Cecilia Diana Savile Imrie Bio
Cecilia Diana Savile Imrie (born 15 July 1952) is an English actress and author whose career spans film, television and theatre. She has combined screen character work with stage roles and published novels, earning a Laurence Olivier Award and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to drama.
Early Life and Background
Cecilia Diana Savile Imrie was born in Guildford, Surrey, the fourth of five children of Dr. David Andrew Imrie, a radiologist, and Diana Elizabeth Imrie. She grew up in a family with ties to both Scottish and English ancestry and was educated locally at Guildford High School.
Imrie trained in performance at the Guildford School of Acting, an early formative step that led to stage work and professional engagements in the 1970s. Her formal training and early exposure to repertory and touring theatre laid the groundwork for a career that would move fluidly between stage and screen.
Path to Celebrity
Imrie’s path to public recognition combined theatre company work with television and radio appearances. She joined professional companies in the mid-1970s, including an early role with the Royal Shakespeare Company as an assistant stage manager and understudy on a world tour, where she worked alongside established actors and directors.
Her early stage experience led to roles in revue and repertory seasons, and it opened opportunities in television comedy and drama. Frequent collaborations with comedian and writer Victoria Wood in the 1980s and 1990s brought Imrie wider visibility and recurring television work.
Cecilia Diana Savile Imrie Career
Early Career (1973–1989)
Imrie began her professional career in 1973 and spent the 1970s and 1980s building a foundation in theatre and British television. She worked in pantomime and repertory before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1975 and later appearing in West End and regional productions through the 1980s.
During this period she also made early television appearances in notable British series and established a range as a character performer, positioning herself for consistent supporting roles on screen and stage.
Breakthrough (1990–2006)
The 1990s and early 2000s brought higher-profile film and television roles that widened Imrie’s audience. She appeared in films such as Hilary and Jackie and The Borrowers and became known for distinctive supporting parts in mainstream British cinema and television, culminating in several well-known film credits in the 2000s.
Imrie’s collaborations with Victoria Wood and work in television comedies and dramas helped to raise her profile; in 2006 she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical for her portrayal of Miss Babs in Acorn Antiques: The Musical!. That award marked a major milestone in a career that balanced stage and screen work.
Established Career and Recent Work (2007–present)
Across the 2010s and into the 2020s Imrie continued to appear in high-profile films and television series. Film credits during this period include Bridget Jones’s Diary, Calendar Girls, Nanny McPhee, St Trinian’s, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and its sequel, A Cure for Wellness, and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. She has also contributed voice and radio work and returned regularly to the stage in major London productions.
On television Imrie gained an international audience through roles in the FX series Better Things and the Netflix series The Diplomat. Her later film work includes roles in Finding Your Feet, Love Sarah and recent appearances announced for productions such as The Thursday Murder Club and other projects through the mid-2020s.
Notable Works and Milestones
Imrie is widely recognized for a string of supporting but memorable film roles, notably in Bridget Jones’s Diary and Calendar Girls, and for her Olivier Award-winning performance in Acorn Antiques: The Musical!. She has also published multiple novels beginning with Not Quite Nice in 2015, and continued to combine acting with a parallel writing career.
Cecilia Diana Savile Imrie Award Nominations
Over her career Imrie has received theatre award recognition including Olivier Award nominations and a confirmed Olivier Award win in 2006. Her stage work and sustained presence in British theatre and screen roles have led to multiple industry acknowledgements across acting and musical theatre categories.
Cecilia Diana Savile Imrie Awards Won
Verified honours include the 2006 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Acorn Antiques: The Musical! and appointment as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to drama. These honours reflect achievements on stage and long service to British performing arts.
| Award | Wins | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical | 1 | 2006 |
| Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) | 1 | 2023 |
Cecilia Diana Savile Imrie Family
Imrie is the daughter of Dr. David Andrew Imrie and Diana Elizabeth Imrie and was raised in Guildford, Surrey. She has one son, Angus Imrie, born in 1994, who has appeared on screen and trained in drama and performance.
Personal Life
Imrie divides her time between London and Nice in France and remains active in stage, screen and writing. She has been publicly linked with the actor Benjamin Whitrow and shares family and professional ties that have occasionally intersected with collaborative work.
Her public biography also records health events that have been part of her life story, including a hospital admission for a pulmonary embolism in 2005 and earlier treatment for anorexia nervosa in adolescence. Imrie has spoken and participated in public projects and commemorations, including narrating the ceremonial event marking the 75th anniversary of D-Day in Portsmouth in 2019.