Lesley Manville was born on March 12, 1956 in Brighton, East Sussex, England. She is a multi award-winning actress of theatre, film, and television, and has worked extensively with director Mike Leigh. She is known for Another Year (2010), All or Nothing (2002), Topsy-Turvy (1999), and Secrets & Lies (1996), and her performance in Phantom Thread (2017), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also had a supporting role in Maleficent (2014). Manville's extensive stage career includes roles in As You Like It, Les Liaisons Dangereuses and The Alchemist. Her film debut was in Dance with a Stranger (1985).

Filmography

• 2026Cold Storage — Trini Romano
• Marble Hall Murders — Susan Ryeland
• 2026Midwinter Break — Stella
• 2026National Theatre Live: Les Liaisons Dangereuses — Marquise de Merteuil
• 2026Winter of the Crow — Joan Andrews
• Monster: The Ed Gein Story — Bernice Worden
• 2025Mr. Burton — Ma Smith, Executive Producer
• 2024Back to Black — Cynthia
• Disclaimer — Nancy Brigstocke
• Grotesquerie — Nurse Redd
• Moonflower Murders — Susan Ryeland
• 2024Queer — Doctor Cotter
• 2024The Critic — Annabel Land
• Citadel — Dahlia Archer
• Dangerous Liaisons — Genevieve de Merteuil
• 2022Everything I Ever Wanted to Tell My Daughter About Men — The Mother
• Life After Life — Narrator
• Magpie Murders — Susan Ryeland, Executive Producer
• 2022Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris — Ada Harris, Executive Producer
• Sherwood — Julie Jackson
• Alan Bennett's Talking Heads — Susan
• 2020Let Him Go — Blanche Weboy
• Love Life — Narrator (voice)
• 2020Misbehaviour — Dolores Hope
• I Am... — Maria, Writer
• 2019Maleficent: Mistress of Evil — Flittle
• 2019Ordinary Love — Joan
• World on Fire — Robina Chase
• 2018National Theatre Live: LOVE — Herself/Introduced By
• Save Me — Jennifer Charles
• 2018To Provide All People — Consultant Psychiatrist
• 2017A Very British Brothel 2 — Narrator (Voice)
• 2017Hampstead — Fiona
• Harlots — Lydia Quigley
• 2017Phantom Thread — Cyril Woodcock
• 2017The Agency — Anthea
• Mum — Cathy
• 2016Rupture — Dr. Nyman
• The Crown — Princess Margaret
• 2015Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism — Miss Adderstone
• River — Chrissie Read
• 2015The Go-Between — Mrs. Maudsley
• Fleming — Evelyn Fleming
• 2014Ghosts — Helene Alving
• 2014Maleficent — Flittle
• 2014Mr. Turner — Mary Somerville
• 2013A Five Star Life — Kate Sherman
• 2013An Adventure in Space and Time — Heather Hartnell
• Mayday — Gail Spicer
• 2013Romeo & Juliet — The Nurse
• 2013The Christmas Candle — Bea Haddington
• 2012Ashes — Cath
• 2012Spike Island — Margaret
• 2010Another Year — Mary
• 2010Womb — Judith
• 2009A Christmas Carol — Mrs. Cratchit (voice)
• Law & Order: UK — Phyllis Gladstone
• The Queen — Margaret Thatcher
• Cranford — Mrs. Rose
• 2007Sparkle — Jill
• 2006Perfect Parents — Sister Antonia
• 2005The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael — Sarah
• North & South — Mrs. Maria Hale
• 2004Vera Drake — Mrs. Wells
• 2003Promoted to Glory — Capt. Annie Sullivan
• 2002All or Nothing — Penny
• Bodily Harm — Mandy Greenfield
• 2002Plain Jane — Dora Bruce
• Rose and Maloney — Professor Diane Marquis
• 2001David Copperfield — Emma Micawber
• The Cazalets — Villy Cazalet
• Black Cab — Yvonne
• David Copperfield — Emma Micawber
• Other People's Children — Nadine
• 1999Milk — Fiona
• 1999Topsy-Turvy — Lucy Gilbert
• 1999Toy Boys — Mrs. Allen
• Real Women — Karen
• 1997Dual Balls — Joanna
• Holding On — Hilary
• Midsomer Murders — Phoebe Archbold
• Painted Lady — Susie Peel
• 1996Secrets & Lies — The Social Worker
• Silent Witness — Suzy Franklin
• The Bite — Ellie Shannon
• Kavanagh Q.C. — Lucy Cartwright
• Tears Before Bedtime — Beattie Freeman
• A Skirt Through History — Bessie Parkes
• Ain't Misbehavin' — Melissa Quigley
• Little Napoleons — Judith Silver
• 1994O Mary This London — Sophie
• 1993A Statement of Affairs — Carol
• Goggle Eyes — Rosalind Killin
• The Mushroom Picker — Margot
• 1992Bad Girl — Penny Armitage
• Crime Story — Gail
• Performance — Marlene
• Soldier Soldier — Rachel Elliot, Rachel Fortune
• 1991Top Girls — Marlene
• Agatha Christie's Poirot — Mrs. Lorrimer
• 1989High Hopes — Lætitia Boothe-Brain
• 1989The Firm — Sue Bissell
• 1987High Season — Carol
• 1987Sammy and Rosie Get Laid — Margy
• ScreenPlay — Penny Armitage
• Bulman — Karen Tait
• 1985Christmas Present — Judy Tall
• 1985Dance with a Stranger — Maryanne
• Screen Two — Sophie, Sue
• 1985The Moon Over Soho — Sally Spencer
• 1984Angels in the Annexe — Jenny Bailey
• 1984Dog Ends — Vivienne
• Sharing Time — June
• Give us a Break — Alma
• Objects of Affection — Liz
• 1982Our Winnie — Liz
• 1980Grown-Ups — Mandy
• The Gentle Touch — Shirley Davis
• A Bunch of Fives — Helen Wyatt
• King Cinder — Nikki
• Wings — Francoise
• The Emigrants — Janice Parker
• Playhouse — Mandy
• Village Hall — Merle
• Leap in the Dark — Julie
• General Hospital — Tina Butler
• Barlow — Christine West
• Play for Today — Vivienne
• Softly Softly: Task Force — Janet
• Coronation Street — Jill Mason
• Escorted — Mother
• Jack of Spades
• Untitled 13

Appearances as themselves (10)

• 2016Alan Clarke: Out of His Own Light — Self
• 2015A Very British Brothel — Herself - Narrator (voice)
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — Self - Guest
• 2014The One and Only Mike Leigh — Self
• Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen — Self - Guest
• The Graham Norton Show — Self
• Loose Women — Self
• 1982Mike Leigh: Making Plays — Self (archive footage)
• Newsnight — Self
• The South Bank Show — Self