Site Revisions Underway Some Features May Not Work
Photo of Brenda Blethyn

Brenda Blethyn

Acting 80 years old Ramsgate, Kent, England, UK ★ 2.5
Born: February 20, 1946

Biography

Brenda Anne Blethyn is an English actress who has worked in theatre, television, and film. Blethyn has received two Academy Award nominations, two SAG Award nominations, two Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one. In addition, she has won a BAFTA, an Empire Award and a Golden Lion, and has earned a Theater World Award and both a Critics' Circle Theatre Award and a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for her theatrical work.

Born into a working class home in Ramsgate, Kent, Blethyn pursued an administrative career until her early 30s before enrolling in the Guildford School of Acting after the dissolution of her marriage in 1973. She subsequently joined the Royal National Theatre and received credits for her performances in Troilus and Cressida (1976) and Mysteries (1979). In 1981, Blethyn earned her first critical acclaim for Steaming.

In 1980, Blethyn made her television debut in Mike Leigh's film Grown-Ups; then, after a modest number of guest spots in several productions, in the mid-1980s she garnered leading roles in the short-living sitcoms Chance in a Million and The Labours of Erica. Having followed her big screen debut with smaller supporting roles in films such as The Witches (1990) and A River Runs Through It (1992), she made her real cinema breakthrough with her role in the 1996 dramedy Secrets & Lies, for which she received rave reviews.

Blethyn has since appeared in an eclectic range of films, including independent comedies such as Saving Grace (2000), Plots with a View (2002) and Clubland (2007), music-themed films like Little Voice (1998) and Beyond the Sea (2004) and big-budget dramas such as Pride & Prejudice (2005) and Atonement (2007). In addition, Blethyn has appeared in television productions including The Buddha of Suburbia (1993), Anne Frank: The Whole Story (2001), Belonging (2004) and War and Peace (2007). Her most recent leading role in TV drama is the title role in Vera (2011), playing Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Brenda Blethyn, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

External Links

🎬 IMDb

Known For

The One Show
The One Show Self - Guest 2006
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards Self - Nominee 1944
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards Self - Presenter 1944
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards Self - Winner 1944
Vera
Vera DCI Vera Stanhope 2011

Filmography

Acting Credits (97)

