“I had a fabulous teacher, my headmistress's husband, who taught Shakespeare for A-level, and then I found this person called William Shakespeare and a play called 'King Lear.' The teacher took us to see it at Stratford and I remember Eric Porter, Alan Howard, Michael Williams and being completely blown away by it.”

English actress

Geraldine James is an English actress known for work across television, stage and film. Her career spans several decades, and she is known for roles in British drama and period stories. She played Sarah Layton in The Jewel in the Crown, Marilla Cuthbert in the Netflix series Anne with an E, and Queen Mary in the film Downton Abbey. She also won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her performance in the television film She's Been Away.