Lindsay Duncan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lindsay Duncan
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Duncan in 2011
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Lindsay Vere Duncan
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 7 November 1950) is a famous Scottish actress. She has won major awards for her work in theatre, including two Olivier Awards and a Tony Award. She is also known for her roles in movies and on television.
You might have seen her in films like Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (2010), About Time (2013), and Birdman (2014). She also voiced the droid TC-14 in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. On TV, she played Adelaide Brooke in the Doctor Who special "The Waters of Mars" (2009) and Lady Smallwood in the BBC series Sherlock.
Contents
Early Life and School
Lindsay Duncan was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, to a working-class family. Her father was a soldier for 21 years before becoming a civil servant (a person who works for the government). When Lindsay was a child, her family moved to Leeds and then to Birmingham in England. She was a bright student and earned a scholarship to attend the King Edward VI High School for Girls.
When Duncan was 15, her father passed away. Her mother later developed Alzheimer's disease. This experience inspired the playwright Sharman Macdonald to write the play The Winter Guest, which was later made into a movie.
Acting Career
Starting Out
Duncan first got into acting through school plays. At age 21, she began studying at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. After graduating, she worked in repertory theatre, where actors perform in a different play each week. This helped her gain experience and join the actors' union.
In 1978, she began performing at the National Theatre in London. She also started appearing in small television roles. Her big break came with the play Top Girls. For her performance in New York, she won an Obie, which is a special award for theatre shows performed "Off-Broadway."
Stage Success
In 1985, Duncan joined the famous Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). Her most celebrated role was the Marquise de Merteuil in the play Les Liaisons Dangereuses. The show was a huge hit in London and on Broadway in New York. For this role, she won an Olivier Award and was nominated for a Tony Award.
She continued to star in many successful plays. In 2001, she appeared with her friend Alan Rickman in Private Lives. Her performance won her a second Olivier Award and a Tony Award for Best Actress.
Movies and Television
Duncan has appeared in many popular films and TV shows. To please her son, who was a Star Wars fan, she took the voice role of the droid TC-14 in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999).
Some of her other well-known roles include:
- Rome (2005–2007): She played Servilia of the Junii in this historical drama series.
- Margaret (2009): She portrayed Margaret Thatcher, a former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
- Doctor Who (2009): She played Captain Adelaide Brooke in the special episode "The Waters of Mars".
- Alice in Wonderland (2010): She played Alice's mother, Helen Kingsleigh.
- Sherlock (2014–2017): She appeared as the powerful politician Lady Smallwood.
- A Discovery of Witches (2018–2022): She played the vampire Ysabeau de Clermont.
Personal Life
Duncan is married to Scottish actor Hilton McRae. They met in 1985 while working at the Royal Shakespeare Company. They have one son, Cal McRae, who was born in 1991. The family lives in North London.
In 2009, Duncan was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her contributions to acting. This is a high honor in the United Kingdom.
Selected Work
Here are some of Lindsay Duncan's most famous roles.
Famous Films
- Prick Up Your Ears (1987)
- An Ideal Husband (1999)
- Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) - as the voice of TC-14
- Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
- Alice in Wonderland (2010) - as Helen Kingsleigh
- About Time (2013) - as Mary's mother
- Birdman (2014) - as Tabitha Dickinson
- Gifted (2017) - as Evelyn Adler
- Blackbird (2019) - as Liz
Popular Television Shows
- G.B.H. (1991) - as Barbara Douglas
- Rome (2005–2007) - as Servilia of the Junii
- Doctor Who (2009) - as Adelaide Brooke in "The Waters of Mars"
- Margaret (2009) - as Margaret Thatcher
- Sherlock (2014–2017) - as Lady Smallwood
- The Leftovers (2017) - as Grace
- A Discovery of Witches (2018–2022) - as Ysabeau de Clermont
- His Dark Materials (2020–2022) - as the voice of Octavia
See also
In Spanish: Lindsay Duncan para niños
