Geraldine James Biography

Early life and family

Television appearances

• Shirley Glass in The Sweeney: Pay Off (1976) - TV debut
• Sandra X in Dummy (1977)
• Barbara Kirk in The History Man (1980)
• Emma Hamilton in I Remember Nelson (1981)
• Sarah Layton in The Jewel in the Crown (1984)
• Lady Maud Lynchwood in Blott on the Landscape (1985)
• Helen Field in Inspector Morse: Who Killed Harry Field (1991)
• Kristine Linde in A Doll's House (1992)
• Rose Garrety in Band of Gold (1995-1997)
• Eleanor Harker QC in Kavanagh QC (1995-1999)
• Beatrice in Rebecca (1997)
• Has a cameo role in Little Britain as the mother of Harvey Pincher
• Gloria Green in The Sins (2000)
• Yvonne Shaps in State of Play (2003)
• Recurring role as Lillith Hughes in Hex (2004)
• Lady Rowley in He Knew He Was Right (2004)
• Agatha Christie's Poirot - After the Funeral, (2005) as Helen Abernethie
• Hilary Rees-Benson: Former Liberal Democrat turned "Purple Alliance" Home Secretary in The Amazing Mrs Pritchard (2006)
• A Harlot's Progress (2006)
• Cornelia in Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire (2006)
• Barbara Turney in The Last Enemy (2008)
• Joanna the Concubine in Heist (2008)
• Gwendolen in the 2012 ITV adaptation of the Ruth Rendell thriller Thirteen Steps Down
• Milner: An MI5 spy in Utopia Channel 4 (2013 drama)
• Marilla Cuthbert in Anne with an E (2017)

Theatre appearances

• 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.

Radio appearances

Film appearances

• The Dumb Waiter (1979) as Sally
• Bloody Kids (1980) as Ritchie's Wife
• Sweet William (1980) as Pamela
• Gandhi (1982) as Mirabehn
• 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
• 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
• 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: A Star Wars Story (2016) as Blue 3
• Daphne (2017)

Awards

• James was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours.