Michelle Williams (Marilyn Monroe)
Michelle Williams’ performances have established her as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after and respected actors earning her two Academy Award nominations.
Williams was last seen in Derek Cianfrance’s BLUE VALENTINE opposite Ryan Gosling. Williams' captivating performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress as well as Golden Globe and Broadcast Film Critics Association nominations and her fourth Independent Spirit Award nomination.
Williams is currently in production on Sam Raimi's OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, opposite James Franco, where she stars as Glinda the Good Witch.
Williams' performance in Ang Lee's BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, released in 2005, earned her a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award as well as an Independent Spirit Award, SAG, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Following, Williams was nominated for a 2007 Independent Spirit Award for "Best Actress" for her performance in Wim Wenders' LAND OF PLENTY. In her first collaboration with Kelly Reichardt on her critically acclaimed independent film WENDY AND LUCY, Williams' moving and evocative performance as "Wendy" garnered a Toronto Film Critics Award for Best Actress in 2009 and her third Independent Spirit Award nomination.
In 2004, Williams shared a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination with her fellow actors for Thomas McCarthy's THE STATION AGENT for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. In 2005, Williams was honoured by the Motion Picture Club as "Female Star of Tomorrow."
Williams' other film credits include her second collaboration with director Kelly Reichardt's MEEK’S CUTTOFF, Martin Scorcese's SHUTTER ISLAND, Sharon Maguire's INCENDIARY, Charlie Kaufman's SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK, Todd Haynes' I'M NOT THERE, Ethan Hawke's THE HOTTEST STATE, Sandra Goldbacher's ME WITHOUT YOU, and Andrew Fleming's DICK.
On television, Williams starred opposite Chloë Sevigny in Martha Coolidge's HBO movie IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK 2. She also had a six-year run as "Jen Lindley" on the WB's hit television series “Dawson’s Creek.” The series premiered in 1998 and remained one of the WB's top-rated shows throughout its run.
On stage, Williams received glowing reviews for her portrayal of Varya in Chekhov's THE CHERRY ORCHARD at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. She also achieved critical acclaim for her run in Mike Leigh's SMELLING A RAT at the Samuel Beckett Theatre and her off-Broadway debut in KILLER JOE.
Eddie Redmayne (Colin Clark)
Eddie Redmayne has already made his mark working with the top directors and talent in the industry today.
Redmayne recently wrapped filming Derick Martini’s HICK alongside Chloe Moretz and Blake Lively, adapted from the novel by Andrea Portes. In addition to MY WEEK WITH MARILYN, he has also filmed the pilot for HBO’s THE MIRACULOUS YEAR, written by Tony-winner John Logan and directed by Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow.
Eddie has completed filming BIRDSONG with Clemence Poesy. This BBC One two part series is an adaptation of Sebastian Faulks’ epic love story BIRDSONG set during the First World War. This extraordinary love story will release in 2012. Redmayne is set to appear on stage in December, playing the title role of Shakespeare’s RICHARD II in Michael Grandage’s last production for the Donmar Warehouse.
Redmayne was seen in the Golden Globe and Emmy nominated THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH, an epic television mini-series adaptation of Ken Follett’s bestselling novel in which he stars alongside Matthew MacFadyen, Hayley Atwell and Rufus Sewell, with Ridley Scott as executive producer. His other television credits include the leading role of Angel Clare alongside Gemma Arterton in the acclaimed BBC adaptation of TESS OF THE D’URBERVILLES.
Redmayne was seen in THE YELLOW HANDKERCHIEF, with Maria Bello and William Hurt and he also played the role of ‘Osmund’ in BLACK DEATH directed by Christopher Smith. He starred in Stephen Poliakoff’s GLORIOUS 39, opposite Romola Garai, Julie Christie, Bill Nighy and Juno Temple and POWDER BLUE by Timothy Linh Bui with Jessica Biel and Forrest Whittaker. Redmayne made his on screen debut in 2006 in Robert De Niro's dramatic thriller THE GOOD SHEPHERD starring Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie; critics raved about Redmayne’s performance, often singling him out as the stand-out of the film. In 2007, Redmayne also had a supporting role in ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE directed by Shekhar Kapur, and co-starring Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush and Clive Owen. He also appeared with Toni Collette in the crime thriller LIKE MINDS, THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL with Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson and SAVAGE GRACE with Julianne Moore.
