Brenda Blethyn

Born

February 20, 1946 (79 years old)

Known For

Acting

Place of Birth

Ramsgate, Kent, England, UK

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.

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Ethel & Ernest

Ethel & Ernest

Ethel Briggs (voice)

7.4

2016

Two Men in Town

Two Men in Town

Emily Smith

5.5

2014

Mary and Martha

Mary and Martha

Martha

6.4

2013

My Angel

My Angel

Headmistress

4.0

2011

The Many Faces of... Michael Caine

0.0

2011

The Calling

The Calling

Sister Ignatious

0.0

2010

Tigger & Pooh and a Musical Too

Tigger & Pooh and a Musical Too

Mama Heffalump (voice)

6.7

2009

London River

London River

Elisabeth

6.7

2009

Dead Man Running

Dead Man Running

Mother

5.8

2009

Clubland

Clubland

Jean

5.2

2007

Atonement

Atonement

Grace Turner

7.6

2007

Mysterious Creatures

Mysterious Creatures

Wendy Ainscow

8.0

2006

Pride & Prejudice

Pride & Prejudice

Mrs. Bennet

8.1

2005

On a Clear Day

On a Clear Day

Joan

6.5

2005

Pooh's Heffalump Movie

Pooh's Heffalump Movie

Mama Heffalump (voice)

6.8

2005

Beyond the Sea

Beyond the Sea

Polly Cassotto

6.2

2004

Belonging

Belonging

Jess Copplestone

5.6

2004

The Sleeping Dictionary

The Sleeping Dictionary

Aggie

6.5

2003

Undertaking Betty

Undertaking Betty

Betty Rhys-Jones

6.1

2002

Sonny

Sonny

Jewel

5.0

2002

Lovely & Amazing

Lovely & Amazing

Jane Marks

6.1

2002

Pumpkin

Pumpkin

Judy Romanoff

5.8

2002

The Yellow Bird

The Yellow Bird

Mrs. Louise Tutwiler

0.0

2002

On the Nose

On the Nose

Mrs. Delaney

5.5

2001

RKO 281

RKO 281

Louella Parsons

6.4

2000

Saving Grace

Saving Grace

Grace Trevethyn

6.5

2000

Little Voice

Little Voice

Mari Hoff

6.5

1998

In the Winter Dark

In the Winter Dark

Ida Stubbs

5.6

1998

Girls' Night

Dawn Wilkinson

6.8

1998

Music from Another Room

Music from Another Room

Grace Swan

5.8

1998

Inside the Golden Statue

Inside the Golden Statue

Self

6.3

1998

Night Train

Night Train

Alice Mooney

7.0

1998

Remember Me?

Remember Me?

4.0

1997

Secrets & Lies

Secrets & Lies

Cynthia Rose Purley

7.6

1996

The Bullion Boys

The Bullion Boys

Gwen

0.0

1993

A River Runs Through It

A River Runs Through It

Mrs. Maclean

7.0

1992

The Witches

The Witches

Mrs Jenkins

6.9

1990

The Shawl

The Shawl

Miss A

0.0

1989

Claws

Claws

Sylvia

0.0

1987

Floating Off

Floating Off

Janice

0.0

1983

Henry VI Part 1

Henry VI Part 1

Joan La Pucelle

7.5

1983

Mike Leigh: Making Plays

Mike Leigh: Making Plays

Self

8.0

1982

Say No to Strangers

Policewoman

7.0

1981

Grown-Ups

Grown-Ups

Gloria

6.7

1980

Bedroom Farce

Kate

6.0

1980

The Imitation Game

The Imitation Game

7.1

1980

Fools

0.0

Dragonfly

Dragonfly

Elsie

0.0

2025

Charlotte

Charlotte

Grossmama (voice)

6.5

2022

Kate & Koji

Kate & Koji

Kate · (12 episodes)

