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Lesley Manville was born on March 12, 1956 in Brighton, East Sussex, England. She is a multi award-winning actress of theatre, film, and television, and has worked extensively with director Mike Leigh. She is known for Another Year (2010), All or Nothing (2002), Topsy-Turvy (1999) and Secrets & Lies (1996), and her performance in Phantom Thread (2017), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also had a supporting role in the Disney fantasy Maleficent (2014). Manville's extensive stage career includes roles in "As You Like It", "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" and "The Alchemist". Her film debut was in Dance with a Stranger (1985). She was awarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire at the 2015 Queen's Birthday Honours for her services to drama. She was awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire at the 2021 Queen's New Years Honours for her services to drama and to charity.

Marisa Abela was born on 7 December 1996 in Brighton, East Sussex, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Industry (2020), Cobra (2020) and Rogue Agent (2022).

Sophie Cookson (born 15 May 1990) is an English film and television actress. She played Grace Mohune in the 2013 TV film of Moonfleet (2013). In 2013, she was cast to play the female lead in Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) and she also co-starred with Adrien Brody in Lee Tamahori's historical film Emperor. She was raised in Sussex and is a 2013 graduate of the Oxford School of Drama.

London-based Gwendoline Christie is one of the most exciting and unique British actresses working today, having caught the industry's attention with her Emmy and Critics' Choice nominated role in the global hit HBO series "Game of Thrones." During her time on the show, she was also nominated alongside the rest of the cast for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2020.

Christie joined "Game of Thrones" in 2012 during the show's second season and was nominated in 2019 for an Emmy and Critics' Choice Award for Supporting Actress, Drama Series for her iconic role as the warrior Brienne of Tarth. Most recently, Christie can be seen as principal of Nevermore Academy Larissa Weems in Tim Burton's Netflix series "Wednesday" alongside Jenna Ortega as Wednesday, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Adams and Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams. The show debuted at #1 on Netflix in 83 countries around the world and set the record for most hours viewed in a week for an english-language series on the streaming platform. Christie can also be seen as Lucifer in Netflix's "The Sandman" based on Neil Gaiman's DC Comics series. The show debuted at #1 on Netflix's Top 10 rankings the week of its release. Christie also starred in Peter Strickland's "Flux Gourmet" which was released in June 2022 and was nominated for seven British Independent Film Awards including Best Ensemble.

In the summer of 2019, Christie played Titania in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Bridge Theatre in London. She appeared in Gabriela Cowperthwaite's "The Friend", alongside Jason Segel and Dakota Johnson, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019. In January 2020, she appeared in the film adaptation of Charles Dickens' "The Personal History of David Copperfield", alongside Dev Patel and Tilda Swinton.

In 2018, Christie appeared in the Robert Zemeckis film "The Women of Marwen" alongside Steve Carell and Diane Kruger. She also starred in Peter Strickland's film "In Fabric", which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2018.

In 2017, Christie starred alongside Nicole Kidman and Elizabeth Moss in the second season of director Jane Campion's Sundance show "Top of the Lake: China Girl." The show received rave reviews and a 2018 Golden Globe nomination for Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. That same year, Christie was seen in the highly anticipated film "Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi". The film was directed by Rian Johnson and Christie returned as the franchise's first female villain, Captain Phasma, alongside Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac. Christie first appeared in the beloved sci-fi franchise by starring in "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens" (2015) alongside John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong'o and Domhnall Gleeson, who joined the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Kenny Baker.

Christie's notable theatre credits include: Doctor Fauster in 2010 playing the role of Lucifer as well as the Theatre Royal Haymarket's Breakfast at Tiffany's as Mag Wildwood in 2009 and the Queen in Shakespeare's romance Cymbeline in 2007. Her feature film debut came in 2009 with a supporting role in "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus", directed by Terry Gilliam who she worked with again in "Zero Theorem". Additional film credits include Fox's The Darkest Minds and "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2".

Christie graduated from Drama Centre London in 2005 and has also modelled for several fashion houses over the years.

Nicollette Sheridan has won a worldwide audience with her past television and film roles. With her Golden Globe-nominated role of "Edie Britt," the blonde bombshell of Wisteria Lane, on ABC's hit show Desperate Housewives (2004); the show's cast won both the 11th (2005) and 12th (2006) Screen Actors Guild Awards for "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series."

Sheridan was born as Nicollette Adams in Worthing, Sussex, England, the daughter of actress Sally Sheridan (née Adams). She discovered a passion for ballet as a small child and studied intensely, broadening her love of the arts as a student at the Arts Educational School in London. In addition to the theatre, she nurtured her talents as an avid equestrienne along with a rigorous thirst for reading and a love of the works of William Shakespeare. Moving to Los Angeles and being courted to explore her talents was a natural progression.

Sheridan exploded on the small screen as the beautiful and manipulative Paige Matheson on Knots Landing (1979). This led to a variety of roles in other projects, including The People Next Door (1996) (with Faye Dunaway), A Time to Heal (1994) (opposite Gary Cole), Indictment: The McMartin Trial (1995) (with James Woods), and Dead Husbands (1998) (with John Ritter), along with a special guest appearance on the season finale of Will & Grace (1998).

Sheridan was first introduced to film audiences in Rob Reiner's The Sure Thing (1985) opposite John Cusack, going on to appear in other film comedies, such as Noises Off... (1992) (opposite Michael Caine), Spy Hard (1996) (opposite Leslie Nielsen), Beverly Hills Ninja (1997) (with Chris Farley), I Woke Up Early the Day I Died (1998) (with Billy Zane), and Code Name: The Cleaner (2007) (opposite Cedric The Entertainer and Lucy Liu).

She brought her English accent to the Disney animated series The Legend of Tarzan (2001) and was also heard as a Russian fly in the animated feature Fly Me to the Moon 3D (2007) (with Tim Curry, Kelly Ripa, Christopher Lloyd and Buzz Aldrin). She voiced the role of "Zenna" in Promenade Pictures' animated film Noah (2012), which starred Michael Keaton, Rob Schneider, Marcia Gay Harden and Sir Ben Kingsley. Sheridan also appeared in the independent comedy Jewtopia (2012).

She has supported philanthropic causes including those focused on cancer, women and children at risk, and natural disaster relief (e.g., Hurricane Katrina), as well as such entities as the Red Cross, Humane Society, Last Chance for Animals, Best Friends Animal Society and The Amanda Foundation. In September 2010, she teamed up with Natural Balance Pet Foods to raise money for National Guide Dog Awareness Month.

She resides in Los Angeles, California.

Tara Fitzgerald was born in Sussex, England. Her mother, Sarah Fitzgerald, is Irish, and her father, Michael Callaby, was Italian. Shortly after her birth, her family moved to Freeport, in the Bahamas where her grandfather, David Fitzgerald, was a well-established lawyer. Her sister, Arabella Fitzgerald, was born there, but the family returned to London when Tara was three. Her mother and father separated when she was four-years-old and, along with her mother and sister, Tara moved in with her uncle and Aunt Caroline. Her mother married the Irish actor Norman Rodway when Tara was age 6, and the birth of her half-sister, Bianca Rodway, followed shortly thereafter. Rodway and Sarah Fitzgerald separated when Tara was seven.

Tara's formative years were spent moving around - a lifestyle that saw her attending five primary schools while living in a variety of locations which included Glasgow, Dublin, and Stratford-upon-Avon. Eventually, Sarah and her three daughters returned to South London, but she left at the age of 16 after passing her "O" level examinations, now known as the GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) exams. Her reason for taking a break from the educational process was that she was not allowed to pursue her goal of attending drama school. Tara had auditioned for RADA and the Guildhall, but she was unable to secure a placement. She now recognizes that, at age 17, she really had not been ready.

Tara spent the next two years working her way around Europe as a waitress, an experience that provided her with an improved perspective. When she returned to London and decided to audition for a place at the Drama Centre, she was accepted immediately. Her training at the Drama Centre leaned heavily toward method acting which she recalls was like one long therapy session of breaking down the ego, and then rebuilding it. (Other well-known actors who trained at the Drama Centre include Anthony Hopkins, Colin Firth, Simon Callow and Pierce Brosnan).

Life at the Drama Centre consisted of long days and hard work, but Tara recalls the time as being one of the best in her life. She was living at home with her mother, and working as a waitress at "The Ark" restaurant in Kensington to repay the bank loan which she had secured to cover her tuition fees. A theatrical agent noticed her performance in an amateur production, and arranged for Tara to audition for a co-starring role in the offbeat comedy Hear My Song (1991). Tara was the first actress to audition and, after the director had seen another 300 young hopefuls, the role was hers. Two weeks after graduating from college in July, 1990, Tara was at work on a major film that turned out to be a surprise success, and generated rave reviews of her performance. Tara never looked back.

Starring roles in several successful television productions during 1991 and 1992 followed. Tara received critical acclaim for The Black Candle (1991), Six Characters in Search of an Author (1992), The Camomile Lawn (1992) and Anglo Saxon Attitudes (1992). Her next major step was a co-starring role in the West End play, "Our Song", where she acquitted herself nightly opposite one of the legends of the London stage, Peter O'Toole. This success was followed by a role opposite Hugh Grant in the Australian hit film, Sirens (1994), for which the Australian Film Institute nominated Tara as Best Actress in a Lead Role.

An American mini-series, Fall from Grace (1994), was followed by the Irish film, A Man of No Importance (1994), which found Tara sharing honors with Albert Finney. Then came the two widely different television productions Mystery!: Cadfael (1994) (The Leper of St. Giles (#1.3)) and The Vacillations of Poppy Carew (1995).

Tara was back co-starring with Hugh Grant in The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain (1995) before she embarked upon another major change of pace by playing "Ophelia" opposite Ralph Fiennes in "Hamlet" on the London and Broadway stages. Ralph received the notoriety, but Tara received the award for Best Supporting Actress from the New York Critics Circle.

Tara's next success was co-starring with Ewan McGregor in the highly acclaimed comedy/drama Brassed Off (1996). Then, it was back to BBC television for The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1996), The Woman in White (1997) and The Prince of Hearts (1997), all of which were featured on the U.S. mainstay, "Masterpiece Theatre". Tara's next theatrical film was Conquest (1998), which was produced in Canada. Back on the British side of the Atlantic, Tara starred in the contemporary Little White Lies (1998) and the Daphne Du Maurier swashbuckler (also featured on Masterpiece Theatre) Frenchman's Creek (1998), for which she received the award for Best Actress at the 1999 Reims International Television Festival.

A major part in the film Childhood (2001) (which, regrettably, has never been released) was followed by the harrowing role of a stalked woman in the psychological drama In the Name of Love (1999). Radio dramatizations have included "A Handful of Dust", "Look Back in Anger", "The African Queen" and, most recently, "Laughter in Leningrad".

Tara has been heard as the voice of the narrator in such diverse television mini-series as Wild Thing (Animal Life), The Final Day (Celebrity Deaths), Vice - Inside Britain's Sex Business (Self-explanatory), Reputations (Biographies), Omnibus: A Long Time Ago, The Story of Star Wars (TV Special) and, most recently, The Changemakers.

You also will hear Tara's great voice doing radio and television advertisements for products ranging from Johnson's Facial Wipes to Norwich Union Insurance.

Tara's recent cinematic appearances have included co-starring with Rutger Hauer in New World Disorder (1999), and starring opposite Rhys Ifans and Joseph Fiennes in Rancid Aluminum (2000).

During this period, Tara appeared on stage in the title role of "Antigone", and as "Blanche du Bois" in "A Streetcar Named Desire".

In 2001, Tara appeared as the female lead in the World War II drama, Dark Blue World (2001) (aka "Dark Blue World"), a Czech film by Academy Award-winning director Jan Sverák (Kolya (1996)). She was also seen on the big screen in I Capture the Castle (2003), a romantic comedy based upon the 1948 novel by Dodie Smith (101 Dalmatians).

Tara's recent television work has included a starring role in a segment of the highly-regarded psychological drama series Murder in Mind (2001), Echoes (2003). She also played the leading female role in Love Again (2003), a dramatization of the life of British poet Philip Larkin, which was telecast on the BBC in July.

Tara has completed work on Secret Passage (2004) opposite John Turturro, a period drama which is set in Venice during the Spanish Inquisition, and Five Children and It (2004), a family adventure film based on E. Nesbit's classic 1902 novel, which was released in the U.K. on October 22, 2004. During the late winter and early spring of 2004, Tara completed a very successful tour of the United Kingdom playing the role of "Nora Helmer" in "A Doll's House", for which she received high critical acclaim. In the fall of 2004, she began a tour in the role of "Mara Hill" in a new comedy "Clouds", by Michael Frayn.

During her career, Tara has picked her roles cautiously, always seeking to play the role of a strong woman. She feels that playing characters who have weak and insipid parts do not provide her with the motivation that the role of a strong woman can deliver. She has been remarkably successful in a variety of genre ranging from historical costume dramas (The Woman in White (1997), The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1996) and Frenchman's Creek (1998)), to contemporary psychological suspense dramas (Little White Lies (1998) and In the Name of Love (1999)), as well as comedy dramas (Brassed Off (1996) and Conquest (1998)), and offbeat comedies (Sirens (1994) and The Vacillations of Poppy Carew (1995)). Her fine performance in the World War II drama Dark Blue World (2001) (aka "Dark Blue World") and her recent work on stage give further evidence of her acting versatility.

