Janet McTeer

Janet McTeer

McTeer in 2015
Born (1961-08-05) 5 August 1961 (age 62)
Alma materRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art
OccupationActress
Years active1984–present
Spouse
Joseph Coleman
(m. 2010)

Janet McTeer OBE (born 5 August 1961) is an English actress. She began her career training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before earning acclaim for playing diverse roles on stage and screen in both period pieces and modern dramas. She has received numerous accolades including a Tony Award, a Olivier Award, a Golden Globe Award and nominations for two Academy Award and Primetime Emmy Award. In 2008 she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to drama.

McTeer made her professional stage debut in 1984, and was nominated for the 1986 Olivier Award for Best Newcomer for The Grace of Mary Traverse. She received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress, and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in A Doll's House in 1997. For her roles on Broadway, she received two other nominations for Mary Stuart in 2009 and Bernhardt/Hamlet in 2019.

McTeer has also gained acclaim for her film roles, having received two Academy Award nominations, one for Best Actress for Tumbleweeds in 1999, and the other for Best Supporting Actress for Albert Nobbs in 2011. Other roles include Wuthering Heights (1992), Carrington (1995), Velvet Goldmine (1998), Songcatcher (2000), As You Like It (2006), The Divergent Series (2015–2016), and The Menu (2022).

On television, she starred in the title role of Lynda La Plante's The Governor (1995–1996), and received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for her portrayal of Clementine Churchill in the HBO film Into the Storm (2009). She is also known for her roles in Damages (2012), The White Queen (2013), The Honourable Woman (2014), Jessica Jones (2018), Sorry for Your Loss (2018–2019), and Ozark (2018–2020).

Early life

McTeer was born in Wallsend, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and spent her childhood in York. She attended the now defunct Queen Anne Grammar School for Girls, and worked at the Old Starre Inn, at York Minster and at the city's Theatre Royal. She performed locally with the Rowntree Players at Joseph Rowntree Theatre, then trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, beginning a successful theatrical career with the Royal Exchange Theatre after graduating.

Career

Early roles

McTeer's television work includes the BBC production Portrait of a Marriage, an adaptation of Nigel Nicolson's biography of the same name in which she played Vita Sackville-West, and the popular ITV series The Governor written by Lynda La Plante. She made her screen debut in Half Moon Street, a 1986 film based on a novel by Paul Theroux. In 1991, she appeared in Catherine Cookson's The Black Velvet Gown, with Bob Peck and Geraldine Somerville; this won the International Emmy award for best drama. She appeared in the 1992 film version of Wuthering Heights (co-starring Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes) and the 1995 film Carrington (which starred Emma Thompson and Jonathan Pryce) as Vanessa Bell.

In 1996, McTeer garnered critical acclaim – and both the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award and Critics' Circle Theatre Award – for her performance as Nora in a West End production of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House. The following year, the production transferred to Broadway, and McTeer received a Tony Award, a Theatre World Award, and the Drama Desk Award for Best Actress in a Play.

During the show's run, McTeer was interviewed by Charlie Rose on his PBS talk show, where she was seen by American filmmaker Gavin O'Connor, who, at the time, was working on a screenplay about a single mother's cross-country wanderings with her pre-teenage daughter. He was determined that she star in the film. When prospective backers balked at her relative anonymity in the US, he produced the film himself. Tumbleweeds proved to be a 1999 Sundance Film Festival favourite, and McTeer's performance won her a Golden Globe as Best Actress and Academy Award and Screen Actors Guild nominations in the same category.

2000s

McTeer's screen credits include Songcatcher (with Aidan Quinn), Waking the Dead (with Billy Crudup and Jennifer Connelly), the dogme film The King Is Alive (with Jennifer Jason Leigh), The Intended (with Brenda Fricker and Olympia Dukakis), and Tideland, written and directed by Terry Gilliam. She also starred in the dramatisation of Mary Webb's Precious Bane. She has appeared in such British television serials as The Amazing Mrs Pritchard, Hunter, and Agatha Christie's Marple (episode: "The Murder at the Vicarage").

McTeer played Mary, Queen of Scots in Mary Stuart, a play by Friedrich Schiller in a new version by Peter Oswald, directed by Phyllida Lloyd. She acted opposite Harriet Walter as Queen Elizabeth I in London's West End in 2005, a role she reprised in the 2009 Broadway transfer. McTeer received a Tony Award nomination for her role in Mary Stuart, and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play.

