Olivia Haigh Williams(born 26 July 1968) is a British actress who appears in British and American films and television. Williams studied drama at theBristol Old Vic Theatre Schoolfor two years followed by three years at theRoyal Shakespeare Company.Her first significant screen role was as Jane Fairfax in the British television filmEmma(1996), based onJane Austen's novel.
Olivia Williams | |
|---|---|
 Williams in 2014 | |
| Born | Olivia Haigh Williams 26 July 1968 North London,England |
| Alma mater | Newnham College, Cambridge Bristol Old Vic Theatre School |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
She made her film debut in 1997'sThe Postman,followed byRushmore(1998) andThe Sixth Sense(1999). Williams also acted in the British filmsLucky Break(2001),The Heart of Me(2002) andAn Education(2009). She continued acting in films such asThe Ghost Writer(2010),Hanna(2011),Anna Karenina(2012),Hyde Park on Hudson(2012),Sabotage(2014),Maps to the Stars(2014),Victoria & Abdul(2017), andThe Father(2020).
From 2017 to 2019, she played Emily Silk in the science fiction television seriesCounterpart.From 2022 to 2023, Williams portrayedCamilla Parker BowlesinNetflix's historical dramaThe Crownin its final two seasons.
Early life
editWilliams was born inNorth London.[1]Both her parents arebarristers.
Williams was educated atSouth Hampstead High School,anindependent schoolfor girls inHampsteadin north London, andNewnham College, Cambridge,where she graduated with a degree inEnglish literature.She then studied drama at theBristol Old Vic Theatre Schoolfor two years and spent three years at theRoyal Shakespeare Company.[2]
Career
edit
After graduation, Williams worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company in bothStratford-upon-Avonand London. In 1995, she toured the United States in the National Theatre production ofShakespeare'sRichard IIIstarringIan McKellen.Her first significant appearance before the cameras was as Jane Fairfax in the British TV filmEmma(1996), based onJane Austen's1816 novel.[2]
Williams made her film debut in the 1997 movieThe Postman,after doing a screen test forKevin Costner.[2]She later won the lead role of Rosemary Cross inWes Anderson'sRushmore(1998).[3]She then starred asBruce Willis' wife in the blockbusterThe Sixth Sense(1999),[4]a film she would later parody during her brief appearance in the British sitcomSpaced.[citation needed]
In 2000, Williams wrote the short story "The Significance of Hair" forBBC Radio,and read it on the air.[5]
Since 2001, Williams has appeared in several British films, includingLucky Break(2001),The Heart of Me(2002), for which she won theBritish Independent Film Awardfor Best Actress,[6]andAn Education(2009). She played Mrs. Darling in the 2003 film adaptation ofPeter Pan.Williams was uncredited for her role as Dr.Moira MacTaggertin the 2006 filmX-Men: The Last Stand.[7][8]
On TV, Williams portrayed British authorJane AusteninMiss Austen Regrets(2008) and was cast as Adelle DeWitt inJoss Whedon'sDollhouse,which ran onFoxfrom 2009 to 2010.[9]
In 2010, Williams won acclaim for her performance as Ruth Lang inRoman Polanski'sThe Ghost Writer,winning theNational Society of Film Critics Award,London Critics Circle Film Awardfor best supporting actress and was runner-up for best supporting actress at theLos Angeles Film Critics Association Awards 2010.[citation needed]
