |
| Born | (1982-02-11)11 February 1982 (age 43) Reading, Berkshire, England |
| Alma mater | Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Partners |
|
| Children | 2 |
Natalie Dormer (born 11 February 1982) is an English actress. Her accolades include winning anEmpire Award, and receiving nominations for aCritics' Choice Award, twoGemini Awards, and twoScreen Actors Guild Awards.
Dormer had her breakthrough playing the role ofAnne Boleyn on theShowtime seriesThe Tudors (2007–08), which earned her widespread acclaim. She made her stage debut inSweet Nothings (2010) and portrayed theDuchess of York inMadonna's filmW.E. (2011) and Private Lorraine inCaptain America: The First Avenger (2011). Dormer then gained international attention for playingMargaery Tyrell on theHBO seriesGame of Thrones (2012–2016) andCressida in the last two parts ofThe Hunger Games franchise (2014–2015), which rank as her highest-grossing films. She has also portrayedIrene Adler/Moriarty on theCBS seriesElementary (2013–15) and Sara Price/Jess Price inThe Forest (2016), and voiced Onica in the seriesThe Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019). She earned praise for her leading role in theminiseriesPenny Dreadful: City of Angels (2020).
Natalie Dormer was born inReading, Berkshire, on 11 February 1982,[1] the daughter of Gary Dormer and Claire Richards, and the sister of Mark and Samantha.[2][3][4] She is of English,Norwegian,[5]Welsh,[6] and distant Irish descent.[7] She attendedChiltern Edge Secondary School before going toReading Blue Coat School for sixth form. She says she was bullied at school, but "still, to this day, can't place why".[8]
While at school, Dormer trained in dance at the Allenova School of Dancing.[9] She says she was the "academic hopeful" of the family and was provisionally offered a place to study history at theUniversity of Cambridge, but on herA-level history examination, she did not achieve the A grade she needed, having misread a question.[8] Dormer chose to audition for drama schools and trained at theWebber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London.[10]
Six months after graduating from Webber Douglas, Dormer won the role of Victoria inCasanova.[3] Her film debut, it was released in 2005. The director,Lasse Hallström, was so impressed with Dormer's comedic timing, that he had the scriptwriter expand her part.[3] In 2005, Dormer had a small part inDistant Shores. After the filming ofCasanova, Dormer was out of work for 10 months, which she ascribes to "bad representation". She was attached to an independent film, although financing caused delays. Removed from the audition circuit, Dormer worked as a waitress and indata entry.[3][11] She says her out-of-work phase "was the best lesson".[12]
I'm interested in playing women who feel real, who are fighting for something or desire something or are scared, as all real women are – or let's not make it a gender thing, as all human beings are.
In 2007 and 2008, Dormer playedAnne Boleyn in the first two seasons ofThe Tudors, for which she received highly positive reviews. Robert Abele ofLA Weekly wrote: "Natalie Dormer presents a painterly exquisiteness and complexity in her portrayal of Anne Boleyn... her enigmatic, time-halting loveliness is a boon forThe Tudors, and damn near worth losing your head over".[13] After her character's death at the end of the second season,The Boston Herald noted: "Dormer gave Anne Boleyn life, making her not just a beautiful schemer, but a rebellious, defiantly independent tragic hero in the tradition ofRebel Without a Cause andCool Hand Luke... her departure fromThe Tudors leaves a tremendous void."[14]
In 2008, Dormer played Moira Nicholson inAgatha Christie's Marple: "Why Didn't They Ask Evans?" and appeared in the filmCity of Life. Dormer'sMarple appearance aired in the US in the summer of 2009 as part of thePBSMasterpiece Mystery anthology series. Also in that year, she appeared inIncendiary, but her scenes were cut from the final film. FollowingMarple, Dormer went on to film some new roles, including theDuchess of York inMadonna's filmW.E., Pvt. Lorraine inCaptain America: The First Avenger, and Niamh Cranitch in theBBC court dramaSilk. She returned toThe Tudors as Anne Boleyn in a dream sequence for the fourth and final season in mid-2010.[15]
