On Her Own Terms

From icy matriarchs to tragic heroines, Lindsay Duncan has brought elegance and honesty to stage and screen for five decades

- by BRIAN MCIVER

FOR several decades she's been one of the most respected and lauded actresses across British stage and screen.

As a multiple Olivier and Tony award winner, Lindsay Duncan has lit up theatres across the world while also starring in some of the most important British TV shows, from Alan Bleasdale’s 90s drama GBH to Doctor Who, Sherlock and Channel 4’s hit relationship drama Truelove last year.

But now the Edinburgh-born performer is enjoying a new wave of success in Hollywood following an acclaimed turn in Oscar-sweeping modern classic Birdman, alongside Michael Keaton and Emma Stone.

The Best Picture winner helped propel her to new opportunities in the US and, even 10 years on from the quirky smash hit, has won her new fans all over the world and parts in some of the biggest films and TV shows.

The success of Birdman was followed by her role in HBO series The Leftovers, and she’s gone on to work in high-end telly such as Prime Video's Wheel Of Time with Rosamund Pike, and Apple TV+'s The Morning Show, alongside Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston.

Now she is bringing together both her theatrical works and streaming success by helping to support the National Theatre’s online platform, NT at Home, through an on-demand performance of the Dodie Smith play Dear Octopus.

Having acted since the 1970s, Duncan loves the fact that she keeps being discovered by new generations of audiences. Now 74, she couldn’t be happier at having such a wide range of interesting work on offer with new voices, such as the play’s director, Emily Burns.