Tamzin Merchant is a British born actress, writer and director. She grew up in Dubai and was cast in her first professional role as Georgiana Darcy in Joe Wright's Pride & Prejudice (2005). She attended The University of Cambridge to read Education Studies and continued to develop her career as an actor alongside her studies.

Merchant has starred in period dramas ranging from the Tudor period (The Tudors (2007)) right through to the 1940s (Murder on the Home Front (2013)) and in many contemporary productions. She also appears as Imogen Spurnrose in Amazon's Carnival Row (2019).

She has written and directed four short films, all of which have picked up awards on the indie festival circuit.

Peter Gadiot was born in Haywards Heath, in the United Kingdom. He grew up in East Grinstead, West Sussex, England.

He trained at the prestigious Drama Centre London.

In addition to acting on stage and screen he has written and directed several short films and is an active campaigner against human trafficking, actually rowing the Atlantic Ocean in support of his cause.

Connor Swindells was born on 19 September 1996 in Sussex, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Barbie (2023), Rogue Heroes (2022) and Sex Education (2019). He has been married to Amber Anderson since October 2024.

Jonathan Cake was born on 31 August 1967 in Worthing, Sussex, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for First Knight (1995), Chuck (2007) and Krews (2010). He has been married to Julianne Nicholson since 5 September 2004. They have two children.

Sophia Del Pizzo is an English actress and comedian born in Eastbourne, UK and now living in Los Angeles. She is known for Angel Has Fallen and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. She starred alongside her husband Jimmi Simpson in Hulu's Into the Dark, produced by Blumhouse and directed by James Roday..

Born in Arundel, Sussex, in 1948, Judy's father moved the family to London when she was 10 years old and enrolled her and sister Sally Geeson into the Corona Academy, Chiswick. Judy initially wanted to be a ballet dancer but had to change course when she suffered from terrible headaches as a result of some of the moves. Acting had always been a great interest, however, and she chose to pursue this, making her first TV appearance in Dixon of Dock Green (1955) aged 12. Her first major film role was as wayward teenager Pamela Dare opposite Sidney Poitier in To Sir, with Love (1967) at the age of 18.

After a very successful film run during the 1960s and 1970s, Judy took a trip to the US in October 1984, choosing to stay on for a while. By May 1985 she had met and married Kristoffer Tabori and moved to California. However, the marriage had broken down by 1989. Despite this, Judy chose to stay in the US, making her home in Los Angeles.

Amanda Redman was born on 12 August 1957 in Brighton, East Sussex, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Sexy Beast (2000), New Tricks (2003) and Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001). She has been married to Damian Schnabel since 4 September 2010. She was previously married to Robert Glenister.

Rosie Taylor-Ritson was born in 1997 in Worthing, Sussex, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Nanny McPhee Returns (2010), Strangers Within (2017) and Cost of Living.

Raffiella Chapman is a British actress who plays the titular role of Vesper in critically acclaimed, multi award winning feature film Vesper (2022) and Judgement in Sweet Brother (2024). Her first movie role was Lucy Hawking in The Theory of Everything (2014) followed by Claire in Tim Burton's Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016) but it as Vesper that Chapman has won critical acclaim.

"A star-making turn from Raffiella Chapman..." The Playlist

"Raffiella Chapman as Vesper is excellent" The New York Sun

"The title character, played with impressive poise by Raffiella Chapman" 4/5 stars The Guardian

"Raffiella Chapman gives a commanding and wonderfully mature performance as Vesper." In Session Film

"impressive up-and-comer Raffiella Chapman's stoic but winningly vulnerable performance keeps proceedings humane and honestly felt" Variety

Anna Massey was born on 11 August 1937 in Thakeham, West Sussex, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Peeping Tom (1960), Frenzy (1972) and The Machinist (2004). She was married to Dr. Uri Andres and Jeremy Brett. She died on 2 July 2011 in London, England, UK.