A Woman of Substance
A Woman of Substance Older Emma Harle 2026
Dragonfly
Dragonfly Elsie 2025
Vera, Farewell Pet
Vera, Farewell Pet Herself / Vera 2025
Charlotte
Charlotte Grossmama (voice) 2022
Kate & Koji
Kate & Koji Kate 2020
Raymond Briggs: Snowmen, Bogeymen and Milkmen
Raymond Briggs: Snowmen, Bogeymen and Milkmen Narrator 2018
Ethel & Ernest
Ethel & Ernest Ethel Briggs (voice) 2016
Two Men in Town
Two Men in Town Emily Smith 2014
Mary and Martha
Mary and Martha Martha 2013
My Angel
My Angel Headmistress 2011
The Many Faces of... Michael Caine
The Many Faces of... Michael Caine 2011
Vera
Vera DCI Vera Stanhope 2011
The Calling
The Calling Sister Ignatious 2010
My Friends Tigger & Pooh: Super Duper Super Sleuths
My Friends Tigger & Pooh: Super Duper Super Sleuths Mama Heffalump (voice) 2010
Tigger & Pooh and a Musical Too
Tigger & Pooh and a Musical Too Mama Heffalump (voice) 2009
London River
London River Elisabeth 2009
Dead Man Running
Dead Man Running Mother 2009
War and Peace
War and Peace Márja Dmitrijewna Achrosímowa 2007
Clubland
Clubland Jean 2007
Atonement
Atonement Grace Turner 2007
The Graham Norton Show
The Graham Norton Show Self 2007
Mysterious Creatures
Mysterious Creatures Wendy Ainscow 2006
The One Show
The One Show Self - Guest 2006
The New Adventures of Old Christine
The New Adventures of Old Christine Angela Kimble 2006
Pride & Prejudice
Pride & Prejudice Mrs. Bennet 2005
On a Clear Day
On a Clear Day Joan 2005
Pooh's Heffalump Movie
Pooh's Heffalump Movie Mama Heffalump (voice) 2005
Beyond the Sea
Beyond the Sea Polly Cassotto 2004
A Way of Life
A Way of Life Annette 2004
Piccadilly Jim
Piccadilly Jim Nesta Pett 2004
Belonging
Belonging Jess Copplestone 2004
Between The Sheets
Between The Sheets Hazel Delany 2003
Blizzard
Blizzard Aunt Millie 2003
Bob the Builder: The Knights of Can-A-Lot
Bob the Builder: The Knights of Can-A-Lot Dr. Florence Mountfitchet (voice) 2003
The Sleeping Dictionary
The Sleeping Dictionary Aggie 2003
Undertaking Betty
Undertaking Betty Betty Rhys-Jones 2002
Sonny
Sonny Jewel 2002
Lovely & Amazing
Lovely & Amazing Jane Marks 2002
Pumpkin
Pumpkin Judy Romanoff 2002
The Yellow Bird
The Yellow Bird Mrs. Louise Tutwiler 2002
V Graham Norton
V Graham Norton Self 2002
Daddy and Them
Daddy and Them Julia Montgomery 2001
On the Nose
On the Nose Mrs. Delaney 2001
Anne Frank: The Whole Story
Anne Frank: The Whole Story Auguste Rottgen-van Pels 2001
Saving Grace
Saving Grace Grace Trevethyn 2000
RKO 281
RKO 281 Louella Parsons 1999
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Linnie Malcolm 1999
Little Voice
Little Voice Mari Hoff 1998
In the Winter Dark
In the Winter Dark Ida Stubbs 1998
So Graham Norton
So Graham Norton Self - Guest 1998
Girls' Night
Girls' Night Dawn Wilkinson 1998
Music from Another Room
Music from Another Room Grace Swan 1998
Inside the Golden Statue
Inside the Golden Statue Self 1998
Night Train
Night Train Alice Mooney 1998
Remember Me?
Remember Me? Shirley 1997
Secrets & Lies
Secrets & Lies Cynthia Rose Purley 1996
The Frank Skinner Show
The Frank Skinner Show Self 1995
Outside Edge
Outside Edge Miriam Dervish 1994
The Buddha of Suburbia
The Buddha of Suburbia Margaret Amir 1993
The Bullion Boys
The Bullion Boys Gwen 1993
GMTV
GMTV Self 1993
A River Runs Through It
A River Runs Through It Mrs. Maclean 1992
HBO First Look
HBO First Look self 1992
Maigret
Maigret 1992
All Good Things
All Good Things Shirley Frame 1991
The Witches
The Witches Mrs Jenkins 1990
Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story
Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story Ticki Tocquet 1989
The Shawl
The Shawl Miss A 1989
The Labours of Erica
The Labours of Erica 1989
This Morning
This Morning Self 1988
The Storyteller: A Story Short
The Storyteller: A Story Short The Storyteller's Wife 1988
The Storyteller
The Storyteller Storyteller's Wife 1988
The Play on One
The Play on One Miss A 1988
Claws
Claws Sylvia 1987
The Mysteries
The Mysteries Mary Magdalene / Mary 1985
Chance in a Million
Chance in a Million Alison Little 1984
Who Dares Wins
Who Dares Wins Various 1984
Floating Off
Floating Off Janice 1983
Dalgliesh
Dalgliesh Angela Foley 1983
Henry VI Part 1
Henry VI Part 1 Joan La Pucelle 1983
King Lear
King Lear Cordelia 1982
Mike Leigh: Making Plays
Mike Leigh: Making Plays Self 1982
Say No to Strangers
Say No to Strangers Policewoman 1981
Grown-Ups
Grown-Ups Gloria 1980
Bedroom Farce
Bedroom Farce Kate 1980
The Imitation Game
The Imitation Game 1980
Yes Minister
Yes Minister 1980
Tales of the Unexpected
Tales of the Unexpected Carol Hutchins 1979
Rumpole of the Bailey
Rumpole of the Bailey Pauline 1975
Playhouse
Playhouse Gloria 1974
The Oscars
The Oscars Self 1953
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards Self - Nominee 1944
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards Self - Presenter 1944
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards Self - Winner 1944
Fools
Fools
Strawberry Fields Forever
Strawberry Fields Forever Grannie Nellie
King of the Teds
King of the Teds Nina

Writing Credits (1)

Powered by

TMDB
× Person photo
❮ Back to Person Search