Sophia Jane Myles (; born 18 March 1980) is an English actress. She is best known in film for portraying

Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward is a fictional character introduced in the British 1960s Supermarionation television series '' Thunderbirds'', which was produced by AP Films (APF) for ITC Entertainment. The character also appears in the film seque ...

in ''Thunderbirds'' (2004), Isolde in '' Tristan & Isolde'' (2006), Darcy in '' Transformers: Age of Extinction'' (2014), Erika in ''

Underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld. ...

'' (2003) and '' Underworld: Evolution'' (2006) and Freya in '' Outlander'' (2008). Initially hoping to study

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, for which she secured a place, Myles instead turned to acting after television writer

Julian Fellowes Julian Alexander Kitchener-Fellowes, Baron Fellowes of West Stafford, (born 17 August 1949) is an English actor, novelist, film director and screenwriter, and a Conservative peer of the House of Lords. He is primarily known as the author of s ...

saw her perform in a school play, casting her in his series ''

The Prince and the Pauper ''The Prince and the Pauper'' is a novel by American author Mark Twain. It was first published in 1881 in Canada, before its 1882 publication in the United States. The novel represents Twain's first attempt at historical fiction. Set in 1547, ...

'' (1996). After this, Myles continued to receive work in films such as ''

Mansfield Park ''Mansfield Park'' is the third published novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1814 by Thomas Egerton. A second edition was published in 1816 by John Murray, still within Austen's lifetime. The novel did not receive any public reviews unt ...

'' (1999), ''

From Hell ''From Hell'' is a graphic novel by writer Alan Moore and artist Eddie Campbell, originally published in serial form from 1989 to 1998. The full collection was published in 1999 by Top Shelf Productions. Set during the Whitechapel murders of ...

'' (2001) and ''

The Abduction Club ''The Abduction Club'' is a 2002 British-Irish romantic comedy-drama adventure film directed by Stefan Schwartz. Based loosely on real events, the plot centres on a group of outlaws who abduct women in order to marry them. It was written by Ri ...

'' (2002), but her breakthrough role came in the form of Erika in ''

'' (2003) before she won the iconic role of

in ''Thunderbirds'' (2004) propelling her to international stardom. Following on from this success, Myles moved to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

where she played the main role of Isolde in the epic romantic film '' Tristan & Isolde'' (2006) before starring in films including '' Underworld: Evolution'' (2006), '' Art School Confidential'' (2006), ''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...

'' (2006), ''

Hallam Foe ''Hallam Foe'' is a 2007 British drama film directed by David Mackenzie based on the novel written by Peter Jinks. The film was released in the United States as ''Mister Foe''. The screenplay was written by Ed Whitmore and David Mackenzie an ...

'' (2007), '' Outlander'' (2008), '' The Damned'' (2013), '' Transformers: Age of Extinction'' (2014) and '' Blackwood'' (2015). Myles has also received critical acclaim for her television work, particularly as

Madame de Pompadour Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour (, ; 29 December 1721 – 15 April 1764), commonly known as Madame de Pompadour, was a member of the French court. She was the official chief mistress of King Louis XV from 1745 to 1751, and rema ...

in the ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'' episode "

The Girl in the Fireplace "The Girl in the Fireplace" is the fourth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 6 May 2006. Written by Steven Moffat and directed by Euros Lyn, the epi ...

" (2006), Beth Turner in ''

Moonlight Moonlight consists of mostly sunlight (with little earthlight) reflected from the parts of the Moon's surface where the Sun's light strikes. Illumination The intensity of moonlight varies greatly depending on the lunar phase, but even the ful ...

'' (2007–2008), Beth Bailey in '' Spooks'' (2010) and Rebecca Bishop in ''

A Discovery of Witches ''A Discovery of Witches'' is a 2011 historical-fantasy novel and the debut novel by American scholar Deborah Harkness. It follows Diana Bishop, a history of science professor at Yale University, as she embraces her magical blood after finding ...

'' (2018–2021). Myles won a BAFTA for Best Actress for her role as Kate in ''

'' (2007) and was also nominated for a BIFA at the

British Independent Film Awards The British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) is an organisation that celebrates, supports and promotes British independent cinema and filmmaking talent in United Kingdom. Nominations for the annual awards ceremony are announced in early November, ...

for the same film. She has also won several other awards at various other film festivals across the world.

Early life

Myles was born in London. Her mother, Jane (''née'' Allan), works in educational publishing, and her father, Peter R. Myles, was a retired

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

vicar A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...

Isleworth Isleworth ( ) is a town located within the London Borough of Hounslow in West London, England. It lies immediately east of the town of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane, London, River Crane. Isleworth's or ...

