Personal life

Hawkins was born in Dulwich and brought up in Blackheath, the daughter of Jacqui Hawkins (née Jacqueline Sinfield) and Colin Hawkins, authors and illustrators of children's books. Her parents both have Irish Catholic ancestry. She has a brother, Finbar Hawkins, a producer. She first developed an interest in acting at the age of three when she went to a circus show. She intended to go into comedy but ended up doing theatre plays. She attended James Allen's Girls' School in Dulwich. She graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1998.

Career

Hawkins started her career primarily as a stage actress in such productions as Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Romeo and Juliet, The Cherry Orchard, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Misconceptions. She also had small appearances on television series such as Casualty and Doctors. In 1998 while still a student, Hawkins was cast as an extra in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.

Hawkins made her first notable screen performance in the 2002 Mike Leigh film All or Nothing as Samantha. This would be first of three films that Hawkins and Leigh would work on together, the second of which was the 2004 film Vera Drake. She appeared as Slasher in the 2004 action film Layer Cake. Her first major television role came in 2005, when she played Susan Trinder in the BAFTA-nominated BBC drama Fingersmith, an adaptation of Sarah Waters' novel of the same name, in which she co-starred with Imelda Staunton. She then starred in another BBC adaptation, Patrick Hamilton's 20,000 Streets Under the Sky. Between 2003 and 2005 Hawkins appeared in four episodes of the BBC comedy series Little Britain. Hawkins acted in David Hare's adaptation of Federico García Lorca's play The House of Bernarda Alba in 2005, at Royal National Theatre.

She has also lent her voice to numerous radio series such as Concrete Cow, on which she also was a writer, Ed Reardon's Week, Think the Unthinkable, Cash Cows, War with the Newts and The Party Line. In 2006, Hawkins returned to the stage, appearing at the Royal Court Theatre in Jez Butterworth's The Winterling During 2006 she also made uncredited appearances in Richard Ayoade's Man to Man with Dean Learner where she played various uncredited roles in various deleted scenes included on the series DVD. Hawkins would later be directed by Ayoade on two of his films.

In 2007, she played Anne Elliot in the television film of Jane Austen's Persuasion. Her performance was well received by critics and was awarded a Golden Nymph. She also had a supporting role in the Woody Allen film Cassandra's Dream, starring Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor. Hawkins reunited with Leigh for a third time in the 2008 comedy-drama film Happy-Go-Lucky, portraying Poppy Cross, a kind-hearted primary school teacher. Hawkins performance received critical acclaim and received many accolades, including winning a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and the Silver Bear for Best Actress.

Three films starring Hawkins, Made in Dagenham, Submarine and Never Let Me Go, all premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. All three received positive reviews and Hawkins performances were met with critical acclaim. In October 2010, she appeared on Broadway as Vivie in Mrs Warren's Profession at the American Airlines Theatre. In 2011, Hawkins had a supporting role in the film adaptation of Jane Eyre and was the female lead in the romantic comedy film Love Birds. In 2012, she and Rafe Spall co-starred in the play Constellations at the Royal Court Theatre and later Duke of York's Theatre. The play was met with positive reviews and won the best play category at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards. She also had a small role as Mrs Joe in the 2012 adaption of Great Expectations.

In 2013, Hawkins starred opposite Cate Blanchett and was directed by Woody Allen for the second time in the critically acclaimed film Blue Jasmine, a role for which she received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, as well as nods for the BAFTA, the Golden Globe and received various other accolades. The same year she starred in All Is Bright, alongside Paul Giamatti and Paul Rudd and had a small appearance as a Receptionist in the Richard Ayoade film The Double. In 2014, Hawkins appeared in Godzilla, as Dr Vivienne Graham, a scientist assisting Dr Ishiro Serizawa played by Ken Watanabe. She also co-starred with John Hawkes and Michael Cera in the Charlie Kaufman television pilot, How and Why. The pilot was not given a series order.

Hawkins portrayed the mother of Asa Butterfield's character in the drama film X+Y, which premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. In November 2014, she portrayed Mrs Brown in Paddington, based on the children's books by Michael Bond.

