Pippa Bennett-Warner

Last updated

Pippa Bennett-Warner
Pbw 2022 1.jpg
Bennett-Warner in 2022
Born
Philippa Elaine Fanti Warner

(1988-07-23) 23 July 1988 (age 36)
Banbury, Oxfordshire, England
OccupationActress
Years active1999–present

Philippa Elaine Fanti Bennett-Warner (born 23 July 1988) is a British actress. [1] She began her career as a child actress, playing young Nala in the original West End production of The Lion King (1999). She went on to earn WhatsOnStage and Ian Charleson Award nominations for her roles in the musical Caroline, or Change (2006) and Michael Grandage's King Lear (2010) respectively. [2]

Contents

On television, Bennett-Warner starred in the Sky Atlantic crime drama Gangs of London (2020–present) and the BBC thrillers Roadkill (2020) and Chloe (2022).

Early life

Bennett-Warner was brought up in Buckinghamshire, and was educated at St Edward's School in Oxford, and Lucie Clayton Charm Academy. She is of Jamaican and Kittitian descent, and has a sister, Georgina, who is three years older. [3]

Career

Early work (1999–2009)

She started her acting career in Julie Taymor's 1999 London production of The Lion King , as one of the original young Nalas. [4]

In 2006, she got a place at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and the role of Emmie Thibodeaux in the musical Caroline, or Change , for which she was nominated for the Whatsonstage.com Stuart Phillips London Newcomer of the Year award 2007, alongside Andrew Garfield. She went on to star in the lead role in Athol Fugard's UK premiere of Victory for the Peter Hall Company and then went to RADA in September 2007.

Bennett-Warner graduated from RADA in 2010, but left early to take on the role of Sophie in Lynn Nottage's Ruined at the Almeida Theatre. Before completing the course she was awarded the prestigious Carleton Hobbs Radio Award. However, due to another job commitment she was unable to join the radio rep.[ clarification needed ]

After finishing Ruined, a two-hander (Crocodile, written by Frank McGuinness) with Sinéad Cusack for Sky Arts followed. During this time Bennett-Warner was cast in Michael Grandage's award-winning King Lear as Cordelia, with Derek Jacobi in the title role. [4] Before rehearsals started for King Lear in October, she filmed small parts in Come Fly With Me with David Walliams and Ashley Lucas and also in Case Histories alongside Jason Isaacs.

Breakthrough (2010–present)

Bennett-Warner received an Ian Charleson commendation for King Lear. She then took the role of Denise in D. C. Moore's new play The Swan — in a role that had been written for her – at the National Theatre [5] followed by playing Queen Isabel in Michael Grandage's swan song Richard II at the Donmar Warehouse with Eddie Redmayne in the title role and Andrew Buchan as Bolingbroke in 2010. [6] She received positive reviews from the critics, with Kate Bassett from The Independent saying: "Both of them (Redmayne and Buchan) are, in fact, outshone by Pippa Bennett-Warner in the cameo role of Isabel, Richard’s devoted, fiery queen." [7]

In 2012, she played the lead role in Vivienne Franzmann's second play The Witness, at the Royal Court Theatre. [4] She received rave reviews with Susannah Clapp from The Observer stating, "Always thought Pippa Bennett-Warner had big future. Now she is having it in 'The Witness' at Royal Court...There are actresses (even actors) who are more flashy, who more obviously inflect every detail of a speech. PBW is completely natural. Audiences of course admire her: but they do something else, which is not always the same thing: they believe her". Bennett-Warner went on to secure a nomination for Best Actress at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2012, alongside Cate Blanchett and Dame Eileen Atkins and was named as one of the 1,000 Most Influential Londoners in 2012 in the category "Generation Next" by The Evening Standard .

In 2016, she narrated Zadie Smith's book Swing Time . From 2018 to 2019 she played the title role in The Maya Angelou Autobiographies for BBC Radio 4. In 2020, she narrated Bernardine Evaristo's Girl, Woman, Other for the BBC.

