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