Filmography

Films

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1999	Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace	Villager	Uncredited extra
2002	All or Nothing	Samantha
2002	Post	Girl at Lampost	Short film
2004	Vera Drake	Susan
2004	Layer Cake	Slasher
2006	The Painted Veil	Mary	Scenes deleted
2006	Hollow China	Terri	Short film
2007	WΔZ	Elly Carpenter
2007	Cassandra's Dream	Kate
2008	Happy-Go-Lucky	Poppy Cross	Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award for Best Actress Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award for Best Breakthrough Performance Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress International Cinephile Society Award for Best Actress Evening Standard British Film Peter Sellers Award for Comedy Hollywood Film Festival Award for Breakthrough Actress of the Year Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress New York Film Critics Online Award for Best Actress New York Film Critics Online Award for Breakthrough Performer San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Silver Bear for Best Actress Village Voice Film Poll - Best Actress Nominated—Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award for Best Ensemble Cast Nominated—British Independent Film Award for Best Actress Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated—Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated—European Film Award for Best Actress Nominated—London Film Critics Circle Award for British Actress of the Year Nominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Nominated—Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress
2009	An Education	Sarah	Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2009	Happy Ever Afters	Maura
2009	Desert Flower	Marylin
2010	Never Let Me Go	Miss Lucy
2010	It's a Wonderful Afterlife	Linda/Geetali
2010	Made in Dagenham	Rita O'Grady	Nominated—British Independent Film Award for Best Actress Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated—Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actress
2010	Submarine	Jill Tate	Nominated—British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actress
2011	Jane Eyre	Mrs. Reed
2011	Love Birds	Holly
2012	Great Expectations	Mrs. Joe
2013	All Is Bright	Olga
2013	Blue Jasmine	Ginger	Empire Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated—Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Detroit Film Critics Society for Best Ensemble Nominated—Georgia Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—International Cinephile Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—London Film Critics Circle Award for Supporting Actress of the Year Nominated—London Film Critics Circle Award for British Actress of the Year Nominated—National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture
2013	The Double	Receptionist at Ball	Cameo
2013	The Phone Call	Heather	Short film
2014	Godzilla	Dr. Vivienne Graham
2014	X+Y	Julie	Nominated—British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actress
2014	Paddington	Mary Brown
2016	Maudie	Maud Lewis	Post-production

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1999	Casualty	Emma Lister	Episode: "To Have and to Hold"
2000	Doctors	Sarah Carne	Episode: "Pretty Baby"
2002	Tipping the Velvet	Zena Blake	2 episodes
2003-2005	Little Britain	Kenny Craig's girlfriend	4 episodes
2003	Promoted to Glory	Lisa	Television film
2003	The Young Visiters	Rosalind	Television film
2004	Bunk Bed Boys	Helen	Television film
2005	Fingersmith	Susan Trinder	3 episodes
2005	20,000 Streets Under the Sky	Ella	3 episodes
2006	Man to Man with Dean Learner	Various	Episode: "Randolph Caer"
2006	Shiny Shiny Bright New Hole in My Heart	Nathalie	Television film
2006	H G Wells: War with the World	Rebecca West	Television film
2007	Persuasion	Anne Elliot	Television film Golden Nymph Award for Best Performance by an Actress - Television Film Royal Television Award for Best Actress
2011	Little Crackers	Mummy	Episode: "Barbara Windsor's Little Cracker: My First Brassiere"
2012	Room on the Broom	Bird (voice)	Television short
2014	How and Why	Yvonne Hesselman	Pilot
2015	Stick Man	Stick Lady (voice)	Television short
2016	The Hollow Crown	Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester	Episode: "Henry VI, Part I"

Theatre

Year	Title	Role	Venue
1998	Accidental Death of an Anarchist		Battersea Arts Centre
1998	Romeo and Juliet	Juliet	York Theatre Royal
1999	The Dybbuk	Leah'le	Battersea Arts Centre
1999	The Cherry Orchard	Anya	York Theatre Royal
1999	Svejk	Kidnapped Dog	Gate Theatre
2000	A Midsummer Night's Dream	Hermia	Open Air Theatre
2000	Much Ado About Nothing	Hero	Open Air Theatre
2001	Misconceptions	Zoe	Octagon Theatre
2004	Country Music	Lynsey Sargeant	Royal Court Theatre
2005	The House of Bernarda Alba	Adela	Royal National Theatre
2006	The Winterling	Lue	Royal Court Theatre
2010	Mrs Warren's Profession	Vivie	American Airlines Theatre
2012	Constellations	Marianne	Royal Court Theatre Duke of York's Theatre
2015	Letters Live	Reader	Freemasons' Hall

Radio

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2002	Concrete Cow	Various roles	BBC Radio 4 Also writer
2004	Think the Unthinkable		BBC Radio 4
2004	The Cenci Family	Beatrice Cenci	BBC Radio 4
2004-2005, 2007	Ed Reardon's Week	Ping	BBC Radio 4
2005	Cash Cows	Kerry	BBC Radio 4
2005	War with the Newts	Olga	BBC Radio 4
2005	The Party Line		BBC Radio 4
2005	Afternoon Romancers	Liz	BBC Radio 4
2006	Salome	Joanna	BBC Radio 3
2007	Cut to the Heart	Alice	BBC Radio 4
2007	Demonstrating Grace	Narrator	BBC Radio 4
2010	Greed All About It	Alice	BBC Radio 4
2011	Revolution	Therese	BBC Radio 4
2015	Book at Bedtime: The Girl on the Train	Narrator	BBC Radio 4

[ Source: Wikipedia ]