Geraldine James
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- July 6, 1950
- Birthplace
- Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, UK
Geraldine James, OBE (born 6 July 1950), is an English film, television, and stage actress. Born in Maidenhead, Berkshire, she trained at the Drama Centre London and began her professional acting career in the 1970s. She gained recognition for her performances in the television drama Dummy (1977) and the miniseries The Jewel in the Crown (1984). Her performance alongside Peggy Ashcroft in She’s Been Away (1989) earned her the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival. Her film credits include Gandhi (1982), Calendar Girls (2003), Sherlock Holmes (2009), Alice in Wonderland (2010), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011), and 45 Years (2015). She portrayed Mrs. Hudson in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes films and Queen Mary in Downton Abbey (2019) and Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022). James is also known for her television roles in Band of Gold (1995), Utopia (2013-2014), Anne with an E (2017-2019), and Silo (2023). Her portrayal of Marilla Cuthbert in Anne with an E brought her widespread international recognition. Throughout her career, she has received four BAFTA Television Award nominations and has performed extensively in theater, including a Broadway production of The Merchant of Venice opposite Dustin Hoffman. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2003 for her services to drama.
Filmography
- A Visit to Grandpa’s
A Visit to Grandpa’s TBA
Actor
Now & Then TBA
as Laura
Creditors 2025
as Tekla
Tank Boy 2025
Actor
Eiffel Tower: Building the Impossible 2023
as Self - Narrator (voice)
The Trap 2023
Actor
Benediction 2021
as Theresa Thornycroft
A Very Royal Christmas: Sandringham Secrets 2020
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Downton Abbey 2019
as Queen Mary
Beast 2018
as Hilary Huntington
Megan Leavey 2017
as Dr. Turbeville
Daphne 2017
as Rita
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 2016
as Blue Three
Alice Through the Looking Glass 2016
as Lady Ascot
45 Years 2015
as Lena
Robot Overlords 2015
as Monique
Richard Attenborough: A Life in Film 2014
as Self
Legacy 2013
as Martha
Diana 2013
as Oonagh Shanley-Toffolo
Dr. Easy 2013
as Voice of Dr. Easy
The Genius of Marie Curie: The Woman Who Lit up the World 2013
as Maria Skłodowska-Curie's letters read by
13 Steps Down 2012
as Gwendolen Chawcer
- The Farmer's Wife
The Farmer's Wife 2012
as The Farmer's Wife
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 2011
as Cecilia Vanger
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows 2011
as Mrs. Hudson
Arthur 2011
as Vivienne
Made in Dagenham 2010
as Connie
Alice in Wonderland 2010
as Lady Ascot
Sherlock Holmes 2009
as Mrs. Hudson
Caught in a Trap 2008
as Joyce Perkins
- Heist
Heist 2008
as Joanna the Concubine
Ocean Voyagers 2007
as Narrator (voice)
Northanger Abbey 2007
as Jane Austen (voice)
The Time of Your Life 2007
as Eileen
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas 2007
as Self
A Harlot's Progress 2006
as Mother Needham
The Fever 2004
as Ranevskaya
Calendar Girls 2003
as Marie
Hearts of Gold 2003
as Elizabeth Powell
The Hound of the Baskervilles 2002
as Mrs. Mortimer
White Teeth 2002
as Joyce Malfen
An Angel for May 2002
as Susan Higgins
- Taliesin Jones
Taliesin Jones 2002
as Mum
Tom & Thomas 2002
as Miss Tromp
All Forgotten 2001
as Mother
The Luzhin Defence 2000
as Vera, Natalia's Mother
The Man Who Knew Too Little 1997
as Ludmilla Kropotkin
Moll Flanders 1996
as Edna
Doggin' Around 1994
as Sarah Williams
Words Upon the Window Pane 1994
as Mrs. Henderson
The Healer 1994
as Dr. Mercedes Honeysett
No Worries 1994
as Anne O'Dwyer
A Doll's House 1992
as Kristine Linde
Losing Track 1992
as Mrs. Dewey
The Bridge 1992
as Mrs. Todd
Prince of Shadows 1991
as Rebeca Osorio
Ex 1991
as Alice
If Looks Could Kill 1991
as Vendetta Galante
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase 1989
as Gertrude Brisket
She's Been Away 1989
as Harriet Ambrose
The Tall Guy 1989
as Carmen
Wall of Tyranny 1988
as Krista Donner
- Time and the Conways
Time and the Conways 1985
as Madge Conway
Blott on the Landscape 1985
Actor
- Mr. Attenborough and Mr. Gandhi
Mr. Attenborough and Mr. Gandhi 1983
as Self
Gandhi 1982
as Mirabehn
Chains 1982
as Janine
Sweet William 1980
as Pamela
Bloody Kids 1980
as Ritchie's Wife
Hesther for Example 1980
as Hesther
The Dumb Waiter 1979
as Sally
Who's Who 1979
as Miss Hunt
Dummy 1977
as Sandra
Credits from TMDB.