Lesley Manville
Lesley Manville
Lesley Manville OBE is an English actress of film, theatre and television who frequently collaborates with director Mike Leigh. For her work in his 2002 film All or Nothing and his 2010 film Another Year, she won the London Film Critics Circle Award for British Actress of the Year. For the latter, she also won the National Board of Review Award for Best Actress and was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionMovie Actress
Date of Birth12 March 1956
chameleon life normally quite work
I'm quite chameleon in my work - not normally looking much like I do in real life.
I was champion soprano of Sussex when I was 16!
ability ends far life love playing social women
I love playing women at the far ends of the social scale. I've done it all my life; that's where my ability lies.
cover few pot
I like to personalise my dressing room, have a cover for the bed and, if it is a long run, a few cushions and a teapot - a little pot for one.
devoted lots
I have been devoted to my son, and there have been lots of jobs in the past that I haven't done because I didn't want to be away from him.
I do absolutely want to be around as long as possible. I tell my son: 'You do realise, I am going to live to 100.'
box collect friend girl mine office rang reserved ticket
A friend of mine rang the box office to collect a ticket I'd reserved for her, and the girl said, 'Who's Lesley Manville?'
cannot deal however life people point reach reaches responsibility unless
You've got to take responsibility for your own actions. We all know people who reach rock bottom. However much that they're told that what they're doing is harming their own life or whatever, you cannot make someone do it unless that person reaches the point where they know that they have to deal with it themselves.
mike prolific work
When I make films, I work with Mike Leigh, who's the most prolific director in England.
achieve bed finally glass learning
With learning lines, before I had Alfie, I'd put it off and think, 'Oh, I'll just have a glass of wine and then do it later,' but when you've finally got a child to bed and you know you've only got an hour, then you achieve so much.
anonymity convince enjoy life people private stuff work
In my work, I want to convince people that I'm that character. If they know everything about Lesley Manville - private life, all of that stuff - it doesn't help. So the kind of anonymity I enjoy is key.
birth emotions gave huge life love
When I gave birth to my son, something happened. It is a huge thing for a woman: a whole set of emotions you never had before arrives, and a love you never had before in your life is now on tap.
age cinema companies films huge number realise stuff women
I think that distributors and marketing companies realise that there are a huge number of women over 40 who want to go the cinema and see films about themselves. Women of my age don't want to be force-fed with stuff about 25-year-olds.
close family grown sisters
I've got two older sisters who I'm very close to. And my son's grown up with a big sense of family around him.