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Lindsay Duncan

Acting Born Nov 7, 1950 Edinburgh, Scotland, UK 24 credits

Biography

Lindsay Vere Duncan, CBE (born November 7, 1950) is a Scottish stage and television actress. She is the recipient of three BAFTA nominations and one Scottish BAFTA nomination, as well as two Olivier Awards and a Tony Award for her work on stage. She has starred in several plays by Harold Pinter. Duncan's film credits include Prick 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's Alice in Wonderland (2010), About Time (2013), Birdman (2014), and Blackbird (2019).

Outside of stage and film, Duncan appeared as Barbara Douglas in Alan Bleasdale's critically acclaimed G.B.H. (1991), Servilia of the Junii on the HBO historical drama series Rome (2005–2007), Adelaide Brooke in the Doctor Who special "The Waters of Mars" (2009), Anjelica Hayden-Hoyle in the BBC Two miniseries The Honourable Woman (2014), and Lady Smallwood on BBC One's Sherlock (2014–2017). She also portrayed Elizabeth Longford and Margaret Thatcher in the television films Longford (2006) and Margaret (2009), respectively.

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Known for

Agatha Christie's Poirot

as Lady Tamplin

Black Mirror

as Alex Cairns

Sherlock

as Lady Smallwood

The Wheel of Time

as Anvaere Damodred
Film

Sansho the Bailiff

as Helen Hayle
Film

The Empire Strikes Back

as Servilia of the Junii
Film

About Time

as Mum
Film

Gifted

as Evelyn Adler

Full filmography

  • Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989) as Lady Tamplin
  • Black Mirror (2011) as Alex Cairns
  • Agatha Christie's Marple (2004) as Marina Gregg
  • Sherlock (2010) as Lady Smallwood
  • Merlin (2008) as Queen Annis
  • The Wheel of Time (2021) as Anvaere Damodred
  • The Leftovers (2014) as Grace Playford
  • Spooks (2002) as Angela Wells
  • The Morning Show (2019) as Martha Ellison
  • BBC Play of the Month (1965) as Helen Hayle
  • Absolutely Fabulous (1992) as Jeanne Durand
  • Rome (2005) as Servilia of the Junii
  • His Dark Materials (2019) as Octavia (voice)
  • Screen Two (1985) as Dolphin Blue
  • A Discovery of Witches (2018) as Ysabeau de Clermont
  • Playhouse (1974) as Christine Butcher
  • Inside No. 9 (2014) as Loretta Lamb
  • Alice in Wonderland (2010) as Helen Kingsleigh
  • About Time (2013) as Mum
  • Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) as TC-14 (voice)
  • ITV Playhouse (1967) as Diane
  • Gifted (2017) as Evelyn Adler
  • Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016) as Helen Kingsleigh
  • The Hollow Crown (2012) as Duchess of York