Polly Walker

Early life

Walker was born in Warrington, Lancashire. She attended Padgate Church of England Primary School in Warrington, and Bush Davies School of Theatre Arts in East Grinstead until joining Twickenham's Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance at age 16. She had to abandon dancing after a leg injury at the age of 18, deciding to focus on acting.

She attended Drama Centre London, before working at the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Career

Film and television

Walker landed the title role in the television series Lorna Doone (1990), before making her feature debut in Journey of Honor (1991). In that same year she appeared in Les Equilibristes and in Mike Newell's Enchanted April, in which she played an aristocrat eager to escape the attentions of her persistent male admirers. Walker first gained international attention in 1992 as a single-minded English member of an Irish terrorist group in Phillip Noyce's Patriot Games.

She appeared in Douglas McGrath's 1996 adaption of Jane Austen's Emma, as Jane Fairfax, the titular character's rival.

In 2003 she had a starring role in the BBC drama series State of Play.

Between 2005 and 2007, Walker played Atia of the Julii in both seasons of the HBO–BBC2 television series Rome. Her performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination in 2006 for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama.

She next played the sinister Catherine Braithwaite in "Deus Ex Machina", a two-episode story of the BBC television "cold case" crime series Waking the Dead (2007). In May 2007, she appeared as Lady Bess Sedgwick in ITV's Marple: At Bertram's Hotel, and then played sugar heiress Ellis Samuels in the CBS television drama Cane (2007).

In May 2008, Walker was cast as Sister Clarice Willow, headmistress of a private religious school, in Syfy's Battlestar Galactica prequel series Caprica. She appeared in Louis Leterrier's 2010 action fantasy remake, Clash of the Titans as Cassiopeia.

In 2011 she guest starred as Ranna Seneschal, leader of the underground city of Praxis, on the Canadian sci-fy fantasy show Sanctuary.

Walker starred in BBC's crime drama Prisoners' Wives as crime wife Francesca Miller from 2012 to 2013. She went on to appear in Andrew Staunton's 2012 science fiction action-adventure film John Carter as Sarkoja, a merciless Thark.

In 2014, she had a recurring role as the character Delphine Day in the ITV series Mr Selfridge.

In 2018, Walker starred as Bel, the leading character in Age Before Beauty. From 2019 to 2022, she portrayed dominatrix Margaret "Peggy" Skyes in the action crime drama show Pennyworth.

In 2020, she appeared as Lady Lunete, the Queen Regent and mother to Uther Pendragon, a recurring character for 5 episodes in the Netflix series, Cursed. Since December 2020, Walker has starred in the Netflix series Bridgerton as Portia, Lady Featherington. She earned a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination in 2021 with the series cast for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.

Personal life

On 23 October 2008, Walker married the former actor Laurence Penry-Jones (brother of Rupert Penry-Jones) with whom she lived in the United States for several years. In 2015, they returned to London.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Audio dramas

Video games

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. (2007). "BBC – Drama – People Index: Polly Walker". bbc.co.uk.
2. "Polly Walker: 'My greatest achievement? Continuing to work in this business in my fifties'".
3. (2018-07-31). "Who Is Polly Walker? The 'Age Before Beauty' Star Might Look Familiar".
4. "Enchanted April - Official Site - Miramax".
5. "Polly Walker Credits".
6. "Bridgerton's Polly Walker Talks Season 2 and the Hilarious Behind-the-Scenes 'Disaster' Moment".
7. Cremona, Patrick. (31 August 2021). "State of Play writer Paul Abbott confirms he's writing a sequel to the acclaimed 2003 drama".
8. (13 December 2005). "''Rome'' News: ''Rome'' receives Golden Globe Nominations".
9. (15 December 2005). "''Brokeback Mountain'' leads Golden Globe nominations".
10. ""AT BERTRAM'S HOTEL" (2007) Review".
11. Wyatt, Edward. "New 'Cane' serves up hot rum, family intrigue".
12. (2010-10-05). "'Caprica' looks for more action; Polly Walker's Sister Clarice codes a 'digital Heaven'".
13. (2010-03-31). "'Clash of the Titans'".
14. Raeside, Julia. (2012-02-16). "Have you been watching … Prisoners' Wives?". [[The Guardian]].
15. Weintraub, Steve. (2012-03-05). "Director Andrew Stanton Talks JOHN CARTER".
16. (2024-03-02). "Mr Selfridge: Along came Polly".
17. Elvy, Craig. (2018-12-04). "Epix's Pennyworth DC Show Casts Polly Walker".
18. Ivie, Devon. (2022-04-09). "Polly Walker Won't Let Lady Featherington Become Bridgerton's 'Old Fool'".
19. Katherine Hassell: [https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/713759/Actress-Polly-Walker-ITV-Paranoid ''Paranoid's Polly Walker: I like playing a troublemaker'']. Express, 25 September 2016
20. Register, Orange County. (1992-08-11). "HOLDING HER OWN".
21. "RSC Performances {{!}} Hamlet {{!}} Shakespeare Birthplace Trust".
22. "As You Like It · British Universities Film & Video Council".
23. "RSC Performances {{!}} H.I.D. {{!}} Shakespeare Birthplace Trust".
24. Billington, Michael. (2003-12-15). "Les Liaisons Dangereuses". [[The Guardian]].
25. Briggs, Nicholas. (2017-07-12). "The Movellan Grave".
26. "6.7. Doctor Who: The Movellan Grave - Doctor Who - The Fourth Doctor Adventures - Big Finish".
27. "FilmAffinity".
28. "Polly Walker - Awards".
29. "9th Annual TV Awards (2005) – Online Film & Television Association".
30. "Polly Walker".
31. Andreeva, Nellie. (2021-02-04). "'Bridgerton', 'I May Destroy You' & 'Dead To Me' Land SAG Award Nominations After Golden Globes Snub".