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Harriet Walter

Harriet Walter

Actor, also producer · Born September 24, 1950 (76) · London, England, UK

Primetime Emmy nominee · BAFTA Award nominee · Screen Actors Guild Award nominee

Dame Harriet Mary Walter DBE (born 24 September 1950) is a British actress. She has received a Laurence Olivier Award as well as numerous nominations including for a Tony Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2011, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for services to drama. Walter began her career in 1974 and made her Broadway debut in 1983. For her work in various Royal Shakespeare Company productions, including Twelfth Night (1987–88) and Three Sisters (1988), she won the 1988 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Revival. Her other notable work for the RSC includes leading roles in Macbeth (1999) and Antony and Cleopatra (2006). She won the Evening Standard Award for Best Actress for her role as Elizabeth I in the 2005 London revival of Mary Stuart, and received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Play when she reprised the role on Broadway in 2009. She reprised her roles of Brutus in Julius Caesar (2012) and the title role in Henry IV (2014), as well as playing Prospero in The Tempest, as part of an all-female Shakespeare trilogy in 2016. Her film appearances include Sense and Sensibility (1995), The Governess (1998), Villa des Roses (2002), Atonement (2007), The Young Victoria (2009), A Royal Affair (2012), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Denial (2016), The Sense of an Ending (2017), Rocketman (2019) and Ridley Scott's The Last Duel (2021). On television she starred as Natalie Chandler in the ITV drama series Law & Order: UK (2009–14), in four episodes of Downton Abbey (2013–15), in the miniseries London Spy (2015), as Clementine Churchill in The Crown (2016), in Patrick Melrose (2018), and in the third season of Killing Eve (2020). She is a three-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee; two for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for Succession (2018–21) and one for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for Ted Lasso (2021). Description above from the Wikipedia article Harriet Walter, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 24, 1950 (76)
From
London, England, UK
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
72 on MovieCove · 122 credits in all
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 28% in 30 days

What are Harriet Walter's films like?

Across their 46 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

What they feel like to watch

their average across 33 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

A split, not a type: Light 13 · Serious 7 · Dark 13

A split, not a type: Grounded 17 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 4

Gentle 10 · Charged 15 · Intense 8

A split, not a type: Steady 17 · Shifting 14 · Whiplash 2

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 18 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 6

A split, not a type: Slow burn 17 · Even-paced 15 · Relentless 1

Casual 12 · Engaged 19 · Full focus 2

A split, not a type: Easy watch 11 · Affecting 10 · Heavy 12

Resolved 21 · Open-ended 9 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

19 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 7 of 19 analyzed roles.

Mentor
7 of 19
Ally
6 of 19
Shadow
2 of 19
Threshold guardian
2 of 19
Hero
2 of 19
Show the 19 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
22
Tense
19
Contemplative
19
Bittersweet
12
Warm
11
Other
41

How their films end · 8 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet31
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous4
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Harriet Walter's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 59 of their 72 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (20).

Subscription and free streaming for Harriet Walter's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

122 credits, 72 with a MovieCove page; 9 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Shelter(2026)

    as Prime Minister Fordham

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
  • Ponies(2026)

    Show 4 episodes · as Manya Caplan

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows
  • Playing Gracie Darling(2025)

    Show 6 episodes · as Pattie Grey

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all shows
  • Brian and Maggie(2025)

    Show 2 episodes · Executive Producer · as Margaret Thatcher

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows
  • And Mrs(2024)

    as Lord Chief Justice Amanda Vaughn

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
  • National Theatre Live: The House of Bernarda Alba (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as Bernarda Alba

  • Archie(2023)

    Show 4 episodes · as Elsie Leach

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows
  • On the Line(2023)

    as Shirley

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
  • Silo(2023)

    Show 22 episodes · as Martha Walker

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows
  • Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
  • Burial(2022)

    as Anna Marshall

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
  • This Is Going to Hurt(2022)

    Show 7 episodes · as Veronique

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows
  • The Last Duel(2021)

    as Nicole de Carrouges

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
  • Alexander Pope: Rediscovering a Genius (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Duchess of Marlborough