In March 2010, Dormer debuted at theYoung Vic theatre in London as Mizi in the playSweet Nothings. InThe Observer, theatre critic Susannah Clapp praised the performances of the cast and wrote: "Natalie Dormer is lissome as a dirty, delightful gadabout, pushing aside an entire chess game to put down her hat".[16] She received a commendation for her performance at theIan Charleson Awards 2010. Her next stage role was Pat in.45 atHampstead Theatre in November 2010.[17]
From 2012 to 2016, Dormer playedMargaery Tyrell in theHBO fantasy TV seriesGame of Thrones.[18][19] She received international recognition for the role, and she received critical acclaim for her performance. Dormer, along with the rest of the ensemble cast, was nominated for fourScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016, and the cast was awarded theEmpire Hero Award in 2015 by British film magazineEmpire. For her performance in the third season of the show, Dormer won theEwwy Award for Best Supporting Actress – Drama.[20]
In March 2012, Dormer worked at the Young Vic to play the title role inAfter Miss Julie byPatrick Marber.[21] Her performance earned acclaim, with reviews describing her as "little short of sensational",[22] "outstanding",[23] and "the perfect Miss Julie".[24] The online theatre magazineExeunt says her portrayal of Miss Julie contained "all the anger, desire, wit, loneliness, merriment, melancholy, and desperation of the casts of several plays together... Dormer has more presence and eerie beauty than is apparent from her appearances on-screen, and she shape-shifts almost supernaturally between seductress, child, and tormentor."[25]
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In March 2013, she played the Lady Door in theradio play ofNeverwhere, based on the novel byNeil Gaiman. Later that year, she appeared in the car racing dramaRush and the thrillerThe Counselor. She appeared inA Long Way From Home. In 2013, Dormer playedIrene Adler in the final three episodes of the first season of the CBS seriesElementary; she reprised the role in the second season.[26] A November 2014 press-release said Dormer was to star as the scandalous 18th-century noblewomanLady Worsley in aBBC drama calledThe Scandalous Lady W, based on the bookLady Worsley's Whim by the historianHallie Rubenhold; it aired in August 2015.[27][28][29] Dormer also playedCressida in the final two films inThe Hunger Games franchise, which were released in 2014 and 2015.[30] For the role, she shaved the left side of her head.[31] Both films were financial successes, with the former grossing $755.4 million and the latter grossing $658.3 million,[32][33] ranking as Dormer's highest grossing releases to date.
In August 2016, Dormer worked inThe Professor and the Madman alongside Mel Gibson and Sean Penn.[34] Dormer starred in theLava Bear Films/David S. Goyer-produced horror filmThe Forest,[35] directed by music video and short-film directorJason Zada as his feature film debut.[36]Focus Features has the North American distribution rights to the film released in January 2016.[37][38]
In September 2014,Deadline Hollywood announced Dormer was cast inScreen Gems' action thrillerPatient Zero, alongsideMatt Smith andGame of Thrones co-starJohn Bradley. The film was directed by Oscar-winning filmmakerStefan Ruzowitzky based on a script byMike Le.[39]Patient Zero was released throughvideo on demand on 14 August 2018, before receiving alimited theatrical release on 14 September 2018, byVertical Entertainment.[40] A February 2017 press-release announced Dormer was cast as schoolteacher Mrs Hester Appleyard inPicnic at Hanging Rock, an adaptation of the1967 Australian novel of the same name byJoan Lindsay. The six-episode feature aired onAmazon Prime[41] and on BBC2 in the United Kingdom.[42] Dormer's performance was described as "commanding"[43] and "delicious".[44]
...You couldn't makeThe Tudors now, exploit the female body like that. When I took [that role], I was 24 and just grateful to be on set. I didn't know I could query things, say if I felt uncomfortable. Now, I have some profile and influence on a project."
