Geraldine James
Encyclopedia
Geraldine James, OBE
(born 6 July 1950) is an English actress.
, Berkshire, to a cardiologist father. She was educated at Downe House, a girls' independent school in Newbury, Berkshire
, and at the Drama Centre London.
James' mother was an alcoholic, which led James to her involvement with NACoA
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 6 July 1950) is an English actress.
Early life and family
James was born in MaidenheadMaidenhead
Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
, Berkshire, to a cardiologist father. She was educated at Downe House, a girls' independent school in Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
, and at the Drama Centre London.
James' mother was an alcoholic, which led James to her involvement with NACoA
National Association for Children of Alcoholics
The National Association for Children of Alcoholics was formed in February 1983 in California, by 20 professionals concerned about the needs of family members of alcoholics...
.
Television appearances
- Shirley Glass in The SweeneyThe SweeneyThe Sweeney is a 1970s British television police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London...
: Pay Off (1976) – TV debut - Barbara Kirk in The History ManThe History ManThe History Man is a campus novel by the British author Malcolm Bradbury set in 1972 in the fictional seaside town of Watermouth in the South of England. Watermouth bears some resemblance to Brighton. For example, there is a frequent and fast train service to London.-Plot introduction:Howard Kirk...
. (1980) - Emma Hamilton in I Remember Nelson. (1981)
- Sarah Layton in The Jewel in the Crown (1984)
- Lady Maud Lynchwood in Blott on the LandscapeBlott on the LandscapeBlott on the Landscape is a novel written in 1975 by Tom Sharpe. It was adapted into a 6-part television series for the BBC in 1985.-Plot:The story revolves around the proposed construction of a motorway through Cleene Gorge in rural South Worfordshire...
(1985) - Rose the prostitute in Band of Gold
- Beatrice in Rebecca (1997)
- Supporting actress in Moll FlandersMoll FlandersThe Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders is a novel written by Daniel Defoe in 1722, after his work as a journalist and pamphleteer. By 1722, Defoe had become a recognised novelist, with the success of Robinson Crusoe in 1719...
- Has a cameo role in Little BritainLittle BritainLittle Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
as the mother of Harvey Pincher - Recurring role as Lillith Hughes in HexHex (TV series)Hex is a British television programme developed by Shine Limited and aired on the Sky One satellite channel. The story is about a remote English country school that becomes the battleground between a demonic entity and the witches who oppose it...
(2004). - Agatha Christie's PoirotAgatha Christie's PoirotAgatha Christie's Poirot is a British television drama that has aired on ITV since 1989. It stars David Suchet as Agatha Christie's fictional detective Hercule Poirot. It was originally made by LWT and is now made by ITV Studios...
- After the FuneralAfter the FuneralAfter the Funeral is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in March 1953 under the title of Funerals are Fatal and in UK by the Collins Crime Club on May 18 of the same year under Christie's original title...
, (2005) as Helen Abernethie - Former Liberal Democrat turned "Purple Alliance" Home Secretary in The Amazing Mrs PritchardThe Amazing Mrs PritchardThe Amazing Mrs Pritchard was a British drama series that aired on BBC One in 2006. Produced by Kudos, it was written by Sally Wainwright and stars Jane Horrocks in the title role of a woman with no previous political experience who becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.-Background:Sally...
. - Helen Field in Inspector Morse: Who Killed Harry Field
- A Harlot's ProgressA Harlot's Progress (film)A Harlot's Progress is a 2006 British television film directed by Justin Hardy and starring Zoe Tapper, Toby Jones, Sophie Thompson and Richard Wilson. The story is based on the series of paintings entitled A Harlot's Progress by William Hogarth. Hogarth's work is inspired by his interactions with...
(2006) - Barbara Turney in The Last EnemyThe Last Enemy (TV series)The Last Enemy is a BBC TV series starring Benedict Cumberbatch and featuring Robert Carlyle and Max Beesley which first aired on 17 February 2008.-Plot:...
- Joanna the Concubine in HeistHeist (2008 comedy)Heist is a one-off 2008 television comedy-drama, written by Peter Harness and directed by Justin Hardy. It was completed at the end of 2006 and first broadcast on 23 April 2008 on BBC Four as part of its Medieval season...
- Yvonne Shaps in State of Play (TV serial)
Theatre appearances
- Portia opposite Dustin HoffmanDustin HoffmanDustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
in the London and Broadway productions of The Merchant of Venice by William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
.
