Brenda Blethyn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brenda Blethyn OBE
Blethyn in 2014
Born	Brenda Bottle (1946-02-20) 20 February 1946 (age 79) Ramsgate, Kent, England
Alma mater	Guildford School of Acting
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1976–present
Known for	Vera
Spouse(s)	Alan Blethyn ​ ​ (m. 1964; div. 1973)​ Michael Mayhew ​ ​ (m. 2010)​
Awards	Full list

Brenda Blethyn (born 20 February 1946) is a famous English actress. She is known for playing many different kinds of characters. Brenda has won many awards, including a Golden Globe Award, a British Academy Film Award (BAFTA), and a Cannes Film Festival Award. She has also been nominated for two Academy Awards (Oscars) and two Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2003, she was given the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her great work in drama.

Before becoming an actress, Brenda worked in an office. In her late 20s, she decided to follow her dream and studied acting at the Guildford School of Acting. After that, she joined the Royal National Theatre and became well-known for her stage performances. She even made her debut on Broadway in New York City.

Brenda's first big film role was in The Witches (1990). She gained huge fame for her role in the film Secrets & Lies (1996), which earned her a Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival and an Oscar nomination. She was also nominated for an Oscar for her role in Little Voice (1998). Other popular films she has been in include A River Runs Through It (1992), Saving Grace (2000), and Pride & Prejudice (2005).

On television, Brenda first appeared in the film Grown-Ups (1980). She has starred in several popular TV shows, like Chance in a Million (1984–1986) and Outside Edge (1994–1996). From 2011 to 2025, she played the main character, Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope, in the crime drama series Vera.

Early Life and Training

Brenda Blethyn was born in Ramsgate, Kent, England, on 20 February 1946. She was the youngest of nine children in a large, working-class family. Her mother, Louisa Kathleen, was a housewife, and her father, William Charles Bottle, worked as a chauffeur and later at a car factory.

The family didn't have much money when Brenda was growing up. In 1944, her parents got married after being together for 20 years and having eight children. They moved into a small rented house in Ramsgate. Brenda's parents loved movies and took her to the cinema every week, which sparked her interest in acting.

As a young adult, Brenda studied at a college and worked in an office as a typist and bookkeeper. Towards the end of her first marriage, she decided to turn her hobby of acting in local plays into a career. She studied at the Guildford School of Acting and then started performing on the London stage in 1976. For the next few years, she performed in many plays at the Royal National Theatre, including Troilus and Cressida and Bedroom Farce.

Career Highlights

Early Roles and Sitcoms (1980–1995)

In 1980, Brenda won an award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the play Steaming. Soon after, she made her first TV appearance in the play Grown Ups, directed by Mike Leigh. This was the start of a successful working relationship between them. Brenda also appeared in Shakespearean TV adaptations, playing Cordelia in King Lear and Joan of Arc in Henry VI, Part 1.

She continued to perform in many stage plays, such as A Midsummer Night's Dream and Benefactors, for which she was nominated for an Laurence Olivier Award. On British television, she played Alison Little in the sitcom Chance in a Million and Erica Parsons in The Labours of Erica.

Brenda made her first big movie appearance in the dark fantasy film The Witches (1990), based on the book by Roald Dahl. She played Mrs. Jenkins, the mother. Critics thought she was a "valuable support" in the film.

In 1991, after acting in a play in New York City, Brenda was chosen by director Robert Redford for his film A River Runs Through It (1992). This drama, also starring Brad Pitt, was about two brothers growing up in the United States. Brenda played their mother and had to learn a Western American accent for the role. The film was a big success with both critics and audiences.

During this time, Brenda also continued to work on stage and in British TV. She performed in plays like An Ideal Husband and Absent Friends, for which she won a Theatre World Award. She also appeared in TV shows like The Buddha of Suburbia and Outside Edge.

Film Breakthrough and Awards (1996–2003)

Brenda Blethyn starred in the Mike Leigh film Secrets and Lies (1996). This role earned her an Oscar nomination.

Brenda's career took off with Mike Leigh's drama Secrets & Lies in 1996. She played Cynthia, a working-class woman who meets her adult daughter, whom she gave up for adoption years ago. Brenda's performance was highly praised. She won the Best Actress Award at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. The film was also a big success at the box office.

The next year, Brenda appeared in Remember Me? (1997) and Girls' Night (1998), a drama about two sisters-in-law who go to Las Vegas. She also starred in Night Train (1998) and In the Winter Dark (1998).

In 1998, Brenda played a very different role in Little Voice, opposite Jane Horrocks and Michael Caine. She played Mari Hoff, a loud and demanding fish factory worker who is mean to her shy daughter. Brenda was attracted to the role because it was so different from her usual kind characters. Both her performance and the film received excellent reviews, and she was nominated for another Oscar, this time for Best Supporting Actress.

In 2000, Brenda starred in the comedy Saving Grace with Craig Ferguson. She played a newly widowed woman who faces money problems. Critics loved her performance, with one calling her charm "solid-gold." The film was a surprise hit, earning $24 million worldwide, and Brenda received her third Golden Globe nomination.

