 the hon. elizabeth lucy adeline gower-alton cbe elizabeth alton 11 february 1982 (41) born/raised/lives in london actress, founder/president of greatgate productions single, heterosexual film (2024) spaceman (completed) ... lenka (2024) dune: part two (completed) ... lady jessica (2023) saltburn ... elspeth (2023) boston strangler ... loretta mclaughlin (2022) women talking ... salome (2022) the 355 ... mace (2021) the forgiven ... jo henninger (2021) dune ... lady jessica (2020) ava ... ava (2020) the gentlemen ... rosalind pearson (2019) dark phoenix ... vuk ☆ (2019) us ... kitty tyler/dahlia (2018) a private war ... marie colvin ☆ (2018) 7 days in entebbe ... brigitte kuhlmann (2018) annihilation ... lena (2018) jay z: family feud ft. beyoncé (short) ... jessica chastain's role (2017) the snowman ... katrine bratt (2017) disobedience ... esti kuperman ☆ (2017) the man with the iron heart ... lina heydrich (2016) national theatre live: hedda gabler ... hedda gabler (2016) a united kingdom ... ruth williams (2016) the complete walk: all's well that ends well (short) ... helena (2016) florence foster jenkins ... kathleen (2015) in the heart of the sea ... peggy chase (2015) crimson peak ... lucille sharpe (2015) cinderella ... ella's mother (2014) gone girl ... amy dunne ☆ (2014) miss julie ... miss julie (2013) jimi: all is by my side ... kathy etchingham (2013) saving mr. banks ... margaret goff (2013) the world's end ... sam chamberlain (2012) anna karenina ... princess betsy tverskoy (2012) hitchcock ... vera miles (2011) bridesmaids ... helen ☆ (2010) last night ... joanna (2010) get him to the greek ... jackie q (2009) an education ... helen ☆ (2009) love hate (short) ... hate (2008) the edge of love ... caitlin thomas ☆ (2008) the duchess ... bess foster ☆ (2008) frost/nixon ... caroline cushing ☆ (2007) cassandra's dream ... angela (2007) stardust ... victoria (2006) casino royale ... vesper lynd ☆ (2006) the illusionist ... sophie (2005) pride & prejudice ... jane bennet (2005) mrs. henderson presents ... maureen ☆ (2004) troy ... briseis (2004) vanity fair ... amelia sedley (2003) i capture the castle ... rose mortmain (2003) love actually ... juliet (2002) star wars: episode ii - attack of the clones ... dormé (2001) the hole ... frances "frankie" almond smith television (2023) extrapolations ... rebecca (2020) thomas & friends: the royal engine ... duchess of loughborough (voice) (2019) tuca & bertie ... lady netherfield (voice) (2019) state of the union ... louise ☆ (2018) watership down ... the black rabbit of inlé (voice) (2017) red nose day actually ... juliet (2016-17) house of cards ... hannah conway (2012-14) sherlock ... irene adler ☆ (2011) camelot ... morgan (2010) any human heart ... freya deverell (2002) doctor zhivago ... lara antipova (2001) love in a cold climate ... fanny (2000) in the beginning ... young rebeccah stage (2023) a doll's house (hudson theatre) ... nora helmer ☆ (2017) network (national theatre) ... diana christensen (2016) hedda gabler (national theatre) ... hedda gabler ☆ (2015) constellations (manhattan theatre club) ... marianne ☆ (2012) the recruiting officer (donmar warehouse) ... melinda (2011) anna christie (donmar warehouse) ... anna christie ☆ (2010) an ideal husband (vaudeville theatre) ... lady chiltern ☆ (2009) a streetcar named desire (donmar warehouse) ... stella ☆ (2007) othello (donmar warehouse) ... desdemona ☆ (2007) gaslight (old vic) ... bella manningham (2005) prometheus bound (rsc) ... io / force (2004) hamlet (old vic) ... ophelia (2003) hitchcock blonde (royal court / the lyric) ... the blonde additional (2021) edith! (podcast) ... edith wilson ☆ (2018) sense & sensibility (audible) ... narrator (2017) tribeca film festival ... international narrative jury (ruth wilson's spot) (2015) pride & prejudice (audible) ... narrator (2015) 68th cannes film festival ... main competition jury (sienna miller's spot) (2008) quantum of solace (video game) ... vesper lynd (voice) |
professional reputation • collaborates with directors multiple times, not infrequently in small supporting roles, including ron howard, stephen frears, joe wright, rob ashford, simon kinberg and ivo van hove • notoriously a workaholic with a penchant for squeezing in small projects during what might have been downtime • known to conduct wide-ranging and deeply thorough academic and practical research in preparation for all of her roles • excels at mastering different accents and dialects, and frequently takes on skill-based challenges for work (such as learning to play piano for "crimson peak") • outspoken about the continuing lack of female behind-the-scenes creatives, and seeks to be directed by women when possible; has thus far been directed by mira nair, lone scherfig, michelle maclaren, liv ullmann, amma asante, robin wright, ava