Lindsay Vere Duncan,
CBEThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 7 November 1950) is a
ScottishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
actressAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. She is a noted stage and television actress, winning the
Tony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American theatre and are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are for Broadway productions and...
for
Private LivesPrivate Lives is a 1930 comedy of manners by Noël Coward. It focuses on a divorced couple who discover that they are honeymooning with their new spouses in the same hotel....
.
Duncan was born in
EdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland. It is the second largest Scottish city, after Glasgow, and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas....
,
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to a father who served in the army for 21 years. She is married to fellow
ScottishScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
actorAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Hilton McRaeHilton McRae is a Scottish actor in the fields of theatre, television and film.-Career:McRae was part of the radical theatre group 7:84 before graduating from Edinburgh University, and by 1977 he had joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. His most mainstream American film was his role as Green...
. They have one son, Cal McRae, born September 1991.
She studied in Bimringham at KEHS when she was at secondary school.
She studied at London's
Central School of Speech and DramaThe Central School of Speech and Drama was founded in 1906 by Elsie Fogerty to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students. The school has been a constituent college of the University of London since 2005...
and worked in mostly unheralded theatre roles before graduating to television productions in the 1980s.
Lindsay Vere Duncan,
CBEThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 7 November 1950) is a
ScottishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
actressAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. She is a noted stage and television actress, winning the
Tony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American theatre and are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are for Broadway productions and...
for
Private LivesPrivate Lives is a 1930 comedy of manners by Noël Coward. It focuses on a divorced couple who discover that they are honeymooning with their new spouses in the same hotel....
.
Personal life
Duncan was born in
EdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland. It is the second largest Scottish city, after Glasgow, and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas....
,
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to a father who served in the army for 21 years. She is married to fellow
ScottishScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
actorAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Hilton McRaeHilton McRae is a Scottish actor in the fields of theatre, television and film.-Career:McRae was part of the radical theatre group 7:84 before graduating from Edinburgh University, and by 1977 he had joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. His most mainstream American film was his role as Green...
. They have one son, Cal McRae, born September 1991.
Career
She studied in Bimringham at KEHS when she was at secondary school.
She studied at London's
Central School of Speech and DramaThe Central School of Speech and Drama was founded in 1906 by Elsie Fogerty to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students. The school has been a constituent college of the University of London since 2005...
and worked in mostly unheralded theatre roles before graduating to television productions in the 1980s. These productions included
On Approval (1982),
Reilly, Ace of SpiesReilly, Ace of Spies is a 1983 television miniseries, written by Troy Kennedy Martin, and based on the 1967 book Ace of Spies by Robin Bruce Lockhart. Sam Neill stars as Sidney Reilly. The theme music is the Romance movement from Dmitri Shostakovich’s The Gadfly Suite.The miniseries was issued on...
(1983),
Dead HeadDead Head was a four-part political crime thriller scripted by Howard Brenton, the author of The Romans in Britain. Juxtaposing 1930s film noir style and costume with contemporary London settings, it aroused controversy due to sexually explicit scenes...
(1985), and
TraffikTraffik is a 1989 British television serial about the illegal drug trade. Its three stories are interwoven, with arcs told from the perspectives of Pakistani growers and manufacturers, German dealers, and British users....
(1989). On stage she created the role of La Marquise de Merteuil in the
Royal Shakespeare CompanyThe Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company. Located primarily at Stratford-upon-Avon, with bases also in London and Newcastle upon Tyne, it is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly-funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal National Theatre.-The early...
's production of
Les Liaisons DangereusesLes Liaisons Dangereuses may refer to:* Les Liaisons dangereuses, by Pierre Choderlos de LaclosStage* Les liaisons dangereuses , adapted by Christopher Hampton...
in Stratford, London and New York.
In the 1990s, she continued to appear in prestigious London stage and screen productions, such as the 1999 TV version of
Oliver TwistOliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress is Charles Dickens' second novel. It is about a boy named Oliver Twist, who escapes from an workhouse and meets a gang of pickpocketers in London...
, in which she portrays Elizabeth Leeford. Duncan also appears in the 1999 film adaptation of
Jane AustenJane Austen was an English novelist, whose realism, biting social commentary and use of free indirect speech, have earned her a place as one of the most widely read and most beloved writers in English literature....
's
Mansfield ParkMansfield Park may mean:* Mansfield Park by Jane Austen* Mansfield Park , based on the novel, directed by Patricia Rozema, starring Frances O'Connor, Embeth Davidtz, and Sheila Gish in 1999...
(in dual roles as the heroine's mother and drug-addicted aunt), in the 1997 TV series
A History of Tom Jones: A Foundling as Lady Ballaston, in the 1996 film adaptation of Shakespeare's
A Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's Dream is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare. It was suggested by "The Knight's Tale" from Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales and written around 1594 to 1596...
as Hippolyta and Titania, and in the 1993 TV serial
A Year in Provence as the wife of author
Peter MaylePeter Mayle is a British author famous for his series of books detailing life in Provence, France. He spent fifteen years in the advertising industry before leaving the business in 1975 to write educational books, including a series on sex education for children and young people...