Lucy Brown is an English writer, actor and director. She recently received the Jury Prize at the Cannes Independent Film Festival in 2022, Best Feature at the London Independent Film Awards and the Best Narrative Feature award at the LA Independents Women Film Awards for her directorial debut 'Eve' within the feature 'Everything I'll ever tell my daughter.' Lucy's second screenplay 'Bride Or Groom' (which she co-wrote and produced by Stigma Films) came second in the Brit List (UK's Black List equivalent). As an actor Lucy first gained attention for her portrayal of Celia Burroughs opposite Sean Bean in a highly anticipated special event television revival of Sharpe's Challenge. From there she became more widely recognized as the mysterious Claudia Brown/ Jenny Lewis character in the popular and award winning British TV series Primeval.

Jim Howick was born on 14 May 1979 in Chichester, Sussex, England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for Hellboy (2004), Horrible Histories (2009) and Bill (2015).

Darren Boyd was born on 30 January 1971 in Hastings, East Sussex, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for Imagine Me & You (2005), Four Lions (2010) and Spy (2011). He has been married to Amanda Ashy since 24 January 2004.

Paul W. Downs is an American actor, writer, and director. He is best known for his portrayal of Trey Pucker on the Comedy Central series Broad City and as a co-creator, show-runner, and actor on the HBO Max series Hacks, for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. Downs has been creating digital shorts with Lucia Aniello since the pair met in 2007 at the Upright Citizens Brigade. In 2012 they made a web series called Paulilu Mixtape for Above Average Productions, a division of Broadway Video.

Born on 5th August 1948 in Hastings, East Sussex, England. She started her television career in 1970 in the TV series A Family at War (1970), cast as Freda Ashton. She became better known following her appearances in The Beiderbecke Affair (1985), The Beiderbecke Tapes (1987) and The Beiderbecke Connection (1988), alongside James Bolam. She has narrated recent documentaries such as: "Frontier House", When Pat Phoenix Met Tony Booth (2002), "50s & 60s in Living Colour" and "What Granny Did in the War". Television series include: Cracker (1993) in which she played Fitz's wife Judith, more recently in Hornblower: Duty (2003) and Hornblower: Loyalty (2003). Recent feature film appearances include: Professor Corner in You're Dead... (1999) and Pauline in The Escort (1999) (aka "The Escort"). Theatre includes: Goneril in "King Lear" National Theatre (1997) and on BBC TV (King Lear (1998)); "The Bullet" in which she played Billie at London's West End Donmar Warehouse Theatre (1998); "An Experiment With An Air Pump" at the Hampstead Theatre (2002), playing two characters, Susannah Fenwick and Ellen.

Robert Kazinsky was born Robert John Appleby in Haywards Heath, Sussex, England, to Phyllis and Paul Appleby, and grew up in the seaside town of Brighton, on England's southern coast. Both of his parents are from Polish Jewish/Russian Jewish families.

Kazinsky studied theatre at the Guildford School of Acting from 2002-2005 graduating with full honors, shortly thereafter he was cast as the enigmatic footballer Casper Rose in Sky One's footballing drama Dream Team, he only starred in one season but his character was received so well that he won that seasons most popular character poll with a whopping 54.29% of the vote.

After announcing his intention to leave in 2006, Kazinsky was cast as the disturbed and dangerous ex-military ladies man Sean Slater in EastEnders. In his 254 episodes Rob was nominated for 23 awards winning 7 including two Best Actor Awards culminating in his triumph at the British Soap Awards in 2008.

In 2010 after guest stints on Law and Order: Los Angeles and ABC's Brothers & Sisters, Kazinsky was announced to be playing Fili in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit due to start filming in 2011.

Simon Templeman is a British actor who is widely known for voicing Kain from the Legacy of Kain video game franchise. He also voiced Doctor Doom from the Fantastic Four animated series, Loghain from Dragon Age, Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema from Mass Effect and Gabriel Roman from Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. He had two children with his wife, Rosalind Chao.

Beth Cordingly is an English actress originally born Rebecca Cordingly. She attended Brighton and Hove High School and later attended Birmingham University leaving with a double first in English and Drama.

Besides her acting career, Beth Cordingly has worked with charities such as the NSPCC and was awarded at the House of Commons because of her work. She is an ambassador for ChildLine and Anti-Bullying Alliance.

Her dad is David Cordingly who is is an English historian and a top specialist in the study of pirates in which he has published books.

Daniel Betts was born in 1971 in Cuckfield, West Sussex, England. He trained under Yat Malmgren and Christopher Fettes at the Drama Centre, London, graduating in 1993. His varied career has included many roles on the British and International stage, as well as TV and film work including Fury (2014), and the upcoming Brad Pitt films War Machine (2016) and Allied (2016).