In 2010, Redmayne won both Tony and Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Supporting Actor for his outstanding performance in Michael Grandage’s critically acclaimed theatrical production RED, which transferred from the Donmar Warehouse to the Golden Theatre on Broadway. Redmayne starred opposite Alfred Molina in this two-handed production. He received critical acclaim for his West End performance in Edward Albee's powerful drama THE GOAT OR WHO IS SYLVIA?, where he played a troubled teen opposite Jonathan Pryce. The role won him the 2004 London Evening Standard Award and the 2005 London Critics Circle Theatre Award for Outstanding Newcomer. He was also nominated at the 2005 Olivier Awards for the Best Performance in a Supporting Role. Following this, he took to the stage in Christopher Shinn's new play, NOW OR LATER, showing at the Royal Court Theatre.
Kenneth Branagh (Sir Laurence Olivier)
Kenneth Branagh is one of the world's most consistently critically acclaimed and renowned actors and filmmakers whose work is trademarked by quality, truth and passion. Branagh has most recently directed the hugely successful action adventure, THOR, starring Natalie Portman, Sir Anthony Hopkins, and Chris Hemsworth. Branagh's first venture into filmmaking met instant success. His 1989 production of HENRY V, which he adapted from the Shakespeare and both starred in and directed, won a score of international awards including an Academy Award nomination and a BAFTA win for Best Director and Academy Award and BAFTA nominations for Best Actor. He was subsequently invited to Hollywood to direct and star in DEAD AGAIN, which was a huge international hit, and next directed himself in the ensemble film PETER'S FRIENDS, which won the Evening Standard Peter Sellers Award for Comedy. Branagh's second Shakespearean film success as actor, director, writer and producer was MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, which was invited to screen at the Cannes Film Festival, and in the same year his short film of the Chekhov play SWAN SONG received an Academy Award nomination. He went on to direct Robert De Niro in the commercial hit MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN and his black-and-white film IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER opened the 1996 Sundance Film Festival and won the prestigious Osello d'Oro at the Venice Film Festival. Branagh's critically acclaimed full-length version of HAMLET, in 70mm, received 4 Academy Award nominations. His fourth Shakespeare film adaptation was a 1930's musical version of LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST. More recently, Branagh directed HBO Films' AS YOU LIKE IT, a film of Mozart's opera THE MAGIC FLUTE and SLEUTH, written by Harold Pinter and starring Jude Law and Michael Caine. His other film work includes acting roles in Pat O'Connor's A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY; Oliver Parker's version of OTHELLO; Robert Altman's THE GINGERBREAD MAN; Woody Allen's CELEBRITY; Danny Boyle's ALIEN LOVE TRIANGLE; Paul Greengrass's THE THEORY OF FLIGHT; Barry Sonnenfeld's WILD WILD WEST; Philip Noyce's RABBIT PROOF FENCE; HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS; the Richard Curtis comedy, THE BOAT THAT ROCKED; and Bryan Singer's VALKYRIE. Branagh has appeared in several outstanding television dramas including His current regular turn as Detective Kurt Wallander in the BAFTA winning series WALLANDER, earned him Emmy and Golden Globe nominations and a BAFTA win as Best Actor. He has also starred in the title role of SHACKLETON for Channel 4, for which he won a BAFTA nomination; CONSPIRACY for the BBC, for which he won an Emmy for Best Actor and earned Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations; and WARM SPRINGS, in which he played FDR and was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award. Branagh's stage work began when he made his West End acting debut in ANOTHER COUNTRY, which earned him the Society of West End Theatre's Award for "Most Promising Newcomer." He founded the Renaissance Theatre Company for whom he either starred in or directed the following works: PUBLIC ENEMY TWELFTH NIGHT, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, AS YOU LIKE IT, HAMLET, LOOK BACK IN ANGER, UNCLE VANYA, KING LEAR, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, AND CORIOLANUS. He also directed THE LIFE OF NAPOLEON, which was written by and starred John Sessions.
