Geraldine James, OBE (born 6 July 1950) is an English film and television actress.

Biography

Early life and family

James was born in

Maidenhead Maidenhead is a market town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the county of Berkshire, England, on the southwestern bank of the River Thames. It had an estimated population of 70,374 and forms part of the border with southern Bu ...

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Ber ...

, to a

cardiologist Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular ...

father and an alcoholic mother, who had been a nurse. She failed her 11 plus exam, so was educated at Downe House, a girls' independent school in Newbury, Berkshire, where she was known as Gerry Thomas. Embarrassed by her simple surname, James used the grander-sounding

double-barrelled name A double-barrelled name is a type of compound surname, typically featuring two words (occasionally more), often joined by a hyphen. Examples of some notable people with double-barrelled names include Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Sacha Baron ...

of Vaughan-Thomas while at school. Her parents divorced when James was 14, after which she and her two siblings were made wards of court by their stepmother. After graduating from the

Drama Centre London Drama Centre London (often abbreviated as Drama Centre) was a British drama school in King's Cross, London, where it moved in 2011 after a major reshaping of the University of the Arts London. It was part of Central Saint Martins, a constitue ...

in 1973, she began her career in

repertory theatre A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawin ...

. On 17 January 1977, she met her husband, Joseph Blatchley, at a party.

Acting

James has been nominated four times for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress; for ''Dummy'' (1977), '' The Jewel in the Crown'' (1984), '' Band of Gold'' (1995) and ''

The Sins ''The Sins'' is a BBC television series that aired from 24 October 2000 until 5 December 2000. The series centres on Len Green (Pete Postlethwaite), a former bank robber and getaway driver, who has retired from the criminal life and joined the ...

'' (2000). For her role as

Portia Portia may refer to: Biology * ''Portia'' (spider), a genus of jumping spiders *'' Anaea troglodyta'' or Portia, a brush-footed butterfly *Portia tree, a plant native to Polynesia Medication A form of birth control made of ethinylestradiol/lev ...

in the 1989

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

revival of ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as ...

'', she was nominated for the

Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre. The award is given to actresses for quality lead ...

and won the

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in the theatre among Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions. The awards were established in 1955, with ...

. She also won the

Volpi Cup for Best Actress The Volpi Cup for Best Actress is an award presented by the Venice Film Festival. It is given by the festival jury in honor of an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance from the films in the competition slate. It is named in honor o ...

at the 1989

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...

for ''

She's Been Away ''She's Been Away'' is a 1989 British television play by Stephen Poliakoff and directed by Sir Peter Hall. In her final appearance it starred Dame Peggy Ashcroft, who won two awards at the Venice International Film Festival The Venice F ...

''. Her film credits include ''

Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

'' (1982), ''

The Tall Guy ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1989), ''

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

'' (2009), ''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...

'' (2010), '' The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'' (2011), and ''

45 Years ''45 Years'' is a 2015 British romantic drama film directed and written by Andrew Haigh. The film is based on the short story "In Another Country" by David Constantine. The film premiered in the main competition section of the 65th Berlin ...

'' (2015). Since 2017, she has starred in the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

series ''

Anne with an E ''Anne with an E'' (initially titled ''Anne'' for its first season within Canada) is a Canadian television series loosely adapted from Lucy Maud Montgomery's 1908 classic work of children's literature, ''Anne of Green Gables''. It was created by ...

'' as Marilla Cuthbert, and in the 2019 film ''

Downton Abbey ''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. The series first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United States o ...

'' as Queen Mary. Theatre director Peter Hall said that James ranks amongst the great English classical actresses.

Credits

Film appearances

*''The Dumb Waiter'' (1979) as Sally *''

Bloody Kids ''Bloody Kids'' is a British television film written by Stephen Poliakoff and directed by Stephen Frears, made by Black Lion Films for ATV, and first shown on ITV on 22 March 1980. Cast * Derrick O'Connor as Detective Ritchie (Richard Beckinsa ...

'' (1980) as Ritchie's Wife *''

Sweet William Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, ketones ...

'' (1980) as Pamela *''

'' (1982) as Mirabehn *''Freedom Fighter'' (1988) as Krista Donner *''

'' (1989) as Carmen *''

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase ''The Wolves of Willoughby Chase'' is a children's novel by Joan Aiken, first published in 1962. Set in an alternative history of England, it tells of the adventures of cousins Bonnie and Sylvia and their friend Simon the goose-boy as they thw ...

'' (1989) as Mrs. Gertrude Brisket *''

Prince of Shadows ''Beltenebros'', also known as ''Prince of Shadows'', is a 1991 Spanish crime-thriller mystery film co-written and directed by Pilar Miró and starring Terence Stamp, Patsy Kensit, José Luis Gómez, Geraldine James and Simón Andreu. It was ...

