Age: 70
female
Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born January 9, 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 starred in Antonia and Jane; in several supporting roles in Kenneth Branagh's comedy Peter's Friends, his adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing; Ang Lee's adaptation of Sense and Sensibility; and the costume romantic comedy Shakespeare in Love. She drew critical acclaim for her performance in the title role in Mike Leigh's Vera Drake, for which she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role and the Venice Film Festival Volpi Cup for Best Actress, in addition to being nominated for Best Actress by the Academy Awards, the Golden Globe Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. She later gained a wider audience for her portrayal as Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter films The Order of the Phoenix and The Deathly Hallows - Part 1. She continued supporting roles in Nanny McPhee, reunited with Leigh in Another Year, and the film continuation of Downton Abbey. She portrayed human rights activist Hefina Headon in the historical film Pride, and starred in the British comedy Finding Your Feet. She also provided voice acting roles for the films Chicken Run, Arthur Christmas, and Paddington. On television, Staunton starred in the sitcoms Up the Garden Path and Is it Legal?. Her performance in My Family and Other Animals earned her a nomination for the International Emmy Award for Best Actress, while her roles in Return to Cranford and The Girl earned her BAFTA TV Award nominations for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. For the latter, she was also nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie. She portrayed Queen Elizabeth II in the final two seasons of The Crown.
Imelda Staunton
Queen Elizabeth II
for Queen Elizabeth II in Elizabeth
Suggested by user_21189
A biopic about Queen Elizabeth II. The film is split into four chapters. The first chapter, titled "The Childhood", focuses on her grandfather's (King George V) death, and her uncle's (Edward VIII) extremely short reign as King due to his abdication crisis. The chapter also follows Elizabeth's father, George VI, becoming the new King, and her childhood during World War II. The second chapter, titled "The Coronation", begins with Elizabeth's and Phillip's wedding. The birth of their children, Charles and Anne, is also addressed. The majority of the chapter focuses on Elizabeth's father's sudden death and her accession of the throne. Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II and continued turning the British Empire into the Commonwealth of Nations. The third chapter, titled "The Mother", fast-forwards nearly thirty years. It is 1981, and Queen Elizabeth II survives an attempted assassination while attending the Trooping the Colour ceremony. The chapter focuses mainly on her son, Prince Charles, and Lady Diana Spencer's wedding. Her grandchildren's (William and Henry) births are also addressed. The chapter also focuses on the Queen's anxious period while her other son, Prince Andrew, served in the Falklands War. Other small things like the intruder in her Buckingham Palace bedroom and her meeting with Ronald Reagan are also addressed. The final chapter, titled "The Death", is an entire chapter focusing on the death of Princess Diana in 1997. In December of 1996, Prince Charles and Diana formally separated. The Queen and her family where criticized for "outing" Diana from the family. In August 1997, Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris. During this time The Queen was on vacation in Balmoral. The Queen and Phillip took the grandchildren, William and Henry, to church the following morning and then kept them away from the public inside the Balmoral Castle for five days. Her Majesty's Government seemed to no pay no attention to the horrific incident, not even lowering the flag to half-mast. The Queen returned to Buckingham palace the day before Diana's funeral to address the people. After her address, most of the public's hostility evaporated. The film ends with the Royal Family standing behind The Queen while she addresses her people on her Golden Jubilee in 2002.
