Brenda Blethyn

Born: 1946-02-20

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.


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Pride & Prejudice

as Mrs. Bennet
Released: 2005-09-16

A story of love and life among the landed English gentry during the Georgian era. Mr. Bennet is...

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Atonement

as Grace Turner
Released: 2007-02-27

As a 13-year-old, fledgling writer Briony Tallis irrevocably changes the course of several lives...

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The Witches

as Mrs Jenkins
Released: 1990-05-25

A young boy named Luke and his grandmother go on vacation only to discover their hotel is...

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A River Runs Through It

as Mrs. Maclean
Released: 1992-10-09

The Maclean brothers, Paul and Norman, live a relatively idyllic life in rural Montana, spending...

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Pooh's Heffalump Movie

as Mama Heffalump (voice)
Released: 2005-02-11

Who or what exactly is a Heffalump? The lovable residents of the Hundred Acre Wood -- Winnie the...

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The Sleeping Dictionary

as Aggie
Released: 2003-01-31

A young Englishman is dispatched to Sarawak to become part of the British colonial government....

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Secrets & Lies

as Cynthia Rose Purley
Released: 1996-05-24

After her adoptive mother dies, Hortense, a successful black optometrist, seeks out her birth...

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Blizzard

as Aunt Millie
Released: 2003-05-15

A young girl's aunt tells her the tale of a young ice skater and an enchanted reindeer.

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Saving Grace

as Grace Trevethyn
Released: 2000-01-24

Unexpectedly widowed, prim and proper housewife Grace Trevethyn finds herself in dire financial...

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Beyond the Sea

as Polly Cassotto
Released: 2004-11-16

Based on the life and career of legendary entertainer, Bobby Darin, the biopic moves back and...

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Ethel & Ernest

as Ethel Briggs (voice)
Released: 2016-10-15

This hand drawn animated film, based on the award winning graphic novel by Raymond Briggs, is an...

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Sonny

as Jewel
Released: 2002-10-26

New Orleans, 1981. Sonny Phillips, just discharged from the Army, returns home. The only life...

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London River

as Elisabeth
Released: 2009-02-09

After traveling to London to check on their missing children in the wake of the 2005 terror...

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Little Voice

as Mari Hoff
Released: 1998-11-05

After the death of her father, Little Voice or LV becomes a virtual recluse, never going out and...

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RKO 281

as Louella Parsons
Released: 2000-04-07

In 1939, boy-wonder Orson Welles leaves New York, where he has succeeded in radio and theater,...

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Mary and Martha

as Martha
Released: 2013-03-01

Wealthy American housewife Mary Morgan takes her bullied son George out of school for home...

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Two Men in Town

as Emily Smith
Released: 2014-05-07

A convict is released from prison in a small town in New Mexico. 18 years ago he killed a...

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Lovely & Amazing

as Jane Marks
Released: 2002-08-02

An intimate family portrait of four hapless but resilient women and the bittersweet lessons they...

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Undertaking Betty

as Betty Rhys-Jones
Released: 2002-12-04

A politician's wife and the mortician who has secretly loved her for years plan to fake her...

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Music from Another Room

as Grace Swan
Released: 1998-04-24

Music From Another Room is a romantic comedy that follows the exploits of Danny, a young man who...

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Charlotte

as Grossmama (voice)
Released: 2021-09-13

The true story of Charlotte Salomon, a young German-Jewish painter who comes of age in Berlin on...

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Pumpkin

as Judy Romanoff
Released: 2002-06-28

Carolyn's sorority sisters set their sights on the Sorority of the Year award and coaching...

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Clubland

as Jean
Released: 2007-06-28

The shy son of an aging comedienne tries to find a balance between his demanding home life, his...

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Daddy and Them

as Julia Montgomery
Released: 2001-10-26

Ruby and her husband Claude are a working-class couple who live in suburban Arkansas. As crazy...

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as Mother
Released: 2009-01-29

A loan shark gives ex-con Nick a period of 24 hours in order to pay back the money he owes. Up...

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See!

