Lesley Manville has recently received nominations at both the BAFTA’s and the Oscars for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Phantom Thread. She has been in the spotlight lately thanks to these nominations but here are some other facts about her that you may not know.
She Was Born In Brighton, UK
Lesley Manville was born in the seaside resort of Brighton in the United Kingdom. Her father was a taxi driver and her mother used to be a ballet dancer. She was one of three daughters and she grew up in the nearby town of Hove. She had an interest in performing from an early age and trained as a soprano singer from the age of eight, twice becoming champion in Sussex.
She Was Married To Gary Oldman
Gary Oldman is also expected to do well during this awards season for his role as Winston Churchill in the movie Darkest Hour. The couple were married in 1987 but they were married only briefly and got divorced in 1990. They have one child together, Alfie Oldman who was born in 1988 and he is her only son. He has also gone on to become an actor. The couple met when they were both working at the Royal Court Theatre.
She Was Invited To Join A Dance Troupe By Arlene Philips
She was asked to join Hot Gossip by Arlene Philips but knew that it was acting not dancing where her heart lied. She was helped by another teacher at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, Julia Carey who taught her improvisation. Shortly after she left the school she was offered her first stage role in the musical I And Albert which was showing in the West End. Since her acting career began she has always worked both on the stage and on screen and she has received commendations for her acting in both mediums.
One Of Her First Roles Was In Emmerdale Farm
The first acting role that she took on TV was in the popular British soap Emmerdale farm. She played the role of Rosemary Kendall for two years between 1975 and 1976. This was the first experience she had of long term work and was able to buy her first flat with the money she was earning from the show. Her character worked as a farmhand on the show and left to go and live in Middlesborough.
She Has Worked Closely With Director Mike Leigh
She has appeared in many films and plays that have been directed by Mike Leigh and these are some of the roles for which she is best known. She won awards for two films that he directed and these were All Or Nothing and Another Year. Their working relationship has spanned almost thirty years and is one that looks set to continue as long as Leigh goes on directing. She is quoted as saying that Lesley Sharp and Timothy Spall are two of her favorite co-stars and all three of them have worked together on projects that have been directed by Mike Leigh.
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