Imelda Staunton, who played Queen Elizabeth II in the final two series of The Crown, is now fielding questions from readers for a Film & Music interview. Her career spans stage and screen, from a Bafta-winning role in Vera Drake to the terrifying Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter films.
From Chickens to Queens
Staunton's filmography includes voicing Bunty in Chicken Run (2000), starring in Mike Leigh's Vera Drake (2004) and Nanny McPhee (2005), and playing Hefina in Pride (2014). She also appears as Lady Maud Bagshaw in the Downton Abbey films and voices Aunt Lucy in the Paddington films. For many, she is unforgettable as Umbridge, whose pink cardigan proved almost as frightening as Voldemort.
On television, her roles range from Little Britain and Doctor Who to Psychoville, Brassic, and a memorable appearance in A Bit of Fry & Laurie, where she was introduced as "Snutty". Her performances are often described as warm and calm, yet conveying a no-nonsense edge.
A Distinguished Career
After training at Rada, Staunton spent six years in repertory theatre before her film debut in Comrades (1986). She later appeared in Peter's Friends (1992), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Sense and Sensibility (1995), and Shakespeare in Love (1998). Her role in Vera Drake, as a cleaner performing illegal abortions in 1950s London, earned her a Bafta, the best actress prize at the Venice Film Festival, and an Oscar nomination.
In musicals, Staunton has been acclaimed in Follies, Guys and Dolls, The Wizard of Oz, Gypsy, Sweeney Todd, and Hello Dolly!, receiving 15 Olivier Award nominations and winning five. In 2024, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).
Latest Film and Reader Q&A
Her latest film, & Sons, reunites her with Pride co-star Bill Nighy, who plays a difficult novelist summoning his family for a startling announcement; Staunton plays his estranged wife. Readers can post questions below until 6pm on Wednesday 5 August, with the best answered in Film & Music. & Sons is in cinemas from 21 August.