Personal life

She is an Ambassador for The Theatres Trust. [8]

Bennett-Warner is good friends with Jonathan Bailey who she appeared with in Doctor Who 's "Time Heist" episode in 2014. [9] Bailey also photographed her for a profile for Rose & Ivy magazine in 2021. [10]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2016 Patient Zero Linda
Wakefield Emily
2017 The Foreigner Marissa Levitt
2018 Johnny English Strikes Again Lesley
2020RealJamie [11]
2021OpenNaomi
2022 See How They Run Ann Saville
A Bit of Light Bethan
2024 Magpie Esther
TBA The Magic Faraway Tree HannahFilming

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2002 Holby City Gemma WebberEpisode: "Leopard Spots"
2003 Lenny Henry in Pieces Jessica
2010CrocodileGirlTV film
2011 National Theatre Live Cordelia Episode: " King Lear "
Come Fly With Me Lisa2 episodes
Case Histories Emma DrakeEpisode: "Case Histories, Part 1 and 2"
2012 Lewis Nina ClemensEpisode: "The Indelible Stain"
Inspector George Gently Delores KennyEpisode: "Gently Northern Soul"
Agatha Christie's Marple VictoriaEpisode: "A Caribbean Mystery"
Southcliffe SusannahTV mini-series
2013 Vera Manda/Sister ClaireEpisode: "Young Gods"
Death in Paradise Rosie Curloo
2014 The Smoke Ziggy Brown8 episodes
Law & Order: UK Zana WashingtonEpisode: "Repeat to Fade"
The Secrets LornaTV mini-series
Doctor Who SaibraEpisode: "Time Heist"
2015 National Theatre Live DorindaEpisode: "The Beaux' Stratagem"
The Trials of Jimmy Rose Kerry IrwinTV mini-series
River Tia Edwards
2016–2019 Harlots Harriet LennoxTV series
2017–2018 Sick Note Becca Palmerstone
2018 Silent Witness DC Heidi Bailey2 episodes
2019 MotherFatherSon Lauren ElgoodTV series
2020 Sitting in Limbo EileenTV film [12]
Unsaid Stories: Look at MeKayTV short film
Roadkill Rochelle MadeleyTV series
MaxxxTamzinTV series
2020–present Gangs of London Shannon DumaniTV series
2022 Chloe LiviaTV series
2023 Obsession Peggy GrahamMiniseries [13]
2024 Moonflower Murders MadeleinePost-production [14]

Theatre

Radio

Video games

Related Research Articles

Georgina McKee is an English actress. She won the 1997 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for Our Friends in the North (1996), and earned subsequent nominations for The Lost Prince (2003) and The Street (2007). She also starred on television in The Forsyte Saga (2002) and as Caterina Sforza in The Borgias (2011). Her film appearances include Notting Hill (1999), Phantom Thread (2017), and My Policeman (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donmar Warehouse</span> Theatre in Covent Garden, London, England

The Donmar Warehouse is a 251-seat, not-for-profit Off-West End theatre in Covent Garden, London, England. It first opened on 18 July 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harriet Walter</span> British actress (born 1950)

Dame Harriet Mary Walter is a British actress. She has performed on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and received an Olivier Award, and nominations for a Tony Award, five Emmy Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2011, Walter was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for services to drama.

Paul Shelley is an English actor.

Ronald G. Cook is an English actor. He has been active in film, television and theatre since the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Grandage</span> British theatre director (born 1962)

Michael Grandage CBE is a British theatre director and producer. He is currently artistic director of the Michael Grandage Company. From 2002 to 2012 he was artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse in London and from 2000 to 2005 he was artistic director of Sheffield Theatres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anton Lesser</span> English actor

Anton Lesser is a British actor. He is known for his roles as Qyburn in the HBO series Game of Thrones, Harold Macmillan in The Crown, Clement Attlee in A United Kingdom, Chief Superintendent Bright in Endeavour, and Major Partagaz in Star Wars: Andor. An associate of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he has performed numerous Shakespearean roles on stage and television.

Nancy Carroll is a British actress. She has worked extensively in theatre productions, particularly with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has won Best Actress at the Olivier Awards and the Evening Standard Awards. She also has numerous film and television credits, including a long-running featured role as Lady Felicia in the BBC series Father Brown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josie Rourke</span> English theatre and film director

Josie Rourke is an English theatre and film director. She is a Vice-President of the London Library and was the artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse theatre from 2012 to 2019. In 2018, she made her feature film debut with the Academy Award and BAFTA-nominated historical drama Mary Queen of Scots, starring Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deborah Findlay</span> English actress (born 1947)

Deborah Findlay is an English actress. She has worked primarily on stage and is an Olivier Award Winner, but has also appeared in several TV series. She is known for playing the Defoe family matriarch Ruth in three series of the BBC TV legal drama The Split (2018–2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Bennett (actor)</span> English actor (born 1979)

Edward Mark W Bennett is an English actor.

