Andrea Louise Riseborough (born 20 November 1981) is an English actress. She made her film debut with a small part in Venus (2006), and has since appeared in more prominent roles in Brighton Rock (2010), W.E. (2011), Shadow Dancer (2012), Oblivion (2013), Birdman (2014), Nocturnal Animals (2016), Battle of the Sexes, The Death of Stalin (both 2017), Mandy, Nancy (both 2018), The Grudge, Possessor (both 2020) and Good Boy (2025). For playing an alcoholic in To Leslie (2022), she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Riseborough was nominated for a BAFTA TV for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in the television film The Long Walk to Finchley (2008). She won critical acclaim for her performances in the Channel 4 miniseries The Devil's Whore (2008) and National Treasure (2016), as well as the BBC One miniseries The Witness for the Prosecution (2016). Her stage credits include Miss Julie, Measure for Measure (both 2006), and Anton Chekhov's Ivanov (2008).
Early life and education Riseborough was born on 20 November 1981 in Newcastle upon Tyne, the daughter of Isabel, a secretary and beautician, and George, a car dealer. She grew up in Whitley Bay. In reference to The Long Walk to Finchley, she has described her parents as "working-class Thatcherites."She appeared at the People's Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne, in the play Riding England Sidesaddle by Christopher Goulding, as Celia Fiennes, and was a member of the Young People's Theatre for five years. Riseborough spent her schooldays at the independent school, Newcastle upon Tyne Church High School. She was a student of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), graduating in 2005 with a BA in Acting Degree (H Level).
Career
Riseborough portrayed Margaret Thatcher in the BBC Four film The Long Walk to Finchley (2008). She appeared in the 2010 films Made in Dagenham and Mark Romanek's adaptation of Never Let Me Go. She starred in the American premiere of Alexi Kaye Campbell's The Pride at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in January 2010. The production was directed by Joe Mantello. She appeared in Rowan Joffé's film adaptation of Brighton Rock. She worked with The Devil's Mistress author Peter Flannery on his screenplay based on the life of Angelica Fanshawe. She played the role of Wallis Simpson in W.E., a film directed by Madonna. She stars in Resistance, an adaptation of an Owen Sheers novel. The film was released on 25 November 2011.She writes with her creative partner, actor Tom Burke, and with Mike Leigh. Riseborough starred in the thriller Hidden, a low-budget film directed by the Duffer Brothers. Hidden was released for streaming September 2015. She appeared in Oblivion (2013), in a supporting role. She co-starred in the acting ensemble of the Alejandro González Iñárritu's showbusiness drama film Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), which won the Oscar for Best Picture at the 87th Academy Awards. Riseborough shared the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for the film.
In 2016 she co-starred in apartheid drama Shepherds and Butchers and the Tom Ford directed psychological thriller Nocturnal Animals. She joined the cast of Netflix's Bloodline for season 2, as a series regular character, Evangeline. She acted as Emma Stone's love interest in the biographical sports film Battle of the Sexes, based on the 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. She portrayed Joseph Stalin's daughter Svetlana Stalina in the 2017 comedy-drama film The Death of Stalin and was praised by Variety for the "shrewd, multi-layered complexity" of her performance.
She was cast in Waco, a six-part television series about the Waco siege. The first episode was released on 24 January 2018. That same year she acted in three films, the horror film Mandy, the mystery drama Nancy (which she also produced), and the historical drama Burden. Riseborough has been cast in Lone Scherfig's The Kindness of Strangers as an ER nurse who runs an eclectic therapy group. The film started shooting at the Russian Tea Room in the spring of 2018. She starred in a Sony remake of The Grudge. The film was released on 3 January 2020.
Riseborough starred in the international cocaine trade drama ZeroZeroZero, an eight-part series adapted from the book by Roberto Saviano, which had its debut on Sky in the UK and Amazon Prime in the US in 2020. She starred in Possessor—written and directed by Brandon Cronenberg—as Tasya Vos, an agent for a secretive organization who uses brain-implant technology to inhabit other people's bodies, driving them to commit assassinations for the benefit of high-paying clients. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2020.
In 2022, Riseborough appeared in the film To Leslie, for which she received critical acclaim and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Numerous celebrities praised her performance publicly and on social media, and hosted screenings during the voting period for the Academy Award nominations in January 2023. Her unexpected To Leslie nomination generated some questions and, without referring to her, the Board of Governors pledged "review of the campaign procedures around this year's nominees, to ensure that no guidelines were violated, and to inform us whether changes to the guidelines may be needed in a new era of social media and digital communication."
Also that year she had supporting roles as Mrs. Wormwood in the musical Matilda the Musical and Beatrice Vandenheuvel in David O. Russell's Amsterdam. In 2023, she acted opposite Kate Winslet portraying Vogue editor Audrey Withers in the biographical war drama Lee which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. In 2024, Riseborough acted opposite Winslet again, portraying the latter's character's right-hand woman, in the HBO political satire miniseries The Regime, for which she earned a nomination at the inaugural Gotham TV Awards for Outstanding Performance in a Limited Series.
Personal life Riseborough was in a relationship with Joe Appel, an American street artist, from 2009 to 2016.