Dormer returned to the stage at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in October 2017 for the lead role inDavid Ives'sVenus in Fur.The Telegraph described her performance as "sensational"[46] while Lyn Gardner says Dormer was "dominant in every way".[47] She co-wrote the filmIn Darkness, released in July 2018, with her ex-fiancé Anthony Byrne. Each describe writing together as "challenging".[48][49] The film was criticised for scenes of "gratuitous nudity".[50][51] During an interview withThe Guardian, she says "There has to be sex in the power play of a thriller. We all got bodies, after all. In this film, the love-making scene is a metaphor for the way my character connects with the part played byEd Skrein. Nakedness is a good equaliser, and the shower scene also shows the tattoos on my character's body and makes it clear she is not quite who you think."[52][53]
Following her audio work onNeverwhere, an August 2018 press release announced Dormer would narrate the audiobook for Pottermore Publishing'sHarry Potter: A History of Magic. Of the role, Dormer says she "always adored the Harry Potter books" and it was "fun to join the wizarding world family".[54] In October 2018, she was announced as playingVivien Leigh in miniseriesVivling. The series focuses on Leigh's classic films, includingGone with the Wind andA Streetcar Named Desire. Dormer was to develop and produce the show.[55] In 2019, she was the voice of Onica inThe Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.[56]
In December 2019, Dormer's production company, Dog Rose Productions, signed a multiyear, first-look deal withFremantle.[57] TheVivling miniseries will be Dormer's first production through the deal. In 2020, she starred inShowtime's series,Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, playing multiple roles; she received praise for her work on the series, and she was nominated for an award at theCritics' Choice Super Awards.[58]
In 2024, Dormer played Edie Hansen in the crime drama TV seriesWhite Lies, set inCape Town, South Africa.[59]
Dormer began a relationship with director Anthony Byrne in 2007 after meeting on the set ofThe Tudors.[45] They became engaged in 2011.[60] The couple collaborated onIn Darkness. They ended their relationship in 2018.[45]
Since 2018, Dormer has been in a relationship with English actorDavid Oakes, whom she met while appearing inVenus in Fur.[61] She gave birth to their daughter in January 2021.[62] The couple entered into acivil partnership in February 2023 inBath, Somerset.[63]
Dormer has two daughters.[64]
Dormer ran theLondon Marathon in 2014, in support ofBarnardo's,[65] and in 2016, this time alongside 900 other runners all in support of theNSPCC andChildline.[66] Since running the marathon, she has been heavily involved in supporting the work of the NSPCC in general, and Childline in particular.[67]
OnWorld Humanitarian Day in 2016, Dormer gave a speech at the United Nations headquarters to "highlight the plight of refugees". Dormer highlighted the violence suffered by women and girls, then demanded that men and boys be "engaged" in the conversation.[68] In 2017, returning to her feminist roots, Dormer went on holiday to Tanzania with the development and humanitarian organisationPlan International to ban child marriage.[69]
In a 2018 interview, Dormer said she does not use social media due to concern about being misquoted. Regarding her appearances in film and television where she performed nude, Dormer said, "To set the record straight, I have never been comfortable doing sex or nude scenes. Are you joking? How many people would be? My job specification is finding motivation in the text. I turned down roles involving sex, solely because of the way I am misrepresented. I'm terrified of perpetuating that clickbait image of me."[70]
In 2019, Dormer was made the NSPCC ambassador for Childline and began her role by spending the night at the London Childline call centre.[71] She supported the NSPCC Christmas Carol Service in 2020[72] and in August 2021 it was announced that she would be recording the audiobook forPantosaurus and the Power Of PANTS, the NSPCC's book for children designed to give families an age-appropriate way of discussing consent.[73]
