Celia Imrie Bio
Celia Diana Savile Imrie (born 15 July 1952) is an English actress and author whose career spans film, television, theatre and radio. She is best known for film roles in Bridget Jones’s Diary, Calendar Girls, Nanny McPhee and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, and for television appearances in Better Things and The Diplomat. Imrie won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Acorn Antiques: The Musical! in 2006 and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to drama. She lives between London and Nice and continues to work on stage, screen and in print.
Early Life and Background
Celia Imrie was born Cecilia Diana Savile Imrie on 15 July 1952 in Guildford, Surrey, the fourth of five children of Dr. David Andrew Imrie, a radiologist, and Diana Elizabeth Imrie, née Cator. Her maternal family includes ties to an established Suffolk family; these family connections are part of her documented background. She grew up in Guildford and attended Guildford High School before training at the Guildford School of Acting.
Imrie’s adolescence included a serious health episode that became part of her early life story. At 14 she was admitted to hospital with anorexia nervosa and received intensive treatment at that time. Her formative years combined conventional schooling with early exposure to performing in local pantomimes and stage productions, which led to formal acting training and early professional work.
Path to Celebrity
Imrie began her professional career in the early 1970s, with her career listed as starting in 1973 and early employment in repertory and touring theatre. In 1975 she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company as an Assistant Stage Manager and understudy on a world tour in a production featuring Glenda Jackson. That period established long-term ties with leading stage practitioners and introduced her to a company environment alongside future well-known actors.
Her profile grew through a mix of stage revues, West End work and television appearances. Imrie first worked with Victoria Wood in the 1980s on television and later reunited with Wood on projects that deepened her public recognition. Steady television credits through the 1980s and 1990s and an expanding slate of supporting film roles created a platform for more prominent film work in the 2000s.
Celia Imrie Career
Early Career (1973–1999)
Across the 1970s and 1980s Imrie built a stage résumé that included repertory seasons, revue and roles with notable companies. She appeared in productions at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, worked in the Royal Shakespeare Company touring company and performed in West End and regional productions. Those years also featured television roles in series and dramas that established her as a versatile character actress.
By the 1990s Imrie had accumulated screen credits in both television and film, including roles in feature films and adaptations. Her early film work included appearances in Highlander and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and supporting parts that showcased her range from comedy to drama. Regular radio work for BBC Radio 4 and other audio projects further diversified her professional output.
Film Breakthrough (2001–2018)
The 2000s brought increased visibility in high-profile British films. Imrie appeared in Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) and gained wider notice with roles in Calendar Girls (2005) and Nanny McPhee (2005). These film appearances, alongside regular television work, reinforced her reputation as a dependable supporting actress capable of comedic timing and dramatic nuance.
Later film work extended to ensemble and character parts in successful British and international productions, including The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015), A Cure for Wellness (2016) and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018). Her participation in the latter produced a UK Top 40 single credit for a cover of an ABBA song performed with fellow cast members, marking a crossover into music chart recognition.
Television and Radio Highlights (1990s–Present)
Imrie’s television career includes early appearances in series such as Upstairs, Downstairs and numerous British dramas and comedies. She frequently collaborated with Victoria Wood and later secured recurring and guest roles on contemporary series, notably starring as Phyllis in the FX series Better Things beginning in 2016 and appearing in the Netflix series The Diplomat in 2023. She has also been active on radio through BBC Radio 4 and in audio drama productions for Big Finish.
Her radio and audio work includes roles in BBC Radio 4 dramas and narrations, and she has performed multiple characters for Big Finish Productions, including roles in Doctor Who-related audio drama projects. This sustained presence across broadcast, streaming and audio formats has kept her profile prominent into the 2020s.
Recent Work Era (2016–present)
Since 2016 Imrie has combined international television exposure with continuing film and stage work. She returned to major film projects and took character roles in genre and independent films, while maintaining stage commitments that include West End and national theatre performances. Her theatrical work earned an Olivier Award in 2006 and further nominations for stage roles in later years.
Imrie also expanded as an author, publishing a sequence of novels beginning with Not Quite Nice in 2015, followed by Nice Work (If You Can Get It) in 2016, Sail Away in 2018, A Nice Cup of Tea in 2019 and Orphans of the Storm in 2021. Her writing has appeared alongside an active schedule of screen and stage appearances.
Acting Style and Strengths
Imrie is noted for precise comic timing, a strong character presence and an ability to shift between light comedy and grounded dramatic roles. Her stage work demonstrates classical training and ensemble skills, while screen performances emphasize clarity of character and adaptability across media. Directors and co‑performers frequently cite her professionalism and consistency in supporting ensemble casts.
Notable Events and Milestones
Major career milestones include the 2006 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical and appointment as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2023. Her filmography contains numerous ensemble and supporting roles in commercially and critically visible British films, and she has been recognized with an honorary doctorate from the University of Winchester in 2013.
Celia Imrie Career Wins
Imrie’s verified honours and awards reflect achievements on stage and national recognition for services to drama. The most prominent verified accolades are the 2006 Laurence Olivier Award for a supporting role in a musical and the 2023 appointment as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. She has also received nomination recognition for other stage performances and an honorary doctorate.
Stage and Screen Highlights
Her Olivier Award in 2006 was awarded for her role as Miss Babs in Acorn Antiques: The Musical!, a highlight in a career that balances stage and screen. On film and television she is best known for recurring supporting roles that include parts in Bridget Jones’s Diary, Calendar Girls, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and the television series Better Things and The Diplomat.
Other Wins & Perfromances
Beyond the Olivier and CBE, Imrie’s career includes critical and audience recognition for novels that reached national paperback and ebook charts, diverse radio credits, and long-term respect in theatre circles. Her varied output across media constitutes a body of work celebrated by peers and audiences alike.
Celia Imrie Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Imrie comes from a family with medical and established English ancestry. Her father, Dr. David Andrew Imrie, worked as a radiologist, and her mother, Diana Elizabeth Imrie, descends from a Suffolk family that includes Sir John Ralph Blois, 8th Baronet. Family history has been part of public profiles including televised genealogy programs that traced notable ancestors.
Personal Life
Imrie has one son, Angus Imrie, born in 1994, with the actor Benjamin Whitrow. She divides her time between homes in London and Nice, France. Public accounts record episodes of serious early illness in adolescence and later medical events, and she has spoken publicly about elements of her life in interviews and in broadcast appearances.
2025 Season Performance
In 2025 Imrie appears in the feature film The Thursday Murder Club and took part in the first series of the BBC reality series The Celebrity Traitors. Her continuing audio work includes roles for Big Finish Productions noted in credits for recent audio projects. These 2025 appearances underscore her ongoing presence across film, television and audio drama while maintaining public and critical interest in both acting and writing projects.