SHE’S just been crowned the industry’s drama queen. But unlike her fellow Academy Award Best Actress nominees Glenn Close and Melissa McCarthy, Olivia Colman hasn’t had a host of silverscreen roles.
In fact, until she stormed the awards season for her portrayal of Queen Anne in The Favourite, it’s unlikely that many outside the UK would recognise her. Rather than cutting her teeth on Shakespeare, Olivia has risen to Oscar glory over the past 19 years via a selection of comedies and sketch shows.
She said: ‘I was frustrated because in this business they like to stick you in this slot, and for a long time I was thought of as someone who can only do comedy.
‘But once I had the chance to do drama, it changed people’s thinking.’
That it did. Here, ALISON BOSHOFF charts Olivia’s journey from extra to extraordinary . . .
2016, FLEABAG: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who played Fleabag, wrote the part of her vile stepmother for Olivia, who always wanted to play a ‘real b***h’. PRINTED AND DISTRIBUTED BY PRESSREADER
2002, THE OFFICE: Olivia played Helena, a journalist who is drawn into an excruciating interview with manager David Brent (Ricky Gervais, above) in the cult TV comedy.
2005, LOOK AROUND YOU: A parody of Tomorrow’s World-type educational shows, Olivia appeared in the second series as TV presenter Pam Bachelor. It’s high-profile fans included The Simpsons creator Matt Groening, who called Look Around You ‘one of the funniest shows I’ve ever seen’.
2016, THE NIGHT MANAGER: Olivia, who was pregnant at the time, was reunited with her Rev co-star Tom Hollander — but Tom Hiddleston made the headlines.
2008, CONSUMING PASSION: A BBC4 drama to mark 100 years of Mills & Boon, she was a secretary whose hospital romance made her one of their top authors.
201l, THE IRON LADY: Meryl Streep (Colman’s hero) played Mrs Thatcher, with Olivia as daughter Carol — she had to wear a false nose for the part.
201l, TYRANNOSAUR: Written and directed by Paddy Considine, Olivia played an abused wife in this harrowing film — and won her first-ever award.
2006, CONFETTI: As a naturist couple (with Robert Webb, above), Olivia later said she was horrified about how much of her would be on show in the comedy.
2010 to 2014, REV: Tom Hollander starred as the Rev, with Olivia playing his wife, a barrister who struggles with life in their inner-city vicarage.
2013, 2015 and 2017, BROADCHURCH: The must-see ITV whodunnit, co-starring David Tennant, clinched a string of awards, including a Bafta for Olivia.
2000, BRUISER: She won a place on the BBC sketch show while she was still studying at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.