InHanna(2011), Williams played Rachel, a bohemian mother travelling acrossNorth AfricaandEurope,who comes into contact with the eponymous teen assassin, who is on the run. The film starredSaoirse Ronan,Eric BanaandCate Blanchett,and was a critical and sleeper hit. In 2014, Williams co-starred inDavid Cronenberg'sMaps to the Stars,a dark comic look at Hollywood excess.[10]In 2014 she portrayed Meg Hamilton in the British mystery filmAltar.[4]
In 2017, Williams began appearing in the Starz science-fiction seriesCounterpart,playing Emily, the wife of lead character Howard Silk. In one universe she is still married to him, but her counterpart in the other universe is divorced from him. In 2021, she was cast asCamilla Parker Bowles,for the final two seasons ofThe Crown.[11]
Personal life
editWilliams had a seven-year relationship and then engagement to the actorJonathan Cakewhich ended two weeks before their planned wedding. In 2003, she married the actor and playwrightRhashan Stone,with whom she has two daughters.[12]
After filmingThe Postman,she spent time inBoliviastudyingspectacled bearsin the rainforest.[13][14]
Williams was diagnosed withVIPomain 2018 and, after treatment, became an ambassador for Pancreatic Cancer UK.[15]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Beck | Karen Quinn | |
| Gaston's War | Nicky | ||
| The Postman | Abby | ||
| 1998 | Rushmore | Rosemary Cross | |
| 1999 | The Sixth Sense | Anna Crowe | |
| 2000 | Four Dogs Playing Poker | Audrey | |
| Born Romantic | Eleanor | ||
| Dead Babies | Diana | akaMood Swingers | |
| 2001 | The Body | Sharon Golban | |
| Lucky Break | Annabel Sweep / Lady Hamilton in show | ||
| The Man from Elysian Fields | Andrea | ||
| 2002 | The Heart of Me | Madeleine | |
| Below | Claire | ||
| 2003 | To Kill a King | Anne Fairfax | |
| Peter Pan | Mrs. Darling | ||
| 2005 | Valiant | Victoria (voice) | |
| Tara Road | Ria | ||
| Mockingbird | Mother | ||
| 2006 | X-Men: The Last Stand | Moira MacTaggert | Uncredited[16] |
| 2008 | Flashbacks of a Fool | Grace Scott | |
| Broken Lines | Zoe | ||
| 2009 | An Education | Miss Stubbs | |
| 2010 | The Ghost Writer | Ruth Lang | |
| Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll | Betty Dury | ||
| 2011 | Collaborator | Emma Stiles | |
| Hanna | Rachel | ||
| Wild Bill | Kelly | ||
| 2012 | Anna Karenina | Countess Vronskaya | |
| Now Is Good | Mother | ||
| Hyde Park on Hudson | Eleanor Roosevelt | ||
| 2013 | The Last Days on Mars | Kim Aldrich | |
| Justin and the Knights of Valour | Queen (voice) | ||
| 2014 | Sabotage | Caroline Brentwood | |
| Maps to the Stars | Cristina Weiss | ||
| Altar | Meg Hamilton | ||
| 2015 | Seventh Son | Mam Ward | |
| Man Up | Hilary | ||
| 2016 | The White King | Sophia (voice) | |
| 2017 | Victoria & Abdul | Jane Spencer | |
| 2020 | The Father | The Woman | |
| 2023 | The Trouble with Jessica | Beth | [17] |
| 2024 | Another End | Juliette |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Van der Valk | Irene Kortman | Episode: "Still Waters" |
| The Ruth Rendell Mysteries | Jennifer Norris | Episode: "The Speaker of Mandarin" | |
| 1996 | Emma | Jane Fairfax | Television film |
| 1998 | Friends | Felicity | 2 episodes |
| 2000 | Jason and the Argonauts | Hera | 2 episodes |
| 2001 | Spaced | Knocked-down cyclist | Episode: "Help" |
| 2004 | Agatha Christie: A Life in Pictures | Agatha Christie | Television film |
| 2006 | Krakatoa: The Last Days | Johanna Beijerinck | |
| 2007 | Damage | Michelle Cahill | |
| 2008 | Miss Austen Regrets | Jane Austen | |
| 2009–2010 | Dollhouse | Adelle DeWitt | Main role |
| 2010 | Terriers | Miriam Foster | Episode: "Change Partners" |
| 2011–2012 | Case Sensitive | Charlie Zailer | 4 episodes |
| 2014 | Salting the Battlefield | Belinda Kay | Television film |
