Brenda Blethyn

Brenda Anne Blethyn is an English actress who has worked in theatre television and film Blethyn has received two Academy Award nominations two SAG Award nominations two Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations winning one In addition she has won a BAFTA an Empire Award and a Golden Lion and has earned a Theater World Award and both a Critics Circle Theatre Award and a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for her theatrical work Born into a working class home in Ramsgate Kent Blethyn pursued an administrative career until her early 30s before enrolling in the Guildford School of Acting after the dissolution of her marriage in 1973 She subsequently joined the Royal National Theatre and received credits for her performances in Troilus and Cressida 1976 and Mysteries 1979 In 1981 Blethyn earned her first critical acclaim for Steaming In 1980 Blethyn made her television debut in Mike Leighs film GrownUps then after a modest number of guest spots in several productions in the mid1980s she garnered leading roles in the shortliving sitcoms Chance in a Million and The Labours of Erica Having followed her big screen debut with smaller supporting roles in films such as The Witches 1990 and A River Runs Through It 1992 she made her real cinema breakthrough with her role in the 1996 dramedy Secrets Lies for which she received rave reviews Blethyn has since appeared in an eclectic range of films including independent comedies such as Saving Grace 2000 Plots with a View 2002 and Clubland 2007 musicthemed films like Little Voice 1998 and Beyond the Sea 2004 and bigbudget dramas such as Pride Prejudice 2005 and Atonement 2007 In addition Blethyn has appeared in television productions including The Buddha of Suburbia 1993 Anne Frank The Whole Story 2001 Belonging 2004 and War and Peace 2007 Her most recent leading role in TV drama is the title role in Vera 2011 playing Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope Description above from the Wikipedia article Brenda Blethyn licensed under CCBYSA full list of contributors on Wikipedia