Olivia Colman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Olivia Colman CBE
Colman in 2022
Born	Sarah Caroline Colman (1974-01-30) 30 January 1974 (age 51) Norwich, Norfolk, England
Education	Homerton College, Cambridge Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2000–present
Spouse(s)	Ed Sinclair ​ (m. 2001)​
Children	3
Awards	Full list

Olivia Colman is a famous English actress. Her birth name is Sarah Caroline Colman. She was born on January 30, 1974. She has won many important awards, including an Academy Award (also known as an Oscar), four BAFTA Awards, two Emmy Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards.

Olivia Colman is known for her roles in both comedies and dramas. On TV, she has starred in shows like Green Wing, That Mitchell and Webb Look, Rev., Flowers, and Fleabag. She won a BAFTA Award for her role in the comedy series Twenty Twelve and another for the crime series Accused.

She became very popular for her acting in the crime-drama series Broadchurch, where she played DS Ellie Miller. She also won a Golden Globe Award for her role in the thriller The Night Manager. From 2019 to 2020, she played Queen Elizabeth II in the Netflix series The Crown, winning a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award for her performance. She has also appeared in Les Misérables, Landscapers, and Heartstopper.

In movies, Olivia Colman won an Academy Award for Best Actress for playing Anne, Queen of Great Britain in The Favourite (2018). She was also nominated for Oscars for her roles in The Father (2020) and The Lost Daughter (2021). Some of her other well-known films include The Iron Lady, The Lobster, Empire of Light, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, and Wonka.

Early Life and Education

Olivia Colman was born in Norwich, England, on January 30, 1974. Her mother, Mary, was a nurse, and her father, Keith, was a surveyor. She went to private schools, Norwich High School for Girls and Gresham's School. When she was 16, her first acting role was playing Jean Brodie in a school play called The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. She says her mother, who wanted to be a ballet dancer, inspired her to become an actress.

Colman first studied primary education at Homerton College, Cambridge for a short time. Then, she went to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School to study drama, graduating in 1999. While at Cambridge, she met future co-stars David Mitchell and Robert Webb.

When she started acting professionally, she had to choose a different stage name. This was because another actress was already named Sarah Colman in the UK actors' union. She picked "Olivia" because it was the name of one of her best friends from university. She said she was often called "Colly" by her friends, so changing from Sarah wasn't a big deal for her.

In 2018, Olivia Colman was featured on the TV show Who Do You Think You Are?, which explores people's family histories. She found out that one of her ancestors was born on the island of Saint Helena and worked for the East India Company. Another ancestor, Harriot Slessor, was born in Kishanganj, India, and traveled to England alone as a child.

Career Highlights

Starting Out in Television

Olivia Colman began her acting career in 2000 at age 26 in the BBC Two comedy show Bruiser. She appeared in many TV series on BBC, ITV, and Channel 4, including The Office and Black Books. She also did voice-overs for TV polls and radio comedies like Hut 33.

Colman often worked with comedians Mitchell and Webb on shows like That Mitchell and Webb Look. She also had a regular role in the comedy Green Wing from 2004 to 2006. In 2007, she appeared in the comedy film Hot Fuzz as PC Doris Thatcher. From 2008 to 2009, she played Debbie Doonan in the BBC sitcom Beautiful People.

Becoming a Star

In 2010, Colman took on a main role as Alex Smallbone in the BBC sitcom Rev., which ran until 2014. She also made a guest appearance in an episode of Doctor Who. From 2011 to 2012, she played Sally Owen in Twenty Twelve, a comedy series about the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Colman in 2014

In 2011, she starred in the film Tyrannosaur, which earned her an award for best actress. That same year, she played Carol Thatcher in the Oscar-winning film The Iron Lady, alongside Meryl Streep.

In 2013, Colman started playing DS Ellie Miller in the ITV crime-drama series Broadchurch. Her performance was highly praised, and she won a BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress. She also starred in the film The Thirteenth Tale.

She appeared in the unique film The Lobster in 2015, which won an award at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. Colman also received an award for her supporting role in this film.

In 2016, Colman was highly praised for her role as Angela Burr in the miniseries The Night Manager, winning a Golden Globe Award. She also starred in the black-comedy series Flowers. In 2017, she played Hildegarde Schmidt in the film Murder on the Orient Express.