| 2014–2015 | Manhattan | Liza Winter | Main role |
| 2017 | The Halcyon | Lady Hamilton | 8 episodes |
| 2017–2019 | Counterpart | Emily Burton Silk | Main role |
| 2020 | Homemade | Queen (voice) | Episode: "Voyage Au Bout De La Nuit" |
| 2021–2023 | The Nevers | Lavinia Bidlow | Main role |
| 2022 | Ten Percent | Olivia Williams | Episode #1.2 |
| 2022–2023 | The Crown | Camilla Parker Bowles[18] | Main role (seasons 5–6) |
| 2023 | Funny Woman | Gloria | Episode #1.6 |
| 2024 | Dune: Prophecy | Tula Harkonnen | Main role |
| The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power | Winterblossom the Entwife (voice) | Episode: "Eldest" | |
| 2025 | The Wheel of Time | Morgase Trakand | Main role; season 3 |
| TBA | Monster | Alma Reville | Main role;season 3[19] |
Theatre
edit| Year | Production | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Richard III | Maid / Nurse / Mistress | |
| 2003 | Love's Labour's Lost[20] | The Princess | Olivier Theatre,National Theatre,London |
| The Hotel in Amsterdam[21] | Annie | Donmar Warehouse,London | |
| 2006 | The Changeling[22] | Beatrice-Joanna | Cheek by Jowlproduction at theBarbican Centre,London |
| 2011 | In a Forest, Dark and Deep[23] | Betty | Vaudeville Theatre,London |
| 2015 | Waste | Amy O'Connell | Lyttelton Theatre,National Theatre,London |
| 2017 | Mosquitoes[24] | Alice | Dorfman Theatre,National Theatre,London |
| 2019 | Tartuffe | Elmire | Lyttelton Theatre,National Theatre,London |
| 2022 | Marys Seacole[25] | May | Donmar Warehouse,London |
Awards and nominations
edit- 2001:Lucky Break
- Nominated:Empire Award for Best Actress
- 2009:An Education
- 2010:The Ghost Writer
- 2023 and 2024:The Crown:
Notes
edit- ^"Olivia Williams: The actor on poor pay for women in Hollywood, Bill Murray, and Bolivian spectacled bears"Archived25 September 2015 at theWayback Machine.The independent. Retrieved 24 May 2015
- ^abcGilbert, Gerard (15 November 2009)."Olivia Williams: 'I just do what I'm told'".The Independent.London.Archivedfrom the original on 6 September 2012.Retrieved15 November2009.
- ^Hodgkinson, Will (20 January 2001)."Dead good: Returning from Hollywood to star in British movies would be a step back for most, but Sixth Sense star Olivia Williams was tempted by sex, drugs and cruelty".The Guardian.London.Archivedfrom the original on 23 June 2006.Retrieved30 May2006.
- ^ab"Altar".9 March 2015.Archivedfrom the original on 2 April 2015.Retrieved9 March2015.
- ^"Opening Lines".Archivedfrom the original on 4 April 2012.Retrieved27 September2011.
- ^"British Independent Film Awards · BIFA".BIFA · British Independent Film Awards.Archived fromthe originalon 13 March 2013.
- ^Martin, Michileen (24 June 2022)."Exclusive: Gillian Anderson Joins Marvel In Major Role".Giant Freakin Robot.Retrieved25 June2022.
- ^Pereira, Sergio (19 January 2018)."15 Actors You Completely Forgot Were In X-Men Movies".ScreenRant.Retrieved25 June2022.
- ^Andreeva, Nellie (3 April 2008)."Olivia Williams cast in 'Dollhouse'".The Hollywood Reporter.Archived fromthe originalon 10 May 2008.Retrieved16 May2008.
- ^Jagernauth, Kevin."Mia Wasikowska & More Join David Cronenberg's 'Maps To The Stars,' Some Story Details Revealed".The Playlist.Archivedfrom the original on 3 June 2013.Retrieved17 March2013.
- ^Smith, Julia Llewellyn (5 February 2022)."Olivia Williams: My big royal comeback — now I'm playing Camilla in The Crown".The Times.
- ^Costa, Maddy (9 January 2008)."Maddy Costa talks to actor Olivia Williams".The Guardian.London.Archivedfrom the original on 17 June 2018.Retrieved12 December2016.
