Tilda Swinton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tilda Swinton
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Swinton in 2024
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Katherine Matilda Swinton
5 November 1960 London, England
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| Education | New Hall, Cambridge (BA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1984–present |
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Works
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Full list |
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| Children | 2, including Honor Swinton Byrne |
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| Family | Swinton |
| Awards | Full list |
Katherine Matilda Swinton (born 5 November 1960) is a British actress. She is known for playing interesting and unique characters. She often works with directors who have a very strong and personal style. Tilda has won many awards, including an Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) and a British Academy Film Award (BAFTA). In 2020, The New York Times newspaper called her one of the greatest actors of the 21st century.
Swinton started her acting journey in experimental films by Derek Jarman. Some of these early movies include Caravaggio (1986) and Edward II (1991). For Edward II, she won an award for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival. She then starred in Orlando (1992), a film where she played a character who lives for centuries and changes gender.
Tilda Swinton won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the movie Michael Clayton (2007). She has also been in many other popular films. These include Constantine (2005), Burn After Reading (2008), and We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011). Kids might know her best as the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia series (2005–2010). She also played the Ancient One in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. Tilda is also a favorite actress of director Wes Anderson, appearing in his films like Moonrise Kingdom (2012) and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014).
Throughout her career, Swinton has received many special honors. These include a tribute from the Museum of Modern Art in 2013. She also received the British Film Institute Fellowship and the Honorary Golden Lion in 2020.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Tilda Swinton was born in London, England, on 5 November 1960. Her parents were Judith Balfour and Sir John Swinton. Her father was a retired major-general in the British Army. Her family, the Swintons, are a very old Scottish family. They can trace their history back to the 9th century. Tilda sees herself as Scottish "first and foremost."
Swinton went to three private schools. One of them was West Heath Girls' School, where she was friends with Lady Diana Spencer, who later became Princess of Wales. As an adult, Tilda has said that boarding schools like West Heath were "lonely" places. She believes children need their parents' love to grow up well. Before going to university, Swinton spent two years volunteering in South Africa and Kenya.
In 1983, Swinton finished her studies at New Hall at the University of Cambridge. She earned a degree in social and political sciences. While at Cambridge, she started performing on stage.
Career Highlights
Early Acting Roles: 1984–2004
Tilda Swinton joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1984. She also worked with the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh. Her first movie was Caravaggio in 1986. She then starred in several films by director Derek Jarman. These included The Last of England (1987) and Edward II (1991). For Edward II, she won a major award at the Venice Film Festival.
In 1992, Swinton played the main character in Orlando. This movie was based on a novel by Virginia Woolf. The role allowed Tilda to explore ideas about gender and identity on screen. She has always been interested in a style that mixes male and female looks.
In 1995, Swinton created a unique art project. She was on display to the public, sleeping in a glass case, at the Serpentine Gallery in London. This was a type of performance art called The Maybe. She repeated this performance in Rome and at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Later, Swinton started appearing in more mainstream movies. She had a main role in the American film The Deep End (2001). She was also in The Beach (2000) with Leonardo DiCaprio. She played the archangel Gabriel in Constantine (2005). For her role in the British film Young Adam (2003), she won the British Academy Scotland Award for Best Actress.
Becoming a Star: 2005–2015
In 2005, Tilda Swinton played the famous White Witch Jadis in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. She also made cameo appearances in the Narnia sequels. In 2007, Swinton starred as Karen Crowder in Michael Clayton. Her performance earned her both a British Academy Film Award and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (Oscar) in 2008.
In 2008, Swinton helped start a film festival called Ballerina Ballroom Cinema of Dreams. It took place in a ballroom in Nairn, Scotland. She also appeared in the 2008 Coen Brothers film Burn After Reading. She was cast in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt. In 2009, she and Mark Cousins created a traveling independent film festival. They used a large truck to carry a portable cinema through the Scottish Highlands.
Swinton had a main role in the film We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011). She played the mother of the main character. In 2012, she was in Jim Jarmusch's vampire film Only Lovers Left Alive. She also played Mason in the 2014 science fiction movie Snowpiercer.
In 2013, Tilda Swinton played David Bowie's wife in the music video for his song "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)". In 2015, she starred in the thriller A Bigger Splash. She also had a role in the comedy Trainwreck.
Recent Work: 2016–Present
Swinton played the Ancient One in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. She appeared in Doctor Strange (2016) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). In 2018, Swinton starred in Luca Guadagnino's remake of the horror film Suspiria. She played several roles in the movie.
In 2021, Swinton starred in the Wes Anderson film The French Dispatch. She also played Jessica Holland in Memoria. In 2022, she was in George Miller's fantasy film Three Thousand Years of Longing. She also voiced characters in the animated film Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio. That same year, she played both a mother and daughter in the drama The Eternal Daughter (2022). Critics praised her amazing acting in these dual roles. She worked with Wes Anderson again for the film Asteroid City (2023). Swinton also starred in the comedy Problemista and the action thriller The Killer in 2023.
In 2024, Swinton had a voice cameo in the Amazon Prime series The Boys.
Personal Life
Tilda Swinton was born in London but considers herself Scottish. She grew up in Scotland, and her family has deep Scottish roots. In 1997, Swinton had twins, Honor and Xavier Swinton Byrne, with John Byrne. She moved to Scotland in 1997. As of 2023, she lives in Nairn, Scotland, with her children and her partner Sandro Kopp, who is a German painter. They have been together since 2004.
Acting Credits and Awards
Tilda Swinton has been in over sixty films and many television shows. She has received many awards for her acting. These include the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, the British Academy Scotland Award for Best Actress, and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She also won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress. She has been nominated for many other awards, including Critics' Choice Awards and Golden Globe Awards.
In 2020, the British Film Institute gave Swinton a special award called the Fellowship. This was to honor her "daringly eclectic and striking talents" and her great contributions to film. Also in 2020, The New York Times ranked her as the thirteenth greatest actor of the 21st century. In 2022, she received the FIAF Award for her work in preserving film history. She also received the Richard Harris Award for her contributions to the British film industry. In 2006, Edinburgh Napier University gave her an honorary degree for her services to performing arts.
See also
In Spanish: Tilda Swinton para niños
