Lindsay Duncan | |
|---|---|
 Duncan in 2011 | |
| Born | Lindsay Vere Duncan (1950-11-07)7 November 1950 (age 75) |
| Education | Royal Central School of Speech and Drama |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Spouse | Hilton McRae |
| Children | 1 |
Lindsay Vere DuncanCBE (born 7 November 1950) is a Scottish actress. She is the recipient of threeBAFTA nominations and oneScottish BAFTA nomination, as well as twoOlivier Awards and aTony Award for her work on stage.
She has starred in several plays byHarold Pinter. Duncan's film credits includePrick 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'sAlice in Wonderland (2010),About Time (2013),Birdman (2014), andBlackbird (2019).
Outside of stage and film, Duncan appeared as Barbara Douglas inAlan Bleasdale's critically acclaimedG.B.H. (1991),Servilia of the Junii on theHBO historical drama seriesRome (2005–2007), Adelaide Brooke in theDoctor Who special "The Waters of Mars" (2009), Anjelica Hayden-Hoyle in theBBC Two miniseriesThe Honourable Woman (2014), and Lady Smallwood onBBC One'sSherlock (2014–2017). She also portrayedElizabeth Longford andMargaret Thatcher in the television filmsLongford (2006) andMargaret (2009), respectively.
Duncan was born into a working-class family inScotland; one parent was fromEdinburgh and the other fromGlasgow.[2] Her father had served in the British army for 21 years before becoming acivil servant.[3] Her parents moved toLeeds, thenBirmingham, when she was still a child. She attendedKing Edward VI High School for Girls in Birmingham through a scholarship.[4]
Despite her origins, she speaks with areceived pronunciation accent.[2] As of 2011, her only role with a Scottish accent isAfterLife (2003).[5]
Duncan's father died in a car accident when she was 15.[5] Her mother was affected byAlzheimer's disease and died in 1994; she inspiredSharman Macdonald to write the playThe Winter Guest (1995), directed byAlan Rickman, which he later adapted as a film.[6]
Duncan's first contact with theatre was through school productions.[3] She became friends with future playwrightKevin Elyot, who attended the neighbouringKing Edward's School for boys, and followed him toBristol, where he read Drama atuniversity.[3] She did a number of odd jobs while staging her own production ofJoe Orton'sFuneral Games.[3]
Duncan joined London'sCentral School of Speech and Drama at the age of 21.[7] After her training, she started out in summerweekly rep inSouthwold to gain herEquity card.[2][8] She appeared in two small roles inMolière'sDon Juan at theHampstead Theatre in 1976, and joined theRoyal Exchange Theatre,Manchester when it opened. She performed in the first productions at the Royal Exchange and appeared in eight plays in Manchester in the next two years. In 1978 she returned to London inPlenty byDavid Hare at theNational. She appeared on the television in small roles in a special episode ofUp Pompeii!, inThe New Avengers, and a commercial forHead & Shoulders shampoo.[9]
She made her breakthrough onTop Girls byCaryl Churchill, staged at theRoyal Court in London and later transferred tothe Public Theater inNew York, Her performance as Lady Nijo, a 13th-century Japanese concubine, won her anObie, her first award.[10]
The following year, she took her first major role on film inRichard Eyre'sLoose Connections withStephen Rea.[3] At the same time her television work included a filmed version ofFrederick Lonsdale'sOn Approval (1982),Reilly, Ace of Spies (1983) andDead Head (1985).
