Tilda Swinton
Born: 1960-11-05 in London, England, UK
Known For: Acting
Biography
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.
Filmography
2026
- WOLF as Narrator (voice)
- Heart of Light: Eleven Songs for Fiji
- Broken English as The Overseer
- Queer Edward II ... (Executive Producer)
- A Flower of Forgetfulness
2025
- Ballad of a Small Player as Cynthia Blithe
- The Coen Brothers Story as Self
- The Tree
- Phantoms
- Instant Coffee as Self
- Camaraderie
- Karl as Self
- Timeslip
- Tilda Swinton: The Wildcards as Self (archive)
- Flat 19
2024
- The Room Next Door as Martha / Michelle
- Fantasmas as Water (voice)
- The End as Mother
- Problemista as Elizabeth
- Obertura as The Gardenerette
- Transparent
- A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things as Wilhelmina Barns-Graham (voice)
- January Stories
- The Hexagonal Hive and a Mouse in a Maze as Self
- Impulse: Playing with Reality as Narrator
- Chroma
2023
- Asteroid City as Dr. Hickenlooper
- The Killer as The Expert
- Cannes Uncut as Self
- Personal History
- Pasolini On Pasolini as narrator
- Some Thoughts On The Common Toad as Narrator (voice)
- All Kinds of Love as Self
2022
- Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio as Wood Sprite / Death (voice)
- Three Thousand Years of Longing as Alithea
- The Eternal Daughter as Julie / Rosalind
- Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio: Handcarved Cinema as Self
- There Was a Tower: A Portrait of Mihály Víg ... (Executive Producer)
- Durmiente
- Sleep Song
2021
- What If...? as The Ancient One (voice)
- Marvel Studios Legends as The Ancient One (archive footage) (uncredited)
- The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun as J.K.L. Berensen
- Memoria as Jessica Holland
- The Souvenir: Part II as Rosalind
- The Storms of Jeremy Thomas as Self
- Goliath: Playing with Reality as Narrator (voice)
2020
- Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema as Narrator (voice)
- The Human Voice as Woman
- Last and First Men as Narrator (voice)
- Schlingensief – A Voice That Shook the Silence as Self (archive footage)
- The Human Voice Q&A With Pedro Almodovar And Tilda Swinton, Hosted By Mark Kermode as Self
2019
- The Boys as Ambrosius (voice)
- Avengers: Endgame as The Ancient One
- What We Do in the Shadows as Tilda
- Uncut Gems as Anne - Adley's Auction Manager (voice)
- The Dead Don't Die as Zelda Winston
- The Personal History of David Copperfield as Betsey Trotwood
- The Souvenir as Rosalind
2018
- Isle of Dogs as Oracle (voice)
- Suspiria as Madame Blanc / Dr. Klemperer / Helena Markos
2017
- Call Me by Your Name ... (Thanks)
- War Machine as German Politician
- Okja as Lucy Mirando / Nancy Mirando
- async - first light
- Letters from Generation Rx as Narrator (voice)
- Tania Libre as Narrator (voice)
- Letters from Baghdad as Gertrude Bell (voice)
- The Seasons in Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger as Self
2016
- Doctor Strange as The Ancient One
- Hail, Caesar! as Thora Thacker / Thessaly Thacker
- Paterson ... (Thanks)
- Phantom of the Universe as Narrator
2015
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as Self
- Trainwreck as Dianna
- A Bigger Splash as Marianne Lane
- B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989 as Self
- Exploring the Set of 'Moonrise Kingdom' as Self / Social Services
- Dreams Rewired as Narrator (voice)
- Moonrise Kingdom Extras - Eleven iPhone Videos by Edward Norton. as Self
2014
- Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self - Guest
- Variety Studio: Actors on Actors as Self
- The Grand Budapest Hotel as Madame D.
