Lindsay Duncan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lindsay Duncan
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Duncan in 2011
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| Born | 7 November 1950 Edinburgh, Scotland
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| Education | Royal Central School of Speech and Drama |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Spouse(s) | Hilton McRae |
| Children | 1 |
Lindsay Vere Duncan (born November 7, 1950) is a talented Scottish actress. She has won many awards for her acting, especially for her work on stage. These include two Laurence Olivier Awards and a Tony Award. She has also been nominated for three BAFTAs.
Lindsay Duncan has appeared in many popular films. Some of these are Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (where she voiced a robot!), Alice in Wonderland, and Birdman. On TV, she played important roles in shows like Rome, Doctor Who (in the special "The Waters of Mars"), and Sherlock. She also played famous real-life figures like Margaret Thatcher in a TV film.
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Early Life and School
Lindsay Duncan was born in Scotland. Her parents were from Edinburgh and Glasgow. Her father was in the British army for 21 years before he became a civil servant (someone who works for the government). When Lindsay was young, her family moved to Leeds and then to Birmingham.
She went to King Edward VI High School for Girls in Birmingham. She got a scholarship to attend, which means she was given money to go to the school because she was a good student. Even though she grew up in Scotland, she speaks with a "Received Pronunciation" accent. This is a standard accent often heard in England, sometimes called "Queen's English."
When Lindsay was 15, her father sadly died in a car accident. Her mother later suffered from Alzheimer's disease, a condition that affects memory. Her mother's experience inspired a play called The Winter Guest.
Acting Career
Lindsay Duncan first started acting in school plays. She became friends with a future writer named Kevin Elyot. She even followed him to Bristol where he studied drama at university. While working odd jobs, she put on her own play.
At 21, Lindsay joined the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. After her training, she began acting in summer plays to get her Equity card. This card is needed to work as a professional actor in the UK. She performed in many plays at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester.
Breakthrough Roles
Lindsay became well-known for her role in the play Top Girls by Caryl Churchill. This play was shown in London and then in New York. She played Lady Nijo, a Japanese concubine from the 13th century. Her performance won her an Obie Award, which was her first award!
She then got her first big film role in Loose Connections. Around this time, she also appeared in TV shows like Reilly, Ace of Spies.
In 1985, Lindsay joined the famous Royal Shakespeare Company. She played Helen of Troy in Troilus and Cressida. She also created the role of the Marquise de Merteuil in the play Les Liaisons Dangereuses. This play was very popular and moved from Stratford-upon-Avon to London's West End, and then to Broadway in New York. For this role, she won an Olivier Award for Best Actress and was nominated for a Tony Award.
Later Career Highlights
Lindsay Duncan continued to shine on stage. In 1988, she won an Evening Standard Award for playing Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. She also often worked in plays by Harold Pinter and TV shows by Alan Bleasdale.
In 1999, she auditioned for the role of Anakin Skywalker's mother in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. She didn't get that part, but she did voice the polite android TC-14 in the film!
She won another Tony Award and a second Olivier Award for her role as Amanda Prynne in the play Private Lives (2001–02).
From 2005 to 2007, Lindsay played Servilia Caepionis in the historical TV series Rome. She also played Elizabeth Longford in the TV film Longford and Margaret Thatcher in Margaret. In 2009, she appeared in the Doctor Who special "The Waters of Mars" as Adelaide Brooke.
In 2010, she played Alice's mother in Tim Burton's film Alice in Wonderland. She also narrated the comedy series Come Fly with Me.
Lindsay has continued to act in many TV shows and films. She played Queen Annis in Merlin and the Home Secretary in Black Mirror. In 2014, she was in the Oscar-winning film Birdman. More recently, she starred in The Morning Show in 2023 and the play Dear Octopus in 2024.
Personal Life
Lindsay Duncan is married to fellow Scottish actor Hilton McRae. They met in 1985 while working at the Royal Shakespeare Company. They live in London and have one son named Cal McRae, who was born in 1991.
In 2009, Lindsay Duncan was given the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This is an honor given by the British monarch for her great contributions to drama.
Filmography
Selected Films
- 1987: Prick Up Your Ears
- 1990: The Reflecting Skin
- 1996: City Hall
- 1999: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (Voice of TC-14)
- 1999: Mansfield Park
- 2003: Under the Tuscan Sun
- 2003: AfterLife
- 2010: Alice in Wonderland
- 2013: About Time
- 2014: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- 2016: Alice Through the Looking Glass
- 2019: Blackbird
Selected Television Shows
- 1991: G.B.H. as Barbara Douglas
- 2005–2007: Rome as Servilia of the Junii
- 2006: Longford as Lady Longford
- 2009: Margaret as Margaret Thatcher
- 2009: Doctor Who (special "The Waters of Mars") as Adelaide Brooke
- 2010–2011: Come Fly with Me (Narrator)
- 2011–2012: Merlin as Queen Annis
- 2011: Black Mirror (episode "The National Anthem") as Home Secretary Alex Cairns
- 2014–2017: Sherlock as Lady Smallwood
- 2018-2022: A Discovery of Witches as Ysabeau
- 2023: The Morning Show as Martha Ellison
Theatre
Selected Stage Plays
- 1982: Top Girls as Lady Nijo/Win
- 1985–1986: Les Liaisons dangereuses as Marquise de Merteuil
- 1988: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof as Maggie
- 1995: A Midsummer Night's Dream as Titania/Hippolyta
- 2001–2002: Private Lives as Amanda Prynne
- 2010: John Gabriel Borkman as Ella Rentheim
- 2014: A Delicate Balance as Claire
- 2024: Dear Octopus as Dora
Images for kids
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Lindsay Duncan in 2011
See also
In Spanish: Lindsay Duncan para niños