.
Most recently Duncan played
Servilia CaepionisServilia of the Junii is a character from the HBO/BBC/RAI original television series, Rome, played by Lindsay Duncan. The mother of Marcus Junius Brutus, lover of the married Julius Caesar and enemy of Atia of the Julii, Servilia is depicted as a sophisticated and regal Roman matron who follows her...
in the 2005 HBO-
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
series
RomeRome is an American-British-Italian historical drama television series created by Bruno Heller, John Milius, and William J. MacDonald. The show's first season originally aired on HBO in the United States between August 28 and November 20, 2005, subsequently being broadcast on the United Kingdom's...
and she starred as Rose Harbinson in
Starter for 10. Aged by make-up, she played Lord Longford's wife, Elizabeth, in the TV film
LongfordLongford is a 2006 drama television film directed by Tom Hooper and written by Peter Morgan. The film centres around Labour Party peer Lord Longford and his campaign for the parole of Moors Murderer Myra Hindley. It was produced by Granada Productions for Channel 4, in association with HBO, and...
. On the 29th January 2009, Duncan released in an interview with
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
that she will be playing Alice's mother in
Tim BurtonTimothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, producer, writer and artist. He is famed for his dark and quirky films, such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas, which he co-wrote and produced...
's upcoming film
Alice in WonderlandAlice in Wonderland is an upcoming 2010 fantasy film directed by Tim Burton. It is an adaptation of the Lewis Carroll novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. The film will use a technique combining live action and motion capture technology...
, alongside
Mia WasikowskaMia Wasikowska is an Australian actress, currently working in the United States. She is perhaps best known for her role as Chaya in the Edward Zwick film Defiance.-Life:...
,
Johnny DeppJohn Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor and musician known for his portrayals of offbeat, eccentric characters such as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, Raoul Duke in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Sam in Benny & Joon.Depp rose to prominence in a lead...
and
Helena Bonham CarterHelena Bonham Carter is an English actress. Bonham Carter made her film debut in the K. M. Peyton film, A Pattern of Roses, before appearing in her first leading role in Lady Jane...
. In February 2009 she played the title role in
Margaret.
On 19 February 2009, it was announced by the BBC that Duncan had been cast as Adelaide, assistant to the Doctor, in the second of the 2009
Doctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a mysterious alien time-traveller known as "the Doctor" who travels in his space and time-ship, the TARDIS, which normally appears from the exterior to be a blue 1950s police box...
specials.
Duncan was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Format | Role | Notes |
|---|
| 1977 |
The New Avengers |
TV Series |
Jane |
Episode: "Angels of Death" |
| 1987 |
Prick Up Your Ears Prick Up Your Ears is a 1987 film about the playwright Joe Orton and his lover Kenneth Halliwell. The screenplay was written by Alan Bennett, based on the book by John Lahr...
|
Film |
Anthea Lahr |
|
| 1989 |
Traffik Traffik is a 1989 British television serial about the illegal drug trade. Its three stories are interwoven, with arcs told from the perspectives of Pakistani growers and manufacturers, German dealers, and British users....
|
TV Mini-series |
Helen Rosshalde |
|
| 1990 |
The Reflecting Skin |
Film |
Dolphin Blue |
|
| 1991 |
G.B.H. |
TV Mini-series |
Barbara Douglas |
|
| 1993 |
A Year in Provence A Year in Provence is a 1989 bestselling autobiographical novel by Peter Mayle about his first year in Provence, and the local events and customs. It was adapted into a television miniseries starring John Thaw and Lindsay Duncan. Reviewers praised its honest style and wit...
|
TV Mini-series |
Annie Mayle |
|
| 1996 |
City HallCity Hall is a 1996 film directed by Harold Becker. Al Pacino and John Cusack star as an idealistic Mayor of New York and his deputy mayor....
|
Film |
Sydney Pappas |
|
| 1996 |
A Midsummer Night's Dream |
Film |
Hippolyta / Titania |
|
| 1999 |
Shooting the Past Shooting The Past was a critically-lauded television drama by Stephen Poliakoff, produced by TalkBack Productions for BBC Two and first shown in 1999. It was TalkBack's first drama production, the company being mainly known for its television comedy work...
|
TV Film |
Marilyn Truman |
|
| 1999 |
An Ideal Husband An Ideal Husband is a 1999 feature film based on the play by Oscar Wilde. The film stars Jeremy Northam, Rupert Everett, Julianne Moore, Minnie Driver and Oscar winning actress Cate Blanchett...
