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

..... She also earned praise for her serious roles in TV dramas such as Broadchurch and The Night Manager. From 2019 to 2020, she played Queen Elizabeth II in the popular Netflix series The Crown, which won her more awards.

In movies, Olivia Colman won an Academy Award for her role as Anne, Queen of Great Britain in The Favourite (2018). She also received nominations for her work in The Father (2020) and The Lost Daughter (2021). She has appeared in many other films, showing her talent in both funny and serious stories.

Early Life and School Days

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, Olivia had her first acting role as Jean Brodie in a school play. Her mother, who had wanted to be a ballet dancer, inspired Olivia to become an actress.

Olivia first studied primary education at Homerton College, Cambridge. 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 Olivia started acting professionally, she had to choose a different stage name. This was because another actress was already named Sarah Colman. She picked "Olivia" because she liked her friend's name. She was often called "Colly" by her friends, so changing her first name for work felt natural.

In 2018, Olivia appeared on the TV show Who Do You Think You Are?. She learned that some of her ancestors had traveled far from England. For example, her great-great-great-grandfather was born on St. Helena, an island in the Atlantic Ocean. Another ancestor, Harriot Slessor, was born in Kishanganj, India, and traveled to England alone as a child.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out in TV Comedy (2000s)

Olivia Colman began her acting career in 2000 on the BBC Two comedy show Bruiser. She appeared in many British TV shows, including The Office and Black Books. She also did voice-overs for commercials and radio comedies.

A big step in her career was joining comedians Mitchell and Webb in 2003. ..... She also worked with them on the radio show That Mitchell and Webb Sound and its TV version, That Mitchell and Webb Look.

From 2004 to 2006, she had a regular role in the comedy Green Wing. In 2007, she appeared in the action comedy film Hot Fuzz as PC Doris Thatcher. She also played Debbie Doonan in the BBC sitcom Beautiful People from 2008 to 2009.

Becoming a Star (2010s)

In 2010, Olivia Colman starred as Alex Smallbone in the BBC sitcom Rev.. 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 about planning the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Olivia also started taking on more serious film roles. In 2011, she starred in Tyrannosaur, which earned her awards for her performance. That same year, she played Carol Thatcher in the Oscar-winning film The Iron Lady, alongside Meryl Streep.

Colman in 2014

In 2013, Olivia began her role as DS Ellie Miller in the ITV crime drama Broadchurch. The show was set in a small town where a young boy was found dead. Her performance was highly praised, and she won a BAFTA TV Award.

She also starred in the 2015 film The Lobster, a unique and unusual movie that won an award at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.

In 2016, Olivia received a Golden Globe Award for her role as Angela Burr in the miniseries The Night Manager. She also starred in the black-comedy series Flowers.

A major role came in 2018 when Olivia played Queen Anne in the film The Favourite. For this role, she gained weight and delivered a powerful performance. She won many top awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actress, the Golden Globe Award, and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Her acceptance speech at the Oscars was very memorable and funny.

In October 2017, Olivia was chosen to play Queen Elizabeth II in the third and fourth seasons of the Netflix series The Crown. The third season was released in November 2019, and the fourth season in November 2020. Her portrayal of the Queen earned her a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.

Continued Success (2020s)

In 2020, Olivia Colman starred with Anthony Hopkins in the film The Father. The movie was about an elderly man dealing with memory loss. Both actors received great reviews, and Olivia was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Colman and Colin Firth in 2022

In 2021, she appeared in the drama films Mothering Sunday and The Electrical Life of Louis Wain. She also voiced characters in the animated films The Mitchells vs. the Machines and Ron's Gone Wrong. Olivia was also an executive producer and star of the HBO miniseries Landscapers, which was created by her husband, Ed Sinclair.

Olivia also starred in the 2021 psychological drama The Lost Daughter. Her performance was highly praised, earning her another nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. In 2022, she played Sarah Nelson, the mother of Nick Nelson, in the Netflix series Heartstopper. She won an Emmy Award for her guest role in the first season of this show.

Colman at Soccer Aid for UNICEF 2024

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

In 2023, Olivia played Miss Havisham in the TV series Great Expectations, based on the classic novel. She also joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the Disney+ miniseries Secret Invasion as MI6 agent Sonya Falsworth. She produced and starred in the mystery comedy film Wicked Little Letters.

Olivia appeared in the musical fantasy film Wonka, which tells the origin story of Willy Wonka. She played Mrs. Scrubbit in the film. She also returned as the middle-aged Queen Elizabeth II in the final episode of The Crown in December 2023. She appeared in seasons 2 and 3 of The Bear as Chef Andrea Terry.

Olivia Colman is set to star as The Reverend Mother in the live-action animated comedy Paddington in Peru (2024), the third film in the Paddington movie series.

Personal Life

Olivia Colman met her husband, Ed Sinclair, in the late 1990s while performing in a play. Ed was a law student who wanted to be a writer. They married in August 2001 and have three children. They live in Herne Hill, south London. They have worked together on projects like the 2021 miniseries Landscapers, which Ed created.

Since 2013, Olivia has been a judge for the Norwich Film Festival. In 2019, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her contributions to drama. She has spoken about her support for the British monarchy.

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.

Film Roles

Television Roles

Theatre Roles

Awards and Recognition

Olivia Colman has won many awards for her acting. These include an Academy Award, four British Academy Television Awards, a British Academy Film Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and two Emmy Awards. She also received a special honor called a BFI Fellowship.

For her role in The Night Manager (2016), she won a Golden Globe Award. She was also nominated for an Emmy Award for her role in Fleabag (2016–2019).

Her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown (2019–2020) earned her a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.

For her role as Anne, Queen of Great Britain in The Favourite (2018), she won 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 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in The Father (2020). For her role in The Lost Daughter (2021), Olivia was nominated for another Academy Award for Best Actress.

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

See also

In Spanish: Olivia Colman para niños

• List of British actors
• List of British Academy Award nominees and winners
• List of actors with Academy Award nominations
• List of actors with more than one Academy Award nomination in the acting categories
• List of Golden Globe winners