Susanna White

Early life and education

Susanna White was born in England in . She first became interested in films at eight years old and asked her parents to buy her a Super 8 film camera. One source reports that she said that the inspiration came from when she visited the set of the BBC children's TV show Crackerjack,

She studied English at Oxford University, and then won a Fulbright scholarship to study film at UCLA.

Career

After graduation, White spent 12 years making documentaries for BBC2. In 1999, she failed to win a place on a BBC training scheme and was turned down for a BBC drama director trainee course. In 2001, she was supported by BBC2 controller Jane Root, who eased her into drama with a £200,000 budget drama for BBC2, Love Again, about Philip Larkin. She said in 2010 that it was seeing Jane Campion's 1993 film The Piano at a cinema on King's Road that inspired her to become a maker of feature films rather than documentaries.

White won a BAFTA award for best drama serial for her work on the 2005 version of Bleak House. She directed the BBC mini-series Jane Eyre, for which she was nominated for an Emmy award. She also directed four episodes of the HBO miniseries Generation Kill, and all five episodes of the 2012 series Parade's End.

In film, White has directed Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang and Our Kind of Traitor.

White directed three episodes of the Disney+ Star Wars series Andor, which were released in 2022.

She is directing the film version of Australian playwright Suzie Miller's award-winning play Prima Facie, in pre-production . The film stars Cynthia Erivo as Tessa, the only role in the stage version.

Personal life

White and her husband, an Oxford academic and part-time dairy farmer, were living on a dairy farm in Sussex with their twin daughters in 2009.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. (2010-03-21). "Susanna White, film director". The Guardian.
2. (3 February 2009). "Susanna White: From Jane Eyre to Generation Kill".
3. (8 September 2012). "Parade's End director says sexism is still rife in drama world".
4. (25 March 2014). "Damian Lewis and Jeremy Northam Join Cast of Spy Thriller ''Our Kind of Traitor''".
5. (4 June 2021). "'Andor': 'Chernobyl' & 'His Dark Materials' Actor Robert Emms Joins 'Rogue One' Spin-Off Series Filming In UK".
6. Miller, Suzie. (23 April 2024). "In conversation with Australia's success story Suzie Miller".
7. Donnelly, Matt. (15 May 2023). "Cynthia Erivo to Star in 'Prima Facie,' Movie Adaptation of Smash Jodie Comer Play (EXCLUSIVE)".
8. Lee, Benjamin. (2023-05-15). "Cynthia Erivo to star in movie adaptation of hit play ''Prima Facie''". [[The Guardian]].
9. Cox, David. (2010-03-29). "Nanny McPhee speaks softly but carries a big stick". The Guardian.
10. Felperin, Leslie. (2016-05-04). "'Our Kind of Traitor': Film Review".
11. Dargis, Manohla. (2016-06-30). "Review: A Professor Drawn to the Mob in 'Our Kind of Traitor'". The New York Times.
12. Ford, Rebecca. (2016-11-03). "AFM First Look: Jessica Chastain Remains by Sitting Bull's Side in 'Woman Walks Ahead' (Exclusive)".
13. Bradshaw, Peter. (2017-09-11). "Woman Walks Ahead review – Jessica Chastain historical drama is a sturdily liberal portrait". The Guardian.
14. Catsoulis, Jeannette. (2018-06-28). "Review: A 'Woman Walks Ahead,' and Sitting Bull Stands Up". The New York Times.
15. Miller, Lucasta. (2006-09-23). "Prim and improper". The Guardian.
16. "BBC - Drama - Jane Eyre - About The Show".
17. "BBC Four - Diary of a Nobody, Episode 4".
18. Robinson, John. (2009-10-01). "Calling the shots on Generation Kill". The Guardian.
19. Brown, Maggie. (2012-09-08). "Parade's End director says sexism is still rife in drama world". The Observer.
20. (September 2025). "Parade's End".
21. "2006 Television Drama Serial {{!}} BAFTA Awards".
22. "Nominations Search {{!}} Awards Search".
23. "BAFTA Awards Search {{!}} BAFTA Awards".