West London West London is the western part of London, England, north of the River Thames, west of the City of London, and extending to the Greater London boundary. The term is used to differentiate the area from the other parts of London: North London ...

. Her paternal grandmother was

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

, and Myles refers to herself as "half-

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

, half-Russian". She grew up in

Notting Hill Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a cosmopolitan and multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting Hill Carnival and Portobello Road M ...

and attended

Fox Primary School Fox Primary School is a primary school in London for children between the ages of 4 and 11, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is located on Kensington Place, between Kensington Church Street and Notting Hill Gate. The school h ...

. At the age of 11, she moved with her family to Isleworth and attended The Green School. Following success at her

A Levels The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational aut ...

she secured a place at the

to study philosophy, but chose to pursue an acting career after being spotted by

in a school play and shortly after had a small role in his television production of ''

'' in 1996.

Career

Since 1996, Myles has appeared in a number of films and television productions. Following her success in ''

'', Myles made her film debut in ''

'' (1999) and had a small role in ''

Guest House Paradiso ''Guest House Paradiso'' is a 1999 British slapstick film, slapstick black comedy film written by and starring comic duo Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson, Adrian Edmondson, who also directed in his film directorial debut. The film is a Spin-off (med ...

'' (1999). After roles in the television series '' Heartbeat'' and ''

Foyle's War ''Foyle's War'' is a British detective fiction, detective drama television series set during and shortly after the Second World War, created by ''Midsomer Murders'' screenwriter and author Anthony Horowitz and commissioned by ITV (TV network), ...

'', Myles starred as Victoria Abberline in the thriller film ''

'' (2001) alongside

Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...

with Myles playing his wife. Myles played a main role in the comedy-romance film ''

'' (2002) before then playing the role of Erika in the 2003 vampire film ''

'' with

Kate Beckinsale Kathrin Romany Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress and model. After some minor television roles, her film debut was ''Much Ado About Nothing'' (1993) while a student at the University of Oxford. She appeared in British costume ...

, and reprised the character in its sequel, '' Underworld: Evolution'' (2006). In 2003, she also starred in the thriller ''Out of Bounds'' and played

Lady Penelope Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward is a fictional character introduced in the British 1960s Supermarionation television series '' Thunderbirds'', which was produced by AP Films (APF) for ITC Entertainment. The character also appears in the film seque ...

in '' Thunderbirds'' (2004), the film version of the classic television show of the same name. Myles initially had the choice to star in either ''Thunderbirds'' or ''

Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in prese ...

'' but she chose the former as she said "Lady Penelope is such an iconic character". In 2005, Myles starred in the two-part war drama miniseries ''

Colditz Colditz () is a small town in the district of Leipzig, in Saxony, Germany. It is best known for Colditz Castle, the site of the Oflag IV-C POW camp for officers in World War II. Geography Colditz is situated in the Leipzig Bay, southeast of the c ...

'' with

Damian Lewis Damian Watcyn Lewis (born 11 February 1971) is an English actor, presenter and producer. He is best known for portraying U.S. Army Major Richard Winters in the HBO miniseries '' Band of Brothers'', which earned him a Golden Globe nomination ...

and Tom Hardy. In 2006, she co-starred as Isolde in the epic romantic drama '' Tristan & Isolde'' opposite

James Franco James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor and filmmaker. For his role in '' 127 Hours'' (2010), he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Franco is known for his roles in films, such as Sam Raimi's ''Spider-Ma ...

and produced by

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades thr ...

. Myles appeared as

in the 2006 ''

'' episode "

", which is often referred to as one of the best episodes of the series. The episode was nominated for a

Nebula Award The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), a nonprofit association of profe ...

and won the 2007

Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier a ...

for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. Myles also had roles as Gwenda Halliday in the British detective drama ''

Agatha Christie's Marple ''Agatha Christie's Marple'' (or simply ''Marple'') is a British ITV (TV network), ITV television programme loosely based on the books and short stories by British crime novelist Agatha Christie. The title character was played by Geraldine McEw ...

Sleeping Murder ''Sleeping Murder: Miss Marple's Last Case'' is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in October 1976 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year. The UK edit ...

'' and Sophie Amsden in American thriller '' Covert One: The Hades Factor'' on television before starring in the 2006 comedy film '' Art School Confidential''. Also in 2006, she appeared as

Lucy Westenra Lucy Westenra is a fictional character in the 1897 novel ''Dracula'' by Bram Stoker. The 19-year-old daughter of a wealthy family, she is Mina Murray's best friend and Count Dracula's first English victim. She subsequently transforms into a vam ...

in a BBC adaptation of ''

''. In 2007, Myles was cast as Beth Turner in the popular CBS supernatural television drama ''

'', a role she would play until the show's end in 2008. ''Moonlight'' won Best New Drama in the 2007 People's Choice Awards. Myles was nominated for the Best Actress Award in 2007 for her role as Kate in ''

'' from the British Independent Film Award committee, for which she also received a BAFTA Scotland Award. In 2008, she played Freya, the daughter of

John Hurt Sir John Vincent Hurt (22 January 1940 – 25 January 2017) was an English actor whose career spanned over five decades. Hurt was regarded as one of Britain's finest actors. Director David Lynch described him as "simply the greatest actor in t ...

's character, in the sci-fi action epic '' Outlander'' with

Jim Caviezel James Patrick Caviezel Jr. (; born September 26, 1968) is an American film and television actor who played Jesus Christ in ''The Passion of the Christ'' (2004) and starred as John Reese on the CBS series ''Person of Interest'' (2011–2016). He ...

and

Ron Perlman Ronald Perlman (born April 13, 1950) is an American actor. His credits include the roles of Amoukar in ''Quest for Fire'' (1981), Salvatore in ''The Name of the Rose'' (1986), Vincent in the television series ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1987–199 ...

. After having a cameo role in the American comedy film ''

Etienne! ''Etienne!'' is a 2009 American comedy film written and directed by Jeff Mizushima. It stars Richard Vallejos, Sophia Myles and Courtney Halverson. It was released on 12 June 2009 at the CineVegas International Film Festival and was an instant ...

'' in 2009, in 2010 Myles joined the cast of '' Spooks'', a BBC television series about a counter-terrorism unit in MI5, for its ninth series, playing

Beth Bailey Beth Bailey is a fictional character from the BBC espionage television series '' Spooks'', which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division in MI5. She is portrayed by British actress Sophia Myles. Beth Bailey was introduced i ...

. Myles then had a starring role as Lauren in the 2013 American horror film '' The Damned'' with

Peter Facinelli Peter Facinelli (born November 26, 1973) is an American actor and film and television producer. He starred as Donovan "Van" Ray on the Fox series '' Fastlane'' from 2002 to 2003. He played Dr. Carlisle Cullen in the film adaptations of the ''Tw ...

and

Nathalia Ramos Nathalia Norah Ramos Cohen (born July 3, 1992) is an American actress. She is known for her portrayals of Yasmin in the 2007 film ''Bratz'', Jill in the 2013 film '' The Damned'', and lead character Nina Martin in the first two seasons of the ...

. In 2014, Myles starred as geologist Darcy Tirrel opposite

Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received multiple accolades, including a BAFTA Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, three ...

and

Stanley Tucci Stanley Tucci Jr. ( ; born November 11, 1960) is an American actor and filmmaker. Involved in acting from a young age, he made his film debut in John Huston's ''Prizzi's Honor'' (1985), and continued to play a variety of supporting roles in film ...

in the sci-fi action blockbuster '' Transformers: Age of Extinction'' which was directed by

Michael Bay Michael Benjamin Bay (born February 17, 1965) is an American film director and producer. He is best known for making big-budget, high-concept action films characterized by fast cutting, stylistic cinematography and visuals, and extensive use of ...

and produced by

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...

. Later in 2014, Myles starred as Rachel in the psychological horror film '' Blackwood'' before going on to have roles as Dr. Anna Clarke in the international action-thriller ''

Crossing Lines ''Crossing Lines'' is a German-French-Italian-American action crime thriller television series created by Edward Allen Bernero and Rola Bauer. The series premiered on June 9, 2013, at the screening for the Opening Ceremonies of the 53rd editio ...

'' and the aristocratic Lady Katherine Longmore in the miniseries ''

Our Zoo ''Our Zoo'' is a British drama television series from BBC One, first broadcast on 3 September 2014. The six-part series, written by Matt Charman and directed by Andy De Emmony, is about George Mottershead, his dreams of creating a cage-free zoo ...

''. In 2018, Myles provided her voice for an episode of the sci-fi series ''

Firestorm A firestorm is a conflagration which attains such intensity that it creates and sustains its own wind system. It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bushfires and wildfires. Although the term has been used ...

''. Myles currently plays Rebecca Bishop in the fantasy-romance television series ''

''; the first season was released in 2018 and the second in 2021 with a third series already filmed and awaiting release. After roles in the films ''Two Words'' (2018) and '' November 1st'' (2019), for which she won Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress respectively, Myles played Ann Payne, a secret agent, in the 2020 Portuguese film ''

Listen Listen may refer to: * The action of listening * Auditory system#Central auditory system, Central auditory system listening is how the brain processes what you hear * Listening behaviour types in human communication Computing * LISTEN, a Transm ...

'' which was selected as the Portuguese entry for the Best International Feature Film at the

93rd Academy Awards The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released from January 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021, at Union Station in Los Angeles. The ceremony was held on April 25, 2021 ...

. However, in December 2020 the film was disqualified, as more than half of its dialogue was in English. Also in 2020, Myles reprised her role as Madame de Pompadour for a minisode sequel specially written for her by

Steven Moffat Steven William Moffat (; born 18 November 1961) is a Scottish television writer, television producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work as showrunner, writer and executive producer of the science fiction television series ''Doct ...

that aired on YouTube on 6 May 2020. In 2021, Myles starred as Beth Barnes in the comedy-heist film ''Decrypted'' about the kidnap the creator of

Bitcoin Bitcoin ( abbreviation: BTC; sign: ₿) is a decentralized digital currency that can be transferred on the peer-to-peer bitcoin network. Bitcoin transactions are verified by network nodes through cryptography and recorded in a public distr ...

, alongside

Amanda Abbington Amanda Abbington (born Amanda Jane Smith; 28 February 1974) is an English actress. She is best known for playing Miss Mardle in ''Mr Selfridge'' and Mary Watson in '' Sherlock'', the BBC adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stor ...

and

Kevin McNally Kevin Robert McNally (born 27 April 1956) is an English actor and writer. He is known for portraying Joshamee Gibbs in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' film series. Early life Born in Bristol, McNally spent his early years in Birmingham, att ...

. In November 2021, she starred in the film ''All That Glitters'' playing a wealthy woman hiding the fact that she is domestically abused; a role that won her Best Actress at the New Renaissance Film Festival and the Gold Movie Awards respectively. In December 2021, Myles played

Louise Campbell, Duchess of Argyll Louise Timpson (née Louise Hollingsworth Morris Clews, formerly Vanneck; November 27, 1904 – February 10, 1970), previously Louise Campbell, Duchess of Argyll, was an American socialite and, later, a British aristocrat. She was the second w ...

in the acclaimed BBC television mini-series ''

A Very British Scandal ''A Very British Scandal'' is a 2021 historical drama television miniseries, starring Claire Foy as Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll and Paul Bettany as Ian Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll. Its production company, Blueprint Pictures, previou ...

'' with

Claire Foy Claire Elizabeth Foy (born 16 April 1984) is a British actress. She is best known for her portrayal of the young Queen Elizabeth II in the first two seasons of the Netflix series ''The Crown'' (2016–2017) for which she won a Primetime Emmy Aw ...

and

Paul Bettany Paul Bettany (born 27 May 1971) is an English actor. He is mostly known for his roles as J.A.R.V.I.S. and Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recently starring in the Disney+ miniseries ''WandaVision'' (2021), for which he was nominated fo ...

Personal life

From 2004 to 2005, Myles was in a relationship with actor

Charles Dance Walter Charles Dance (born 10 October 1946) is an English actor. He is known for playing strict, authoritarian characters and villains. His most notable film roles include Sardo Numspa in ''The Golden Child'' (1986), Dr. Jonathan Clemens in ''A ...

, who is 34 years her senior and has also dated

and musician Paul Wilson from the band

Snow Patrol Snow Patrol are a Northern Irish–Scottish Rock music, rock band formed in 1994 in Dundee, Scotland. They consist of Gary Lightbody (vocals, guitar), Nathan Connolly (guitar, backing vocals), Paul Wilson (musician), Paul Wilson (bass guitar, ...

. Myles began dating

David Tennant David John Tennant (''né'' McDonald; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He rose to fame for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor (2005–2010 and 2013) in the BBC science-fiction TV show '' Doctor Who'', reprising the rol ...

after filming an episode of ''

''. By October 2007, they had separated. In September 2014, Myles gave birth to a son fathered by her partner James Bell, who works for the

Bank of England The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the English Government's banker, and still one of the bankers for the Government of ...

. Her son's godmother is Myles' friend and fellow actress

Celia Imrie Celia Diana Savile Imrie (born 15 July 1952) is an English actress and author. She was described in 2003 as one of the most successful British actresses of recent decades. She is best known for her film roles, including the '' Bridget Jones'' f ...

. Her father, Peter Myles, died on 21 March 2020 after contracting

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Voice

Accolades

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Myles, Sophia 1980 births Living people Actresses from London English people of Russian descent English people of Welsh descent BAFTA winners (people) English film actresses English television actresses English stage actresses 21st-century English actresses 20th-century English actresses English child actresses English voice actresses