is a multi awarding winning stage, film and television actress. Her recent theatre has included Ghosts (Almeida, West End and BAM New York) for which she won a Best Actress Olivier Award and Critics Circle Award. She also received Best Actress Olivier nominations for Long Day's Journey Into Night (Bristol Old Vic, Wyndhams, BAM New York and LA) and Grief (National Theatre). Other recent theatre includes The Visit at the National Theatre and Talking Heads at The Bridge. Her early career was dominated by work at the Royal Court Theatre working on new plays including Top Girls, Serious Money, Rita, Sue and Bob Too and Borderline as well as classics such as Three Sisters, The Popes Wedding and Saved. For the RSC, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, As You Like It, The Philistines and The Wives Excuse. For the National Theatre, His Dark Materials, Pillars of the Community, Her Naked Skin and The Alchemist. For The Old Vic, All About My Mother and Six Degrees of Seperation. In the West End, The Cherry Orchard and Some Girls. Lesley received an Academy Award Best Supporting Actress and BAFTA nomination for her role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s film Phantom Thread. She played the title role in Mrs Harris Goes to Paris for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. She has worked extensively with director Mike Leigh. Most notably on Another Year for which she won the prestigious NBR Best Actress Award, The Critics Circle Award and also received BAFTA and BIFA nominations. Other films with Mike Leigh are All Or Nothing (Critics Circle Best Actress Award), Topsy-Turvy, Mr Turner, High Hopes, Secrets and Lies, Vera Drake and Grown Ups. Other films include, Back to Black, The Critic, Oridnary Love, Let Him Go, Misbehaviour and Malificent 1&2. Lesley’s extensive television career has seen her work on many highly acclaimed and awarding winning shows. For her role as Princess Margaret in the final 2 seasons of The Crown, Lesley has received a Primetime Emmy and BAFTA nomination. Sherwood won her a BAFTA Supporting Actress nomination as did River. She did 3 series of the BBC’s Mum which won her an RTS Comedy Performance Award and 2 BAFTA nominations. Other TV includes, Citadel, Magpie Murders I Am Maria, Harlots, Save Me Too, Talking Heads, World on Fire, North and South, Cranford and Other People's Children and Bodily Harm, receiving RTS Best Actress nominations for both. TV to come includes Alfonso Cuarón’s Disclaimer, Moonflower Murders, Citadel 2 and Ryan Murphy’s Grotesquerie. Lesley was appointed an OBE in 2015 and promoted to CBE in 2021.
