By the time Brenda Blethyn wowed moviegoers with her Oscar-nominated portrayal of a mother getting to know the daughter she gave up in Mike Leigh's Secrets & Lies (1996), she'd already been a working actress for more than two decades. But that was on stage: Now, Blethyn would begin a whole new phase of her career -- one that included another Oscar nod (for Little Voice) and a string of successful films.One of nine children, Blethyn was born Feb. 20, 1946, in Ramsgate, England. After working as a secretary for a decade, she finally saved enough money to enroll in acting school. In 1975, she joined England's National Theatre Company where she rose to prominence working with leading stage directors such as Peter Wood and Peter Hall.
Recent films for Blethyn include 2000's Saving Grace and 2005's Pride and Prejudice (opposite Keira Knightley and Donald Sutherland).
Saving GraceIn this Sundance Audience Award-winning comedy from director Nigel Cole, newly widowed Grace (Brenda Blethyn) finds herself in financial ruin when she discovers that her dearly departed husband has left her deep in debt. With the help of her gardener, Matt (Craig Ferguson), Grace applies her green... Read More
Anne Frank: The Whole StoryThis filmed version of Anne Frank's famous diary -- which she kept while in hiding in Amsterdam during World War II -- fills in gaps omitted when her father (Ben Kingsley, who won a SAG Award for his performance) submitted the work for publication. In addition to Anne's time in Amsterdam, the story... Read More
Lovely & AmazingFour spirited women tackle everything from relationships to careers in this captivating indie drama, starring Brenda Blethyn as an insecure mother who passed along bits of her neuroses to each of her three very different daughters. The eldest, Michelle (Catherine Keener), is an ex-homecoming queen... Read More
Little VoiceA telephone repairman (Ewan McGregor) and a music promoter (Michael Caine) play second fiddle to Little Voice (Jane Horrocks), a young woman whose beautiful pipes could pack a thousand cabarets. Trouble is, she can only sing along to records in her room. This British charmer was a sleeper hit among... Read More
Vera (2011) | NR | |
Dead Man Running (2009) | R | |
London River (2009) | NR | |
R | ||
R | ||
Piccadilly Jim (2006) | NR | |
A Way of Life (2006) | NR | |
Mysterious Creatures (2006) | NR | |
On a Clear Day (2005) | PG-13 | |
Pride & Prejudice (2005) | PG | |
Pooh's Heffalump Movie (2005) | G | |
Beyond the Sea (2004) | PG-13 | |
Belonging (2004) | NR | |
Blizzard (2004) | G | |
The Sleeping Dictionary (2003) | R | |
R | ||
Sonny (2002) | R | |
Lovely & Amazing (2002) | R | |
Pumpkin (2002) | R | |
The Wild Thornberrys Movie (2002) | PG | |
Anne Frank: The Whole Story (2001) | TV-14 | |
Daddy and Them (2001) | R | |
NR | ||
Saving Grace (2000) | R | |
RKO 281 (1999) | R | |
Little Voice (1998) | R | |
Music from Another Room (1998) | PG-13 | |
In the Winter Dark (1998) | NR | |
Secrets & Lies (1996) | R | |
Outside Edge (1994) | NR | |
The Buddha of Suburbia (1993) | NR | |
A River Runs Through It (1992) | PG | |
Night Train (1988) | PG-13 | |
Jim Henson's the Storyteller (1987) | NR | |
NR | ||
NR | ||
Henry VI (1983) | NR | |
King Lear (1982) | NR | |
Grown Ups (1980) | UR | |
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