In 2008, she starred in God of Carnage in the West End alongside Tamsin Greig, Ken Stott and Ralph Fiennes, at the Gielgud Theatre. She reprised her role on Broadway opposite Jeff Daniels from March to June 2010.

In 2009, she portrayed Clementine Churchill in the HBO feature Into the Storm about Sir Winston Churchill's years as Britain's leader during World War II.

2010s

In 2011, McTeer starred alongside Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs and with Daniel Radcliffe and Ciarán Hinds in The Woman in Black (based on the 1983 novel of the same name). Her role as Hubert Page in Albert Nobbs won McTeer critical acclaim and numerous award nominations, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. It was announced in November 2011 that McTeer had joined the cast of Damages (in the character of Kate Franklin) for its fifth and final season, reuniting her with her Albert Nobbs co-star Glenn Close. This was her first American television series. She played American novelist Mary McCarthy in Margarethe von Trotta's film Hannah Arendt.

In 2013 McTeer was cast as Jacquetta of Luxembourg, the mother of the title character in The White Queen, a British television drama series based on Philippa Gregory's best-selling historical novel series The Cousins' War. Her performance was applauded, with Sam Wollaston of The Guardian suggesting she stole the show. In December 2013, McTeer was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Jacquetta.

On 29 July 2013, it was announced that McTeer had joined the cast of The Honourable Woman, a BBC spy-thriller miniseries starring Maggie Gyllenhaal. In 2015, McTeer starred as Commander Kim Guziewicz in CBS comedy-drama Battle Creek, and filmed Exception based on The Kaiser's Last Kiss (in which she was due to portray Princess Hermine Reuss of Greiz), set for a 2016 release.

In 2016, McTeer played Petruchio in the New York Public Theater Shakespeare in the Park all-female production of The Taming of the Shrew, directed again by Phyllida Lloyd. She co-starred alongside Liev Schreiber in Les Liaisons Dangereuses on Broadway, with McTeer cast as Marquise de Merteuil. The play ran from October 2016 to January 2017.

In 2018, she played Alisa Jones in the Marvel Television and Netflix production Jessica Jones. In September 2018, she took on the role of Sarah Bernhardt in Theresa Rebeck's Broadway play Bernhardt/Hamlet. She was nominated for the 2019 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play.

McTeer portrayed cartel attorney Helen Pierce on the Netflix crime drama Ozark.

2020s

In early 2023, McTeer appeared at London's National Theatre in a new play Phaedra. Director playwright Simon Stone turned the Greek myth of the woman falling in love with her stepson into a satire about London elitism and post-Brexit Britain. Despite a strong cast that included French actor Assaad Bouab, Canadian screen star Mackenzie Davis, and a superb lead performance from McTeer, the play received mixed reviews. The Evening Standard called it "A must-see show. A high-spec, richly-textured chamber extravaganza", while The Guardian says "Even McTeer's strong performance cannot save a tonally unsure play". McTeer garnered a Best Actress nomination at the 2023 Olivier Awards, losing to Jodie Comer for Prima Facie.

Honours

McTeer was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours.

