At age 17, walked in to audition for a spot in the renowned Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, having never acted on a stage (date approximate)

Stage debut in a Nottingham production of "Mother Courage and Her Children"

London debut as Mary in "The Grace of Mary Traverse"; received first Olivier Award nomination

Played small role in feature, "Half Moon Street"

Delivered an outstanding performance as the clumsy, unsure Hazel in the feature "Hawks"

Starred as Prue Sarn in "Precious Bane", a two-part BBC production aired in the USA on "Masterpiece Theatre" (PBS)

Portrayed Vita Sackville-West in "Portrait of a Marriage"; aired in the USA on "Masterpiece Theatre" in 1992

Acted the part of Celeste opposite Alan Bates' Marcel Proust in "102 Boulevard Haussmann" (A&E)

Nominated for the Olivier Award as Yelena opposite Anthony Sher in "Uncle Vanya"

Cast as a teacher being stalked by a potential serial killer in the BBC-2 drama "Dead Romantic"

Played narrator Ellen Dean in "Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights", featuring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche

Made a spirited Beatrice to Mark Rylance's Benedick in West End production of "Much Ado About Nothing"

Starred as Riah Millican in "The Black Velvet Gown" (aired in USA on "Masterpiece Theatre")

Portrayed Vanessa Bell in "Carrington", written and directed by Christopher Hampton

Played Nora in BBC radio version of Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House" while acting on stage in the London premiere of Sam Shepard's "Simpatico"

Portrayed leading role of Helen Hewitt, the first woman put in charge of a maximum security prison, in the British TV series "The Governor"

Commissioned Irish playwright Frank McGuinness to write a new adaptation of "A Doll's House" and hired Anthony Page to direct it

Electrified the West End of London with her Nora in "A Doll's House"

Made Broadway debut reprising her London role of Nora, winning the Tony Award

Provided opening narration (female) for Todd Haynes' "Velvet Goldmine"

Starred as Southern woman fleeing an unhappy marriage with her daughter in tow in "Tumbleweeds"; shown at the Sundance Film Festival; received Best Actress Oscar nomination

Acted in "Songcatcher" which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival; played a 19th-century musicologist

Had supporting role in the romantic mystery "Waking the Dead"

Co-starred in "The King Is Alive", a Dogme 95 film directed by Kristian Levering inspired by "King Lear"

Reteamed with director Kristian Levering in "The Intended"

Cast opposite Peter O'Toole and Stephen Rea in the romantic drama "Romeo and Me," a love story set during World War II (lensed 2004)

Cast in Terry Gilliam's fantasy-drama, "Tideland"