The Ian Charleson Awards are theatrical awards that reward the best classical stage performances in Britain by actors under age 30. The awards are named in memory of the British actor Ian Charleson, and are run by the Sunday Times newspaper and the National Theatre. The awards were established in 1990 after Charleson's death, and have been awarded annually since then. Sunday Times theatre critic John Peter (1938–2020) initiated the creation of the awards, particularly in memory of Charleson's extraordinary Hamlet, which he had performed shortly before his death. Recipients receive a cash prize, as do runners-up and third-place winners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cush Jumbo</span> British actress and writer (born 1985)

Cush Jumbo is a British actress and writer. She is best known for her leading role as attorney Lucca Quinn in the CBS drama series The Good Wife (2015–2016) and the Paramount Plus spin-off series The Good Fight (2017–2021) and most recently June Lenker in the Apple TV+ series Criminal Record (2024).

Sarah Woodward is a British actress who won an Olivier Award in 1998 for Tom & Clem and was Tony nominated in 2000 for The Real Thing. Sarah is the daughter of actor Edward Woodward and his first wife, actress Venetia Barrett. She is sister of actor Tim Woodward, and actor, voice artist, and screenwriter Peter Woodward, and half-sister to actress Emily Woodward, whose mother is actress Michele Dotrice.

Lisa Ann Diveney is a British actress, best known for playing Beth in the Only Fools and Horses spin-off The Green Green Grass. She has also appeared in an episode of BBC drama Call the Midwife.

The 2011 Evening Standard Theatre Awards were announced on 20 November 2011. The shortlist was revealed on 7 November 2011 and the longlist on 19 October 2011.

Max Bennett is an English actor. On television, he is best known for playing Monk Adderley in Poldark on the BBC, and Robert Southwell in Will for TNT. On film, he is best known for playing David in the Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, and Brown in Guy Ritchie's crime caper The Gentlemen. He has worked extensively in London theatre, with leading roles in the West End, as well as for the Donmar Warehouse, Royal Court, Young Vic, Shakespeare's Globe and the National Theatre.

Katherine Kingsley is an English actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwilym Lee</span> British actor (born 1983)

Gwilym Lee is a British actor. He is best known for his roles in Midsomer Murders (2013–2016), A Song for Jenny (2015), Jamestown (2017), Top End Wedding (2019), The Great (2020–2023), and for playing guitarist Brian May in the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody (2018).

Jade Anouka is an English actress. She is known for her various stage roles and for her appearances in His Dark Materials on BBC One and the ITV dramas Trauma and Cleaning Up.

References

  1. "Pippa Bennett-WarnerProfile". RADA. 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  2. "Ian Charleson Awards 2010 | WestendTheatre.com". westendtheatre.com. 30 June 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  3. "The Inventory: Pippa Bennett-Warner". Financial Times. 22 May 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 10 Questions for Actress Pippa Bennett-Warner
  5. LondonTheatre1.com (15 December 2011). "Interview with Pippa Bennett-Warner". LondonTheatre1.com. Retrieved 30 December 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. "Pippa Bennett-Warner: There aren't enough roles for actresses, full". Evening Standard. 25 June 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  7. Bassett, Kate (11 December 2011). "Richard II, Donmar Warehouse, London Company, Crucible, Sheffield The Ladykillers, Gielgud, London". The Independent . Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  8. "Our Ambassadors". Theatres Trust. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  9. "Doctor Who, Time Heist, review: Keeley Hawes is marvellous but the Doctor proves the real villain". The Independent. 22 September 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  10. "In Conversation With Pippa Bennett-Warner". Rose & Ivy. 8 January 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  11. "Real director hopes portrayal of black love will inspire". The Voice Online. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  12. "Meet the cast of BBC One Windrush drama Sitting in Limbo". Radio Times. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  13. "'Obsession' Netflix British Thriller Series Sets April 2023 Release Date". 16 March 2023.
  14. O'Rourke, Ryan (14 December 2023). "Lesley Manville Is Back on the Case in First 'Moonflower Murders' Images". Collider. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  15. "Pippa Bennett-Warner:There aren't enough roles for actresses, full stop". The Evening Standard. 25 June 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2020.