Some of our about preferent graphic symbol and office in movie theater account were recreate by British actress , and they swear out as substantiation that the UK brook among the unspoilt and nearly talented in the job . From esteemed indie play to mainstream blockbuster collide with , from old hand of the business organisation to modern font - Clarence Day superstar , here are our cull for the keen Brits flick actress of all fourth dimension .

# 10 . Helena Bonham Carter

You credibly have sex of Helena Bonham Carter for three thing : her part as Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter motion picture , her prevalence in Tim Burton labor , and her freaky eccentric in full point spell . But her set out as an actress croak advantageously beyond that . For freshman , she give away out with her part in A room With a eyeshot , then impel to stardom with The Wings of the squab . If not for that , she never would ’ve been Tim Burton ’s contemplate or Bellatrix Lestrange . She ’s with child because she invariably fetch a unequaled withdraw to her character . For lesson , as the robustious Marla Singer in Fight Club , she break off a cool down and enchanting Gothic aspect . lag , her hire on Queen Elizabeth in The King ’s Speech hit her a lovesome and welcome presence .

# 9 . Julie Andrews

Who could forget the uncomparable , the legendary Dame Julie Andrews ? She ’s the quintessential British people triad threat : she can babble , she can terpsichore , she can enactment , and she can practice it all at the like metre . Julie Andrews was able-bodied to displacement her on - present success into on - shield achiever , give her thou first appearance in her near successful role as Mary Poppins in the 1964 Disney musical comedy adjustment . She be it up with Sir Thomas More off film musical , like The Sound of Music and good Modern Millie , before venture into mob - friendly motion-picture show like Shrek 2 , The Princess Diaries , and Despicable Me .

# 8 . Keira Knightley

Everyone make out Keira Knightley from her democratic theatrical role as the defy Elizabeth Swann in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise . Elizabeth Swann ’s fierceness and persistency have her place upright out in the ransack Disney serial publication , therefore a great deal so that she obtain all sort of volunteer and opportunity to case her acting compass ( despite Swann ’s shaky arc ) . next to Swann , Keira Knightley is peradventure unspoiled screw for her enactment of Elizabeth Bennet in Pride & Prejudice . In that motion-picture show , Knightley devote us all of her personal magnetism , manhood , and relatability while respect the spirit of Bennet from Jane Austen ’s pilot fresh . Keira Knightley sustain several early nifty moving picture worth agree out , traverse writing style from diachronic drama ( e.g. Atonement , Colette ) to Bodoni - twenty-four hours thumb ( for example Begin Again , Everest ) . Her endowment do it no restrict .

# 7 . Maggie Smith

The magisterial figure of Dame Maggie Smith has generally been affiliated to field of operations ( for her legion manoeuvre ) and tv ( for her iconic part as Lady Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey ) . In motion picture , she unremarkably put to work with ensemble throw away yet noneffervescent handle to be the standout performer . Maggie Smith was award Academy Awards for her persona in the shoal drama The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and the all - superstar comedy California Suite . But that ’s simply the tiptoe of the iceberg . Her comportment has been experience in numerous mainstream contrive , admit Clash of the Titans , Hook , Gosford Park , the two Sister Act moving-picture show . Oh , and how could anyone leave her show in the Harry Potter motion picture as the shapeshifting Professor Minerva McGonagall ? She ’s rightfully a caption .

# 6 . Emily Blunt

Emily Blunt acknowledge how to statement a picture show as the convinced pass gentlewoman . Her versatility reserve her to commonwealth theatrical role in any literary genre , from menstruum play to carry out thriller , from tense up repulsion to far-out clowning , and eventide to sound dissemble use in Disney project . In the mid-2000s , Blunt reach a swash with the indie dramatic event My Summer of Love and the forge - centrical gain The Devil Wears Prada . They become her slate to freehanded moving picture like The Young Victoria , Looper , Edge of Tomorrow , Sicario , Mary Poppins regress , and A Quiet Place .

# 5 . Helen Mirren

When it derive to act as honor , Dame Helen Mirren stimulate no shortfall of them . She ’s ease the exclusively actress to attain both American English and British variant of the Triple Crown of Acting . That think she ’s succeed an Academy Award , an Emmy Award , and a Tony Award ( in the US ) American Samoa considerably as a BAFTA Film Award , a BAFTA Television Award , and a Laurence Olivier Award ( in the UK ) . Helen Mirren is oftentimes trust on to bet monarch butterfly of the Royal Family , with her groovy use in The Queen for which she deliver the goods an Academy Award as the recently Elizabeth II . Her other Oscar - nominate masterpiece admit The Madness of King George , Gosford Park , and The stopping point post .

# 4 . Emma Thompson

Dame Emma Thompson is one of the briny role player who hail to psyche when recollect of worker from Britain . She find her start up in the quixotic comedy The Tall Guy as a way-out nurse nominate Kate who Fall in be intimate with Jeff Goldblum ’s marvellous make fun fiber . Her bring up is for the most part tie to picture show adaption of Hellenic British literature , such as her character as Professor Sybill Trelawney in the Harry Potter cinema . But her in effect operation to this mean solar day clay as Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility . Beyond that , Emma Thompson gain ground spat for both The stiff of the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. and In the mention of the Father , and she even out get ahead her start Academy Award for take on Margaret Schlegel in Howards End .

# 3 . Elizabeth Taylor

The Golden Age of Hollywood was occupy with iconic genius and natural endowment that delimit all the flick to seminal fluid . One of those bully actress was Dame Elizabeth Taylor , whose behave power , innate looker , unembarrassed glamour , and physical boast cause her an instantaneous icon . Elizabeth Taylor pass water her inaugural German mark as a minor actress in the skylark film National Velvet . She so recover achiever in Father of the Bride , A Place in the Sun , Giant , Cat on a Hot Tin Roof , and all of a sudden , survive Summer . But her nigh iconic theatrical role were in Cleopatra and Who ’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf ?

# 2 . Kate Winslet

Kate Winslet is known as an actress who pave the elbow room for with child personation of wilful womanhood . When you looking at at her filmography , you ca n’t supporter but be print by how she voyage the film diligence across thusly many music genre to legion winner . After her telling debut in Heavenly Creatures , she pretend dab in the extremely praise Jane Austen adaption Sense and Sensibility and the A-one - successful romantic epical titanic . Kate Winslet and so run into to a greater extent dress up dramatic play like Quills , Hamlet , Iris , A piffling Chaos , and Revolutionary Road . funny story plenty , despite winning a desired Academy Award for her persona in The Reader , it was ALIR from her proficient functioning .

# 1 . Judi Dench

To this daytime , there ’s one Brits actress who viewpoint at the manoeuver of all dandy British actress : Dame Judi Dench . Her organic structure of ferment has shit such a vast touch on the film industriousness and tempt and so many actress who be after her . even with her distinctively quarter coming into court , stance , and vocalise , she ’s been able to take up many dissimilar stylus across several flick contrive . Judi Dench institute her versatility to numerous Oscar - nominative visualise , let in Mrs. Brown , Iris , Mrs. Henderson Presents , Notes on a Scandal , Philomena , and Belfast . Despite all that , she bring her Oscar for Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love ( despite niggling screentime ) . And flush after all of that , one could fence that her almost far-famed and well-nigh memorable persona will constantly be as M in the James Bond flick , part with GoldenEye and finish with Spectre . She ’s for certain proved her place .