duvernay, sarah polley, and emerald fennell. personal life & family • father is admiral edward gower-alton, 10th baron alton kcb obe, a retired naval officer • mother is dr. beatrix gower-alton cbe, head of classics at king's college london • only sibling is older half-brother the hon. oliver gower-alton lvo (b. 1968), a private solicitor; he and his wife, fashion and portrait photographer anne linley, have three children (edmund b. 1/1995, patience b. 7/1996, richard b. 12/1997) • attended marlborough college through sixth form, read classics at wadham college, oxford • family ancestral seat is at greatgate in staffordshire, sold in early 20th century. distantly related to the earls of shrewsbury and the leveson-gower family. • spent significant time during her childhood in belgium due to her father's various postings with nato • privately suffers from endometriosis; had excision surgery in early 2016. has not disclosed her diagnosis to anybody except for her doctors, brother and sister-in-law. personal relationships • close friends within the industry include david and jessica oyelowo, henry dessner, rachel weisz and daniel craig, reese witherspoon, oscar isaac, minna marks, ava duvernay, chris o'dowd, chiwetel ejiofor, edgar wright, simon pegg, carey mulligan, and judd apatow • longtime friend of catherine, princess of wales, and more recently of princes william and harry, and meghan, duchess of sussex; she is godmother to prince louis of wales. • rumored to be dating colin farrell during filming of "cassandra's dream," but it was never confirmed; they are now close friends and have worked together several times since. • many publications took it as gospel that she was dating jude law during production of "anna christie," but they never confirmed the story and were never photographed being affectionate with one another (just out to dinner, y'know, a lot). notable events • famously turned down the role of vesper lynd in "casino royale" to avoid the bond girl moniker, only to reconsider and accept when it was offered to her a second time with the film already in production with a completed script • auditioned for "gone girl" over the course of many hours-long skype meetings with david fincher while filming "miss julie" in rural northern ireland • attended the wedding ceremony and reception of prince william and catherine middleton in april 2011, and the same for prince harry and meghan markle in may 2018 • appointed commander of the most excellent order of the british empire (cbe) by queen elizabeth ii in the 2017 new year honours for services to drama and charity • appointed chevalier of the ordre des arts et des lettres in april 2018 by the french government • published an op-ed in huffpo uk in january 2017 speaking out against prime minister theresa may's offer of a state visit to newly-inaugurated president trump • david fincher gave beau willimon her phone number to personally ask her to play the role of hannah conway in seasons 4 and 5 of "house of cards" • won bafta's second ever rising star award on her 25th birthday, and considers it one of her greatest professional honors miscellaneous • speaks french and german with moderate fluency, is passable in italian, and can read fluent latin as well as ancient greek with moderate proficiency • celebrity ambassador for the prince's trust and the invictus games • member of the national youth theatre in her teens, now serves as patron • keen sportswoman; danced ballet (until age 12), played field hockey (through secondary school), avid noncompetitive runner, and took up boxing in 2013 • icc/rya-certified sailor; served as ambassador and honorary skipper for the place2be team in the inaugural king's cup regatta in 2019 on the isle of wight • voting member of ampas and bafta • brand associations include a campaign for ysl opium and a role as ambassador for iwc schaffhausen headlines • "elizabeth alton called the kardashians 'common'; in posh british circles, she's right" (vulture, 2015) • "a united kingdom's elizabeth alton on politics, nudity and the motherhood dilemma" (evening standard, 2016) • "the blog: president trump should be refused a state visit" (huffpo uk, 2017) • "the 2017 women in hollywood issue – elizabeth alton" (elle, 2017) • "no, elizabeth alton never dated prince harry – but she did go to school with kate" (buzzfeed, 2018) • "opinion: the masters of our fate" (new york times, 2018) • "the gentlemen's elizabeth alton on another 'wife' role, bond women, and why you should be hyped for dune" (thr, 2019) • "elizabeth alton takes to instagram to decry her razzie 'loss' to rebel wilson" (people.com, 2020) • "elizabeth alton scoops up hammersmith's stunning 'beach house' in off-market deal for £7 million" (the times, 2020) • "who gets to keep elizabeth alton in the cambridge vs sussex royal feud?" (jezebel, 2021) |