Tilda Swinton is a Scottish actress known for her roles on stage and screen. She has appeared in numerous art house and blockbuster films, frequently collaborating with directors Joanna Hogg, Derek Jarman, Jim Jarmusch, Wes Anderson and Luca Guadagnino.

Swinton made her screen debut in Joanna Hogg's 1986 short film Caprice. She subsequently earned acclaim for her portrayals of Isabella of France in Derek Jarman's Edward II (1991), and an androgynous nobleman in Sally Potter's Orlando (1992). During this time she also took notable roles in the films such as the drama Friendship's Death (1987), experimental film Wittgenstein (1993), the erotic drama Female Perversions (1996), the British drama The War Zone (1999), the psychological drama Vanilla Sky (2001), the thriller The Deep End (2001), the adventure drama The Beach (2000), and the comedy-drama Adaptation (2002). Swinton received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film Michael Clayton (2007).

In blockbusters, Swinton has starred as the White Witch in the film adaptations of C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008), and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) and appeared as the Ancient One in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Doctor Strange (2016) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Other notable film appearances include David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Lynne Ramsay's We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011), Jim Jarmusch's Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) and Bong Joon-ho's Snowpiercer (2013).

Film

Year Title Role Director Notes 1986 Caravaggio Lena Derek Jarman Egomania: Island Without Hope Sally Christoph Schlingensief Caprice Lucky Joanna Hogg Short film 1987 Aria Young Girl Derek Jarman Segment: "Depuis le jour" Friendship's Death Friendship Peter Wollen The Last of England The Maid Derek Jarman 1988 Das andere Ende der Welt Imogen Kimmel Cycling the Frame The Cyclist Cynthia Beatt Short film Degrees of Blindness Cerith Wyn EvansShort film LIspirazione Derek JarmanShort film 1989 Play Me Something Hairdresser Timothy Neat War Requiem Nurse Derek Jarman 1990 The Garden MadonnaDerek Jarman 1991 Edward II IsabellaDerek Jarman The Party – Nature Morte Queenie Cynthia Beatt 1992 Man To Man Ella/Max Gericke John Maybury Orlando Orlando Sally Potter 1993 Blue Narrator Derek Jarman Voice Wittgenstein Lady Ottoline MorrellDerek Jarman 1994 Remembrance of Things Fast: True Stories Visual Lies Performer John Maybury Experimental short 1996 Female Perversions Eve Stephens Susan Streitfeld 1997 Conceiving Ada Ada Byron King Lynn Hershman Leeson Herlizeares Diera Voice 1998 Love Is the Devil Muriel Belcher John Maybury 1999 The Protagonists Actress Luca Guadagnino The War Zone Mum Tim Roth 2000 The Beach Sal Danny Boyle Possible Worlds Joyce Robert Lepage 2001 The Deep End Margaret Hall Scott McGehee & David Siegel Vanilla Sky Rebecca Dearborn Cameron Crowe 2002 Adaptation Valerie Thomas Spike Jonze Teknolust Rosetta / Ruby / Marinne / Olive Lynn Hershman Leeson 2003 The Statement Annemarie Livi Norman Jewison Young Adam Ella Gault David Mackenzie 2005 Absent Presence Operator Martin R. Davison & Hussein Chalayan Short film Broken Flowers Penny Jim Jarmusch Constantine Gabriel Francis Lawrence Thumbsucker Audrey Cobb Mike Mills Also co-executive producer The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe White Witch Andrew Adamson 2006 Stephanie Daley Lydie Crane Hilary BrougherAlso executive producer 2007 FacelessAlexandra Juhasz, Alisa Lebow (Ed.): A Companion to Contemporary Documentary Film, Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 2015, p. 597 Narrator Manu Luksch Voice The Man from London Camélia Béla Tarr & Ágnes Hranitzky Michael Clayton Karen Crowder Tony Gilroy Sleepwalkers Violinist Doug Aitken Short film Strange Culture Hope Kurtz Lynn Hershman Leeson Documentary 2008 Burn After Reading Katie Cox Joel & Ethan Coen The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian White Witch Andrew Adamson Cameo The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Elizabeth Abbott David Fincher DerekJon Savage: Against the tide, theguardian.com, 14 February 2008Stephen Holden: Clips From an Artistic Life, Provocative and Cinematic, nytimes.com, 9 June 2008Derek, Isaac Julien (GB 2008), Vienna International Film Festival, 2008 Narrator (voice) Isaac Julien Documentary; also writer and executive producer Julia Julia Erick Zonca 2009 I Am Love Emma Recchi Luca Guadagnino Also producer The Limits of Control Blonde Jim Jarmusch The Invisible Frame The Cyclist Cynthia Beatt Short film 2010 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader White Witch Michael Apted 2011Genevieve Goes Boating Narrator Lucy Gray Voice; Short film We Need to Talk About Kevin Eva Khatchadourian Lynne Ramsay Also executive producer 2012 Moonrise Kingdom Social Services Wes Anderson 2013 Only Lovers Left Alive Eve Jim Jarmusch Snowpiercer Minister Mason Bong Joon-ho The Zero Theorem Dr Shrink-Rom Terry Gilliam 2014 The Grand Budapest Hotel Madame D. Wes Anderson 2015 A Bigger Splash Marianne Luca Guadagnino Trainwreck Dianna Judd Apatow 2016 Doctor Strange Ancient One Scott Derrickson Hail, Caesar! Thora Thacker / Thessaly Thacker Joel & Ethan Coen The Seasons in Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger Herself Bartek Dziadosz, Colin MacCabe, Christopher Roth, & Tilda Swinton Documentary;Andrew Pulver: The Seasons in Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger review – Tilda Swinton's demonstration of affection, theguardian.com, 16 February 2016Roman Tschiedl: The Seasons in Quincy, Radio OE1 Leporello, 15 February 2016The Seasons in Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger, 66. Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin, 2016 (PDF)seasonsinquincy.com, Official Website, 2016 also co-director, writer and executive producer 2017 Letters from Baghdad Gertrude Bell Sabine Krayenbühl & Zeva Oelbaum Voice; Documentary; also executive producer Okja Lucy Mirando / Nancy Mirando Bong Joon-ho Also co-producer War Machine German Politician David Michôd 2018 Isle of Dogs Oracle Wes Anderson Voice Suspiria Madame Blanc / Dr. Josef Klemperer / Mother Helena Markos Luca Guadagnino Credited as Lutz Ebersdorf for second role 2019 Avengers: Endgame Ancient One Anthony Russo & Joe Russo The Dead Don't Die Zelda Winston Jim Jarmusch The Personal History of David Copperfield Betsey Trotwood Armando Iannucci The Souvenir Rosalind Joanna Hogg Uncut Gems Anne "Adley's Auction Manager" Safdie brothers Voice; Cameo 2020 Last and First Men Narrator Jóhann Jóhannsson Voice The Human Voice Woman Pedro Almodóvar Short film 2021 The Souvenir Part II Rosalind Joanna Hogg The French Dispatch J.K.L. Berensen Wes Anderson Memoria Jessica Holland Apichatpong Weerasethakul 2022 Three Thousand Years of Longing Dr. Alithea Binnie George Miller The Eternal Daughter Julie / Rosalind Joanna Hogg Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio Wood Sprite / Death Guillermo del Toro & Mark Gustafson Voices 2023 Problemista Elizabeth Julio Torres Asteroid City Dr. Hickenlooper Wes Anderson The Killer The Expert David Fincher 2024 A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things Narrator Mark Cousins Documentary The End Mother Joshua Oppenheimer Also producer The Room Next Door Martha / Michelle Pedro Almodóvar 2025 Ballad of a Small Player Cynthia Blithe Edward Berger Broken English The Overseer Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard

Television

Year Title Role Notes 1986 Zastrozzi, A Romance Julia 4 episodes 1990 Your Cheatin' Heart Cissie Crouch 6 episodes1992 Screenplay Ella / Max Gericke Episode: "Man to Man" Shakespeare: The Animated Tales Ophelia Voice; Episode: "Hamlet" 1994 Visions of Heaven and Hell Narrator Voice; Television documentary 2005The SommeNarratorVoice; Television documentary 2006 GalápagosNarrator Voice; 3 episodes 2012 Getting On Elke Episode 6 (season 3) 2013 When Björk Met Attenborough Narrator Voice; Television documentary 2019 What We Do in the Shadows Tilda Episode: "The Trial" 2021 What If...? Ancient One Voice; Episode: "What If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?" 2024 The Boys Ambrosius Voice; 3 episodes 2026 Rick and Morty The Collective Voice; Episode: "There's Something About Morty"

Theatre Year Title Role Venue Ref.1982 Julius Caesar Plebian Royal Shakespeare Theatre, London 1983–1984 Measure for Measure Juliet Barbican Theater, London 1984 Henry VIII Lady in Waiting 1984 The Devils Sister Claire Royal Shakespeare Company, London 1984 Mother Courage and Her Children Mother / Peasant Girl 1985 Waste Lucy Davenport 1985 Torquato Tasso Princess National Theatre, London 1989 The Long Way Round Nova 2005 Stand Bravely, Brothers! Narrator Royal Festival Hall, London

Video games

Year Title Role 2005 Constantine Gabriel (voice)

Music videos

Year Title Artist Director 1996 "The Box" Orbital Jes Benstock and Luke Losey 2013 "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" David Bowie Floria Sigismondi

References

External links

BFI: Tilda Swinton Tilda Swinton Online - All things Tilda Tilda Swinton: A Life in Pictures, BAFTA webcast, 27 November 2007