Lydia Leonard
Personal details
  • Born:
    • Birthday: 1981-12-05
    • Born Place: Paris, Ile-de-France, France

Lydia Leonard

Lydia Leonard is a Tony and Olivier Award-nominated British actress known for her commanding presence and versatility across stage, television, and film. Born on December 5, 1981, in Paris, France, she lived there until age five before moving to Hampshire, England. She trained at the prestigious Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating in 2003. Leonard first achieved major critical acclaim in the theater, particularly for her portrayal of Anne Boleyn in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s adaptations of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. Her performance in the Broadway transfer of these plays earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in 2015. She is also a frequent face in London’s West End, with notable roles including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in Onassis and Polyxena in Hecuba alongside Vanessa Redgrave. On television, Leonard has become a staple of high-end British drama and comedy. She gained widespread recognition as Mariana Lawton in the period drama Gentleman Jack (2019–2022) and as Rebecca Fox, the ambitious talent agent in Ten Percent (2022), the UK adaptation of the French hit Call My Agent!. In 2022 and 2023, she reached a global audience playing Cherie Blair in the fifth and sixth seasons of Netflix’s The Crown. Her film career is highlighted by her role in the 2019 festive hit Last Christmas, where she played Marta Andrich, the high-achieving but strained sister of Emilia Clarke’s character, Kate. She also appeared in the 2013 thriller The Fifth Estate and the 2010 indie drama Archipelago. As of Christmas Day 2025, Leonard is coming off a particularly prolific year. In late 2024 and early 2025, she took over the role of Lady Jane Rochford in the BBC's Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, the final installment of the trilogy, replacing Jessica Raine. She also recently starred as Esme Wren in the Amazon Prime miniseries A Very Royal Scandal (2024), which dramatized the Emily Maitlis/Prince Andrew interview, and played Clarice in the second season of the comedy We Are Lady Parts. Looking ahead, she is set to appear in the 2025 thriller series Down Cemetery Road alongside Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson, portraying Defense Secretary Talia Ross.

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