It’s taken a while for Lesley Manville to receive the recognition her talent deserves but, she says, she couldn’t be happier
WORDS: ALISON JAMES IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK
Metaphorically speaking, there’s many an actor whose star shines brightly when they’re young, only to start flickering once they have a few more years under their belt.
On reaching 60, the light may have been extinguished altogether, or the parts they take on fall very much into the supporting role category.
This definitely hasn’t been the career trajectory of Lesley Manville. The 68-year-old Brighton-born actress started out slowly and it’s only in the last decade or so that her unique gifts have come to the fore.
Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for her performances in the films Phantom Thread and Mrs Harris Goes to Paris, a clutch of gongs for playing Cathy in much-missed sitcom Mum, myriad theatre awards… Then there was that absolute jewel of a part playing Princess Margaret in the final two series of Netflix’s The Crown.
Not that Lesley resents any of this late bloomer stuff. Anything but.
“I always knew it would be a slow burn,” she says. “You could say I am having a kind of late-to-the-party success. Somehow, I knew I would always get there in the end.
“It’s hard for some actresses of my age – and for the moment, it isn’t like that for me. It could be next year, who knows? That’s the life we live.
“I often feel guilty about how good things are in my career.”
“Good” is rather an understatement. Lesley’s career is on fire! She is starring as Cynthia Winehouse – Amy Winehouse’s adored paternal grandmother – in Back To Black, the biopic about the late singer which is released this month.
It was one-time jazz singer Cynthia, who passed away in 2006 – five years before Amy – who is said to have been the greatest influence on her granddaughter.
Lesley has another two films in post-production – Queer and Winter Of The Crow. She is currently filming a third movie, Midwinter Break, and is due to start filming a fourth, Mr Burton, any day now. Then in the autumn, she opens in the West End in a modern adaptation of the Greek tragedy Oedipus. Phew!
“My criteria for choosing jobs are always the same,” she explains. “They are always based on script quality, directors, and other actors.
“But I’ve been in a very privileged position for quite some time now, where I have a lot of choice.”
The only downside to being so gainfull
