Lindsay Duncan
Acting • Born 1950-11-07
Biography
Lindsay Vere Duncan, CBE (born November 7, 1950) is a Scottish stage and television actress. She is the recipient of three BAFTA nominations and one Scottish BAFTA nomination, as well as two Olivier Awards and a Tony Award for her work on stage. She has starred in several plays by Harold Pinter. Duncan's film credits include Prick Up Your Ears (1987), The Reflecting Skin (1990), City Hall (1996), An Ideal Husband, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Mansfield Park (all 1999), Under the Tuscan Sun, AfterLife (both 2003), Starter for 10 (2006), Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (2010), About Time (2013), Birdman (2014), and Blackbird (2019). Outside of stage and film, Duncan appeared as Barbara Douglas in Alan Bleasdale's critically acclaimed G.B.H. (1991), Servilia of the Junii on the HBO historical drama series Rome (2005–2007), Adelaide Brooke in the Doctor Who special "The Waters of Mars" (2009), Anjelica Hayden-Hoyle in the BBC Two miniseries The Honourable Woman (2014), and Lady Smallwood on BBC One's Sherlock (2014–2017). She also portrayed Elizabeth Longford and Margaret Thatcher in the television films Longford (2006) and Margaret (2009), respectively.
Filmography
123 credits
Frankenstein
Movie • 2007
Jane Pretorius
Mansfield Park
Movie • 1999
Mrs. Price / Lady Bertram
Under the Tuscan Sun
Movie • 2003
Katherine
Dirty Tricks
Movie • 2000
Alison
The Reflecting Skin
Movie • 1990
Dolphin Blue
Alice in Wonderland
Movie • 2010
Helen Kingsleigh
Body Parts
Movie • 1991
Dr. Agatha Webb
Longford
Movie • 2006
Lady Elizabeth Longford
Margot
Movie • 2009
Madam
Christopher and His Kind
Movie • 2011
Kathleen Isherwood
Last Call
Movie • 2023
Kate
These Foolish Things
Movie • 1989
Gutrune Day
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Movie • 1996
Hippolyta / Titania
Burlesque Fairytales
Movie • 2010
Ice Queen
Last Passenger
Movie • 2013
Elaine Middleton
About Time
Movie • 2013
Mum
The Queen of Sheba's Pearls
Movie • 2004
Audrey Pretty
Le Week-End
Movie • 2013
Meg Burrows
No Ordinary Joe
Movie • 2021
Marion Barbara "Joe" Carstairs
Further Up Pompeii
Movie • 1975
Scrubba
Amish: A Secret Life
Movie • 2012
Narrator (voice)
Call Me Back
Movie • 2023
Grace
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Movie • 2014
Tabitha
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Movie • 1999
TC-14 (voice)
The Childeater
Movie • 1989
Eirwen
AfterLife
Movie • 2003
Alice Through the Looking Glass
Movie • 2016
Helen Kingsleigh
Margaret
Movie • 2009
Margaret Thatcher
Grown-Ups
Movie • 1980
Mrs Butcher
The Winkler
Movie • 1979
Diane
Doctor Jekyll
Movie • 2023
Sandra Poole
Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings
Movie • 2000
Pauline
Churchill's Secret
Movie • 2016
Clemmie Churchill
On Approval
Movie • 1982
Helen
Hamilton Mattress
Movie • 2002
Beryl / Gertrude (voice)
Loose Connections
Movie • 1984
Sally
National Theatre Live: Dear Octopus
Movie • 2024
Dora
Gifted
Movie • 2017
Evelyn Adler
Prick Up Your Ears
Movie • 1987
Anthea Lahr
Redemption
Movie • 1991
Kath Peachey
Mike Leigh: Making Plays
Movie • 1982
Self (archive footage)
Starter for 10
Movie • 2006
Rose Harbison
Harold Pinter: A Celebration
Movie • 2010
Self
Manifesto
Movie • 1988
Lily Sachor
Carnage: Swallowing the Past
Movie • 2017
Maude
Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars
Movie • 2009
Captain Adelaide Brooke
An Ideal Husband
Movie • 1999
Lady Markby
Rumer Godden: An Indian Affair
Movie • 1995
Narrator
Rainy Day Women
Movie • 1984
Karen Miller
Expelling the Demon
Movie • 1999
Woman
My Zoe
Movie • 2019
Kathy
Lawless
Movie • 2013
Lady Justice MacNeil
City Hall
Movie • 1996
Sydney Pappas
Blackbird
Movie • 2019
Liz
Little Joe
Movie • 2019
Psychotherapist
National Theatre Live: Hansard
Movie • 2019
Diana Hesketh
November 1st
Movie • 2019
Bonnie
Made in Italy
Movie • 2020
Kate
A Banquet
Movie • 2022
June
Witness of Truth: The Railway Murders
Movie • 2001
Narrator
He Does Not Want Peace
Movie • 2016
Rachel Englebright
These Foolish Things
Movie
The Entertainment System Is Down
Movie
Alma
Movie
H Is for Hawk
Movie • 2025
Samson and Delilah
Movie • 1984
Alice
G.B.H.
