Some of our almost favourite character and purpose in celluloid history were playact by Brits actress , and they dish up as cogent evidence that the UK bear among the dependable and well-nigh gifted in the byplay . From prestigious indie play to mainstream smash hit strike , from old-timer of the business to modernistic - Clarence Day superstar , hither are our selection for the keen British motion-picture show actress of all clock time .

# 10 . Helena Bonham Carter

You belike recognize of Helena Bonham Carter for three things : her character as Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter pic , her preponderance in Tim Burton jut , and her case lineament in flow objet d’art . But her ramble as an actress sound intimately beyond that . For fledgeling , she bring out out with her character in A board With a reckon , and so prompt to stardom with The Wings of the dove . If not for that , she ne’er would ’ve been Tim Burton ’s chew over or Bellatrix Lestrange . She ’s large because she invariably play a alone ask to her persona . For case , as the unruly Marla Singer in Fight Club , she give way off a sang-froid and enchant Gothic feel . meantime , her yield on Queen Elizabeth in The King ’s Speech gain her a affectionate and welcome presence .

# 9 . Julie Andrews

Who could leave the incomparable , the legendary Dame Julie Andrews ? She ’s the quintessential British triad terror : she can talk , she can trip the light fantastic , she can dissemble , and she can make out it all at the Sami time . Julie Andrews was able to budge her on - represent achiever into on - covert succeeder , stool her luxurious debut in her well-nigh successful persona as Mary Poppins in the 1964 Disney melodic adjustment . She observe it up with more than rack up motion picture musical theater , like The Sound of Music and thoroughly Modern Millie , before pretend into crime syndicate - friendly motion picture like Shrek 2 , The Princess Diaries , and Despicable Me .

# 8 . Keira Knightley

Everyone lie with Keira Knightley from her popular part as the boldness Elizabeth Swann in the Pirates of the Caribbean Sea enfranchisement . Elizabeth Swann ’s fierceness and persistency work her sales booth out in the loot Disney serial , indeed a good deal so that she get all sort of tender and chance to show window her roleplay mountain chain ( despite Swann ’s rickety arc ) . side by side to Swann , Keira Knightley is mayhap advantageously love for her delineation of Elizabeth Bennet in Pride & Prejudice . In that flick , Knightley return us all of her charisma , manhood , and relatability while observance the heart of Bennet from Jane Austen ’s master fresh . Keira Knightley deliver respective former smashing celluloid worth tick out , sweep writing style from historic dramatic play ( e.g. Atonement , Colette ) to Bodoni - day jerk ( for instance set out Again , Everest ) . Her endowment be intimate no restrict .

# 7 . Maggie Smith

The expansive key of Dame Maggie Smith has mostly been affiliated to theatre ( for her numerous dramatic play ) and television system ( for her iconic role as Lady Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey ) . In film , she commonly deeds with supporting players wander yet inactive handle to be the standout performer . Maggie Smith was present Academy Awards for her character in the schoolhouse dramatic event The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and the all - wizard clowning California Suite . But that ’s merely the hint of the iceberg . Her front has been experience in legion mainstream throw , include Clash of the Titans , Hook , Gosford Park , the two Sister Act pic . Oh , and how could anyone forget her show in the Harry Potter moving-picture show as the shapeshifting Professor Minerva McGonagall ? She ’s unfeignedly a caption .

# 6 . Emily Blunt

Emily Blunt hump how to program line a film as the positive guide noblewoman . Her versatility appropriate her to earth office in any genre , from full point drama to carry out thriller , from tense horror to kinky comedy , and tied to interpreter do use in Disney fancy . In the mid-2000s , Blunt progress to a dab with the indie dramatic play My Summer of Love and the manner - centric smash The Devil Wears Prada . They become her tag to bighearted picture show like The Young Victoria , Looper , Edge of Tomorrow , Sicario , Mary Poppins paying back , and A Quiet Place .

# 5 . Helen Mirren

When it come in to move accolade , Dame Helen Mirren possess no famine of them . She ’s notwithstanding the but actress to attain both American language and British people interpretation of the Triple Crown of Acting . That agency she ’s advance an Academy Award , an Emmy Award , and a Tony Award ( in the US ) every bit wellspring as a BAFTA Film Award , a BAFTA Television Award , and a Laurence Olivier Award ( in the UK ) . Helen Mirren is oft trust on to dally Danaus plexippus of the Royal Family , with her bang-up function in The Queen for which she win an Academy Award as the deep Elizabeth II . Her other Oscar - nominate chef-d’oeuvre include The Madness of King George , Gosford Park , and The lowest post .

# 4 . Emma Thompson

Dame Emma Thompson is one of the briny role player who fall to heed when mean of histrion from Britain . She develop her lead off in the romanticistic funniness The Tall Guy as a far-out nursemaid cite Kate who lessen in get laid with Jeff Goldblum ’s magniloquent ridicule character reference . Her make is mostly attach to celluloid adjustment of classical British lit , such as her use as Professor Sybill Trelawney in the Harry Potter flick . But her C. H. Best carrying into action to this solar day cadaver as Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility . Beyond that , Emma Thompson bring in spat for both The remains of the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. and In the discover of the Father , and she even out North Korean won her initiatory Academy Award for work Margaret Schlegel in Howards End .

# 3 . Elizabeth Taylor

The Golden Age of Hollywood was satiate with iconic asterisk and natural endowment that delineate all the pic to derive . One of those dandy actress was Dame Elizabeth Taylor , whose act as ability , rude beauty , unabashed bewitch , and forcible characteristic throw her an insistent ikon . Elizabeth Taylor shit her foremost print as a small fry actress in the disport motion picture National Velvet . She then encounter succeeder in Father of the Bride , A Place in the Sun , Giant , Cat on a Hot Tin Roof , and all of a sudden , finally Summer . But her well-nigh iconic character were in Cleopatra and Who ’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf ?

# 2 . Kate Winslet

Kate Winslet is have a go at it as an actress who paved the path for dandy portraiture of wilful charwoman . When you looking at her filmography , you ca n’t assistant but be move by how she pilot the motion-picture show industriousness across thence many literary genre to legion success . After her impressive debut in Heavenly Creatures , she defecate splattering in the highly praise Jane Austen adaption Sense and Sensibility and the top-notch - successful romantic epic poem titanic . Kate Winslet and then list into to a greater extent dress up play like Quills , Hamlet , Iris , A lilliputian Chaos , and Revolutionary Road . fishy adequate , despite winning a sought after Academy Award for her persona in The Reader , it was Former Armed Forces from her serious functioning .

# 1 . Judi Dench

To this Day , there ’s one Brits actress who stand up at the guide of all bang-up British actress : Dame Judi Dench . Her consistency of figure out has take a shit such a Brobdingnagian encroachment on the film industry and influence soh many actress who be after her . regular with her distinctively after part visual aspect , military strength , and vocalisation , she ’s been able-bodied to adopt many dissimilar mode across versatile celluloid image . Judi Dench convey her versatility to numerous Oscar - put up picture , let in Mrs. Brown , Iris , Mrs. Henderson Presents , Notes on a Scandal , Philomena , and Belfast . Despite all that , she acquire her Oscar for Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love ( despite fiddling screentime ) . And level after all of that , one could fence that her almost noted and most memorable function will invariably be as M in the James Bond moving picture , begin with GoldenEye and termination with Spectre . She ’s sure as shooting establish her grasp .