King Lear

as Cordelia
Released: 1982-09-19

King Lear, old and tired, divides his kingdom among his daughters, giving great importance to...

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Tigger & Pooh and a Musical Too

as Mama Heffalump (voice)
Released: 2009-04-07

Strike up the band with Pooh, Tigger, Darby and all your favorite friends in a spectacular...

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Piccadilly Jim

as Nesta Pett
Released: 2004-11-01

Set in the 1930s, an American with a scandalous reputation on both sides of the Atlantic must do...

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Grown-Ups

as Gloria
Released: 1980-11-27

Dick and Mandy, a young working class couple, move into a council house in Canterbury, and find...

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On a Clear Day

as Joan
Released: 2005-08-18

After decades of laboring as a Glasgow shipbuilder, Frank Redmond, a no-nonsense 55-year-old...

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The Bullion Boys

as Gwen
Released: 1993-10-24

Based on a true story. In 1940, Britain's gold reserves were transferred for safety to Liverpool...

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Mysterious Creatures

as Wendy Ainscow
Released: 2006-10-29

Feature-length ITV drama based on real events. Bill and Wendy Ainscow (Timothy Spall and Brenda...

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Claws

as Sylvia
Released: 1987-10-04

A tale of cat lovers, the social circle they inhabit and the power struggles between them.

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Belonging

as Jess Copplestone
Released: 2004-09-12

Jess (Brenda Blethyn) and town handyman Jacob (Kevin Whately) have been happily married 20...

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In the Winter Dark

as Ida Stubbs
Released: 1998-09-10

Fear of an unidentified livestock predator unites an Australian couple, an outcast, and an...

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A Way of Life

as Annette
Released: 2004-11-12

At 17 Leigh-Anne Williams has a six month old baby to look after, with only the help of three...

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My Angel

as Headmistress
Released: 2011-12-09

Fifteen year old Eddie's mother falls very ill after a serious car accident. Eddie and his...

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On the Nose

as Mrs. Delaney
Released: 2001-10-23

Brendan is a janitor at a university who has a fondness for gambling, especially betting on...

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Remember Me?

as uncredited
Released: 1997-01-02

A domestic farce exposes the eccentricities of a "typical" middle class, suburban family who...

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The Yellow Bird

as Mrs. Louise Tutwiler
Released: 2002-06-06

A young girl escapes the boredom of a small town existence in the 1930s.

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Inside the Golden Statue

as Self
Released: 1998-01-01

A behind-the-scenes look at the preparations for the live broadcast of the 69th Annual Academy...

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Henry VI Part 1

as Joan La Pucelle
Released: 1983-01-02

The life of King Henry the Sixth, in three parts.

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The Shawl

as Miss A
Released: 1989-03-14

Miss A, troubled by problems, consults a clairvoyant. Can he solve them for her by summoning the...

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Raymond Briggs: Snowmen, Bogeymen and Milkmen

as Narrator
Released: 2018-12-31

Playful, moving portrait of Raymond Briggs, told through interviews with Raymond, animation...

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The Imitation Game

as uncredited
Released: 1980-04-24

Second World War drama - A young woman decides against working in a munitions factory, and lands...

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Strawberry Fields Forever

as Grannie Nellie
Released:

Steven Shepherd’s short life beheld just one very special day amidst his world of total and...

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Floating Off

as Janice
Released: 1983-08-24

Businessman Jack Humpage and his secretary Janice try to make an unconventional deal with a...

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King of the Teds

as Nina
Released:

Ron and Tina's lives are changed when long lost friend Nina calls, reawakening memories of when...

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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

as Linnie Malcolm
First aired: 1999-09-20

In the criminal justice system, sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous. In...

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The Graham Norton Show

as Self
First aired: 2007-02-22

Each week celebrity guests join Irish comedian Graham Norton to discuss what's being going on...

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Vera

as DCI Vera Stanhope
First aired: 2011-05-01

A sharp detective with a messy life, DCI Vera Stanhope patrols her “patch” of northeast England,...

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Downton Abbey

as Vera
First aired: 2010-09-26

A chronicle of the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the...