  • The Cleaner(2021)

    Show 1 episode · as Lisa

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows
  • Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Jo Patterson

  • Herself(2020)

    as Peggy

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
  • Ted Lasso(2020)

    Show 5 episodes · as Deborah Welton

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
  • Alan Bennett's Talking Heads(2020)

    Show 1 episode · as Muriel

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows
  • Belgravia(2020)

    Show 6 episodes · as Caroline, Countess of Brockenhurst

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows
  • The End (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 10 episodes · as Edie Henley

  • Rocketman(2019)

    as Helen Piena

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
  • The Spanish Princess(2019)

    Show 8 episodes · as Margaret Beaufort

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows
  • Curfew (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 8 episodes · as Helen Newman

  • My Dinner with Hervé(2018)

    as Baskin

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
  • Black Earth Rising(2018)

    Show 2 episodes · as Eve Ashby

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows
  • Henry IV (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    as Henry IV

  • Julius Caesar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    as Brutus

  • The Tempest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    as Prospero

  • Succession(2018)

    Show 7 episodes · as Lady Caroline Collingwood

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows
  • Patrick Melrose(2018)

    Show 1 episode · as Princess Margaret

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
  • Killing Eve(2018)

    Show 8 episodes · as Dasha Duzran

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
  • The Sense of an Ending(2017)

    as Margaret Webster

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
  • The Crown(2016)

    Show 6 episodes · as Clemmie Churchill

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
  • Mindhorn(2016)

    as Richard's Agent

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
  • Denial(2016)

    as Vera Reich

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
  • Flowers(2016)

    Show 5 episodes · as Hylda

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows
  • Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
  • London Spy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Claire

  • Documentary Now!(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Edwina

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows
  • Man Up(2015)

    as Fran Patterson

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
  • Suite Française(2014)

    as Viscountess Montmort

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
  • Wolf Hall(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Margaret Pole

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
  • The Assets(2014)

    Show 8 episodes · as Jeanne Vertefeuille

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows
  • By Any Means (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Sally Walker

  • Heading Out(2013)

    Show 2 episodes · as Angela

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all shows
  • The Domino Effect (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Ann

  • The Door (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Woman with Sorrowful Eyes

  • The Wedding Video (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Alex

  • Simon Schama's Shakespeare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • A Royal Affair(2012)

    as Augusta - Prinsesse af Wales

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
  • Call the Midwife(2012)

    Show 3 episodes · as Sister Ursula

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
  • Black Mirror(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as Judith Keyworth

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
  • This September(2010)

    Show 4 episodes · as Isobel Balmerino

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all shows
  • Downton Abbey(2010)

    Show 4 episodes · as Lady Shackleton

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
  • From Time to Time(2009)

    as Lady Gresham

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
  • Chéri(2009)

    as La Loupiote

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
  • The Young Victoria(2009)

    as Queen Adelaide

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
  • Law & Order: UK(2009)

    Show 39 episodes · as Natalie Chandler

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
  • A Short Stay in Switzerland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Clare

  • Hunter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Show 2 episodes · as ACC Jenny Griffin

  • Morris: A Life with Bells On (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Professor Compton Chamberlayne

  • Broken Lines (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Leah

  • Ballet Shoes(2007)

    as Dr. Smith

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
  • 10 Days to War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 1 episode · as Anne Campbell

  • Fairy Tales (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 1 episode · as Charlotte Brooks

  • Abraham's Point(2008)

    as Pani Nemeth

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
  • Atonement(2007)

    as Emily Tallis

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
  • Babel(2006)

    as Lilly

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
  • Chromophobia(2005)

    as Penelope Aylesbury

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
  • Agatha Christie's Marple(2004)

    Show 1 episode · as Duchess

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows
  • London (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 3 episodes · as Virginia Woolf

  • Frankenstein: Birth of a Monster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Mary Wollstonecraft