Numerous stage appearances include the RSC's HENRY V, LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST and HAMLET. His more recent theatrical endeavours include directing the hit stage comedy THE PLAY WHAT I WROTE, which transferred from London's West End to Broadway where it received a Tony nomination, and five-star performances on the British stage in RICHARD III, Mamet’s EDMUND & IVANOV. Most recently, Kenneth Branagh returned to his home town for the reopening season at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast in a new comedy PAINKILLER. Branagh is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and holds a prestigious Michael Balcon Award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
Julia Ormond (Vivien Leigh)
Emmy award winning actress Julia Ormond is renowned for her talent, elegance and commitment to her craft. With her roles in film, television and theatre, Ormond continues to engage audiences worldwide.
Ormond recently wrapped production on Jim Kohlberg's THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED, the tale of a father ('Henry') who struggles to bond with his estranged son ('Gabriel') who suffers from a brain tumor that prevents him from forming new memories.
She was last seen in the acclaimed award winning HBO film TEMPLE GRANDIN, for which she won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie opposite Claire Danes.
Other film credits include David Fincher's THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, Patricia Rozema's KIT KITTREDGE: AN AMERICAN GIRL, Steven Soderbergh’s CHE, Jennifer Lynch's SURVEILLANCE, David Lynch’s INLAND EMPIRE, Nikita Mikhalkov's THE BARBER OF SIBERIA, Bille August's SMILLA’S SENSE OF SNOW, Sydney Pollack's remake of SABRINA, Jerry Zucker's FIRST KNIGHT, Edward Zwick's LEGENDS OF THE FALL, and Angela Pope’s CAPTIVES.
On television, Julia co-starred in the HBO biopic STALIN, portraying the long-suffering Mrs. Stalin, and the Gale Ann Hurd-produced telefilm THE WRONGED MAN for Lifetime.
Ormond is also a well-known social activist on issues related to HIV/AIDS, anti-trafficking, and poverty alleviation in Africa. In 2006, Ormond assumed a new role as UNODC Goodwill Ambassador Trafficking and Slavery. Currently, she is the President and Founder of ASSET (Alliance to Stop Slavery and End Trafficking) which addresses the causes of slavery at their source. Last September, ASSET was the key force behind the passing of California Senate Bill 657 (to stop human trafficking). For more information on ASSET, please go to www.assetcampaign.org .
She is Founding Co-Chair of FilmAid International, a non-governmental organisation that uses the power of film to alleviate refugee despair and psychological trauma, combat isolation, and communicate with disenfranchised populations in Afghanistan, East Africa and the Balkans. Together with Transatlantic Partners Against AIDS, Ormond also fights HIV/AIDS in Russia and Ukraine by advocating for improved prevention and treatment policies, raising awareness through media appearances, and mobilising the creative community in both countries.
She currently resides in Los Angeles.
Dougray Scott (Arthur Miller)
Dougray Scott trained at the Welsh College of Music & Drama.
Scott started his career in British television on the likes of the award winning THE CROW ROAD and has since gone on to star in the hugely popular DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES and HEIST in the US and the critically acclaimed FATHER AND SON in the UK.
He has worked with acclaimed filmmakers such as Walter Salles and Michael Apted on DARK WATER and ENIGMA. He has also starred in a raft of American smash-hit films including MISSION IMPOSSIBLE II opposite Tom Cruise, DEEP IMPACT with Morgan Freeman and EVER AFTER with Drew Barrymore.
