English actress Anna Madeley was a reader suggestion, but a timely one as I just rewatched the 2008 Sense & Sensibility since I thought it needed a fuller review! Anyway! Madeley has ton a lot of stage work in addition to TV and film. Our reader suggestion noted that she “melts into the background” (in a good way), and to be honest, I’m shocked at just how many period productions she’s been in!
She’s got two period roles coming up: Betty Knox in Fatherland and Aunt Medora in The Age of Innocence. Here’s a rundown of her past work!
There’s two productions for which I can’t find photos:
- Katherine in A Crooked House (2008)
- Anne Granger in The Little Stranger (2018)
School Girl in Back Home (1989)
A TV film about a girl returning to England five years after being sent away during World War II.
Florrie Roystan in A Dinner of Herbs (2000)
A TV adaptation of a Catharine Cookson (historical romance) novel.
Lydia Languish in The Rivals (2004)
A filmed version of an Old Vic stage production of this 18th-century play.
Nurse Samantha Beaumont in The Royal (2003-05)
A TV series about the staff at a fictional 1960s British hospital.
Isabella Beeton in The Secret Life of Mrs. Beeton (2006)
A TV movie about the nineteenth-century Martha Stewart.
Betsy Quilp in The Old Curiosity Shop (2007)
Haven’t seen/read it, so I have no idea how big of a role she has in this Dickens adaptation!
Lucy Steele in Sense & Sensibility (2008)
She plays the surface sweet, under the surface conniving young woman who’s managed to engage herself to Edward Ferrars, Elinor’s love interest.
Margaret Prior in Affinity (2008)
An adaptation of a modern novel about lesbians, prison, and the Spiritualism movement. With excellent bustle dresses! But a semi-boring plot.
Celia Ryder in Brideshead Revisited (2008)
I believe Celia is Charles’s beard wife? In this TV miniseries adaptation of the 1920s/30s-set novel.
Adele Fortescue in Agatha Christie’s Marple: “A Pocket Full of Rye” (2008)
Requisite Agatha Christie episode! All British actors are contractually obligated!!
Mariana in The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister (2010)
The TV film version of the biopic about the real-life queen English diarist. This one is costumed more Regency than the series. Sadly it’s been too long for me to remember her character!
Miss Ravillious in Mr. Selfridge (2013)
She’s listed as being in one episode of this early 1900s department store drama, but I have no idea what she did!
Barbara Franklin in Poirot: “Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case” (2013)
Yay! Second requisite Agatha Christie appearance!
Clarissa Eden in The Crown (2016-17)
She briefly played the prime minister’s wife in the Queen Elizabeth II bio-series.
Mrs. Hall in All Creatures Great & Small (2020- )
Madeley plays the housekeeper for the central vet character in this 1930s-40s animal-riffic TV series.
Eliza Svoboda in Vindicta (upcoming)
“A 2026 WW2 Female Revenge film” per Wikipedia.
What’s your favorite of Anna Madeley’s frock flick roles?
I believe that the Brideshead Revisted with Matthew Goode was a film not a TV miniseries.
I love that Sense and Sensibility adaptation for reasons unfathomable, and it never struck me that Lucy Steele is also Mrs. Hall until today.
LMAO never knew Lucy Steele Was in So many Flicks! Another reason for me to check “Affinity” out I see!
On a more unrelated and sad note, Recently found out Jane Lapotaire (Who was in countless Costume Flicks) passed Away in March of this year I was floored I didn’t hear of it earlier! We’re you all aware? I think she deserves a WCW
Celia Ryder is the easily disposable wife, whom Charles doesn’t really care about.
I’m shocked that mild-mannered Mrs. Hall was wildly jealous Marianne (one of Anne Lister’s lovers) & cold-as-ice Celia (in the Brideshead remake movie) & even Lucy Steele before!
Whatever the opposite of an IPhone face is, she has it
Why do I get a happy suspicion this lady will be appearing in Frock Flicks until she’s a Grand Dame in the peerage as well as on the screen?
Also, British actors aren’t contractually-obliged to appear in at least two Agatha Christie adaptations, it’s really more of a highly-traditional Blood Oath to keep the Queen of Crime slumbering in her unquiet grave.
“Lesbians, Prison, and the Spiritualism Movement” sounds like it could be the title of someone’s tell-all autobiography…
I loved her in All Creatures Great and Small! However as a knitter I strongly object to that promo photo with her yarn on the floor. I’m knitpicking :)
I think the version of “The Rivals” was filmed at the Bristol Old Vic, another old and highly-respected playhouse, but not the one in London. It was an excellent production, and one I used a lot when teaching Theatre students.
I need that embroidered teal velvet coat. Need. Please.