Brenda Blethyn
British actress (born 1946) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Brenda Blethyn OBE (née Bottle; born 20 February 1946) is an English actress. Known for her character work and versatility,[1][2] she is the recipient of various accolades, including a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and a Cannes Film Festival Award, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards and two Primetime Emmys. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to drama in 2003.[3]
Brenda Blethyn | |
|---|---|
 Blethyn in 2014 | |
| Born | Brenda Bottle (1946-02-20) 20 February 1946 (age 78) |
| Alma mater | Guildford School of Acting |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Spouses | Alan Blethyn
(m. 1964; div. 1973)Michael Mayhew
(m. 2010) |
| Awards | Full list |
Blethyn pursued an administrative career before enrolling at the Guildford School of Acting in her late 20s. She subsequently joined the Royal National Theatre, gaining attention for her performances in plays such as Benefactors, for which she received an Olivier nomination in 1984. Blethyn made her screen debut in the Mike Leigh television film Grown-Ups (1980), and later won leading roles on the short-run sitcoms Chance in a Million (1984–1986) and The Labours of Erica (1989–1990). She made her feature film debut with a small part in Nicolas Roeg's The Witches (1990), followed by a supporting role in Robert Redford's A River Runs Through It (1992).
Blethyn experienced a career breakthrough with her portrayal of Cynthia Purley in the 1996 drama Secrets & Lies, for which she earned multiple awards, including Best Actress at Cannes, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. She received a second Oscar nomination two years later, this time for Best Supporting Actress, for her portrayal of Mari Hoff in Little Voice (1998). Blethyn has since appeared in a range of mainstream and independent features, such as Girls' Night (1998), Saving Grace (2000), Lovely & Amazing (2001), Pumpkin (2002), Beyond the Sea, A Way of Life (both 2004), Pride & Prejudice (2005), and Atonement (2007).
Blethyn played Miriam Dervish on the ITV sitcom Outside Edge between 1994 and 1996, receiving a British Comedy Award. For her portrayal of Auguste van Pels in Anne Frank: The Whole Story (2001), she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries. She received a second Emmy nomination, this time for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, for her portrayal of Caroline Cresswell on season ten of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2008). She starred as Kate Abbott on the ITV sitcom Kate & Koji from 2020 to 2022.
Blethyn has played the title role, Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope, in the long-running ITV crime drama series Vera since 2011. In 2017, she was named Performer of the Year by the Royal Television Society for this role.