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Katherine Matilda Swinton (born November 5, 1960) is an award-winning British actress of Scottish descent, known for her versatile roles in independent films and blockbusters. She is a recipient various accolades throughout her long career, including an Academy Award and two BAFTA Awards, in addition to being nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and five Screen Actors Guild Awards. Swinton began her career by appearing in experimental films starting with Caravaggio (1986), followed by The Last of England (1988), War Requiem (1989), and The Garden (1990). She won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for her portrayal of Isabella of France in Edward II (1991). She next starred in Sally Potter's Orlando (1992), for which she received a nomination for the European Film Award for Best Actress. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her performance in The Deep End (2001), and followed this with appearances in Vanilla Sky (2001), Adaptation (2002), Constantine (2005), Julia (2008), and I Am Love (2009). For the film Young Adam (2003), she won the British Academy Scotland Award for Best Actress. Her performance in Michael Clayton (2007) won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Additionally, she won the European Film Award for Best Actress and received a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the psychological thriller We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011). Swinton has also played the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia series (2005–2010) and the Ancient One in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. Swinton was awarded the Richard Harris Award by the British Independent Film Awards in recognition of her contributions to the British film industry. In 2013, she was given a special tribute by the Museum of Modern Art. In 2020, Swinton was awarded the British Film Institute Fellowship, the highest honour presented by the institution, for her "daringly eclectic and striking talents as a performer and film-maker and recognizes her great contribution to film culture, independent film exhibition and philanthropy." That same year, The New York Times ranked her thirteenth on its list of the greatest actors of the 21st century up to that point.
Filmography
Movies and shows, newest first
- 2026
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2026
Queer Edward II
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2026
WOLF
Movie Narrator (voice)
- 2026
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2026
Broken English
Movie The Overseer
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2025
The Coen Brothers Story
Movie Self
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2025
The Tree
Movie
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2025
Flat 19
Movie
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2025
Ballad of a Small Player
Movie Cynthia Blithe
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2025
Camaraderie
Movie
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2025
Phantoms
Movie
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2025
Timeslip
Movie
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2025
Karl
Movie Self
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2025
Tilda Swinton: The Wildcards
Movie Self (archive)
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2025
Instant Coffee
Movie Self
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2024
The End
Movie Mother
More credits
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2024
Impulse: Playing with Reality
Movie Narrator
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2024
A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things
Movie Wilhelmina Barns-Graham (voice)
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2024
The Room Next Door
Movie Martha / Michelle
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2024
January Stories
Movie
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2024
Obertura
Movie The Gardenerette
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2024
Chroma
Movie
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2024
The Hexagonal Hive and a Mouse in a Maze
Movie Self
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2024
Transparent
Movie
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2024
Fantasmas
TV show Water (voice)
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2024
Problemista
Movie Elizabeth
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2023
The Killer
Movie The Expert
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2023
Personal History
Movie
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2023
Pasolini On Pasolini
Movie narrator
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2023
All Kinds of Love
Movie Self
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2023
Some Thoughts On The Common Toad
Movie Narrator (voice)
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2023
Cannes Uncut
Movie Self
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2023
Asteroid City
Movie Dr. Hickenlooper
- 2022
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2022
The Eternal Daughter
Movie Julie / Rosalind
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2022
Durmiente
Movie
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2022
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Movie Wood Sprite / Death (voice)
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2022
There Was a Tower: A Portrait of Mihály Víg
Movie Executive Producer
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2022
Three Thousand Years of Longing
Movie Alithea
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2022
Sleep Song
Movie