In 2021, she appeared on the podcast of the founder of Childline, DameEsther Rantzen, to support the charity, saying: "I genuinely believe, other than climate change, that children are the most important thing and it's an absolute scandal that we don't put our children first and foremost in everything... The NSPCC tagline that 'Every Childhood is Worth Fighting For'; I believe that so strongly."[74] In 2024, she was made an honorary member of the NSPCC's council.[75]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Casanova | Victoria | |
| 2007 | Flawless | Cassie | |
| 2009 | City of Life | Olga | |
| 2011 | W.E. | Queen Elizabeth | |
| Captain America: The First Avenger | Private Lorraine | ||
| 2012 | Electric Cinema: How to Behave | Lauren Bacall | Short film |
| 2013 | A Long Way from Home | Suzanne | |
| Rush | Nurse Gemma | ||
| The Counselor | The Blonde | ||
| The Brunchers | Her | Short films | |
| 2014 | The Ring Cycle | Millie | |
| The Riot Club | Charlie | ||
| The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 | Cressida | ||
| 2015 | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 | ||
| 2016 | The Forest |
| |
| The Roof | A Fan | Short film | |
| 2018 | In Darkness | Sofia | Also writer and producer |
| Patient Zero | Dr. Gina Rose | ||
| 2019 | The Professor and the Madman | Eliza Merrett | |
| Pets United | Belle (voice) | ||
| 2024 | The Wasp | Carla | |
| 2024 | Audrey's Children | Audrey Evans |
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Distant Shores | Mobile Woman | Episode: #1.1 |
| Rebus | Phillippa Balfour | Episode: "The Falls" | |
| 2007–2008; 2010 | The Tudors | Anne Boleyn | 21 episodes |
| 2009 | Masterwork | Mo Murphy | Television film |
| Agatha Christie's Marple | Moira Nicholson | Episode: "Why Didn't They Ask Evans?" | |
| 2011 | Silk | Niamh Cranitch | 6 episodes |
| The Fades | Sarah Etches | ||
| Poe | Celeste Chevalier | Television film | |
| 2012–2016 | Game of Thrones | Margaery Tyrell | 26 episodes |
| 2013–2015 | Elementary | Jamie Moriarty /Irene Adler | 6 episodes |
| 2015 | The Scandalous Lady W | Seymour Worsley | Television film |
| 2018 | Picnic at Hanging Rock | Mrs. Hester Appleyard | 6 episodes |
| 2019 | The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance | Onica (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 2020 | Penny Dreadful: City of Angels | Magda / Elsa / Alex / Rio | Main cast, 10 episodes |
| 2024 | White Lies | Edie Hansen | Main cast, 8 episodes and also executive producer[59] |
| Inside No. 9 | Lillian | Episode: "The Curse of the Ninth" | |
| 2025 | The Lady | Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson | Main cast, 4 episodes |
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–2015 | Game of Thrones | Margaery Tyrell | Based on the TV series of the same name |
| 2017 | Mass Effect: Andromeda | Dr. Lexi T'Perro |
| Year | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | "Someone New" | Hozier |
| 2020 | "No Day Shall Erase You" | Fabio D'Andrea |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | The Comedy of Errors | Adriana | The Cliveden Open Air Theatre |
| 2010 | Sweet Nothings | Mizi | Young Vic |
| .45 | Pat | Hampstead Theatre | |
| 2012 | After Miss Julie | Miss Julie | Young Vic |
| 2017 | Venus in Fur | Vanda Jordan | Theatre Royal Haymarket |
| 2025 | Anna Karenina | Anna Karenina | Chichester Festival Theatre |
| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Monte-Carlo TV Festival | Outstanding Actress – Drama Series | The Tudors | Nominated |
| Gemini Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role | Nominated | ||
| 2009 | Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role | Nominated | ||
| 2013 | EWwy Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Drama | Game of Thrones | Won |
| 2014 | NewNowNext Awards | Best New Lead Film Actress | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 | Won |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series(shared with the cast) | Game of Thrones | Nominated | |
| 2015 | Nominated | |||
| Empire Awards | Best Ensemble | Won | ||
| 2019 | The Equity Ensemble Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Mini-series or Telemovie | Picnic at Hanging Rock | Nominated |
| 2020 | CinEuphoria Awards | Merit – Honorary Award | Game of Thrones | Won |
| 2021 | Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Actress in a Horror Series | Penny Dreadful: City of Angels | Nominated |
Media related toNatalie Dormer at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
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