
Age: 50
female
Keeley Hawes (born 10 February 1976) is an English actress, born in London and educated at the Sylvia Young Theatre School. She began her career in a number of literary adaptations, including Our Mutual Friend (1998), Wives and Daughters (1999), Tipping the Velvet (2002), and The Canterbury Tales (2003). She portrayed Zoe Reynolds in the BBC espionage drama series Spooks from 2002 to 2004, followed by her co-lead performance as Alex Drake in Ashes to Ashes (2008–2010), for which she won a Glamour Award. She played leading roles in the 2010 revival of Upstairs, Downstairs, the limited series The Casual Vacancy (2015), The Missing (2016), and the ITV comedy-drama The Durrells (2016–2019). Hawes was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for her performance in Jed Mercurio's police procedural Line of Duty as DI Lindsey Denton. She teamed again with Mercurio for the 2018 thriller Bodyguard in which she played Home Secretary Julia Montague. Hawes has also appeared in films, including Death at a Funeral (2007) and High-Rise (2015), and she provided the voice of Lara Croft in a series of Tomb Raider video games.

Keeley Hawes

Dolores Umbridge
for Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter
Suggested by thefilmcritic

The upcoming Max series is a multi-season, faithful adaptation of J.K. Rowling's seven "Harry Potter" books, promising a deeper dive into the wizarding world than the films. Targeting a 2026 or 2027 HBO/Max premiere, the decade-long series plans roughly one season per book. It follows orphan Harry Potter, who discovers he's a wizard on his 11th birthday and attends Hogwarts. The story centers on Harry's Hogwarts years and his fight against Lord Voldemort, who seeks immortality and control. Viewers will see Harry, Ron, and Hermione's adventures in detail as they face school, friendship, and Voldemort's rising threat. Producers stress a "faithful adaptation," meaning more screen time for book elements previously cut or condensed, possibly including Peeves and S.P.E.W. Featuring an all-new cast, J.K. Rowling executive produces to ensure alignment with her vision. Francesca Gardiner is showrunner, with Mark Mylod directing. The series aims to offer a fresh, authentic, and immersive experience for both long-time fans and new audiences.

