English actress Imelda Staunton was born in Archway, North London on January 9, 1956 as Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton. She studied at La Sainte Union Convent School. She trained for theatre at the Royal Academy for Dramatic Art and spent six years in an English repertory theatre. While she was in Northcott Theatre, Exeter, she was given the title role in Saint Joan in 1979. She then moved back to London, appearing in the Old Vic Theatre production of The Corn is Green. Her portrayal of the character Betsy Watty won her an Olivier Award in 1985. She also won the Olivier Award for her role in A Chorus of Disapproval. She was then cast in other plays like The Wizard of Oz and Uncle Vanya. She received her third Olivier Award for her performance in the 1990 Into the Woods.
Imelda Staunton has appeared on several television episodes during the 1980s. She was in the TV mini-series The Singing Detective, as well as in Ruth Rendell Mysteries. She was cast as Mary Charleston in 1992’s Peter’s Friends, one of her first film appearances. In 1993, she was given a role in Much Ado About Nothing, and was in 18 episodes of the series Up the Garden Path. She was also featured alongside Richard Briers and Adrian Edmondson in the TV comedy If You See God, Tell Him. In 1994, she had a role in Deadly Advice, which was followed by Sense and Sensibility the next year. In 1998, she shared a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Performance by a Cast for Shakespeare in Love. She also provided the voice for the character Bunty in 2000’s animated film Chicken Run. She was also cast in Crush, Murder and as the queen in the television movie Cambridge Spies.
In 2004, Staunton was cast as the title role in Vera Drake. She received the Best Actress honors at the European Film Awards, the BAFTAs, and the Venice Film Festival for her performance. It was directed by Mike Leigh, and won Best Picture as well. Staunton was also nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for the role. The next year, she played Mrs. Blatherwick in the family comedy Nanny McPhee. The next role she became famous for was as Dolores Umbridge in 2007’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. For her remarkable performance, she was nominated for the “British Actress in a Supporting Role" category at the London Film Critics Circle Awards.