Worldwide Recognition

In 2018, Olivia Colman starred as Queen Anne in the film The Favourite. For this role, she gained weight to prepare. Her performance earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress, a Golden Globe Award, and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Her funny acceptance speech at the Oscars was widely talked about.

She also received good reviews for her role as Madame Thénardier in the 2018 BBC series Les Misérables. In 2019, she was a guest voice star in the animated comedy series The Simpsons.

From 2019 to 2020, Colman played Queen Elizabeth II in the Netflix historical drama series The Crown. For this role, she won a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.

Recent Work

In 2020, Colman starred with Anthony Hopkins in the film The Father, which is about an elderly man dealing with memory loss. Both actors were highly praised for their performances, and the film received many Oscar nominations, including one for Colman.

Colman and Colin Firth in 2022

In 2021, she appeared in films like Mothering Sunday and The Electrical Life of Louis Wain. She also did voice work for animated films The Mitchells vs. the Machines and Ron's Gone Wrong. Colman also starred in the HBO series Landscapers, which was created by her husband.

Colman also starred in the 2021 drama The Lost Daughter. Her acting was highly praised, and she received another Oscar nomination for Best Actress. In 2022, she played Sarah Nelson, the mother of Nick Nelson, in the Netflix series Heartstopper. She won an award for her guest performance in the first season of this show.

Colman at Soccer Aid for UNICEF 2024

Also in 2022, Colman starred in the film Joyride and the romantic drama Empire of Light. She also lent her voice to animated films like Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and Scrooge: A Christmas Carol.

In 2023, Colman played Miss Havisham in the TV series Great Expectations. She also joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the Disney+ series Secret Invasion as Sonya Falsworth. She produced and starred in the comedy film Wicked Little Letters. Colman also appeared as Mrs. Scrubbit in the musical fantasy film Wonka. She even returned to play Queen Elizabeth II in the final episode of The Crown.

In 2024, Colman will star as The Reverend Mother in the film Paddington in Peru, which is the third movie in the Paddington series.

Personal Life

Olivia Colman met her husband, Ed Sinclair, when they were both involved in a play in the late 1990s. They got married in August 2001 and have three children. They live in Herne Hill, south London. They have worked together on some projects, including the 2021 series Landscapers, which Ed Sinclair created.

Since 2013, Colman has been a judge for the Norwich Film Festival. She has also signed letters supporting important causes, such as calling for a ceasefire in the Israel–Hamas war and speaking out against violence and discrimination towards trans women. She has described herself as a "leftie monarchist," meaning she supports the monarchy but has left-leaning political views.

Helping Others (Philanthropy)

Colman speaking on behalf of UNICEF in 2019

Olivia Colman cares about mental health. She has presented awards for the Mind Media Awards, which celebrate good portrayals of mental health in the media. She believes the media has a big responsibility to help reduce the stigma around mental health by showing it accurately. She has also openly shared her own experience with postnatal depression after her first child was born.

Colman supports many charities. She has participated in the Alzheimer's Society's Memory Walk because her great-grandmother suffered from dementia. She also supports the Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal, which helps people with terminal illnesses. In 2018, she became a patron for the Anthony Nolan blood-cancer charity, which helped one of her friends.

In 2014, Colman was part of a BBC Radio documentary for Amnesty International UK about women in Afghanistan. She read the stories of women who couldn't appear themselves for safety reasons. Since 2015, she has been an ambassador for UNICEF UK, an organization that helps children around the world. She became its president in 2020.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and Recognition

Olivia Colman has won many important awards for her acting. These include an Academy Award (Oscar), three British Academy Television Awards, a British Academy Film Award, three Golden Globe Awards, two Emmy Awards, and a Volpi Cup.

For her role in The Night Manager (2016), she won a Golden Globe Award. She also received an Emmy Award nomination for her work in Fleabag (2016–2019). For playing Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown (2019–2020), she won a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.

Her role as Anne, Queen of Great Britain in The Favourite (2018) earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress, the Golden Globe Award, and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. She was also nominated for an Oscar for her performances in The Father (2020) and The Lost Daughter (2021).

In 2019, she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her contributions to drama.

See also

• List of British actors
• List of actors with Academy Award nominations
• List of British Academy Award nominees and winners