TV • 1991
Barbara Douglas
Rome
TV • 2005
Servilia of the Junii
The History of Tom Jones: A Foundling
TV • 1997
Lady Bellaston
Spooks
TV • 2002
Angela Wells
The Kit Curran Radio Show
TV • 1984
Pamela Scott
Criminal Justice
TV • 2008
Alison Slaughter
Perfect Strangers
TV • 2001
Alice
Colin's Sandwich
TV • 1988
Rosemary
The New Avengers
TV • 1976
Jane
Inside No. 9
TV • 2014
Loretta Lamb
Traffik
TV • 1989
Helen Rosshalde
Oliver Twist
TV • 1999
Elizabeth Leeford
Jake's Progress
TV • 1995
Monica
A Year in Provence
TV • 1993
Annie Mayle
Get Real
TV • 1998
Louise
The Honourable Woman
TV • 2014
Anjelica Hayden-Hoyle
A History of Britain
TV • 2000
Reader
TECX
TV • 1990
Laura Pellin
Spy
TV • 2011
The Director
Black Mirror
TV • 2011
Alex Cairns
Playhouse Presents
TV • 2012
Mrs. Dalloway
Agatha Christie's Marple
TV • 2004
Marina Gregg
Count Arthur Strong
TV • 2013
Dame Agnes
Toast of London
TV • 2013
Sherlock
TV • 2010
Lady Smallwood
Around the World in 80 Days
TV • 2021
Jane Digby
Against the Wall
TV • 2011
Faith Kowalski
Truelove
TV • 2024
Phil
The Wheel of Time
TV • 2021
Anvaere Damodred
Merlin
TV • 2008
Queen Annis
The Sinking of the Laconia
TV • 2011
Elisabeth Fullwood
The Rector's Wife
TV • 1994
Anna Bouverie
The Morning Show
TV • 2019
Martha Ellison
Muck and Brass
TV • 1982
Jean Torrode
White Heat
TV • 2012
Lilly (present day)
Sherwood
TV • 2022
Jennifer Hale
Travelling Man
TV • 1984
Andrea
Agatha Christie's Poirot
TV • 1989
Lady Tamplin
A Discovery of Witches
TV • 2018
Ysabeau de Clermont
The Hollow Crown
TV • 2012
Duchess of York
The Leftovers
TV • 2014
Grace Playford
Shooting the Past
TV • 1999
Marilyn Truman
The Play on One
TV • 1988
Gutrune Day
Reilly: Ace of Spies
TV • 1983
Alexandra
His Dark Materials
TV • 2019
Octavia (voice)
The Death of Bunny Munro
TV • 2025
Doris Pennington
Dick Turpin
TV • 1979
Catherine Langford
Mint
TV
Ollie
The Storyteller: Greek Myths
TV • 1991
Medea
Working Shakespeare
TV • 2003
Playhouse
TV • 1974
Christine Butcher
BBC Play of the Month
TV • 1965
Helen Hayle
Dead Head
TV • 1986
Dana Cass
Close to the Enemy
TV • 2016
Frau Bellinghausen
Lost in Austen
TV • 2008
Lady Catherine de Bourgh
Absolutely Fabulous
TV • 1992
Jeanne Durand
One-Upmanship
TV • 1976