A British comic icon equally adept at drama, Olivia Colman displayed an onscreen fearlessness and flair for physical comedy. Beloved in the U.K. for her work on sitcoms like "Black Books" (Channel 4, 2000-04), "Green Wing" (Channel 4, 2004-07) and her British Comedy Award-nominated role on "Peep Show" (Channel 4, 2003- ), she also starred on several sketch comedy series, including Bruiser" (BBC Two, 2000) and "That Mitchell and Webb Look" (BBC Two, 2006- ). Colman also delighted on the big screen, stealing scenes in the international hit "Hot Fuzz" (2007) as well as flexing her considerable dramatic chops as Carol Thatcher, daughter of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep) in "The Iron Lady" (2011) and as Hannah, a devout woman concealing a secret in "Tyrannosaur" (2011). So powerful was her performance in the latter that she won a Sundance Film Festival breakout performance award, as well as earning a nomination for a British Independent Film Award. Immensely gifted in both comedy and drama, Olivia Colman revealed an almost limitless range that left fans and critics eager to see the full extent of her amazing artistic potential.
Born Jan. 30, 1974 in Norfolk, England, Sarah Caroline Colman trained in drama at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, but quickly revealed an immense flair for comedy. She began building her filmography on the sketch comedy series "Bruiser" (BBC Two, 2000) and notched appearances on such iconic British sitcoms as "The Office" (BBC Two, 2001-03), "Black Books" (Channel 4, 2000-04) and "Look Around You" (BBC Two, 2002-05). She cemented her comedic superstardom with popular roles as burned-out HR worker Harriet Schulenburg on the surreal hospital sitcom "Green Wing" (Channel 4, 2004-07) and as the frumpy lust object Sophie on "Peep Show" (Channel 4, 2003- ). For her work on the latter show, she was nominated for Best Television Comedy Actress from the British Comedy Awards, as well as the Monte-Carlo TV Festival's Outstanding Actress - Comedy Series Golden Nymph award.
On the big screen, she played a nudist in the mockumentary "Confetti" (2006); an overzealous, sexually aggressive policewoman in the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost comedy "Hot Fuzz" (2007); and a hairdresser in the barely-released Michelle Pfeiffer comedy "I Could Never Be Your Woman" (2007). She played the outrageous mother of flamboyant fashion icon Simon Doonan on the sitcom based on his life, "Beautiful People" (BBC Two, 2008-09), and showed off her chameleonic abilities on the sketch comedy series "That Mitchell and Webb Look" (BBC Two, 2006- ), for which she was once again nominated for a Golden Nymph award. Colman continued to notch television successes, with juicy roles on "Twenty Twelve" (BBC Four, 2011- ), "Exile" (BBC One, 2011) and "Rev" (BBC Two, 2010- ), but her international film career also began to gain momentum.
Besides landing the role of Carol Thatcher, daughter of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep) in the highly anticipated biopic "The Iron Lady" (2011), Colman won universal raves from critics for her star turn as Hannah, a Christian woman hiding a dark secret, in Paddy Considine's bleak drama "Tyrannosaur" (2011). Showered with awards and nominations, she picked up nods for Best Actress from the British Independent Film Awards as well as winning a Sundance Film Festival special jury prize for best breakout performance, shared with her co-star Peter Mullan.
By Jonathan Riggs
