
Lesley Manville
Biography
Lesley Manville was born on March 12, 1956 in Brighton, East Sussex, England. She is a multi award-winning actress of theatre, film, and television, and has worked extensively with director Mike Leigh. She is known for Another Year (2010), All or Nothing (2002), Topsy-Turvy (1999), and Secrets & Lies (1996), and her performance in Phantom Thread (2017), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also had a supporting role in Maleficent (2014). Manville's extensive stage career includes roles in As You Like It, Les Liaisons Dangereuses and The Alchemist. Her film debut was in Dance with a Stranger (1985).
Gallery




Known For
Acting History
2026
National Theatre Live: Les Liaisons Dangereuses as Marquise de Merteuil
2026Midwinter Break as Stella
2026Winter of the Crow as Joan Andrews
2026Cold Storage as Trini Romano
2025Monster: The Ed Gein Story as Bernice Worden
2025Mr. Burton as Ma Smith
2024Queer as Doctor Cotter
2024Moonflower Murders as Susan Ryeland
2024Disclaimer as Nancy Brigstocke
2024Grotesquerie as Nurse Redd
2024The Critic as Annabel Land
2024Back to Black as Cynthia
2023Citadel as Dahlia Archer
2022Dangerous Liaisons as Genevieve de Merteuil
2022Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris as Ada Harris
2022Sherwood as Julie Jackson
2022Everything I Ever Wanted To Tell My Daughter About Men as The Mother
2022Life After Life as Narrator
2022Magpie Murders as Susan Ryeland
2020Let Him Go as Blanche Weboy
2020Alan Bennett's Talking Heads as Susan
2020Love Life as Narrator (voice)
2020Misbehaviour as Dolores Hope
2019Ordinary Love as Joan
2019Maleficent: Mistress of Evil as Flittle
2019World on Fire as Robina Chase
2019I Am... as Maria
2018LOVE as Herself/Introduced By
2018To Provide All People as Consultant Psychiatrist
2017Phantom Thread as Cyril Woodcock
2017The Agency as Anthea
2017Hampstead as Fiona
2017Harlots as Lydia Quigley
2017A Very British Brothel 2 as Narrator (Voice)
2016The Crown as Princess Margaret
2016Rupture as Dr. Nyman
2016Alan Clarke: Out of His Own Light as Self
2016Mum as Cathy
2015River as Chrissie Read
2015The Go-Between as Mrs. Maudsley
2015The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as Self - Guest
2015A Very British Brothel as Herself - Narrator (voice)
2015Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism as Miss Adderstone
2014The One and Only Mike Leigh as Self
2014Mr. Turner as Mary Somerville
2014Ghosts as Helene Alving
2014Maleficent as Flittle
2014Fleming as Evelyn Fleming
2013The Christmas Candle as Bea Haddington
2013An Adventure in Space and Time as Heather Hartnell
2013Romeo & Juliet as The Nurse
2013A Five Star Life as Kate Sherman
2013Mayday as Gail Spicer
2012Spike Island as Margaret
2012Ashes as Cath
2010Another Year as Mary
2010Womb as Judith
2009The Queen as Margaret Thatcher
2009A Christmas Carol as Mrs. Cratchit (voice)
2009Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
2009Law & Order: UK
2007Cranford as Mrs. Rose
2007Sparkle as Jill
2007The Graham Norton Show as Self
2006Perfect Parents as Sister Antonia
2005The Great Ecstasy Of Robert Carmichael as Sarah
2004North & South as Mrs. Maria Hale
2004Vera Drake as Mrs. Wells
2003Promoted to Glory as Capt. Annie Sullivan
2002All or Nothing as Penny
2002Bodily Harm as Mandy Greenfield
2002Rose and Maloney
2002Plain Jane as Dora Bruce
2001David Copperfield as Emma Micawber
2001The Cazalets as Villy Cazalet
2000Other People's Children as Nadine
1999Topsy-Turvy as Lucy Gilbert
1999Loose Women as Self
1999Toy Boys as Mrs. Allen
1999Milk as Fiona
1997Painted Lady as Susie Peel
1997Holding On as Hilary
1997Midsomer Murders as Phoebe Archbold
1997Dual Balls as Joanna
1996Secrets & Lies as The Social Worker
1996The Bite as Ellie Shannon
1996Silent Witness
1995Tears Before Bedtime as Beattie Freeman
1995Kavanagh Q.C. as Lucy Cartwright
1994Little Napoleons as Judith Silver
1994O Mary This London as Sophie
1994Ain't Misbehavin' as Melissa Quigley
1993Goggle Eyes as Rosalind Killin
1993A Statement of Affairs as Carol
1993The Mushroom Picker as Margot
1992Bad Girl as Penny Armitage
1991Top Girls as Marlene
1991Performance as Marlene
1991Soldier Soldier as Rachel Elliot
1991Soldier Soldier as Rachel Fortune
1989The Firm as Sue Bissell
1989High Hopes as Lætitia Boothe-Brain
1989Agatha Christie's Poirot as Mrs. Lorrimer
1987Sammy and Rosie Get Laid as Margy
1987High Season as Carol
1985Christmas Present as Judy Tall
1985The Moon Over Soho as Sally Spencer
1985Bulman
1985Dance with a Stranger as Maryanne
1985Screen Two as Sophie
1984Angels in the Annexe as Jenny Bailey
1984Dog Ends as Vivienne
1982Objects of Affection as Liz
1982Our Winnie as Liz
1982Mike Leigh: Making Plays as Self (archive footage)
1980Grown-Ups as Mandy
1980The Gentle Touch
1977King Cinder as Nikki
1977A Bunch of Fives as Helen Wyatt
1974Playhouse as Mandy
1970Play for Today as Vivienne
1960Coronation Street as Jill Mason
—Jack of Spades
—Marble Hall Murders as Susan Ryeland









