I didn’t realize how many Jane Austen adaptations Victoria Hamilton has been in until I started putting together this list, and suddenly I realized that there was a period of about four years where she was in a Jane Austen flick nearly every year. I wonder if that’s some kind of record? She’s played the romantic competition, the bad influence, the unfaithful wife, and even the Queen Mum in her 30-year career as an actress, so today we’re going to look at some of her best known costume roles!
Persuasion (1995)
Pride and Prejudice (1995)
Mansfield Park (1999)
Victoria & Albert (2001)
Goodbye, Mr. Chips (2002)
In Search of the Brontes (2003)
To the Ends of the Earth (2005)
Lark Rise to Candleford (2008-11)
Call the Midwife: Christmas Special (2012)
The Crown: Season 1 (2016-)
Are you a fan of Victoria Hamilton? Share your favorite roles in the comments!
You see her so much on British episodic TV, as well. I loved her Queen Mother on The Crown. ‘Oh, Hey! It’s That Actress!’
I love to see her; she has a unique look and presence. But it did make me feel really old when I saw her as the Queen Mum after knowing her so well as the 18-year old Mrs Forster!
That particular Call The Midwife Christmas Special is my favorite!! I’ve watched it about 5-6 times. You really feel for her character.
Seconded- it’s both heartbreaking and an excellent performance.
I love To the Ends of the Earth. Darkness and uncertainty really creep in around the edges without you quite realising. The ship is wonderfully atmospheric. Mind you, my favourite genre is Men Suffering On Boats (see also: The Terror, Master & Commander)
“Men suffering on boats”
😂😂😂
My favourite is Victoria in Victoria and Albert followed by Ruby in Lark Rise.
Victoria and Albert is really lovely. The costumes seem to be period-appropriate, but I am far from an expert.
Coming here to offer the same opinion. I think I saw it when it came out (or whenever it hit tv, if tv wasn’t first), as a kid. Not enough to recall or have much of an opinion on the costumes, but I remember quite liking it.
I’ve made it a personal goal to watch every Austen adaptation over this past year and I love spotting folks that were in multiple adaptations. I knew Victoria Hamilton was in both Mansfield Park and Persuasion, but I missed P&P–well spotted! The mid-90s were truly a good time for Austen!
I loved Victoria and Albert, but I honestly really loved her first in Mansfield Park. As unfaithful as the film was, she still is the definitive Maria Bertram IMHO.
My but she looks good in that gray pixie cut!
I loved Victoria and Albert, watched it several times!! The call the midwife episode is also excellent, (spoiler alert) she plays a woman nearing menopause who lost her only child as an infant years ago, and ends up giving birth unexpectedly on Christmas Day (she didn’t know she was pregnant) . It’s a lovely episode, very touching
In Lark Rise, I think that she and her sister always wore matching outfits. In this particular one, the purple/gold velvet frocks must have been made of leftovers from the R&J costumes in Shakespeare in Love!
I love everything about Persuasion–she’s so cute and funny in the montage of everyone pouring out their troubles to Anne.