5.9

2020

Raymond Briggs: Snowmen, Bogeymen and Milkmen

Raymond Briggs: Snowmen, Bogeymen and Milkmen

Narrator

0.0

2018

Vera

Vera

DCI Vera Stanhope · (56 episodes)

7.5

2011

War and Peace

War and Peace

Márja Dmitrijewna Achrosímowa · (4 episodes)

6.3

2007

The Graham Norton Show

The Graham Norton Show

Self · (1 episode)

7.2

2007

The One Show

The One Show

Self - Guest · (2 episodes)

4.7

2006

The New Adventures of Old Christine

The New Adventures of Old Christine

Angela Kimble · (1 episode)

7.0

2006

A Way of Life

A Way of Life

Annette

6.8

2004

Piccadilly Jim

Piccadilly Jim

Nesta Pett

6.5

2004

Between The Sheets

Between The Sheets

Hazel Delany · (6 episodes)

5.3

2003

Blizzard

Blizzard

Aunt Millie

5.8

2003

V Graham Norton

V Graham Norton

Self · (1 episode)

5.0

2002

Daddy and Them

Daddy and Them

Julia Montgomery

5.4

2001

Anne Frank: The Whole Story

Anne Frank: The Whole Story

Auguste Rottgen-van Pels · (2 episodes)

7.4

2001

So Graham Norton

So Graham Norton

Self - Guest · (1 episode)

6.3

1998

The Frank Skinner Show

The Frank Skinner Show

Self · (2 episodes)

7.5

1995

Outside Edge

Outside Edge

(22 episodes)

8.0

1994

The Buddha of Suburbia

The Buddha of Suburbia

Margaret Amir · (4 episodes)

6.2

1993

Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story

Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story

Ticki Tocquet · (6 episodes)

4.5

1989

The Labours of Erica

(12 episodes)

0.0

1989

Who Dares Wins

Various · (8 episodes)

0.0

1984

King Lear

King Lear

Cordelia

6.0

1982

Strawberry Fields Forever

Strawberry Fields Forever

Grannie Nellie

0.0

King of the Teds

King of the Teds

Nina

0.0

Bob the Builder: The Knights of Fix-A-Lot

Bob the Builder: The Knights of Fix-A-Lot

Dr. Florence Mountfitchet (voice)

6.9

2003

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Linnie Malcolm · (1 episode)

7.9

1999

GMTV

GMTV

Self · (1 episode)

5.6

1993

Maigret

Maigret

(1 episode)

7.0

1992

All Good Things

All Good Things

Shirley Frame · (6 episodes)

0.0

1991

This Morning

This Morning

Self · (1 episode)

5.2

1988

The Storyteller

The Storyteller

Storyteller's Wife · (1 episode)

8.2

1988

The Play on One

The Play on One

Miss A · (1 episode)

6.0

1988

The Mysteries

The Mysteries

Mary Magdalene / Mary · (3 episodes)

0.0

1985

Chance in a Million

Chance in a Million

Alison Little · (18 episodes)

6.7

1984

Dalgliesh

Dalgliesh

Angela Foley · (6 episodes)

6.9

1983

Yes Minister

Yes Minister

(1 episode)

8.3

1980

Tales of the Unexpected

Tales of the Unexpected

Carol Hutchins · (1 episode)

6.7

1979

The BBC Television Shakespeare

The BBC Television Shakespeare

Cordelia · (1 episode)

6.0

1978

The BBC Television Shakespeare

The BBC Television Shakespeare

Joan La Pucelle · (1 episode)

6.0

1978

Rumpole of the Bailey

Rumpole of the Bailey

(1 episode)

7.1

1975

Playhouse

Playhouse

Gloria · (1 episode)

7.0

1974

The Oscars

The Oscars

Self · (2 episodes)

7.1

1953

Golden Globe Awards

Golden Globe Awards

Self - Nominee · (1 episode)

7.2

1944

Golden Globe Awards

Golden Globe Awards

Self - Presenter · (1 episode)

7.2

1944

A Woman of Substance

Emma Harle · (8 episodes)

0.0