Known for her character work and versatility, she is the recipient of various accolades, including a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and a Cannes Film Festival Award, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards and two Primetime Emmys. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to drama in 2003. (via Wiki) After several decades of hard work on stage and both television and films, there are not many other actresses who deserved the success, recognition and stardom which Brenda Blethyn has now achieved. Recently seen on ITV's Vera series, which wrapped up its series finale on New Year’s Day (January 1, 2025) after a successful 14 seasons run. She just won a TV Choice Contribution Award for her work on Vera this month (February 10).
Born in (February 20th) 1946 in Ramsgate in Kent, England, she started her career at British Rail in the 1960s. Saving money during her time there, she took a risk and enrolled herself at the at The Guildford School of Acting in Guildford, Surrey, England and then left her British Rail years behind. Her risk had paid off, by the mid-1970s she was working on stage, eventually joining the National Theatre Company in 1975. (Read more of her Bio on IMDB!)
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Brenda Blethyn as Mrs. Bennet in Pride & Prejudice
“When I told people I was playing this part they’d say ‘oh she’s a wonderful cartoon character, you’ll have great fun’. I said ‘excuse me, no she’s not. She’s got a problem to be dealt with and it seems to me that she’s the only one taking the problem seriously’. The father isn’t, the daughters don’t seem terribly concerned, and I would say that it’s okay for the father because he’s got a roof over his head all the time he’s alive, it’s when he goes that the problem sets in. She mentions that in one of the scenes.” (Brenda Blethyn)
“It’s a tricky part, as she can be very annoying; you want to stop her chattering and shrieking. But Brenda has the humor and the heart to show the amount of love and care Mrs. Bennet has for her daughters”. (Joe Wright)
"We were like one big family. We took over the house. It was so much fun. Brenda Blethyn (Mrs Bennett) mummied us all - when we had days off she took us on day trips to a llama farm." (Carey Mulligan)
“I´ve loved every minute of this film. We´ve become such friends. All of us. It´s been so happy, kind of idyllic, in that house, and the friendships and the camaraderie, it´s just heaven, and I don´t want it to end, to be honest”. (Brenda Blethyn)
1. Vera (TV Series) DCI Vera Stanhope (42 Episodes; 2011-2021)
- Death of a Family Man (2014) ... DCI Vera Stanhope
- The Deer Hunters (2014) ... DCI Vera Stanhope
- On Harbour Street (2014) ... DCI Vera Stanhope
- Protected (2014) ... DCI Vera Stanhope
- Prodigal Son (2013) ... DCI Vera Stanhope
More on the lovely Brenda Blethyn...
(Photos above and below via Getty Images)
Brenda Blethyn was an Oscar Nominee twice:Best Actress in a Leading Role for Secrets & Lies (1997)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Little Voice (1999)
She was nominated for Pride & Prejudice for the following...
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - BAFTA Film Awards (2006)
British Supporting Actress of the Year - London Film Critics Circle Awards (2006)Best Supporting Actress - Washington DC Film Critics Awards (2006)
Won a Camie (Character and Morality in Entertainment) Award (2006) she shared with P&P director Joe Wright and co-stars Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, and Donald Sutherland.
See a list of all her Awards & Nominations here.