Hayley Atwell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hayley Atwell
Atwell at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival
Born	Hayley Elizabeth Atwell (1982-04-05) 5 April 1982 (age 43) London, England
Citizenship	United Kingdom United States
Alma mater	Guildhall School of Music and Drama (BA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2005–present
Spouse(s)	Ned Wolfgang Kelly ​ (m. 2023)​
Children	1

Hayley Elizabeth Atwell (born 5 April 1982) is an actress with both British and American citizenship. She is famous for playing Agent Peggy Carter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and for her roles in action movies like Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning.

Atwell first became known for acting in plays in London's West End. She also appeared in historical movies like The Duchess (2008) and the TV series The Pillars of the Earth (2010). Her work earned her nominations for major awards, including a Golden Globe Award.

Her big break came when she was cast as Agent Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). She played the character again in many Marvel movies and in her own TV show, Agent Carter. She has also starred in Disney's Cinderella (2015) and Christopher Robin (2018). For her acting on stage, she has been nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award, one of the biggest honours in British theatre.

Early Life and Education

Hayley Elizabeth Atwell was born in London, England, on 5 April 1982. She is the only child of her English mother, Allison, and her American father, Grant. Because her father is from the United States, Atwell has dual citizenship for both the UK and the US.

After finishing her regular schooling, Atwell took two years off. During this time, she travelled with her father and got her first taste of the movie world by working for a casting director.

She then decided to study acting seriously. Atwell attended the famous Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London for three years. In 2005, she graduated with a degree in acting.

Acting Career

Starting on Stage

Atwell began her professional acting career in 2005 in a London play called Prometheus Bound. Her performance was well-liked by critics. She continued to work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and at the Royal National Theatre, two of the most respected theatre companies in the UK.

In 2009, she made her debut in London's West End, which is like Broadway in New York City. She acted in a play called A View From the Bridge. Her performance was so good that she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award, a top prize for theatre actors.

Becoming Agent Carter

Atwell at the 66th British Academy Film Awards in 2013

In 2011, Atwell's career reached a new level when she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She was cast as Peggy Carter in the superhero movie Captain America: The First Avenger. Peggy Carter is a smart and tough agent who becomes a key ally to Captain America.

The role made her famous around the world. She played Peggy Carter again in several other Marvel movies, including Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Avengers: Endgame.

The character was so popular that she got her own TV show, Agent Carter, which ran from 2015 to 2016. She also voiced the character in video games and animated shows, including the series What If...?, where she played a version of the character who became the superhero Captain Carter.

Other Famous Roles

Atwell at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con

Besides her work with Marvel, Atwell has starred in many other movies and TV shows. In 2015, she played Cinderella's mother in Disney's live-action movie Cinderella. In 2018, she starred alongside Ewan McGregor in the Disney film Christopher Robin, playing the wife of the grown-up Christopher Robin.

She has also appeared in popular TV series like Black Mirror and the historical drama Howards End.

In 2023, Atwell joined another major movie series, starring as a skilled thief named Grace in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. She returned to the role for the next film in the series, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.

Personal Life

Atwell married music producer Ned Wolfgang Kelly in 2023. The couple had their first child in 2024. The family lives in London.

She is a supporter of body positivity. In a 2015 interview, she talked about the importance of being honest about photo editing in magazines. When a fan on Twitter asked her, "Why are you so beautiful?", she replied, "Why am I so photoshopped?" She said she feels a responsibility to help young people understand that images in the media are often changed.

In 2023, Atwell joined other actors in London to show support for American actors who were on strike to ask for better pay and working conditions.

Acting Roles

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2007	Cassandra's Dream	Angela Stark
2008	The Duchess	Elizabeth "Bess" Foster
2011	Captain America: The First Avenger	Peggy Carter / Agent Carter
2012	The Sweeney	DC Nancy Lewis
2013	Agent Carter	Peggy Carter	Short film
2014	Captain America: The Winter Soldier	Peggy Carter
2015	Cinderella	Cinderella's Mother
	Avengers: Age of Ultron	Peggy Carter
	Ant-Man	Peggy Carter	Cameo
2018	Christopher Robin	Evelyn Robin
2019	Avengers: Endgame	Peggy Carter
2021	Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway	Mittens	Voice
2022	Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness	Peggy Carter / Captain Carter (Earth-838)
2023	Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One	Grace
2024	Paddington in Peru	Madison
2025	Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning	Grace
2026	Avengers: Doomsday	Peggy Carter	Filming

Television

Images for kids

• How About You (film)

  Ellie Harris

• Brideshead Revisited (film)

  Julia Flyte

• Love Hate

  Hate

• Tomato Soup

  Movie Star

• I, Anna

  Emmy

• Jimi: All Is by My Side

  Kathy Etchingham

• Testament of Youth (film)

  Hope Milroy

• The Complete Walk: Cymbeline

  Imogen

• Blinded by the Light (2019 film)

  Ms. Clay

• Independent Miss Craigie

  Narrator

• The Imaginary (film)

  Lizzie

• Grand Prix of Europe (film)

  Cindy

• Rogue Trooper (film)

  0TBA

• Whatever Love Means

  Sabrina Guinness

• Fear of Fanny

  Jane

• The Ruby in the Smoke

  Rosa Garland

• The Line of Beauty (TV series)

  Catherine "Cat" Fedden

• Mansfield Park (2007 film)

  Mary Crawford

• The Shadow in the North

  Rosa Garland

• Any Human Heart (TV series)

  Freya Deverell

• Falcón (TV series)

  Consuelo Jiménez

• Playhouse Presents

  The Banker

• Restless (TV series)

  Eva Delectorskaya

• Life of Crime (TV series)

  Denise Woods

• Lip Sync Battle

  Herself

• Return of the Spider Monkeys

  Narrator

• The Long Song (TV series)

  Caroline Mortimer

• Criminal: UK

  Stacey Doyle

• Heartstopper (TV series)

  Aunt Diane

See also

In Spanish: Hayley Atwell para niños