What is Imelda Staunton's Net Worth?
Dame Imelda Staunton is an English actress of theater, film, television, and radio who has a net worth of $5 million. Among her numerous credits are the films "Shakespeare in Love," "Vera Drake," "Pride," and "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"; the television series "Up the Garden Path," "Is it Legal?," "Trying," and "The Crown"; and the stage productions "The Corn is Green," "Into the Woods," "Good People," and "Gypsy." Staunton has earned a surfeit of honors for her work, including multiple Laurence Olivier Awards.
Early Life and Education
Imelda Staunton was born on January 9, 1956 in London, England as the only child of Irish immigrants Bridie and Joseph. The family lived over the salon owned by Bridie. Staunton was educated at La Sainte Union Catholic School, where she studied drama and starred in school plays. She went on to attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 1976.
Theater Career
After graduating from RADA, Staunton spent six years acting in British repertory theater. A period of that time was spent at the Northcott Theatre in Exeter, where she starred in a production of "Saint Joan" in 1979. Staunton subsequently moved to the National Theatre in London. For her role in "The Beggar's Opera" in 1982, she earned her first Laurence Olivier Award nomination, for Best Actress in a Musical. Staunton went on to win her first Olivier Award in 1985, taking home the trophy for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for her work in both "A Chorus of Disapproval" and "The Corn is Green." Staunton earned her next nomination for her role as Dorothy Gale in the Royal Shakespeare Company's 1987 revival of "The Wizard of Oz." She was also nominated for playing Sonya in "Uncle Vanya" at the Vaudeville Theatre. In 1990, Staunton acted in the original West End production of the musical "Into the Woods," for which she took home her first Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
In the 1990s, Staunton appeared in such productions as "Bold Girls," "Slavs!," "Habeas Corpus," and "Guys and Dolls," the lattermost earning her another Olivier Award nomination. Kicking off the new millennium, she starred in the original London production of "Life x 3." After that, Staunton acted in "Calico" and "There Came a Gypsy Riding." In 2009, she acted in a revival of the play "Entertaining Mr. Sloane," for which she received yet another Olivier Award nomination. Staunton went on to win her second Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Mrs. Lovett in the 2012 West End revival of "Sweeney Todd." She won her third a few years later for playing Momma Rose in the 2015 revival of "Gypsy." Staunton's other theater credits include "Good People" and revivals of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," "Follies," and "Hello, Dolly!"
Film Career
Staunton made her film debut in the 1986 historical drama "Comrades." She became more prolific in the 1990s, beginning with a starring role in the 1990 comedy "Antonia and Jane." After that, Staunton appeared in Kenneth Branagh's films "Peter's Friends" and "Much Ado About Nothing." In the latter half of the decade, she was in such titles as "Deadly Advice," "Sense and Sensibility," "Twelfth Night," "Remember Me?," and "Shakespeare in Love." Commencing the new millennium, Staunton voiced the character Bunty in the animated film "Chicken Run" and starred in the comedy "Rat." Her subsequent credits included "Another Life," "Crush," "Bright Young Things," "I'll Be There," and "Blackball." In 2004, Staunton gave one of the most acclaimed performances of her career in Mike Leigh's period drama "Vera Drake." For her role as the titular working-class woman who performs illegal abortions in 1950s London, she won Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival, the BAFTAs, and the European Film Awards. Staunton also earned an Academy Award nomination. She followed her success with roles in "Nanny McPhee" (2005) and "Shadow Man" (2006).
In 2007, Staunton reached a wider audience with her role as the tyrannical Dolores Umbridge in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the fifth installment in the "Harry Potter" series. The same year, she appeared in the dramas "Freedom Writers" and "How About You." Staunton went on to appear in "Three and Out" and "A Bunch of Amateurs" in 2008 and "Taking Woodstock" in 2009. In 2010, she reprised her role as Umbridge in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1" and appeared in her second Mike Leigh film, "Another Year." Over the ensuing years, Staunton appeared in "The Awakening," "Pride," and "Maleficent" and had voice roles in "Arthur Christmas," "The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!," and the "Paddington" films. Toward the end of the decade, she starred in the romantic comedy "Finding Your Feet" and played Lady Maud Bagshaw in the big-screen adaptation of the historical drama television series "Downton Abbey." Staunton reprised her role as Bagshaw in the 2022 sequel "Downton Abbey: A New Era." Her other credits in the early 2020s include the horror film "Amulet" and the animated comedy "The Canterville Ghost."
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Television Career
In the 1980s, Staunton appeared in episodes of the series "Ladies in Charge," "The Singing Detective," and "The Ruth Rendell Mysteries." She also played various roles on Emma Thompson's variety show "Thompson." Staunton had her first main television role from 1990 to 1993, playing Izzy Comyn on the ITV sitcom "Up the Garden Path." During that time, she appeared in episodes of such anthology series as "ScreenPlay," "Masterpiece," and "Performance." Staunton went on to star in the miniseries "If You See God, Tell Him" in late 1993. In early 1995, she made her American television debut in the HBO film "Citizen X." Back in Britain, Staunton starred on the sitcom "Is it Legal?" from 1995 to 1998. Closing out the decade, she appeared in the two-part BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens's classic novel "David Copperfield."
Staunton acted in several miniseries in the '00s, including "Murder," "Cambridge Spies," "Fingersmith," "Dogtown," and "Cranford." She was also in television film adaptations of the books "My Family and Other Animals," "The Wind in the Willows," and "Clay." In 2008, Staunton lent her voice to the children's series "Big & Small." She began the 2010s with a main role in the second season of the BBC Two series "Psychoville." In 2012, Staunton portrayed Alfred Hitchcock's wife Alma in the television film "The Girl," earning her BAFTA and Emmy nominations. She went on to star in the television film "That Day We Sang" and in the miniseries "A Confession" and "Flesh and Blood." From 2020 to 2021, Staunton appeared in the Apple TV+ series "Trying," and from 2022 to 2023 she starred in the Netflix series "The Crown." For her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the latter, she received BAFTA and Emmy nominations.
Radio and Audiobooks
Among her notable work outside of theater, film, and television, Staunton starred as the titular character in the 1990s BBC radio series "Julie Enfield Investigates." She also starred on the brief BBC radio sitcom "The Patrick and Maureen Maybe Music Experience," playing opposite Patrick Barlow. Later, Staunton played a character on another BBC radio sitcom, "Acropolis Now." Elsewhere, the actress has narrated audiobook versions of various children's books, including many by author Julia Donaldson.
Personal Life
Staunton married fellow actor Jim Carter in 1983. They have a daughter named Bessie who also became an actor.