'' (1991) as Rebecca Osorio *'' If Looks Could Kill – Teen Agent'', (1991) as Vendetta Galante *'' The Bridge'' (1992) as Mrs Todd *''

Words Upon the Window Pane ''Words Upon the Window Pane'' is a 1994 Irish drama film directed by Mary McGuckian and starring Geraldine Chaplin, Ian Richardson, and Jim Sheridan. McGuckian directorial debut, it is based on William Butler Yeats' one-act play of the same name ...

'' (1994) as Mrs. Henderson *''

Moll Flanders ''Moll Flanders'' is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published in 1722. It purports to be the true account of the life of the eponymous Moll, detailing her exploits from birth until old age. By 1721, Defoe had become a recognised novelist, wi ...

'' (1996) as Edna *''

The Man Who Knew Too Little ''The Man Who Knew Too Little'' is a 1997 spy comedy film starring Bill Murray, directed by Jon Amiel, and written by Robert Farrar and Howard Franklin. The film is based on Farrar's 1997 novel ''Watch That Man'', and the title is a parody of A ...

'' (1997) as Dr. Ludmilla Kropotkin *'' Lover's Prayer'' (2001) as Mother *'' An Angel for May'' (2002) *''

Calendar Girls ''Calendar Girls'' is a 2003 British comedy film directed by Nigel Cole. Produced by Touchstone Pictures, it features a screenplay by Tim Firth and Juliette Towhidi, based on a true story of a group of middle-aged Yorkshire women who produ ...

'' (2003) as Marie *''

Northanger Abbey ''Northanger Abbey'' () is a coming-of-age novel and a satire of Gothic novels written by Jane Austen. Austen was also influenced by Charlotte Lennox's '' The Female Quixote'' (1752). ''Northanger Abbey'' was completed in 1803, the first of ...

'' (2007) as the narrator *''

'' (2009) as Mrs Hudson *''

'' (2010) as Lady Ascot *''

Made in Dagenham ''Made in Dagenham'' is a 2010 British comedy-drama film directed by Nigel Cole and starring Sally Hawkins, Bob Hoskins, Miranda Richardson, Geraldine James, Rosamund Pike, Andrea Riseborough, Jaime Winstone, Daniel Mays and Richard Schiff. It ...

'' (2010) as Connie *'' The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'' (2011) as Cecilia Vanger *''

Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more wi ...

'' (2011) as Vivienne Bach *'' Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows'' (2011) as Mrs Hudson *''

'' (2015) as Lena *'' Alice Through the Looking Glass'' (2016) as Lady Ascot *''

Rogue One ''Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' (or simply ''Rogue One'') is a 2016 American epic space opera film directed by Gareth Edwards. The screenplay by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy is from a story by John Knoll and Gary Whitta. It was produced by L ...

'' (2016) as Jaldine Gerams (Blue 3) *'' Daphne'' (2017) *''

'' (2017) as Marilla Cuthbert *'' Megan Leavey '' (2017) as The Veterinarian *'' Beast'' (2017) *''

'' (2019) as

Mary of Teck Mary of Teck (Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes; 26 May 186724 March 1953) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 6 May 1910 until 20 January 1936 as the wife of King- ...

* ''

Benediction A benediction ( Latin: ''bene'', well + ''dicere'', to speak) is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of worship service. It can also refer to a specific Christian religious service including the exposit ...

'' (TBA)

Music appearances

*'' Human. :II: Nature.'' (2020)

Radio appearances

Television appearances

*''

The Sweeney ''The Sweeney'' is a 1970s British television police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London. It stars John Thaw as Detective Insp ...

: Pay Off'' (1976) as Shirley Glass *''Dummy'' (1977) as Sandra X *''Shoestring'' (1979) Nine tenths of the law. *''

The History Man Bradbury's best known novel, ''The History Man'', a campus novel published in 1975, is a satire of academic life in the "glass and steel" universities, the ones established in the 1960s which followed the " redbricks". In 1981 the book was made ...

'' (1981) as Barbara Kirk *''

I Remember Nelson ''I Remember Nelson'' is a British historical television series portraying the relationship between Horatio Nelson and Emma Hamilton in the period leading up the Battle of Trafalgar. It first aired in four parts on ITV between 21 February and 18 ...

'' (1982) as Emma Hamilton *'' The Jewel in the Crown'' (1984) as Sarah Layton *''

Blott on the Landscape ''Blott on the Landscape'' is a novel by Tom Sharpe which was first published in 1975. The book was adapted into a 6-part television series of the same name for BBC television in 1985. Plot The story revolves around the proposed construction o ...

'' (1985) as Lady Maud Lynchwood * ''Echoes'' (1988) as Angela O'Hara *''

Inspector Morse Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse, GM, is the eponymous fictional character in the series of detective novels by British author Colin Dexter. On television, he appears in the 33-episode drama series '' Inspector Morse'' (1987–2000), ...

: Who Killed Harry Field'' (1991) as Helen Field *''

A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' ( Danish and nb, Et dukkehjem; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having be ...

'' (1992) as Kristine Linde *'' Band of Gold'' (1995–1997) as Rose Garrety *''

Kavanagh QC ''Kavanagh QC'' is a British television series made by Central Television for ITV between 1995 and 2001. All five series are available on DVD in both Region 1 and Region 2. Plot The series starred John Thaw as barrister James Kavanagh QC, ...

'' (1995–1999) as Eleanor Harker QC *''

Rebecca Rebecca, ; Syriac: , ) from the Hebrew (lit., 'connection'), from Semitic root , 'to tie, couple or join', 'to secure', or 'to snare') () appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical ...

'' (1997) as Beatrice *''

Little Britain Little Britain may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little Britain'' (sketch show), a British radio and then TV show ** ''Little Britain USA'', an American spin-off * "Little Britain", a song by Dreadzone from the 1995 album ''Second Light'' * ...

'' as Mother of Harvey Pincher (cameo) *''

'' (2000) as Gloria Green *'' State of Play'' (2003) as Yvonne Shaps *'' Hex'' (2004) as Lilith Hughes *''

He Knew He Was Right ''He Knew He Was Right'' is an 1869 novel written by Anthony Trollope which describes the failure of a marriage caused by the unreasonable jealousy of a husband exacerbated by the stubbornness of a wilful wife. As is common with Trollope's work ...

'' (2004) as Lady Rowley *''

Agatha Christie's Poirot ''Poirot'' (also known as ''Agatha Christie's Poirot'') is a British mystery drama television programme that aired on ITV from 8 January 1989 to 13 November 2013. David Suchet starred as the eponymous detective, Agatha Christie's fictional Her ...

–

After the Funeral ''After the Funeral'' is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in March 1953 under the title of ''Funerals are Fatal'' and in UK by the Collins Crime Club on 18 May of the same ye ...

'', (2005) as Helen Abernethie *'' The Amazing Mrs Pritchard'' (2006) as Hilary Rees-Benson *'' A Harlot's Progress'' (2006) *'' Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire'' (2006) as Cornelia * '' The Last Enemy'' (2008) as Barbara Turney *'' Heist'' (2008) as Joanna *''

Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the '' Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series (created by Caroline Graham), and broadcast on two channels of ...

'' (2010) Series 13, episode 8, "Fit for Murder" as Miranda Bedford *'' Thirteen Steps Down'' (2012) as Gwendolyn *''

Utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book '' Utopia'', describing a fictional island soc ...

'' (2013) as Milner * ''

Black Work ''Black Work'' is a three-part British detective fiction thriller starring Sheridan Smith as police officer Jo Gillespie. The series, produced by Mammoth Screen in association with LipSync productions and Screen Yorkshire and directed by Michae ...

'' (2015) as Chief Constable Carolyn Jarecki * '' The Five'' (2016) as Julia Wells *''

'' (2017–2019) as Marilla Cuthbert (adaptation of ''

Anne of Green Gables ''Anne of Green Gables'' is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery (published as L. M. Montgomery). Written for all ages, it has been considered a classic children's novel since the mid-20th century. Set in the late 19th century, ...

'') *'' Back to Life'' (2019-2021) as Caroline Matteson *'' The Beast Must Die (2021) as Joy *''This Town (TBA) as TBA

Theatre appearances

*Portia opposite

Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is th ...

in the London and

productions of ''The Merchant of Venice'' by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

.Merchant' role is jewel in James' crown" (29 Jan 1990) ''USA TODAY'' *Hedda Gabler at the

Royal Exchange, Manchester The Royal Exchange is a grade II listed building in Manchester, England. It is located in the city centre on the land bounded by St Ann's Square, Exchange Street, Market Street, Cross Street and Old Bank Street. The complex includes the Royal ...

in 1993.

Awards

Honours

* James was made an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(OBE) in the 2003

Queen's Birthday Honours The Birthday Honours, in some Commonwealth realms, mark the King's Official Birthday, reigning British monarch's official birthday by granting various individuals appointment into Order (honour), national or Dynastic order of knighthood, dynastic ...

References

External links

* * *
"The Jewel That is James"
– Interview by Jeremy Taylor for bmi Voyager October 2007
Q&A with Geraldine James in the ''Guardian''
{{DEFAULTSORT:James, Geraldine 1950 births English stage actresses English film actresses English television actresses Drama Desk Award winners Volpi Cup for Best Actress winners People from Maidenhead People educated at Downe House School Alumni of the Drama Centre London Officers of the Order of the British Empire Living people 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses Actresses from Berkshire Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Canadian Screen Award winners English radio actresses