Radio appearances
| Date | Title | Role | Director | Station |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | The Hours | Gaynor Macfarlane Gaynor Macfarlane Gaynor Macfarlane directed the first, second, fourth, sixth and seventh radio series of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.In the Theatre Gaynor Macfarlane has directed Wit by Margaret Edson, Folie à Trois by Sarah Wooley and The Past is not a Place by Beatrice Colin for the Stellar Quines Theatre... |
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the... Woman's Hour Drama Woman's Hour Drama The Woman's Hour Drama is a BBC Radio 4 Arts and Drama production. It consists of 15 minute episodes, broadcast every weekday 10.45-11.00am , repeated 7.45-8.00pm. These tend to be plays which extend over a week, or multiple of 5 episodes... |
|
| Baldi Baldi (radio) Baldi is a BBC Radio 4 murder mystery series whose central character is Paolo Baldi , a Franciscan priest on sabbatical, lecturing on semiotics at a university in contemporary Dublin. After helping the police as a translator for an Italian witness, he turns sleuth... : The Book Case |
Maggie | Mark Lambert | BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the... Afternoon Play Afternoon Play The Afternoon Play is a long-running drama programming strand, broadcast every weekday at 2.15pm on BBC Radio 4. Each play lasts for 45 minutes, and roughly 190 new Afternoon Plays are broadcast each year.... |
|
| Turtle Diary | Neaera | Gaynor Macfarlane Gaynor Macfarlane Gaynor Macfarlane directed the first, second, fourth, sixth and seventh radio series of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.In the Theatre Gaynor Macfarlane has directed Wit by Margaret Edson, Folie à Trois by Sarah Wooley and The Past is not a Place by Beatrice Colin for the Stellar Quines Theatre... |
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the... Saturday Play Saturday Play The Saturday Play is a regular feature on BBC Radio 4 and is described as "Thrillers, mysteries, love stories and detective fiction, as well as an occasional special series."The Saturday Play is part of the BBC's series... |
Film appearances
- GandhiGandhi (film)Gandhi is a 1982 biographical film based on the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who led the nonviolent resistance movement against British colonial rule in India during the first half of the 20th century. The film was directed by Richard Attenborough and stars Ben Kingsley as Gandhi. They both...
(1982) as MirabehnMirabehnMadeleine Slade , daughter of the British Rear-Admiral Sir Edmond Slade, was a British woman who left her home in England to live and work with Mohandas Gandhi, the leader of the Indian independence movement. She devoted her life to human development, the advancement of Gandhi's principles and... - The Tall GuyThe Tall GuyThe Tall Guy is a 1989 romantic comedy and the feature film debut of screenwriter Richard Curtis and director Mel Smith. It was produced by London Weekend Television for theatrical release and stars Jeff Goldblum, Emma Thompson, and Rowan Atkinson...
(1989) as Carmen - Prince of ShadowsPrince of ShadowsPrince of Shadows is a 1991 Spanish crime film directed by Pilar Miró. It was entered into the 42nd Berlin International Film Festival where it won the Silver Bear for an outstanding artistic contribution.-Cast:* Terence Stamp as Darman...
(1991) - If Looks Could Kill – Teen Agent, (1991) as Vendetta Galante
- The BridgeThe Bridge (1992 film)The Bridge is a 1992 independent film based on the novel by Maggie Hemingway. Directed by Sydney Macartney, it stars Saskia Reeves, David O'Hara, Joss Ackland, Rosemary Harris, Anthony Higgins, and Geraldine James...
(1992) as Mrs Todd - Words Upon the Window PaneWords Upon the Window PaneWords Upon the Window Pane is a 1994 Irish drama film and the directorial debut of Mary McGuckian. The film is based on William Butler Yeats' one-act play of the same name. Pat O'Connor was billed to direct the project but he personally offered McGuckian, who was writing the screenplay at the...
(1994) as Mrs. Henderson - An Angel for May (2002)
- Calendar GirlsCalendar GirlsCalendar Girls is a 2003 comedy film directed by Nigel Cole. Produced by Buena Vista International and Touchstone Pictures, it features a screenplay by Tim Firth and Juliette Towhidi based on a true story of a group of Yorkshire women who produced a nude calendar to raise money for Leukaemia...
(2003) as Marie - Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes (2009 film)Sherlock Holmes is a 2009 action-mystery film based on the character of the same name created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The film was directed by Guy Ritchie and produced by Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan Downey and Dan Lin. The screenplay by Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham and Simon...
(2009) as Mrs Hudson - Alice in WonderlandAlice in Wonderland (2010 film)Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 American computer-animated/live action fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, written by Linda Woolverton, and released by Walt Disney Pictures...
(2010) as Lady Ascot - Made in DagenhamMade in DagenhamMade in Dagenham is a 2010 British film directed by Nigel Cole. The film stars Sally Hawkins, Miranda Richardson, Rosamund Pike and Jaime Winstone. It dramatises the Ford sewing machinists strike of 1968 that aimed for equal pay for women...
(2010) as Connie - The Girl with the Dragon TattooThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011 film)The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an upcoming English-language drama thriller film that is the second film based on the Swedish novel of the same name by Stieg Larsson. The first film was the 2009 Swedish-language adaptation. The upcoming film is written by Steven Zaillian and directed by David...
(2011) as Cecilia Vanger - ArthurArthur (2011 film)Arthur is a 2011 comedy film written by Peter Baynham and directed by Jason Winer. It is a remake of the 1981 film written and directed by Steve Gordon...
(2011) as Vivienne Bach - Sherlock Holmes: A Game of ShadowsSherlock Holmes: A Game of ShadowsSherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is an upcoming 2011 British-American action mystery film directed by Guy Ritchie and produced by Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan Downey, and Dan Lin. It is a sequel to the 2009 film Sherlock Holmes, based on the character of the same name created by Sir Arthur...
(2011) as Mrs Hudson
Awards
- Best actress at the Venice BiennaleVenice BiennaleThe Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
for her work in the film She's Been AwayShe's Been AwayShe's Been Away is a 1989 British television play by Stephen Poliakoff and directed by Sir Peter Hall. In her final appearance it starred Dame Peggy Ashcroft, who won two awards at the Venice International Film Festival for her performance, as did Geraldine James.Poliakoff and Hall present an...
.
External links
- Geraldine James radio work
- The Jewel That is James – Interview by Jeremy Taylor for bmi Voyager October 2007
- Q&A with Geraldine James in the Guardian