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Actor

1950-07-06 · Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, UK · Female

48 series in the catalog

Geraldine James (born 6 July 1950) is an English actress. She has worked extensively on television, on stage and in film. She is known for her roles as Sarah Layton in The Jewel in the Crown (1984), Marilla Cuthbert in the Netflix series Anne with an E (2017–2019) and as Queen Mary in the 2019 film Downton Abbey. She won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her performance in the television film She's Been Away.

Early life and education

Geraldine James Thomas was born in Maidenhead, Berkshire, on 6 July 1950, the daughter of Gerald Trevor Griffith Thomas, a cardiologist, and his wife Annabella Doogan. Her parents divorced. After failing her 11-plus exam, she was educated at Downe House School in Newbury, Berkshire, where she was known as Gerry Thomas. Embarrassed by her simple surname, she used the grander-sounding name of Vaughan-Thomas while at the school. Her stage name makes use of her middle name of James. James studied drama at the Drama Centre London.

Career

After graduating from the Drama Centre, James spent three years in repertory theatre and school theatre. Her film credits include Gandhi (1982), The Tall Guy (1989), The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (1989), Sherlock Holmes (2009), Alice in Wonderland (2010), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011), and 45 Years (2015).

On television, Geraldine James played Sarah Layton in The Jewel in the Crown (1984), Rosemary "Rose" Garrity in Band of Gold (1995) and Gloria Green in The Sins (2000). She is also known as Mrs. Pincher, the breastfeeding mother in Little Britain (2004). From 2017 to 2019, she starred in the Netflix series Anne with an E as Marilla Cuthbert, and in the 2019 film Downton Abbey as Queen Mary. In 2026 she played Mother Adiona in the Netflix series Run Away.

In 2020 James voiced the spoken words on the track "All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World" ("Vista", "Ad Astra") on the album Human.:II: Nature. by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish.

Awards and recognition

James was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2004.

Theatre director Peter Hall said that James ranks among the great English classical actresses.

Personal life

James is married to actor and director Joseph Blatchley. They have a daughter.

Selected stage roles

Portia, opposite Dustin Hoffman in the London and Broadway productions of The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

Hedda Gabler at the Royal Exchange, Manchester in 1993

Rosalind, in As You Like It, at the RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon, in 2023

Film

The Dumb Waiter (1979) as Sally

Bloody Kids (1980) as Ritchie's wife

Sweet William (1980) as Pamela

Gandhi (1982) as Mirabehn

Freedom Fighter (1988) as Krista Donner

The Tall Guy (1989) as Carmen

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (1989) as Mrs. Gertrude Brisket

Prince of Shadows (1991) as Rebecca Osorio

If Looks Could Kill – Teen Agent, (1991) as Vendetta Galante

The Bridge (1992) as Mrs Todd

No Worries (1993/1994) as school teacher, Australian film, directed by David Erick

Words Upon the Window Pane (1994) as Mrs. Henderson

Moll Flanders (1996) as Edna

The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997) as Dr. Ludmilla Kropotkin

The Luzhin Defence (2000) as Vera

Lover's Prayer (2001) as Mother

Tom & Thomas (2002) as Miss Tromp

An Angel for May (2002)

Calendar Girls (2003) as Marie

Northanger Abbey (2007) as the narrator

Sherlock Holmes (2009) as Mrs Hudson

Alice in Wonderland (2010) as Lady Ascot

Made in Dagenham (2010) as Connie

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) as Cecilia Vanger

Arthur (2011) as Vivienne Bach

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) as Mrs Hudson

45 Years (2015) as Lena

Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016) as Lady Ascot

Rogue One (2016) as Jaldine Gerams (Blue 3)

Daphne (2017)

Anne with an E (2017) as Marilla Cuthbert

Megan Leavey (2017) as The Veterinarian

Beast (2017)

Downton Abbey (2019) as Mary of Teck

Benediction (2021)

Geraldine James at the Internet Broadway Database

Geraldine James at the BFI's Screenonline

"The Jewel That is James" Archived 20 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine – Interview by Jeremy Taylor for bmi Voyager October 2007

Q&A with Geraldine James in the Guardian