In 1985, she joined theRoyal Shakespeare Company for the production ofTroilus and Cressida, in which she playedHelen of Troy.[11] In September she created the role of the Marquise de Merteuil inLes Liaisons Dangereuses, the play byChristopher Hampton after the French novel byChoderlos de Laclos, which opened atThe Other Place inStratford-upon-Avon. On 8 January 1986, the production transferred to the 200-seat theatre The Pit in London'sBarbican Centre, with its original cast. In October of that year, the production moved to theAmbassadors in theWest End. In April 1987, the cast, including Duncan, took the play toBroadway. For her performance, she was nominated for aTony and won theOlivier Award for Best Actress and aTheatre World Award. She was replaced byGlenn Close forDangerous Liaisons —Stephen Frears's film of the play; similarlyJohn Malkovich was selected for the role of Valmont instead of Duncan's co-starAlan Rickman.[12]
In 1988, Duncan won anEvening Standard Award for her role of Maggie inCat on a Hot Tin Roof byTennessee Williams. At the same time, she became a regular in the plays ofHarold Pinter and the television work ofAlan Bleasdale andStephen Poliakoff.[13] In 1994–95, she performed for a second season with the RSC inA Midsummer Night's Dream, in the double role of Hippolyta andTitania, replacing Stella Gonet from the original production cast.[14] She went on tour in the United States with the rest of the cast, but back and neck pains forced her to be replaced byEmily Button from January to March 1997.[15] Impressed by her performance inDavid Mamet'sThe Cryptogram (1994),Al Pacino asked Duncan to play the role of his wife in the filmCity Hall (1996) byHarold Becker.[5]
To please her young son, aStar Wars fan, Duncan applied for the role ofAnakin Skywalker's mother inStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) but was not cast; she finally accepted to voice an androidTC-14.[3] She reunited with Alan Rickman in a revival ofNoël Coward'sPrivate Lives (2001–02) and won a Tony Award for Best Actress and a second Olivier Award for her performance as Amanda Prynne; she was also nominated that year for her role inMouth To Mouth by Kevin Elyot.[16]
Duncan playedServilia Caepionis in the 2005HBO-BBC seriesRome, and starred as Rose Harbinson inStarter for 10. Aged by make-up, she played Lord Longford's wife, Elizabeth, in the TV filmLongford. Also in 2005, Duncan played the character Angela Wells in BBC's spy series Spooks, featuring in series 4 episode 10 and series 5 episode 1. The storyline was controversial as Duncan's character suspects the royal family is involved in the death of Princess Diana. In February 2009, she played British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher inMargaret. In November 2009, she played Adelaide Brooke, companion to the Doctor, in the second of the 2009Doctor Who specials.[17][18] She played Alice's mother inTim Burton's 2010 filmAlice in Wonderland, alongsideMia Wasikowska,Johnny Depp andHelena Bonham Carter. She also starred in the original London run ofPolly Stenham's playThat Face at theRoyal Court co-starringMatt Smith and directed byJeremy Herrin. She narrated theMatt Lucas andDavid Walliams 2010/2011 fly-on-the-wallmockumentary seriesCome Fly with Me on theBBC. In October–November 2010, she starred in a new version byFrank McGuinness ofIbsen'sJohn Gabriel Borkman at the Abbey Theatre,Dublin alongside herLiaisons dangereuses co-stars Alan Rickman andFiona Shaw.[19] The production transferred in January–February 2011 to theBrooklyn Academy of Music.[20]
Alan Bleasdale asked Duncan to appear in his first work for television after ten years of absence,The Sinking of the Laconia, aired in January 2011. She played an upper-class passenger in the two-part drama based on a true story ofWorld War II.[21] She also played the mother ofMatt Smith in the telefilmChristopher and His Kind written by Kevin Elyot afterChristopher Isherwood'sautobiography of the same title. In October–November 2011, Duncan read extracts of theKing James Bible at the National Theatre, London as part of the 400th anniversary celebrations of the translation.[22] She played Queen Annis, ruler of Caerleon and antagonist of Merlin, in the 5th episode of thefourth series ofBBC1'sMerlin.[23] She also appeared as Home Secretary Alex Cairns toRory Kinnear's Prime Minister in "The National Anthem", the first episode ofCharlie Brooker'santhology seriesBlack Mirror.[24]
Duncan started 2012 as a guest in the New Year special ofAbsolutely Fabulous, playing Saffy's favourite film actress, Jeanne Durand. In February, she returned to the West End inNoël Coward'sHay Fever withKevin McNally,Jeremy Northam andOlivia Colman, once again under the direction of Howard Davies.[25] Later in 2012, she was featured inBBC2's productions of Shakespeare's history plays.[26] She played the Duchess of York in the first film,Richard II, withDavid Suchet as theDuke of York andPatrick Stewart asJohn of Gaunt.[27]
In October 2014, Duncan appeared as Claire in the revival ofEdward Albee'sA Delicate Balance on Broadway.[28] That year, she also appeared in the filmBirdman, or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), which won theAcademy Award for Best Picture. In 2023, Duncan starred inThe Morning Show.