|
Film |
Lady Markby |
|
| 1999 |
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom MenaceStar Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It was the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars saga and the first in terms of internal chronology. It was also Lucas' first film as a director in 22 years, and only his fourth overall...
|
Film |
TC-14 |
Voice |
| 1999 |
Mansfield Park Mansfield Park is a UK film loosely based on Jane Austen's novel of the same name, written and directed by Patricia Rozema in 1999. The film differs sharply from the original novel in many respects. For example, the life of Jane Austen is incorporated into the film and the issues of slavery and...
|
Film |
Mrs. Price / Lady Bertram |
|
| 1999 |
Oliver Twist Oliver Twist is a 1999 television mini-series produced by ITV based on the book Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.-Plot:The first episode revolved around Oliver's parents as they struggled to fight their love for each other...
|
TV Mini-series |
Elizabeth Leeford |
|
| 2001 |
Perfect Strangers Perfect Strangers was an acclaimed British television drama first aired in 2001, produced for the BBC Two network. It was written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff, and starred Michael Gambon, who won a British Academy Television Award for his performance, Lindsay Duncan, Matthew Macfadyen and...
|
TV Film |
Alice |
|
| 2003 |
AfterLife AfterLife is a film drama set in Scotland directed by Alison Peebles made in 2003 about an ambitious Scottish journalist forced to choose between his high-flying career or caring for his younger sister who has Down's Syndrome....
|
Film |
May Brogan |
|
| 2003 |
Under the Tuscan Sun Under the Tuscan Sun is a 2003 film based on Frances Mayes' 1996 memoir of the same name. The film was directed by Audrey Wells and starred Diane Lane.-Plot:...
|
Film |
Katherine |
|
| 2005-2007 |
RomeRome is an American-British-Italian historical drama television series created by Bruno Heller, John Milius, and William J. MacDonald. The show's first season originally aired on HBO in the United States between August 28 and November 20, 2005, subsequently being broadcast on the United Kingdom's...
|
TV Series |
Servilia of the Julii |
|
| 2005-2006 |
Spooks Spooks is a BAFTA award-winning British television drama series produced by the independent production company Kudos for BBC One. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, as the series follows the work of a group of MI5 intelligence officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters,...
|
TV Series |
Angela Wells |
Episodes: "Diana" and "Gas and Oil, Part One" |
| 2005 |
Agatha Christie's PoirotAgatha Christie's Poirot is a British television drama that has aired on ITV1 since 1989. It stars David Suchet as Agatha Christie's fictional detective Hercule Poirot. It was originally made by LWT and is now made by Granada Productions...
|
TV Series |
Lady Tamplin |
Episode: "The Mystery of the Blue Train" |
| 2006 |
Starter for 10 |
Film |
Rose Harbinson |
|
| 2006 |
Longford Longford is a 2006 drama television film directed by Tom Hooper and written by Peter Morgan. The film centres around Labour Party peer Lord Longford and his campaign for the parole of Moors Murderer Myra Hindley. It was produced by Granada Productions for Channel 4, in association with HBO, and...
|
TV Film |
Lady Elizabeth Longford |
|
| 2008 |
Criminal Justice Criminal Justice is a BAFTA award-winning BBC 5-part thriller, currently in its second series. The first series starred Ben Whishaw as Ben Coulter, a young man who is accused of murder after a drunken and drug-filled night out, though is unable to remember committing the crime...
|
TV Mini-series |
Alison Slaughter |
Episodes: Episode 3-5 |
| 2008 |
Lost in AustenLost in Austen is a four-part 2008 British television series for the ITV network, written by Guy Andrews as an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Produced by Mammoth Screen, the first episode was shown on ITV at 9 pm on 3 September 2008, gaining 4.2 million viewers. The remaining...
|
TV Mini-series |
Lady Catherine de Bourgh |
Episodes: Episode 3 and 4 |
| 2009 |
Margaret Margaret is a 2009 television film produced by Great Meadow Productions for the BBC. It is a fictionalisation of the life of Margaret Thatcher and her fall from the premiership in the 1990 leadership election. It was first broadcast on 26 February 2009 on BBC Two...
|
TV Film |
Margaret Thatcher |
|
| 2009 |
Doctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a mysterious alien time-traveller known as "the Doctor" who travels in his space and time-ship, the TARDIS, which normally appears from the exterior to be a blue 1950s police box...
|
TV Series |
Adelaide |
Episode: "The Waters of Mars "The Waters of Mars" will be the second special of British science fiction television series Doctor Who to be broadcast in 2009 . According to Doctor Who writer and producer Russell T Davies, the special will be closely linked to the next two but is not the first part of a three-part story...
" |
| 2010 |
Alice in Wonderland Alice in Wonderland is an upcoming 2010 fantasy film directed by Tim Burton. It is an adaptation of the Lewis Carroll novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. The film will use a technique combining live action and motion capture technology...
|
Film |
Alice's mother |
|
External links