In 2001, Brenda played Auguste van Pels in the TV mini-series Anne Frank: The Whole Story, which earned her an Emmy Award nomination. She also appeared in films like Daddy and Them, On the Nose, and Lovely & Amazing. In Lovely & Amazing, she played a busy mother of three daughters. She also lent her voice to Dr. Florence Mountfitchet in a Bob the Builder special.

In 2002, Brenda starred with Christina Ricci in the dark comedy Pumpkin and with Nicolas Cage in Sonny. She later received more praise for her lead role in the dark comedy Plots with a View, where she starred alongside Alfred Molina. In 2003, she co-starred with Bob Hoskins and Jessica Alba in The Sleeping Dictionary and played Aunt Millie in the Christmas movie Blizzard. She also appeared in the mini-series Between the Sheets.

Becoming an Established Actress (2004–2010)

Brenda Blethyn at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2008.

In 2004, Brenda played Polly Cassotto, Bobby Darin's mother, in the film Beyond the Sea. She also starred in A Way of Life and the TV film Belonging, for which she received a BAFTA nomination. That same year, she made her Broadway debut in the play 'Night Mother.

In 2005, Brenda appeared in the drama On a Clear Day, playing Joan, a housewife who secretly learns to drive a bus. Her performance was praised, and the film won a BAFTA Scotland Award.

A very popular role for Brenda was Mrs. Bennet in Joe Wright's film Pride & Prejudice, based on the Jane Austen novel. She played the busy mother of five daughters who desperately wants to marry them off to rich men. The film was a huge success worldwide and earned Brenda another BAFTA Award nomination.

In 2007, she starred in the Australian comedy Clubland, playing a comedian whose career is slowing down. Critics loved her performance, saying she "gracefully cracks [the role] open to reveal what's inside." This role earned her nominations for the Australian Film Institute Award. Also in 2007, Brenda had a small role in Atonement, another film by Joe Wright. She also appeared in the TV mini-series War and Peace.

In 2008, Brenda made her American TV debut in the sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine. She also appeared in an episode of the crime series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which earned her another Emmy Award nomination. Brenda also voiced Mama Heffalump in the animated Disney film Tigger & Pooh and a Musical Too (2009).

In 2009, Brenda starred in London River, where she played a mother looking for her missing child after the 2005 London bombings. She had to learn French for this role. Critics praised her "dynamite acting." She also played a nun in the film The Calling and a criminal's mother in the crime film Dead Man Running.

Vera and Recent Roles (2011–Present)

In May 2011, Brenda began playing the main character in the ITV crime drama series Vera. She plays Vera Stanhope, a detective chief inspector who is very dedicated to her work. The show became very popular in the UK, with millions of viewers. Brenda won an award for her performance in 2017 and has continued to play Vera in 14 series of the show, which is shown in 20 countries.

Brenda's only film in 2011 was the Christmas drama My Angel, about a boy looking for an angel to save his mother. The film won several awards at the Monaco International Film Festival. In 2012, she starred with singer Tom Jones in the short film King of the Teds.

Brenda Blethyn with the cast and crew of Two Men in Town (2014) at the 2014 Berlin Film Festival.

In March 2013, Brenda co-starred with Hilary Swank in the BBC movie Mary and Martha. The film was about two women who both lose their sons to malaria. Also in 2013, Brenda started voicing Ernestine Enormomonster in the children's animated TV series Henry Hugglemonster.

In 2014, Brenda worked again with director Rachid Bouchareb on the film Two Men in Town. She played a parole officer in this Western film. Critics praised her performance, saying she was "wonderful" in her role. In January 2015, Brenda received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Capri Hollywood International Film Festival.

In 2016, Brenda lent her voice to the animated film Ethel & Ernest, which tells the story of Raymond Briggs' parents. The film received good reviews for its gentle story and animation. Brenda was nominated for an award for her voice performance. From 2020 to 2022, she played Kate Abbott, a cafe owner, in the TV show Kate & Koji.

Personal Life

Brenda Blethyn married Alan James Blethyn, a graphic designer, in 1964. They divorced in 1973, but Brenda kept his last name as her professional name. Since 1975, her partner has been British art director Michael Mayhew, and they got married in June 2010.

In 2003, Brenda was honored with the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her contributions to drama.

Acting Credits

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and Nominations

Brenda Blethyn has won many awards for her acting. She received a BAFTA Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Cannes Film Festival Award for her role in Secrets & Lies (1996).

Throughout her career, she has been nominated for an Academy Award (Oscar), a BAFTA Television Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2017, she was named Performer of the Year by the Royal Television Society for her role in Vera. In 2003, she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to drama.

Images for kids

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  Brenda Blethyn in 2014

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  Brenda Blethyn acted in the Mike Leigh film Secrets and Lies (1996) which earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

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  Brenda Blethyn at the 43rd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2008.

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  Brenda Blethyn along with her cast and crew of Two Men in Town (2014) at the 2014 Berlin Film Festival.

See also

In Spanish: Brenda Blethyn para niños