In 2024, Duncan starred in The National Theatre’s revival ofDear Octopus.[29][30]
Duncan is married to fellow Scottish actorHilton McRae, whom she met in 1985 at theRoyal Shakespeare Company.[31] They live inNorth London. They have one son, Cal McRae, born September 1991.[7]
Duncan was appointed aCommander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the2009 Birthday Honours for services to drama.[32]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Loose Connections | Sally | ||
| 1985 | Samson and Delilah | Alice Nankervis | Short | |
| 1987 | Prick Up Your Ears | Anthea Lahr | ||
| 1988 | Manifesto | Lily Sachor | ||
| 1989 | The Child Eater | Eirwen | Short | |
| 1990 | The Reflecting Skin | Dolphin Blue | Sitges - Catalan International Film Festival Award for Best Actress | |
| 1991 | Body Parts | Dr Agatha-Webb | ||
| 1994 | The Rector's Wife | Anna Bouverie | ||
| 1996 | City Hall | Sydney Pappas | ||
| 1996 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Hippolyta/Titania | From the 1994–1995Royal Shakespeare Company stage production | |
| 1999 | An Ideal Husband | Lady Markby | ||
| 1999 | Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace | TC-14 | Voice | |
| 1999 | Expelling the Demon | Woman | Voice; Short | |
| 1999 | Mansfield Park | Mrs. Price/Lady Bertram | ||
| 2001 | Hamilton Mattress | Gertrude/Beryl | Voice; Short | |
| 2003 | Under the Tuscan Sun | Katherine | ||
| 2003 | AfterLife | May Brogan | Bratislava International Film Festival Award for Best Actress Bowmore Scottish Screen Award | |
| 2004 | The Queen of Sheba's Pearls | Audrey Pretty | ||
| 2006 | Starter for Ten | Rose Harbinson | ||
| 2010 | Burlesque Fairytales | Ice Queen | ||
| 2010 | Alice in Wonderland | Helen Kingsleigh | ||
| 2013 | Last Passenger | Elaine Middleton | ||
| 2013 | About Time | Mary Lake | ||
| 2013 | Le Week-End | Meg Burrows | ||
| 2014 | Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) | Tabitha Dickinson | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | |
| 2016 | Alice Through the Looking Glass | Helen Kingsleigh | ||
| 2017 | Gifted | Evelyn Adler | ||
| 2019 | Little Joe | Psychotherapist | ||
| 2019 | Blackbird | Liz | ||
| 2019 | My Zoe | Kathy | ||
| 2019 | November 1st | Bonnie | ||
| 2020 | Made in Italy | Kate | ||
| 2021 | A Banquet | June | ||
| 2023 | Doctor Jekyll | Sandra Poole | ||
| 2025 | H Is for Hawk | |||
| TBA | The Entertainment System Is Down | Post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Up Pompeii! | Scrubba | Series (BBC), special episode 'Further Up Pompeii!' | |
| 1976 | One-Upmanship | Series (BBC), episode 'Woomanship' | ||
| 1977 | The New Avengers | Jane | Series, episode 'The Angels of Death' | |
| 1979 | The Winkler | Diane | ITV Playhouse | |
| 1980 | Dick Turpin | Catherine Langford | Series, episode 'Deadlier Than the Male' | |
| 1980 | Grown-Ups | Christine Butcher | BBC2 Playhouse, directed byMike Leigh | |
| 1982 | Muck and Brass | Jean Torrode | Series, episodes 'Public Relations' and 'Our Green and Pleasant Land' | |
| 1982 | On Approval | Helen Hayle | Filmed production ofFrederick Lonsdale'sOn Approval, BBCPlay of the Month | |
| 1983 | Reilly, Ace of Spies | The Plugger | Series, episode 'After Moscow' | |
| 1984 | Rainy Day Women | Karen Miller | BBCPlay for Today | |
