“When my parents were going, 'Oh God, are you going to be an actress?' I decided I'd give it my best shot until I was 30, and as I hit 30 it all started taking off, just in the nick of time.”

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.