Natalie Dormer

Natalie Dormer, born 11 February 1982, is an English actress known for her roles in period films, blockbusters, independent cinema, and prominent television series. She achieved her breakthrough playing Anne Boleyn on Showtime's The Tudors (2007–08), earning widespread acclaim. Her major television and film credits include Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones, Cressida in The Hunger Games franchise, Irene Adler in Elementary, and leading roles in Penny Dreadful: City of Angels and The Forest. Over her career, she has won an Empire Award and earned nominations for a Critics' Choice Award, two Gemini Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Dormer was born in Reading, Berkshire, to Gary Dormer and Claire Richards, and has two siblings, Mark and Samantha. She is of English, Norwegian, and Welsh descent. She attended Chiltern Edge Secondary School and Reading Blue Coat School, and trained in dance at the Allenova School of Dancing. Though provisionally accepted to study history at the University of Cambridge, she missed the required A-level grade after misreading an exam question. She subsequently auditioned for drama school and trained at London's Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.

Six months after graduating, Dormer made her film debut in Casanova (2005). Following a ten-month period working as a waitress and in data entry due to representation difficulties, she was cast as Anne Boleyn in The Tudors. Her portrayal brought her critical acclaim and industry attention. During this period, she appeared in projects such as Agatha Christie's Marple, W.E., Captain America: The First Avenger, and the BBC drama Silk. She made her stage debut in Sweet Nothings at the Young Vic in 2010, earning an Ian Charleson Award commendation.

From 2012 to 2016, Dormer gained international recognition playing Margaery Tyrell in HBO's Game of Thrones, receiving multiple ensemble award nominations. During these years, she starred on stage in After Miss Julie, played Irene Adler in CBS's Elementary, and portrayed Cressida in the final two parts of The Hunger Games franchise (2014–2015), which became her highest-grossing films. Her other projects during this time included the BBC television film The Scandalous Lady W, the horror film The Forest, and the feature films Rush and The Counselor.

Dormer's later projects include starring in the action thriller Patient Zero, the Australian series adaptation Picnic at Hanging Rock, and a West End production of Venus in Fur. She co-wrote and starred in the thriller In Darkness (2018), narrated the audiobook Harry Potter: A History of Magic, and voiced Onica in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019). In 2019, her production company Dog Rose Productions signed a multiyear first-look deal with Fremantle. She subsequently starred in Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (2020), The Wasp (2024), the crime series White Lies (2024), Audrey's Children (2025), a stage revival of Anna Karenina, and the television drama The Lady (2026).

Beyond acting, Dormer is an active humanitarian and charity advocate. She ran the London Marathon in support of Barnardo's and the NSPCC, later becoming an ambassador for Childline and an honorary member of the NSPCC council. She addressed the United Nations headquarters on World Humanitarian Day in 2016 regarding refugees and women's rights, and traveled to Tanzania with Plan International to support efforts banning child marriage. Dormer was engaged to director Anthony Byrne until 2018, and later entered a relationship with actor David Oakes, with whom she entered a civil partnership in 2023; they have two daughters.