| 1984 | Travelling Man | Andrea | Series, episodes 'First Leg', 'The Collector', 'The Watcher', 'Grasser', 'Moving On', 'Sudden Death' | |
| 1986 | Dead Head | Dana | Series, episodes 'Why me?', 'Anything for England', 'The Patriot' | |
| 1986 | The Kit Curran Radio Show | Pamela Scott | Series, all episodes | |
| 1989 | These Foolish Things | Gutrune Day | BBC The Play on One | |
| 1989 | Traffik | Helen Rosshalde | Mini-series, written bySimon Moore, all episodes | |
| 1988–1990 | Colin's Sandwich | Rosemary | Series, episodes 'Enough' (1988) and 'Zanzibar' (1990) | |
| 1990 | TECX | Laura Pellin | Series, épisode 'Getting Personnel' | |
| 1991 | The Storyteller: Greek Myths | Medea | Series, episode 'Theseus & the Minotaur' | |
| 1991 | Screenplay | Kath Peachey | Series, episode 'Redemption' | |
| 1991 | G.B.H. | Barbara Douglas | Mini-series, written byAlan Bleasdale, episodes 'Only Here on a Message', 'Send a Message to Michael', 'Message Sent', 'Message received', 'Message Understood', 'Over and Out' Nominated –TV BAFTA for Best Actress | |
| 1993 | A Year in Provence | Annie Mayle | Miniseries, all episodes. AfterPeter Mayle's book. | |
| 1994 | The Rector's Wife | Anna Bouverie | Series, all episodes. After the novel byJoanna Trollope. Being shown on Channel 4's catchup at present as of 24 October 2023 | |
| 1995 | Just William | Lady Walton | Series, episode 'William Clears the Slums' | |
| 1995 | Jake's Progress | Monica | Miniseries, episodes 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.6 | |
| 1999 | The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling | Lady Bellaston | Miniseries, episodes 1, 3, 4, 5. After the novel byHenry Fielding. | |
| 1998 | Get Real | Louise | Series, all episodes | |
| 1999 | Shooting the Past | Marilyn Truman | Telefilm (BBC), written and directed byStephen Poliakoff Nominated –TV BAFTA for Best Actress | |
| 1999 | Oliver Twist | Elizabeth Leeford | Miniseries, all episodes. Adapted byAlan Bleasdale afterCharles Dickens' novel. | |
| 2000 | Dirty Tricks | Alison | Telefilm | |
| 2000 | Victoria Wood with All The Trimmings | Pam | Christmas special, segment 'Women Institute' | |
| 2001 | Perfect Strangers | Alice | Series, all episodes. Written and directed byStephen Poliakoff Nominated —TV BAFTA for Best Actress | |
| 2001 | Witness of Truth: The Railway Murders | Narrator's Voice | Telefilm | |
| 2005 | Agatha Christie's Poirot | Lady Tamplin | Series, episode 'The Mystery of the Blue Train' | |
| 2005–2006 | Spooks | Angela Wells | Episodes 'Diana' and 'Gas and Oil, Part One' | |
| 2005–2007 | Rome | Servilia of the Junii | Series, 18 episodes | |
| 2006 | Longford | Lady Longford | Telefilm | |
| 2007 | Frankenstein | Professor Jane Pretorius | Telefilm | |
| 2008 | Criminal Justice | Alison Slaughter | Miniseries, episodes 3–5 | |
| 2008 | Lost in Austen | Lady Catherine de Bourgh | Miniseries, episodes 3 and 4 | |
| 2009 | Margaret | Margaret Thatcher | Nominated – Scottish BAFTA Award for Best Actress | |
| 2009 | Doctor Who | Adelaide Brooke | Autumn 2009 Special: "The Waters of Mars" | |
| 2009 | Margot | Ninette de Valois | Telefilm (BBC) | |
| 2010 | Agatha Christie's Marple | Marina Gregg | Episode: 'The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side' | |
| 2010 | Mission: 2110 | Cybele | Children game show | |
| 2010–2011 | Come Fly with Me | Narrator (voice) | Series, all episodes | |