Forthcoming projects to be released include Roland Joffe’s THERE BE DRAGONS and UNITED opposite David Tennant.
Dame Judi Dench (Sybil Thorndike)
Judi Dench is one of the world’s most highly acclaimed and best-loved actresses, with a career marked throughout by outstanding performances on both stage and screen. She has won numerous major awards, including an Academy Award, nine BAFTA Awards and three Laurence Olivier Awards, and in recognition of her many achievements she received an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 1970, became a DBE (Dame of the British Empire) in 1988, and received a Companion of Honour in 2005.
Her work includes iconic film performances as Queen Victoria in MRS. BROWN, for which she won a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, and was nominated for an Academy Award, and Queen Elizabeth I in SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, for which she won an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress. She is also known internationally for her role as the magisterial ‘M’ in the last five James Bond films.
Dench has been Academy Award®-nominated for performances in four other films: CHOCOLAT, IRIS (for which she also won a BAFTA Award), MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS, and NOTES ON A SCANDAL, and her numerous other film credits include TEA WITH MUSSOLINI, A ROOM WITH A VIEW and A HANDFUL OF DUST (both of which brought her BAFTA Awards for Best Supporting Actress), 84 CHARING CROSS ROAD, HENRY V, HAMLET, and the film musical, NINE.
On television, Dench’s work includes THE LAST OF THE BLONDE BOMBSHELLS, for which she received a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy nomination, and the long-running hit BBC sitcom, AS TIME GOES BY. Most recently she starred as Miss Matty in the BBC’s critically acclaimed series CRANFORD (for which she was nominated for a BAFTA, an Emmy, A Golden Globe and a Satellite Award) and CRANFORD: RETURN TO CRANFORD, for which she was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe.
Dench’s achievements on screen are mirrored by her celebrated career on stage. She has won Laurence Olivier Awards for ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA, ABSOLUTE HELL and A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (all at The National Theatre), and her performance in AMY’s VIEW, directed by Richard Eyre, brought her accolades in London (at The National and Aldwych) and on Broadway, where she won a Tony Award for Best Actress. Her other theatre credits include: THE ROYAL FAMILY, directed by Peter Hall; THE BREATH OF LIFE, directed by Howard Davies; ALL’s WELL THAT ENDS WELL for the RSC; HAY FEVER, directed by Peter Hall;THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR for the RSC; MADAME DE SADE, directed by Michael Grandage; and Peter Hall’s recent production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’s DREAM at the Rose Theatre, Kingston.
Dominic Cooper (Milton Greene)
Dominic Cooper is steadily emerging as one of the most exciting talents in the industry. Equally successful on stage and screen, Cooper continues to demonstrate his creative versatility. Most recently, Cooper could be seen in the independent drama, THE DEVIL'S DOUBLE, which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and was screened at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival. Directed by Lee Tamahori and written by Michael Thomas, THE DEVIL’S DOUBLE is a taut action tale about the life of Latif Yahia, who was forced against his will to be the body double for Uday Hussein. Through his role, Yahia gained access to Hussein's inner sanctum and witnessed corruption, violence, and debauchery. Cooper plays the challenging dual roles of Yahia and Hussein.
Concurrently, Cooper could also be seen in the highly-anticipated comic book adaptation, CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, directed by Joe Johnston and co-starring Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, and Hugo Weaving, in which he plays the eccentric inventor, Howard Stark. He also recently completed production on ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov and co-starring Benjamin Walker and Anthony Mackie, the film is an adaptation of the best-selling Seth Grahame-Smith novel of the same name.
Cooper recently starred in Stephen Frears’ TAMARA DREWE, a modern reworking of Thomas Hardy's nineteenth century novel, Far From the Madding Crowd, which co-starred Gemma Arterton. In addition, Cooper was recently seen in the coming-of-age drama, AN EDUCATION. Directed by Lone Scherfig and written by Nick Hornby, AN EDUCATION follows a 16 year-old girl’s self-discovery in 1960's London as she begins a relationship with a 30 year-old playboy. The film, co-starring Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, and Emma Thompson, screened at the 2009 Sundance, Berlin, and Toronto Film Festivals, and was nominated for Best Picture by both the Academy Awards and BAFTA Awards.