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The One Show

as Self - Guest
First aired: 2006-08-14

A topical magazine-style daily television programme broadcast live on BBC One.

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Rumpole of the Bailey

as uncredited
First aired: 1975-12-17

Rumpole of the Bailey is a British television series created and written by the British writer...

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Tales of the Unexpected

as Carol Hutchins
First aired: 1979-03-24

A British television anthology of stories, often with sinister and wryly comedic undertones, and...

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Golden Globe Awards

as Self - Nominee
First aired: 1944-01-20

An annual awards ceremony recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and...

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Golden Globe Awards

as Self - Presenter
First aired: 1944-01-20

An annual awards ceremony recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and...

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The New Adventures of Old Christine

as Angela Kimble
First aired: 2006-03-13

Single working mom Christine Campbell has just learned that her ex is dating a much younger...

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GMTV

as Self
First aired: 1993-01-01

GMTV is the name of the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor/licensee,...

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The Storyteller

as Storyteller's Wife
First aired: 1988-05-15

The Storyteller aided by his cynical dog, narrates classic folk tales, fables, and legends.

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Dalgliesh

as Angela Foley
First aired: 1983-04-08

Centred on the cases of P. D. James' gentleman detective Adam Dalgliesh. In addition to his...

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Yes Minister

as uncredited
First aired: 1980-02-25

Satirical sitcom set in the office of a UK Cabinet minister, Jim Hacker MP, who struggles with...

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BBC Television Shakespeare

as uncredited
First aired: 1978-12-03

The BBC Television Shakespeare is a series of British television adaptations of the plays of...

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V Graham Norton

as Self
First aired: 2002-05-06

V Graham Norton was an entertainment programme shown on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom starring...

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Maigret

as uncredited
First aired: 1992-02-09

Based on the novels by Georges Simenon, Michael Gambon plays the eponymous detective from the...

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The Oscars

as Self
First aired: 1953-03-19

An annual American awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements in the film industry. The...

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Outside Edge

as uncredited
First aired: 1994-03-24

Comedy-drama series starring Timothy Spall, Brenda Blethyn, Robert Daws, and Josie Lawrence...

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Anne Frank: The Whole Story

as Auguste Rottgen-van Pels
First aired: 2001-05-20

Anne Frank: The Whole Story is a two-part mini-series based on the book Anne Frank: The...

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The Frank Skinner Show

as Self
First aired: 1995-09-10

The Frank Skinner Show was a television chat show hosted by comedian Frank Skinner, which lasted...

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Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story

as Ticki Tocquet
First aired: 1989-04-30

The true story of Barbara Hutton, who had inherited $40 million by the age of 6. This insight...

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So Graham Norton

as Self - Guest
First aired: 1998-07-03

So Graham Norton was a British television programme, hosted by Irish personality Graham Norton....

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Kate & Koji

as Kate
First aired: 2020-03-18

Kate runs an old-fashioned café in a seaside town, and develops a strong, if sometimes volatile,...

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War and Peace

as Márja Dmitrijewna Achrosímowa
First aired: 2007-10-21

War and Peace is a 2007 Russian-French-Italian-German miniseries directed by Robert Dornhelm. It...

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Between The Sheets

as Hazel Delany
First aired: 2003-11-17

Between the Sheets is a 2003 British television mini-series. This carnal, comedic drama is based...

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The Play on One

as Miss A
First aired: 1988-01-19

A series of plays specially written for television.

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The Buddha of Suburbia

as Margaret Amir
First aired: 1993-11-03

Karim is 17 years old and lives in a South London suburb with his English mother and Pakistani...

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Chance in a Million

as Alison Little
First aired: 1984-09-10

Chance in a Million is a British sitcom broadcast between 1984 and 1986, produced by Thames...

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The Mysteries

as Mary Magdalene / Mary
First aired: 1985-12-22

National Theatre Cottesloe production filmed for Channel 4

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All Good Things

as Shirley Frame
First aired: 1991-05-14

A marriage and home can be made complete with the arrival of a new baby, but Shirley Frame feels...

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