| 2011 | The Sinking of the Laconia | Elisabeth Fullwood | Miniseries (BBC), all episodes. Written byAlan Bleasdale. | |
| 2011 | Christopher and His Kind | Kathleen Isherwood | Telefilm, written byKevin Elyot afterChristopher Isherwood's autobiography | |
| 2011–2012 | Merlin | Queen Annis | Series (BBC1),4th season,5th season | |
| 2011 | Black Mirror | Home Secretary Alex Cairns | Miniseries, first episode: "The National Anthem" (Channel 4). Written byCharlie Brooker. | |
| 2011 | Against the Wall | Faith Kowalski | Police-crime drama television series, episode 'We Have a Cop in Trouble Here' | |
| 2012 | Absolutely Fabulous | Jeanne Durand | Episode: "Job" | |
| 2012 | White Heat | Lilly | Series (BBC2), written byPaula Milne | |
| 2012 | Richard II | Duchess of York | Telefilm (BBC2) – filmed production ofShakespeare's play | |
| 2012 | Spy | The Director | Episodes 'Codename: Citizen Lame' and 'Codename – Show Stopper' | |
| 2012 | Wallander | Monika Westin | Episode 'Before the Frost' | |
| 2013 | You, Me and Them | Lydia Walker | Series Regular | |
| 2013 | Count Arthur Strong | Dame Agnes | ||
| 2014–2017 | Sherlock | Lady Smallwood | Episodes: "His Last Vow", "The Six Thatchers", and "The Lying Detective" | |
| 2014 | The Honourable Woman | Anjelica Hayden-Hoyle | ||
| 2015 | Toast of London | Herself | Episode: "Global Warming" | |
| 2016 | Churchill's Secret | Clementine Churchill | ||
| 2016 | Close to the Enemy | Frau Bellinghausen | BBC2 mini-series, written & directed byStephen Poliakoff | |
| 2017 | The Leftovers | Grace | 5 episodes | |
| 2017 | Carnage | Maude | Mockumentary | |
| 2018–2022 | A Discovery of Witches | Ysabeau | 15 episodes | |
| 2020–2022 | His Dark Materials | Octavia | Voice | |
| 2021 | Inside No. 9 | Loretta | Episode: "Simon Says" | |
| 2021 | Around the World in 80 Days | Jane Digby | Series, episode 1.3 | |
| 2022 | The Split | Countess Caroline | Series 3 | |
| 2022 | Sherwood | Jennifer Hale | Series, episode 1.4 | |
| 2023 | The Wheel of Time | Anvaere Damodred | Series (Amazon Prime Video), 2nd season | |
| 2023–2025 | The Morning Show | Martha Ellison | Series (Apple TV+), 3rd and 4th seasons | |
| 2024 | Truelove | Phil | Channel 4 miniseries; lead role |
| Year | Title | Product | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Head & Shoulders | Shampoo |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Academy Television Awards | ||||
| 1992 | Best Actress | G.B.H. | Nominated | [33] |
| 2000 | Shooting the Past | Nominated | ||
| 2002 | Perfect Strangers | Nominated | ||
| British Academy Scotland Awards | ||||
| 2009 | Best Actress - Television | Margaret | Nominated | [34] |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurence Olivier Awards | ||||
| 1986 | Actress of the Year | Les Liaisons Dangereuses | Won | [35] |
| 2002 | Best Actress | Private Lives | Won | [36] |
| Mouth to Mouth | Nominated | |||
| 2009 | That Face | Nominated | [37] | |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Awards | ||||
| 1987 | Best Actress in a Play | Dangerous Liaisons | Nominated | [38] |
| 2002 | Private Lives | Won | [39] | |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evening Standard Theatre Awards | ||||
| 1988 | Best Actress | Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | Won | [40] |
| 2001 | Mouth to Mouth /Private Lives | Nominated | [41] | |