Cooper also starred in the box-office sensation MAMMA MIA!, the feature film adaptation of the beloved stage musical. With an all-star cast including Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, and Amanda Seyfried, MAMMA MIA! set box office records worldwide and became one of the highest grossing films of all time in the UK. Moreover, Cooper was seen in THE DUCHESS, a film based on Amanda Foreman’s biography of the scandalous 18th century English aristocrat, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. Directed by Saul Dibb, the period drama co-stars Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes.
Cooper’s additional film credits include THE ESCAPIST, directed by Rupert Wyatt and co-starring Brian Cox and Joseph Fiennes; BRIEF INTERVIEWS WITH HIDEOUS MEN, directed by John Krasinski; the Tom Hanks-produced STARTER FOR TEN, co-starring James McAvoy; BOUDICA; I’LL BE THERE; Neil Jordan’s THE GOOD THIEF; and the Hughes Brothers’ FROM HELL.
Cooper received his professional training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). Upon completion, he landed a role in MOTHER CLAP’s MOLLY HOUSE at the prestigious National Theatre under resident director Nicholas Hytner. He then starred in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’s DREAM before rejoining Hytner at the National Theatre for HIS DARK MATERIALS and THE HISTORY BOYS, which went on to win three Olivier Awards, including Best New Play.
Written by Alan Bennett, THE HISTORY BOYS later landed on Broadway, where it was the recipient of six Tony Awards, including Best Play. Cooper garnered Drama Desk and Evening Standard Award nominations for his lauded stage performance as the confident and seductive Dakin. Cooper also reprised the role in the acclaimed film adaptation of the play, where he was subsequently nominated for the Best Newcomer Award by the British Independent Film Awards and the Best Supporting Actor Award by the London Film Critics Circle.
Furthermore, Cooper starred on stage as Hippolytus in the heralded National Theatre production of Jean Racine’s PHEDRE, with Dame Helen Mirren in the titular role. The production, directed by Nicholas Hytner, was also presented at Epidaurus in Greece, and The Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington D.C.
In addition to his stage and film work, Cooper has also produced a number of acclaimed performances for television. Most recently, Cooper starred as Dave, the corrupt, smooth-talking mortgage salesman in the BBC Two production of FREEFALL, a timely drama focusing on the now imploding world of finance and its devastating impact on the people at each end of the scale. He also starred as the dashing and handsome Willoughby in the recent BBC production of SENSE & SENSIBILITY. Based on the beloved Jane Austen novel of the same name, the two-part television mini-series was directed by John Alexander and adapted by Andrew Davies.
Cooper’s additional television credits include the Holocaust drama, GOD ON TRIAL, BBC’s DOWN TO EARTH, SPARKLING CYANIDE, BBC’s THE GENTLEMAN THIEF, Hallmark’s DAVISON’S EYES, and Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed ‘BAND OF BROTHERS’.
Cooper currently resides in London.
Emma Watson (Lucy)
Emma Watson is best known for the role as Hermione Granger, a role she has made her own in all eight of the HARRY POTTER films, with the final instalment HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 opening earlier this year to great success.
Watson made her professional acting debut aged 10 years old in the first HARRY POTTER film, HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE, winning a Young Artist Award for Best Leading Young Actress for her performance. Watson has also garnered two Critics’ Choice Award nominations from the Broadcast Film Critics Association for her work in HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN and HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE. The readers of Total Film magazine also voted her Best New Performer for her work in the former. More recently Watson has been nominated for a 2011 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award, and as Best Actress at the Jameson Empire Awards for her performance in HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 1.
