the hon. elizabeth lucy adeline gower-alton cbe elizabeth alton 11 february 1982 (36) born/raised/lives in london actress, founder/president of full and by films* single, heterosexual film (20??) seducing ingrid bergman (announced) ... ingrid bergman / producer (20??) painkiller jane (announced) ... jane vasko / producer (20??) the forgiven (announced) ... rebecca hall's role (20??) dune (pre) ... lady jessica (20??) 355 (pre) ... jessica chastain's role / producer (20??) eve (pre) ... eve / producer (20??) pale blue dot (post) ... lucy cola (2019) x-men: dark phoenix (post) ... smith (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) no strings attached ... emma (2010) last night ... joanna (2010) get him to the greek ... daphne binks (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 (20??) state of the union (pre) ... louise (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 (2005) dark shadows ... carolyn stoddard (2002) doctor zhivago ... lara antipova (2001) love in a cold climate ... fanny (2000) in the beginning ... young rebeccah stage (2017) network (national theatre) ... diana christensen (2016) hedda gabler (national theatre) ... hedda gabler ☆ (2015) constellations (samuel j. friedman theatre) ... 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 (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 • founded her production company full and by films in 2016 • collaborates with directors multiple times, not infrequently in small supporting roles, including ron howard, stephen frears, joe wright, rob ashford, ivo van hove and simon kinberg • 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 directors, and seeks to be directed by women when possible; has thus far been directed by mira nair, lone scherfig, michelle maclaren, josie rourke, liv ullmann, amma asante, robin wright, and ava duvernay personal life & family • father is admiral sir edward gower-alton kcb obe, a retired naval officer and 10th baron alton • mother is dr. beatrix gower-alton cbe, head of classics at king's college london • only sibling is older half-brother oliver (b. 1968), an attorney; he and his wife, anne (a fashion and portrait photographer), have three young adult children (edmund, patience, richard) • 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; all family marriages/christenings still take place at their parish, all saints' church in denstone. 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 postings with nato in brussels personal relationships • close friends within the industry include david and jessica oyelowo, sophie liverich, reese witherspoon, henry dessner, rachel weisz and daniel craig, colin farrell, chiwetel ejiofor, edgar wright and simon pegg • longtime friend of catherine, duchess of cambridge, and more recently of prince william, prince harry, and meghan, duchess of sussex; she is godmother to prince louis of cambridge. • 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 their production of "anna christie," but they never confirmed the story and were often photographed together but never being affectionate with one another. • considers dame judi dench her professional mentor; after meeting on the set of "pride & prejudice" it was dench who recommended her both to stephen frears (for "mrs. henderson presents") and to eon productions (for "casino royale"). 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 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 a supporting part in seasons 4 and 5 of "house of cards" • won bafta's second ever rising star award on her 25th birthday, and has since called it one of her greatest professional honors • named one of elle magazine's 2017 women in hollywood miscellaneous • aquarius sun, libra moon, cancer rising. intj ("the architect"), rheti 1w2 ("the reformer"; perfectionist, responsible, fixated on improvement). • 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 runner, took up boxing in 2013, licensed sailor • voting member of ampas and bafta • brand associations include a campaign for ysl opium and a role as ambassador for iwc schaffhausen