- ^Hoggard, Liz (13 April 2003)."How we met? Olivia Williams & Susanna Paisley".The Independent on Sunday(republished onLookSmart).Archivedfrom the original on 3 November 2007.Retrieved23 September2007.
- ^Ojumu, Akin (4 July 1999)."Everyone's talking about... Olivia Williams".The Observer.London.Archivedfrom the original on 18 June 2006.Retrieved11 July2006.
- ^"Olivia Williams becomes Pancreatic Cancer UK ambassador".Pancreatic Cancer UK.6 November 2019.
- ^"Report:The Nevers'Olivia Williams JoinsThe Wheel of TimeSeason 3 ".Yahoo Entertainment.28 November 2023.Retrieved18 December2023.
- ^Ayoola, Simbiat (1 February 2023)."The Trouble With JessicaTrailer: Indira Varma Causes Chaos at Dinner ".Collider.Retrieved3 April2024.
- ^Nugent, Annabel (30 April 2021)."The Crown:Olivia Williams set to play as Camilla Parker Bowles in season five and six ".The Independent.Retrieved2 May2021.
- ^Otterson, Joe (15 October 2024)."'Monster' Season 3 Casts Laurie Metcalf as Ed Gein's Mother, Tom Hollander as Alfred Hitchcock and Olivia Williams as Alma Reville (EXCLUSIVE) ".Variety.Retrieved15 December2024.
- ^Bassett, Kate (2 March 2003)."Love's Labour's Lost, NT Olivier, London; Honour, NT Cottesloe, London; The Green Man, Bush, London; Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Donmar Warehouse, London: Parting is such sugary sorrow".The Independent.[dead link]
- ^Bassett, Kate (21 September 2003)."The Hotel in Amsterdam, Donmar Warehouse, London; A Woman of No Importance, Haymarket Theatre Royal, London; The Recruiting Officer, Garrick, Lichfield: Charming, funny... and totally vile".The Independent.[permanent dead link]Taylor, Paul (22 September 2003)."The Hotel In Amsterdam, Donmar Warehouse, London: Lounging around can be highly entertaining".The Independent.[permanent dead link]
- ^Williams, Olivia (4 May 2006)."Diary of a nervous star: Olivia Williams, star ofThe Sixth Sense,is appearing on stage inThe Changeling.In her tour diary, she says it's scarier than Hollywood ".The Independent.London.[permanent dead link]Coveney, Michael (17 May 2006)."The Changeling, Barbican, London".The Independent.Archived fromthe originalon 5 February 2007.Retrieved7 September2017.Bassett, Kate (21 May 2006)."The Changeling, Barbican, London: Lost in the labyrinth".The Independent.[permanent dead link]
- ^Billington, Michael (14 March 2011)."In a Forest Dark and Deep – review".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Archivedfrom the original on 3 December 2013.Retrieved26 February2017.
- ^Billington, Michael (26 July 2017)."Mosquitoes review – sparring sisters collide in Lucy Kirkwood's science stormer".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Archivedfrom the original on 9 September 2017.Retrieved10 September2017.
- ^"Olivia Williams: 'I have unattractive knees. They have taken offence at my scathing remarks and decided to stop functioning'".TheGuardian.30 April 2022.
Further reading
edit- "My Story – Olivia Williams".The Independent on Sunday.London. 6 September 1998.
- "Getting personal with Olivia Williams".The Guardian.London. 17 August 1999.
- Matheou, Demetrios (20 August 1999)."Olivia in La-La land: For years she was a jobbing actor in regional theatre. Then Olivia Williams got the call from Kevin Costner. She's never looked back".The Guardian.London.
- Brett, Anwar (23 April 2003)."Olivia Williams: The Heart of Me".BBC.
- Tennant, Laura (25 April 2003)."Olivia Williams: Growing up in public".The Independent.London.[dead link]
External links
edit
Media related toOlivia Williamsat Wikimedia Commons- Olivia WilliamsatIMDb
