Imelda Staunton

Biography: Imelda Staunton was born January 9th 1956 in Archway, London. She is one of Britain's most versatile actresses, and she has performed on the stage and screen for over thirty years.

She attended La Sainte Union Convent in London where from a young age she was encouraged to perform and write by her drama and elocution teacher. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she performed in repertory theatre for six years before moving to the National Theatre in London. On the stage she has gained great critical acclaim for a range of roles, from comedy to musicals. Notable performances have been in A Chorus of Disapproval,The Corn is Green and Into the Woods.

In 1986, Imelda starred as Nurse Sarah White in the award winning BBC adaptation of Dennis Potter's The Singing Detective. She has starred in numerous television situation comedies. In the early 1990s, she played the central character Izzie, the hassled school teacher in the ITV show Up The Garden Path. She also co-starred in Is It Legal? as solicitor Stella Phelps. More recently, she appeared in the cult BBC comedy Little Britain as a temporary carer for Andy. Imelda has also played guest starring roles in popular programmes such as Midsummer Murders and The Ruth Rendell Mysteries.

Imelda has also achieved great success on the big screen. It was her performance as 1950s illegal abortionist in Vera Drake that gained her international recognition, however this is by no means her only starring role. In 1997, she played Maria in Trevor Nunn's Twelfth Night alongside Ben Kingsley, Helena Bonham Carter and Imogen Stubbs. In 1993, she played Mary, the seduced maid in Kenneth's Branagh's star studded production of Much Ado About Nothing. Her other films include Peter's Friends, Crush and Nanny McPhee.

She is married and has one daughter, Bessie.… Expand