  • Bright Young Things(2003)

    as Lady Maitland

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
  • George Eliot: A Scandalous Life(2002)

    as Mary Ann Evans / George Eliot

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
  • MI-5(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Deep Throat

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows
  • Villa des roses(2002)

    as Olive Burrell

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
  • Waking the Dead(2000)

    Show 2 episodes · as Annie Keel

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows
  • Messiah (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 3 episodes · as Professor Robb

  • Macbeth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Lady Macbeth

  • My Uncle Silas(2001)

    Show as Pamela Farrell

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows
  • Black Cab (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 1 episode · as Jane

  • Onegin(1999)

    as Madame Larina

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
  • The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns(1999)

    Show 2 episodes · as Queen Morag

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows
  • Bedrooms and Hallways(1998)

    as Sybil

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
  • The Governess(1998)

    as Mrs. Cavendish

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
  • Unfinished Business (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 12 episodes · Actor

  • A Merry War(1997)

    as Julia Comstock

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
  • A Dance to the Music of Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 4 episodes · as Mildred

  • Midsomer Murders(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Diana Davenport · as Margaret Winstanley

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
  • The Leading Man(1996)

    as Liz Flett

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
  • Dalziel and Pascoe(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as Mary Waddell

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows
  • Sense and Sensibility(1995)

    as Fanny Ferrars Dashwood

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
  • Hard Times (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Rachel

  • Hard Times(1994)

    Show 4 episodes · as Rachel

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all shows
  • Jean Renoir: Part One - From La Belle Époque to World War II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • The Maitlands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Mrs. Dorothy Maitland

  • The Advocate(1993)

    as Jeannine Martin

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
  • Ashenden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 1 episode · as Giulia Lazzari

  • Performance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 1 episode · as Dorothy Maitland

  • The Men's Room (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 5 episodes · as Charity Walton

  • They Never Slept (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Amelia Cleverly

  • May Fools(1990)

    as Lily

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
  • La nuit miraculeuse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Actor

  • Benefactors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Actor

  • A Dorothy L. Sayers Mystery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 10 episodes · as Harriet Vane

  • A Dorothy L. Sayers Mystery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 10 episodes · as Harriet Vane

  • Inspector Morse(1987)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Esther Martin

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows
  • Turtle Diary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Harriet Sims

  • The Good Father(1985)

    as Emmy Hooper

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
  • Girls On Top (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as R.S.C. Actress 3

  • The Price (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Frances Carr

  • The Price (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 6 episodes · as Frances Carr

  • Screen Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Amelia Cleverly · as Jeannine Martin

  • Reflections (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Ottilie Garinger

  • Amy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Amy Johnson

  • The Cherry Orchard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Varya

  • The Imitation Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Actor

  • Rebecca (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as Clarice

  • Late in Summer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Margot & Rudi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 121 titles, 119 of them dated from 1979 to 2026; peak year 2016.

Film career

MilestoneNomination
19792026

Peak 2016 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 4 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting121 of 121: 120 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score69thProducing1 of 121: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

By decade

1970s1 · acting1980s15 · acting1990s22 · acting2000s26 · acting2010s34 · acting2020s21 · 21 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 8th · top billed in 0% of 29 roles
90001020

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

7 major nominations and no wins, 2017–2024.

  1. 2024
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Supporting Actress
  2. 2023
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
  3. 2022
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
  4. 2020
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
  5. 2017
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Harriet Walter's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 66th percentile, the median of all 37; across their 33 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 59th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Approval · how many liked their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Reach · how many have seen their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Midcredits score across 72 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up32
  • 50th to 74th21
  • 25th to 49th15
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

33 of their 72 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved18
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic4
  • Crowd Pleaser33
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed12

Reviewers score the acting 75/100 in their films, across 30 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 50. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Harriet Walter's work okay for kids?

Across up to 20 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore13 titles11–70 · median 42 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity20 titles10–67 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity13 titles17–64 · median 56 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs11 titles14–42 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense12 titles13–66 · median 44 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Harriet Walter work with?

People who share at least 2 of Harriet Walter's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Christine Langan shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles