Starred in "A Chorus of Disapproval" at the National Theatre and "The Corn is Green" at the Old Vic

Played Nurse White in Dennis Potter's "The Singing Detective"; the award-winning series was originally broadcast on BBC and starred Michael Gambon

Played Dorothy in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of "The Wizard of Oz"; earned an Olivier Award nomination

Performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company, as Sonya in Michael Blakemore's production of "Uncle Vanya"

Cast as the Baker's Wife in the original London production of Stephen Sondheim's "Into the Woods"

Starred in Kenneth Branagh's "Peter's Friends"

Co-starred in Kenneth Branagh's film production of William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing"

Played Charlotte Palmer in Ang Lee's "Sense and Sensibility"

Starred opposite Jim Broadbent and Brenda Blethyn in Sam Mendes' production of "Habeas Corpus" at the Donmar Warehouse

Portrayed Maria in a film adaptation of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night"

Starred as Miss Adelaide in Richard Eyre's production of "Guys and Dolls" at the National Theatre

Portrayed the nurse in the Oscar-winning film, "Shakespeare in Love"

Teamed with Bob Hoskins, to play Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins Micawber, in the BBC/Masterpiece Theatre miniseries "David Copperfield"

Took on a daring role in "Rat," playing the wife of a pub-crawling Irishman who turns into a rodent; although the film was a critical success, it never made it to theaters, going instead straight to video

Cast as the tough female detective in the BBC's hit drama, "Murder"

Starred in "Vera Drake," as a woman who illegally helps women induce miscarriages in 1950s England; received Golden Globe, SAG and Oscar nominations for Best Actress

Co-starred with Emma Thompson and Colin Firth in "Nanny McPhee"; also scripted by Emma Thompson

Co-starred with Hilary Swank in "Freedom Writers," a drama directed by Richard LaGravenese

Cast as Dolores Umbridge, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, in the fifth Harry Potter picture, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"

Co-starred in the British comedy, "A Bunch of Amateurs"

Re-teamed with director Ang Lee to star in "Taking Woodstock"