Olivia Colman

Sarah Caroline Sinclair (née Colman), known professionally as Olivia Colman, is an English actress born on 30 January 1974 in Norwich. She is widely recognized for her versatility across comedic and dramatic roles in television and independent film. Over her career, Colman has earned numerous major honors, including an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, four BAFTA Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Volpi Cup.

Raised by her mother Mary, a nurse, and her father Keith Colman, a chartered surveyor, she attended Norwich High School for Girls and Gresham's School. She performed in her first school play at age 16 and was inspired to act by her mother's past ambition as a ballet dancer. After studying primary education for a term at Homerton College, Cambridge, where she met future collaborators David Mitchell and Robert Webb, she trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating in 1999. Because the UK actors' union Equity already listed an actress named Sarah Colman, she adopted the stage name Olivia.

Colman made her professional acting debut in 2000 in the sketch show Bruiser. She gained widespread public recognition through her ongoing collaboration with Mitchell and Webb, notably as Sophie in the sitcom Peep Show from 2003 to 2015, as well as That Mitchell and Webb Look. During the 2000s, she also appeared in television series such as Green Wing, Beautiful People, and Skins, alongside film roles in Confetti, Grow Your Own, and Hot Fuzz.

Beginning in 2010, Colman expanded into acclaimed dramatic television and film roles. She starred in the sitcom Rev. from 2010 to 2014 and earned a BAFTA Award for her performance in the comedy series Twenty Twelve. Feature film roles in Tyrannosaur and The Iron Lady in 2011 brought her further critical acclaim. Her performance as DS Ellie Miller in the crime drama Broadchurch earned her a BAFTA Television Award for Best Actress, while her role in the thriller miniseries The Night Manager earned her a Golden Globe Award.

Colman achieved widespread international acclaim for her portrayal of Queen Anne in the 2018 period film The Favourite, winning the Academy Award for Best Actress, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award. From 2019 to 2020, she starred as Queen Elizabeth II in the historical drama series The Crown, earning both a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Outstanding Lead Actress.

Colman maintained a prominent screen presence with Oscar-nominated performances in the dramas The Father (2020) and The Lost Daughter (2021). Her subsequent television work includes the true-crime miniseries Landscapers, FX and BBC's Great Expectations, the Marvel miniseries Secret Invasion, and a guest appearance on Heartstopper, which earned her a Children's and Family Emmy Award. Her film credits also feature Empire of Light, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Wonka, and Wicked Little Letters.