Acting credits
Film +Key Denotes productions that have not yet been released Year Title RoleNotes2006VenusPeriod Film Lover2007MagiciansDani2008Happy-Go-LuckyDawnLove You MoreGeorgiaShort film2009Mad, Sad & BadJulia2010Made in DagenhamBrendaNever Let Me GoChrissieBrighton RockRose2011ResistanceSarahW.E.Wallis Simpson2012Shadow DancerColette McVeighDisconnectNina Dunham2013Welcome to the PunchSarah HawksOblivionVictoria Olsen2014Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)Laura AulburnThe Silent StormAislin2015HiddenClaire2016Shepherds and ButchersKathleen MaraisNocturnal AnimalsAlessia HoltMindhornDS Baines2017Battle of the SexesMarilyn BarnettThe Death of StalinSvetlana Stalina2018MandyMandy Bloom NancyNancy FreemanAlso producerBurdenJudy2019The Kindness of StrangersAlice2020The GrudgeDetective MuldoonPossessorTasya VosLuxorHana2021Here BeforeLauraThe Electrical Life of Louis WainCaroline Wain2022Please Baby PleaseSuzeTo LeslieLeslie RowlandsAmsterdamBeatrice VandenheuvelMatilda the MusicalMrs. WormwoodWhat RemainsAnna Rudebeck2023LeeAudrey Withers2024Au fil des saisonsLaura Sanders2025Dragonfly ColleenGood BoyKathrynGoodbye JuneMolly "Mol" Cheshire 2026 Ghost of Christmas PastIsabella BlowPost-production, also producer
Television Year Title RoleNotes2005A Very Social SecretaryAmandaTelevision filmWhatever Love MeansAnna WallaceDoc MartinSamanthaEpisode: "The Family Way"2006The Secret Life of Mrs BeetonMyraTelevision film2007Party AnimalsKirstyMain role (8 episodes)2008Being HumanAnnieEpisode: "Pilot"The Long Walk to FinchleyMargaret ThatcherTelevision filmThe Devil's WhoreAngelica FanshaweMiniseries (4 episodes)2016BloodlineEvangeline RadosevichRecurring role (8 episodes)National TreasureDee FinchleyMiniseries (4 episodes)The Witness for the ProsecutionRomaine HeilgerMiniseries (2 episodes)2017Black MirrorMia NolanEpisode: "Crocodile"2018WacoJudy SchneiderMiniseries (6 episodes)2020ZeroZeroZeroEmma LynwoodMiniseries (8 episodes)2024Alice & Jack AliceMiniseries (6 episodes); also executive producerThe RegimeAgnesMiniseries (6 episodes) 2027 Molly Miniseries (6 episodes) Claire Reith Main role (6 episodes)
Theatre Year Title Role Venue2001A Cat in the RoadDaughterThe Customs House, South Shields2005A Brief History of Helen of TroyCharlotteSoho TheatreBurnLindaRoyal National Theatre2006ChatroomEmilyCitizenshipChantelMeasure for MeasureIsabellaTheatre Royal, BathMiss JulieMiss Julie2007The Pain and the ItchKalinaRoyal Court Theatre2008A Couple of Poor, Polish-Speaking RomaniansDzinaSoho TheatreIvanovSashaWyndhams Theatre2010The PrideSylviaMCC Theater2025Mary Page MarloweMary PaigeThe Old Vic, London
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result 2005 WhatsOnStage Awards London Newcomer of the Year A Brief History of Helen of Troy 2006Ian Charleson Award Measure for Measure / Miss Julie 2007 WhatsOnStage Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Play The Pain and the Itch 2009 British Academy Television Awards Best Actress Royal Television Society Awards Best Actor (Female) 2010British Independent Film Awards Most Promising Newcomer Best Performance by an Actress in a British Independent Film Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a PlayThe Pride Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Theatre World Award 2012 British Independent Film Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a British Independent Film Evening Standard British Film Award Best Actress Irish Film and Television Award Best International Actress London Film Critics' Circle Award Best British Actress of the Year Edinburgh International Film Festival Award Best Performance in British Feature Film 2014 Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award Best Ensemble Boston Society of Film Critics Award Best Cast Boston Online Film Critics Association Awards Best Ensemble Critics' Choice Movie Award Best Acting Ensemble Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award Best Ensemble Detroit Film Critics Society Awards Best Ensemble Florida Film Critics Circle Awards Best Cast Georgia Film Critics Association AwardsBest Ensemble Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards New York Film Critics Online Awards Best Ensemble Cast North Texas Film Critics Association Awards Best Ensemble Cast Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards Best Ensemble Acting San Diego Film Critics Society Awards Best Film Ensemble Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards Best Ensemble Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards Best Acting Ensemble 2017 Savannah Film Festival Outstanding Supporting Actress Award British Independent Film Awards Best Supporting ActressThe Death of Stalin 2018 Sitges Film Festival Best ActressNancy 2020 British Independent Film AwardsBest ActressLuxor 2022 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Best ActressTo Leslie Gijón International Film Festival Awards Best Actress Raindance Film Festival Awards Best Lead Performance 2023 Academy Awards Best Actress Chlotrudis Awards Best Actress Independent Spirit Awards Best Lead Performance 2024 Gotham TV Awards Outstanding Performance in a Limited SeriesThe Regime
See also List of British actors List of Academy Award winners and nominees from Great Britain List of actors with Academy Award nominations References
External links
Andrea Riseborough at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art