Tilda Swinton born Katherine Matilda Swinton November 5 1960 is an awardwinning British actress of Scottish descent known for her versatile roles in independent films and blockbusters She is a recipient various accolades throughout her long career including an Academy Award and two BAFTA Awards in addition to being nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and five Screen Actors Guild Awards Swinton began her career by appearing in experimental films starting with Caravaggio 1986 followed by The Last of England 1988 War Requiem 1989 and The Garden 1990 She won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for her portrayal of Isabella of France in Edward II 1991 She next starred in Sally Potters Orlando 1992 for which she received a nomination for the European Film Award for Best Actress She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her performance in The Deep End 2001 and followed this with appearances in Vanilla Sky 2001 Adaptation 2002 Constantine 2005 Julia 2008 and I Am Love 2009 For the film Young Adam 2003 she won the British Academy Scotland Award for Best Actress Her performance in Michael Clayton 2007 won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Additionally she won the European Film Award for Best Actress and received a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the psychological thriller We Need to Talk About Kevin 2011 Swinton has also played the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia series 20052010 and the Ancient One in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise Swinton was awarded the Richard Harris Award by the British Independent Film Awards in recognition of her contributions to the British film industry In 2013 she was given a special tribute by the Museum of Modern Art In 2020 Swinton was awarded the British Film Institute Fellowship the highest honour presented by the institution for her daringly eclectic and striking talents as a performer and filmmaker and recognizes her great contribution to film culture independent film exhibition and philanthropy That same year The New York Times ranked her thirteenth on its list of the greatest actors of the 21st century up to that point