| Olivia Colman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sarah Caroline Colman 30 January 1974 Norfolk, England[1] |
| Occupation | Actress |
Olivia Colman (born 30 January 1974) is an English actress, best known for her supporting roles in various comedy shows, such as Sophie Chapman in Peep Show, Alex Smallbone in Rev. and Harriet Schulenburg in Green Wing. She trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and has appeared in radio, television and theatre.
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Colman was brought up at Freethorpe near Acle in Norfolk. She was educated at Norwich High School for Girls and Gresham's School, Holt, briefly at Homerton College at the University of Cambridge, before finally training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.[2]
She lives in London with her husband Ed Sinclair and their two children.[2]
Colman has appeared in roles in numerous comedy films and other BBC, ITV and Channel 4 television programmes such as Bruiser, People Like Us, Look Around You, Black Books, The Office, The Time Of Your Life and provided the voice-over for Five's poll for Britain’s Funniest Comedy Character. She regularly features in BBC Radio 4 comedies, such as Concrete Cow, Think the Unthinkable, The House of Milton Jones, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. She is also the voice of Minka, the Polish secretary in the Radio 4 comedy Hut 33, set in a fictional codebreaking hut of the real-life Bletchley Park during WWII.[3]
Her film credits include the British mockumentary film Confetti (in which she plays a practising naturist with Robert Webb - she has described the role as "the worst experience of my life"),[2] Alice in Grow Your Own, Doris Thatcher in Hot Fuzz, and I Could Never Be Your Woman. Colman appeared as 'Bev', alongside Mark Burdis as 'Kev', in a series of television adverts for AA car insurance. She provided voices for the Andrex "be kind to your behind" adverts and Glade fragrance adverts, where her character is a gorilla.
In October–November 2008, Colman appeared in the BBC sitcom Beautiful People (based on the life of Simon Doonan) as Debbie Doonan, Simon's mother. She also made a guest appearance in Skins, in the third series episode "Naomi" as Naomi's mother Gina. In 2010, Colman took a leading role as Alex Smallbone, the wife of an inner city vicar, in the BBC sitcom Rev. Also in 2010, she played 'Mother' in Matt Smith's debut story of Doctor Who.
In January 2011 Colman won a Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Special Jury Prize for Breakout Performances for her role in the film Tyrannosaur.[4] In spring 2011, Colman appeared in the BBC drama Exile, starring John Simm and Jim Broadbent, written by Danny Brocklehurst.
Colman is a central member of comedians Mitchell & Webb's acting ensemble. Colman met the duo when they were all students at Cambridge University, and has stated that she "adores" them.[2] She has appeared with them in numerous TV and radio projects, such as radio's That Mitchell and Webb Sound, and the television version, That Mitchell and Webb Look. She decided to leave the programme after deciding that she was becoming too closely associated with the duo and needed to widen her horizons: a decision that was made "with tears".[5] She will continue to appear on Peep Show.
Colman is a major collaborator of actor/director Paddy Considine's acting ensemble. Colman met Considine when they were both acting in Hot Fuzz, and she has stated that he "is extraordinary and amazing".[6] She has acted with Considine in two films, Shane Meadows Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee and Hot Fuzz. Colman was also a leading cast member in Considine's first two directorial exploits; Dog Altogether and Tyrannosaur. It is for her role in Tyrannosaur that Colman has won several awards including; World cinema special jury prize, dramatic for breakout performance at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Terkel in Trouble | Terkel's Mum | Dub of Danish film |
| 2005 | Zemanovaload | TV Producer | |
| One Day | Ian's mother | Short film | |
| 2006 | Confetti | Joanna | |
| 2007 | Hot Fuzz | PC Doris Thatcher | |
| Grow Your Own | Alice | ||
| I Could Never Be Your Woman | Hairdresser | Direct-to-DVD release | |
| Dog Altogether | Anita | Short film | |
| 2009 | Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee | Olivia | |
| 2011 | Tyrannosaur | Hannah | British Independent Film Award for Best Actress Pending - Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Pending—London Film Critics Circle Award for British Actress of the Year |
| Arrietty | Homily | English dub | |
| The Iron Lady | Carol Thatcher[7] | Pending—London Film Critics Circle Award for British Actress of the Year |
| Year | Series | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Bruiser | Various characters | Appeared in all six episodes |
| 2001 | The Mitchell and Webb Situation | Various characters | Appeared in five episodes |
| People Like Us | Unnamed character | Episode 2.1: "The Vicar" | |
| Mr Charity | Distressed mother | Episode 1.5: "Nice to Feed You" | |
| Comedy Lab | Linda | Daydream Believers: "Brand New Beamer" | |
| 2002 | Rescue Me | Paula | Episode 1.4 |
| Holby City | Kim Prebble | Episode 4.45: "New Hearts, Old Scores" | |
| The Office | Helena | Episode 2.6 | |
| 2003 | Gash | Various characters | Appeared in three episodes |
| Eyes Down | Mandy Foster | Episode 1.3: "Stars in Their Eyes" | |
| The Strategic Humor Initiative | Various characters | ||
| 2003- | Peep Show | Sophie Chapman | Nominated for British Comedy Award for Best Comedy Actress in 2008 |
| 2004 | Black Books | Tanya | Episode 3.2: "Elephants and Hens" |
| Swiss Toni | Linda Byron | Episode 2.1: "Troubleshooter" | |
| NY-LON | Lucy | Episode 1.5: "Something About Family" | |
| Coming Up | Receptionist | Episode 2.1: "The Baader Meinhoff Gang Show" | |
| 2004–2006 | Green Wing | Harriet Schulenburg | Appeared in 18 episodes |
| 2005 | Angell's Hell | Belinda | |
| Look Around You | Pam Bachelor | Appeared in all six episodes of the second series. | |
| Help | Unnamed character | Episode 1.6 | |
| The Robinsons | Connie | Episode 1.3 | |
| Murder in Suburbia | Ellie | Episode 2.6: "Golden Oldies" | |
| ShakespeaRe-Told | Ursula | Episode 1.1 "Much Ado About Nothing" | |
| 2006–2008 | That Mitchell and Webb Look | Various characters | |
| 2007 | The Grey Man | Linda Dodds | |
| The Time of Your Life | Amanda | Appeared in all six episodes | |
| 2008 | Love Soup | Penny | Episode 2.2: "Integrated Logistics" |
| Hancock & Joan | Marion | ||
| Consuming Passion | Janet/Nurse Violetta Kiss | ||
| Beautiful People | Debbie Doonan | Appeared in all six episodes | |
| 2009 | Skins | Gina Campbell | Episode 3.6: "Naomi" |
| Midsomer Murders | Bernice | "Small Mercies" | |
| Beautiful People | Debbie Doonan | Appeared in all six episodes | |
| Mr Eleven | Beth | 2 episodes | |
| 2010 | Doctor Who | Mother/Prisoner Zero | Episode 5.1: "The Eleventh Hour" |
| 2010- | Rev | Alex Smallbone | |
| 2011 | Twenty Twelve | Sally Owen | |
| Exile | Nancy |
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