Tilda Swinton
Katherine Matilda Swinton (born November 5, 1960) is an award-winning British actress of Scottish descent, known for her versatile roles in independent films and blockbusters. She is a recipient various accolades throughout her long career, including an Academy Award and two BAFTA Awards, in addition to being nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and five Screen Actors Guild Awards. Swinton began her career by appearing in experimental films starting with Caravaggio (1986), followed by The Last of England (1988), War Requiem (1989), and The Garden (1990). She won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for her portrayal of Isabella of France in Edward II (1991). She next starred in Sally Potter's Orlando (1992), for which she received a nomination for the European Film Award for Best Actress. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her performance in The Deep End (2001), and followed this with appearances in Vanilla Sky (2001), Adaptation (2002), Constantine (2005), Julia (2008), and I Am Love (2009). For the film Young Adam (2003), she won the British Academy Scotland Award for Best Actress. Her performance in Michael Clayton (2007) won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Additionally, she won the European Film Award for Best Actress and received a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the psychological thriller We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011). Swinton has also played the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia series (2005–2010) and the Ancient One in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. Swinton was awarded the Richard Harris Award by the British Independent Film Awards in recognition of her contributions to the British film industry. In 2013, she was given a special tribute by the Museum of Modern Art. In 2020, Swinton was awarded the British Film Institute Fellowship, the highest honour presented by the institution, for her "daringly eclectic and striking talents as a performer and film-maker and recognizes her great contribution to film culture, independent film exhibition and philanthropy." That same year, The New York Times ranked her thirteenth on its list of the greatest actors of the 21st century up to that point.
Known For
Credits
- 2025 · Karl as Self
- 2024 · Fantasmas as Water (voice)
- 2023 · The Killer as The Expert
- 2023 · Asteroid City as Dr. Hickenlooper
- 2022 · Three Thousand Years of Longing as Alithea
- 2022 · Sleep Song as
- 2021 · The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun as J.K.L. Berensen
- 2021 · The Souvenir: Part II as Rosalind
- 2021 · What If...? as The Ancient One (voice)
- 2021 · Marvel Studios Legends as The Ancient One (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 2019 · Uncut Gems as Anne - Adley's Auction Manager (voice)
- 2019 · The Boys as Ambrosius (voice)
- 2019 · Avengers: Endgame as The Ancient One
- 2019 · What We Do in the Shadows as Tilda
- 2018 · Isle of Dogs as Oracle (voice)
- 2016 · Doctor Strange as The Ancient One
- 2015 · The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as Self
- 2014 · Variety Studio: Actors on Actors as Self
- 2014 · The Grand Budapest Hotel as Madame D.
- 2014 · Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self - Guest
- 2013 · The Zero Theorem as Dr. Shrink-Rom
- 2013 · Snowpiercer as Mason
- 2012 · Ashes as Self
- 2012 · Moonrise Kingdom as Social Services
- 2010 · The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader as White Witch
- 2008 · The Curious Case of Benjamin Button as Elizabeth Abbott
- 2008 · The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian as White Witch
- 2007 · Michael Clayton as Karen Crowder
- 2007 · Stephanie Daley as Lydie Crane
- 2005 · The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as White Witch
- 2005 · The Somme as Narrator (voice)
- 2005 · Made in Hollywood as Self
- 2005 · Constantine as Gabriel
- 2002 · Adaptation. as Valerie Thomas
- 2002 · Teknolust as Rosetta / Ruby / Marinne / Olive
- 2001 · Vanilla Sky as Rebecca Dearborn
- 2000 · The Beach as Sal
- 1999 · Conceiving Ada as Ada Augusta Byron King, Countess of Lovelace
- 1996 · The Daily Show as Self
- 1994 · Glitterbug as Self
- 1992 · Shakespeare: The Animated Tales as Ophelia (voice)
- 1991 · Derek Jarman: A Portrait as Self
- 1986 · Caravaggio as Lena
- 1953 · The Oscars as Self
- 1944 · Golden Globe Awards as Self - Nominee
- Future · Hamlet as Ophelia
- Future · Death in Her Hands as Vesta Gul
- 2025 · Ballad of a Small Player as Cynthia Blithe
- 2025 · Phantoms as
- 2024 · The End as Mother
- 2024 · The Room Next Door as Martha / Michelle
- 2023 · Cannes Uncut as Self
- 2022 · Durmiente as
- 2022 · Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio as Wood Sprite / Death (voice)
- 2021 · Memoria as Jessica Holland
- 2020 · The Human Voice as Woman
- 2019 · The Souvenir as Rosalind
- 2019 · The Dead Don't Die as Zelda Winston
- 2018 · Suspiria as Madame Blanc / Dr. Klemperer / Helena Markos
- 2018 · Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema as Narrator (voice)
- 2017 · Okja as Lucy Mirando / Nancy Mirando
- 2017 · War Machine as German Politician
- 2017 · Tania Libre as Narrator (voice)
- 2016 · Hail, Caesar! as Thora Thacker / Thessaly Thacker
- 2015 · A Bigger Splash as Marianne Lane
- 2015 · Trainwreck as Dianna
- 2013 · Only Lovers Left Alive as Eve
- 2013 · One Water as
- 2013 · Love Flesh as Self
- 2012 · Radioman as Self
- 2012 · Song 1 as Self
- 2011 · We Need to Talk About Kevin as Eva Khatchadourian
- 2010 · Behind Jim Jarmusch as Self
- 2009 · Getting On as Elke
- 2008 · Burn After Reading as Katie Cox
- 2008 · Julia as Julia
- 2008 · Derek as Narrator (voice)
- 2007 · Cannes: All Access as Self
- 2007 · Sleepwalkers as Violinist Working As a Copy Clerk
- 2006 · Deep Water as Narrator (voice)
- 2006 · Galapagos as Self - Presenter
- 2005 · Thumbsucker as Audrey Cobb
- 2005 · Broken Flowers as Penny
- 2003 · Young Adam as Ella Gault
- 1999 · The War Zone as Mum
- 1997 · Female Perversions as Evelyn Stephens
- 1994 · Death of a World Star as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1993 · Blue as (voice)
- 1993 · Wittgenstein as Lady Ottoline Morrell
- 1986 · Caprice as Lucky
- Future · Untitled Apichatpong Weerasethakul Dreams Project as
- Future · Jenjira’s Magnificent Dream as
- 2025 · Die Coen-Brüder - Eine amerikanische Geschichte as Self
- 2025 · Camaraderie as
- 2024 · A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things as Wilhelmina Barns-Graham (voice)
- 2024 · Transparent as
- 2024 · Problemista as Elizabeth
- 2023 · All Kinds of Love as Self
- 2023 · Some Thoughts On The Common Toad as Narrator (voice)
- 2022 · Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio: Handcarved Cinema as Self
- 2022 · The Eternal Daughter as Julie / Rosalind
- 2020 · Last and First Men as Narrator (voice)
- 2019 · The Personal History of David Copperfield as Betsey Trotwood
- 2017 · The Seasons in Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger as Self
- 2016 · Phantom of the Universe as Narrator
- 2015 · Exploring the Set of 'Moonrise Kingdom' as Self / Social Services
- 2015 · B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989 as Self
- 2015 · Dreams Rewired as Narrator (voice)
- 2014 · Antarctica: On the Edge as Narrator (voice)
- 2014 · Travelling at Night with Jim Jarmusch as Self
- 2013 · David Bowie: Five Years as Self (archive footage)
- 2011 · Women, War & Peace as Narrator (voice)
- 2010 · I Am Love as Emma Recchi
- 2009 · The Limits of Control as Blonde
- 2008 · DC Insiders Run Amuck as Self
- 2008 · Finding the Burn as Self / Katie Cox (archive footage)
- 2008 · The Man from London as Camélia
- 2007 · Faceless as Narrator (voice)
- 2006 · Thumbsucker - Behind the Scenes as Self
- 2003 · The Statement as Annemarie Livi
- 2002 · Tilda Swinton: The Love Factory as Self
- 2001 · The Deep End as Margaret Hall
- 2000 · The Dilapidated Dwelling as Narrator (voice)
- 2000 · Possible Worlds as Joyce
- 1999 · The Protagonists as Actress
- 1998 · Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon as Muriel Belcher
- 1993 · The Open Universe as Carla
- 1992 · Orlando as Orlando
- 1992 · Man to Man as Ella / Max Gerike
- 1991 · Edward II as Isabella
- 1990 · Your Cheatin' Heart as Cissie Crouch
- 1990 · The Garden as Madonna/Voice Overs
- 1989 · War Requiem as The Nurse
- 1988 · Cycling the Frame as The Cyclist
- 1987 · The Last of England as The Maid
- 1987 · Aria as Young Girl
- Future · WOLF as
- 2026 · Heart of Light: Eleven Songs For Fiji as
- 2025 · The Tree as
- 2025 · Flat 19 as
- 2025 · Timeslip as
- 2025 · Broken English as The Overseer
- 2025 · Instant Coffee as Self
- 2024 · Impulse: Playing with Reality as Narrator
- 2024 · January Stories as
- 2024 · Obertura as The Gardenerette
- 2024 · Chroma as
- 2024 · The Hexagonal Hive and a Mouse in a Maze as Self
- 2021 · The Storms of Jeremy Thomas as Self
- 2021 · Goliath: Playing with Reality as Narrator (voice)
- 2020 · The Human Voice Q&A With Pedro Almodovar And Tilda Swinton, Hosted By Mark Kermode as Self
- 2020 · Schlingensief – A Voice That Shook the Silence as Self (archive footage)
- 2017 · Letters from Generation Rx as Narrator (voice)
- 2017 · Letters from Baghdad as Gertrude Bell (voice)
- 2017 · async - first light as
- 2014 · The Gospel According to St Derek as Self
- 2014 · Snowpiercer: Transperceneige, From the Blank Page to the Black Screen as Self
- 2014 · Hot Dollar as
- 2013 · Death for a Unicorn as Narrator (voice)
- 2013 · When Björk Met Attenborough as Narrator (voice)
- 2013 · The Stars (Are Out Tonight) as
- 2013 · Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes as Narrator (voice)
- 2011 · Cinema Is Everywhere as Self
- 2010 · Orlando In Uzbekistan as Self
- 2010 · Climate of Change as Narrator (voice)
- 2009 · The Invisible Frame as The Cyclist
- 2009 · Moments on the Set of I Am Love as Self
- 2008 · The New Ten Commandments as Self
- 2007 · Here’s Looking at You, Boy as Self
- 2007 · Strange Culture as Hope Kurtz
- 2007 · Hitler's Favourite Royal as Narrator
- 2005 · Absent Presence as
- 1994 · Remembrance of Things Fast: True Stories Visual Lies as
- 1994 · Visions of Heaven and Hell as Narrator (voice)
- 1991 · The Party: Nature Morte as Queenie
- 1990 · Your Cheatin' Heart as
- 1989 · Play Me Something as Hairdresser
- 1989 · Volcano Saga as Gudrun
- 1989 · A Call to Arms as
- 1988 · Degrees of Blindness as
- 1987 · Friendship's Death as Friendship
- 1987 · Depuis le Jour as
- 1987 · Egomania: Island Without Hope as Sally
- 1986 · Zastrozzi: A Romance as Julia
- 1986 · The Sluggard as The Sluggard