Most recently Watson has shot THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER in Pittsburgh, USA. Watson plays Samantha in this film adaptation of Stephen Chbosky’s coming-of-age novel on the trials and tribulations of a 15-year-old outsider.
Watson was previously heard as the voice of Princess Pea in the 2008 animated adventure THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX. She also starred opposite Victoria Wood, Richard Griffiths and Emilia Fox in the role of Pauline Fossil in the BBC’s television drama BALLET SHOES.
She has also worked closely with Fair Trade and organic clothing producer People Tree in helping create a new teenage fashion line, and earlier this year collaborated with Alberta Ferretti on an organic ‘Pure Threads’ collection.
Watson has recently been announced as the new ambassadress of Lancôme, and will follow in the footsteps of Penélope Cruz, Kate Winslet and Julia Roberts in becoming the face of the celebrated Lancôme brand.
Zoë Wanamaker (Paula Strasberg)
Zoë Wanamaker CBE is one of the leading stage and television actresses. She has been nominated for four Tony Awards (US) and 14 Laurence Olivier Awards (UK) including her winning lead performance in David Leveaux’s “Electra” (Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress). Wanamaker’s critically acclaimed theatre appearances span a range of productions on world class stages. Her latest roles at The National Theatre include MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, THE ROSE TATTOO, HIS GIRL FRIDAY and BATTLE ROYAL. Wanamaker starred in BOSTON MARRIAGE, which transferred from The Donmar Warehouse, later moving to the West End. Each of her appearances on Broadway has led to a nomination for a Tony award, including, in 2008, her performance in AWAKE AND SING. She has most recently been seen at the Apollo Theatre in Howard Davies’ production of ALL MY SONS. Wanamaker’s television credits include a number of popular television productions, such as her recurring role in ITV’s POIROT, in which she starred alongside David Suchet; ITV’s MISS MARPLE; the BBC’s DAVID COPPERFIELD, directed by Simon Curtis; and Trevor Nunn’s OTHELLO. Wanamaker received a Golden Rose Award at the Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival for her popular portrayal of Susan Harper in the hugely successful BBC TV sitcom MY FAMILY. Wanamaker has also received two BAFTA TV Award nominations for Best Actress for her roles in PRIME SUSPECT and LOVE HURTS. Wanamaker has also starred in HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE, IT’S A WONDERFUL AFTERLIFE, FIVE CHILDREN AND IT and was nominated for a BAFTA Award for WILDE, opposite Stephen Fry. In 2000 Wanamaker received a CBE from the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
Toby Jones (Arthur Jacobs)
Toby Jones won the London Film Critics’ Circle Award for his role as Truman Capote in the critically praised biopic of the author, INFAMOUS. He has most recently finished filming Tomas Alfredson’s TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY with Colin Firth and Gary Oldman, Steven Spielberg’s motion-capture film TINTIN, based on the classic series of comic strips by Belgian artist Hergé, Joe Johnston’s CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER and opposite Anthony Hopkins in THE RITE.
Toby portrayed Karl Rove in Oliver Stone's W; Hollywood agent Swifty Lazar in Ron Howard’s FROST/NIXON; and starred in Jon Amiel's CREATION, based on Charles Darwin's great-great-grandson Randal Keynes' biography of his famed progenitor. He has starred with Bill Murray and Tim Robbins in the fantasy-adventure CITY OF EMBER. He co-starred in both ST. TRINIAN’S films with Rupert Everett and Colin Firth, as well as the thriller THE MIST, directed by Frank Darabont. Jones other film credits include Peter Greenaway’s NIGHTWATCHING; Michael Apted’s biography of abolitionist William Wilberforce, AMAZING GRACE; and the widely praised dramatization of W. Somerset Maugham’s THE PAINTED VEIL, starring Edward Norton and Naomi Watts.
