Actors and Actresses

British Actresses You Should Know: Lesley Manville

Lacy Baugher Milas

23 Apr 2020 — 5 min read

Lesley Manville is a British actress who’s been working for decades, ever since she got her start on the soap Emmerdale back in the 1970s. That she only got her first Academy Award nomination in 2018 feels almost criminal, but it’s wonderful that such a talented performer is finally starting to get her due.

(Basically: She’s amazing, and we all should say so.)

A remarkably talented character actress, Manville has been in everything from romantic comedies to serious dramas, period pieces to contemporary sitcoms. Though she has a particular talent for playing waspish aristocrats, she is skilled at imbuing even the most messy and unlikeable of characters with sympathetic undertones. (Looking at you, Lydia Quigley.)

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