Brenda Blethyn

Brenda Blethyn OBE, born as Brenda Bottle on 20 February 1946, is an English actress renowned for her poignant character work and versatility. Her illustrious career is adorned with numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and a Cannes Film Festival Award, along with nominations for two Academy Awards and two Primetime Emmys. In 2003, she was recognized as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her significant contributions to drama. Blethyn's career path took a dramatic turn in her late 20s, morphing from an administrative role to acting after enrolling at the Guildford School of Acting. Post-graduation, she earned a role at the Royal National Theatre and gained attention for her compelling performances in various plays. Blethyn made her feature film debut in Nicolas Roeg's The Witches (1990). Her star performance in Mike Leigh's Secrets & Lies (1996) earned her a Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress and an Academy Award nomination.

She also garnered Oscar recognition for her role in Little Voice (1998). Other notable film credits include A River Runs Through It (1992), Girls' Night (1998), Saving Grace (2000), and Atonement (2007). On the small screen, Blethyn started with the Mike Leigh television film Grown-Ups (1980), later featuring in sitcoms like Chance in a Million (1984–1986) and Kate & Koji (2020–2022). Her talent graced Primetime Emmy Award nominations in Anne Frank: The Whole Story (2001) and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2008). Born in Ramsgate, Kent, the youngest of nine children in a Roman Catholic, working-class family, Blethyn pursued a career as a stenographer and bookkeeper for a bank in her early years.