Jones won the 2001 Laurence Olivier Award as Best Actor in a Supporting Role for the West End comedy THE PLAY WHAT I WROTE, directed by Kenneth Branagh. He has performed regularly on the British stage, including a production of Tom Stoppard’s highly acclaimed EVERY GOOD BOY DESERVES FAVOUR at The National, followed by Jez Butterworth’s dark comedy PARLOUR SONG at The Almeida.
After making his film debut in the 1992 film adaptation of ORLANDO starring Tilda Swinton, Jones has alternated between stage and screen over the last 15 years. Among his other film credits are LADIES IN LAVENDER with Judi Dench and Maggie Smith; the 2004 Oscar-nominated FINDING NEVERLAND; HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS and HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1 as the voice of Dobby the House Elf; Luc Besson’s THE MESSENGER: THE STORY OF JOAN OF ARC; the romantic comedy EVER AFTER; and the film version of LES MISÉRABLES, directed by Bille August. Jones has also appeared on British television, including a 2005 role as Robert Cecil, the first Earl of Salisbury, in the HBO/Channel 4 production ELIZABETH I.
Derek Jacobi (Sir Owen Moreshead)
Derek Jacobi’s prolific career has spanned a vast array of film, television and stage roles, winning him numerous awards including a BAFTA for his performance in I CLAUDIUS, as well as two Emmys for guest roles in FRASIER, and HALLMARK HALL OF FAME: THE TENTH MAN. Jacobi was knighted for his services to theatre in 1994 and in 2009 won an Olivier Award for his portrayal of Malvolio in the Donmar Warehouse’s West End production of TWELFTH NIGHT.
His most notable film appearances include GLADIATOR, GOSFORD PARK, NANNY MCPHEE, THE GOLDEN COMPASS, and his most recent film credits include the award winning THE KING’S SPEECH, IRONCLAD and A BUNCH OF AMATEURS. His latest television projects include “The Borgias,” JOE MADDISON’S WAR, ENDGAME and such British institutions as DR. WHO and MISS MARPLE. Jacobi’s current theatre credits include playing King Lear in Michael Grandage's feted production at the Donmar Warehouse.
Philip Jackson (Roger Smith)
Philip Jackson has had a long and celebrated career. His films include: SCUM, HIGH HOPES, BRASSED OFF, LITTLE VOICE, MIKE BASSETT, ENGLAND MANAGER, THE INTENDED, LITTLE TRIP TO HEAVEN, BAD BEHAVIOUR, GROW YOUR OWN and the upcoming Icelandic movie CITY STATE.
His recent TV credits include MARGARET THATCHER, THE LONG WALK TO FINCHLEY, MARGARET, FANNY HILL, CROOKED HOUSE, THE QUEEN, PLACE OF EXECUTION, FUNLAND, CHEKHOV SHORTS, PETE VERSUS LIFE and the BBC1 series SUGARTOWN. He is well known to millions for his role as Chief Inspector Japp in Agatha Christie’s POIROT.
In the theatre last year he played Willy Loman in DEATH OF A SALESMAN at West Yorkshire Playhouse and has also played leading roles in KING LEAR, ICE CREAM AND RAT IN THE SKULL at the Royal Court, the latter also at the Public Theatre, New York. He has appeared in many new plays at the Bush Theatre, and was Bottom at the RSC. He has also recorded many dramas for BBC Radio 4.
Geraldine Somerville (Jane Clark)
Somerville trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama before going on to have a successful career in theatre, television and film.
Her film credits include a recurring role in the highly successful franchise HARRY POTTER, Paul Weiland’s SIXTY SIX and the award winning GOSFORD PARK.
Her most recent television projects include SURVIVORS, THE CHILDREN and DAPHNE in the titular role. She was also BAFTA nominated for her work in the CRACKER series.
Her theatre credits include SERENADING LOUIE at the Donmar Warehouse, REMEMBER THIS, POWER and BLUE REMEMBERED HILLS at the Royal National and I AM YOURS, THE TREATMENT, 3 BIRDS ALIGHTING ON A FIELD and A JAMAICAN AIRMAN FORSEES HIS DEATH.
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