Personal life

McTeer has been married to poet and fashion consultant Joseph Coleman since 2010. They reside in Maine.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1986 Half Moon Street Van Arkady's Secretary
1988 Hawks Hazel
1991 I Dreamt I Woke Up Mysterious Woman/Lady of Lake/Journalist Short film
1992 Wuthering Heights Ellen "Nelly" Dean
1995 Carrington Vanessa Bell
1996 Saint-Ex Genevieve de Ville-Franche
1998 Velvet Goldmine Narrator Voice
1999 Tumbleweeds Mary Jo Walker
2000 Waking the Dead Caroline Pierce
2000 Songcatcher Professor Lily Penleric, PhD
2000 The King Is Alive Liz
2002 The Intended Sarah Morris
2005 Tideland Dell
2006 As You Like It Audrey
2011 Cat Run Helen Bingham
2011 Island Phyllis Lovage
2011 Albert Nobbs Hubert Page
2012 The Woman in Black Mrs Daily
2012 Hannah Arendt Mary McCarthy
2014 Maleficent Elderly Princess Aurora Voice; Narrator
2015 Angelica Anne Montague
2015 Insurgent Edith Prior
2015 Fathers and Daughters Carolyn
2016 Allegiant Edith Prior
2016 Me Before You Camilla Traynor
2016 National Theatre Live: Les Liaisons Dangereuses Marquise de Merteuil
2016 Paint It Black Meredith
2016 The Exception Princess Hermine 'Hermo' Reuss of Greiz
2022 The Menu Lillian Bloom
2025 Untitled eighth Mission: Impossible film Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1985 Juliet Bravo Esther Pearson Episode: "Flesh and Blood"
1986 Gems Stephanie Wilde 2 episodes
1987 Theatre Night Miss Julie Episode: "Miss Julie"
1988 Les Girls Susan 7 episodes
1989 Precious Bane Prue Sarn Television film
1990 The Play on One Dr. Juliet Horowitz Episode: "Yellowbacks"
1990 Portrait of a Marriage Vita Sackville-West 4 episodes
1990 Screen Two Celeste Episode: "102 Boulevard Haussmann"
1990–1991 Screen One Adult Claudie/Caroline 2 episodes
1991 The Black Velvet Gown Riah Millican Television film
1992 Dead Romantic Madeleine Severn Television film
1992 A Masculine Ending Loretta Lawson Television film
1993 Don't Leave Me This Way Loretta Lawson Television film
1994 Jackanory Reader Episode: "The Iron Woman"
1995–1996 The Governor Helen Hewitt 12 episodes
2004 Agatha Christie's Marple Anne Protheroe Episode: "Agatha Christie's Marple: The Murder at the Vicarage"
2006 The Amazing Mrs Pritchard Catherine Walker 6 episodes
2007 Five Days DS Amy Foster 4 episodes
2007 Daphne Gertrude Lawrence Television film
2008 Sense and Sensibility Mrs. Dashwood 3 episodes
2008 Masterpiece Theatre Mrs. Dashwood Episode: "Sense and Sensibility"
2009 Hunter DS Amy Foster 2 episodes
2009 Into the Storm Clementine Churchill Television film
2009 Psychoville Cheryl 2 episodes
2011 Weekends at Bellevue Diana Wallace Television film
2012 Parade's End Mrs. Satterthwaite 4 episodes
2012 Damages Kate Franklin 9 episodes
2013 The White Queen Jacquetta of Luxembourg 6 episodes
2014 The Honourable Woman Dame Julia Walsh 8 episodes
2015 Battle Creek Commander Kim Guziewicz Main cast, 13 episodes
2016 Marks and Spencer Mrs. Claus Advert
2018 Jessica Jones Alisa Jones 11 episodes
2018–2020 Ozark Helen Pierce Recurring role (seasons 2 & 3)
2018–2019 Sorry for Your Loss Amy Shaw Main role; 11 episodes

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes
1996 A Doll's House Nora Helmer Playhouse Theatre, London
1997 Belasco Theatre, Broadway
2009 God of Carnage Veronica (replacement) Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, Broadway
2009 Mary Stuart Mary Stuart Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway
2016 Les Liaisons Dangereuses La Marquise de Merteuil Booth Theatre, Broadway
2018 Bernhardt / Hamlet Sarah Bernhardt American Airlines Theatre, Broadway
2023 Phaedra Helen National Theatre, London

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
1998 Populous: The Beginning Additional voices (voice)

Accolades

Film

Year Award Work Result
1999 Academy Award for Best Actress Tumbleweeds Nominated
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Won
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role Nominated
Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead Nominated
National Board of Review Award for Best Actress Won
Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Won
Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actress Nominated
London Film Critics Circle Award for Actress of the Year Nominated
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress Nominated
Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Nominated
2000 Sundance Film Festival – Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Ensemble Performance Songcatcher Won
2009 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie Into the Storm Nominated
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated
Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated
2011 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Albert Nobbs Nominated
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated
Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female Nominated
Denver Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated
Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated
Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated
Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated
2013 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries or Television Film The White Queen Nominated

Theatre

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref
1986 Olivier Award Most Promising Newcomer of the Year in Theatre The Grace of Mary Traverse Nominated
1992 Olivier Award Actress of the Year Uncle Vanya Nominated
1997 Critics Circle Award Best Actress A Doll's House Won [citation needed]
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Play Won
Olivier Award Best Actress Won
Tony Award Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play Won
2006 Olivier Award Best Actress Mary Stuart Nominated
2009 Tony Award Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play Nominated
2016 Olivier Award Best Actress Les Liaisons Dangereuses Nominated
2019 Tony Award Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play Bernhardt/Hamlet Nominated
2023 Olivier Award Best Actress Phaedra Nominated

This page was last updated at 2024-03-20 06:58 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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