- Hot Dollar
- Travelling at Night with Jim Jarmusch as Self
- The Gospel According to St Derek as Self
- Antarctica: On the Edge as Narrator (voice)
- Tilda in de Menil Land
- Snowpiercer: Transperceneige, From the Blank Page to the Black Screen as Self
2013
- Rick and Morty as The Collective (voice)
- Snowpiercer as Mason
- The Zero Theorem as Dr. Shrink-Rom
- Only Lovers Left Alive as Eve
- Love Flesh as Self
- David Bowie: Five Years as Self (archive footage)
- Death for a Unicorn as Narrator (voice)
- When Björk Met Attenborough as Narrator (voice)
- Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes as Narrator (voice)
- The Stars (Are Out Tonight)
- One Water
2012
- Moonrise Kingdom as Social Services
- Radioman as Self
- Song 1 as Self
- Ashes as Self
2011
- We Need to Talk About Kevin as Eva Khatchadourian
- Women, War & Peace as Narrator (voice)
- Planet Tilda
- Cinema Is Everywhere as Self
2010
- The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader as White Witch
- I Am Love as Emma Recchi
- Behind Jim Jarmusch as Self
- Climate of Change as Narrator (voice)
- Orlando In Uzbekistan as Self
2009
- Getting On as Elke
- The Limits of Control as Blonde
- Moments on the Set of I Am Love as Self
- The Invisible Frame as The Cyclist
2008
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button as Elizabeth Abbott
- Burn After Reading as Katie Cox
- The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian as White Witch
- The Man from London as Camélia
- Julia as Julia
- Derek as Narrator (voice)
- Finding the Burn as Self / Katie Cox (archive footage)
- DC Insiders Run Amuck as Self
- The New Ten Commandments as Self
2007
- Michael Clayton as Karen Crowder
- Cannes: All Access as Self
- Stephanie Daley as Lydie Crane
- Sleepwalkers as Violinist Working As a Copy Clerk
- Here’s Looking at You, Boy as Self
- Strange Culture as Hope Kurtz
- Faceless as Narrator (voice)
- Hitler's Favourite Royal as Narrator
2006
- Galapagos as Self - Presenter
- Deep Water as Narrator (voice)
- Thumbsucker - Behind the Scenes as Self
2005
- The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as White Witch
- Constantine as Gabriel
- Made in Hollywood as Self
- Broken Flowers as Penny
- Thumbsucker as Audrey Cobb
- The Somme as Narrator (voice)
- Absent Presence
2003
- Young Adam as Ella Gault
- The Statement as Annemarie Livi
2002
- Adaptation. as Valerie Thomas
- Teknolust as Rosetta / Ruby / Marinne / Olive
- Tilda Swinton: The Love Factory as Self
2001
- Vanilla Sky as Rebecca Dearborn
- The Deep End as Margaret Hall
2000
- The Beach as Sal
- Possible Worlds as Joyce
- The Dilapidated Dwelling as Narrator (voice)
1999
- The War Zone as Mum
- Conceiving Ada as Ada Augusta Byron King, Countess of Lovelace
- The Protagonists as Actress
1998
- Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon as Muriel Belcher
1996
- The Daily Show as Self
- Female Perversions as Evelyn Stephens
1994
- Remembrance of Things Fast: True Stories Visual Lies
- Glitterbug as Self
- Visions of Heaven and Hell as Narrator (voice)
1993
- Wittgenstein as Lady Ottoline Morrell
- Blue as (voice)
- The Open Universe as Carla
1992
- Shakespeare: The Animated Tales as Ophelia (voice)
- Orlando as Orlando
- Man to Man as Ella / Max Gerike
- Hamlet as Ophelia
1991
- Edward II as Isabella
- Derek Jarman: A Portrait as Self
- The Party: Nature Morte as Queenie
1990
- Your Cheatin' Heart as Cissie Crouch
- The Garden as Madonna/Voice Overs
- Your Cheatin' Heart
1989
- War Requiem as The Nurse
- Play Me Something as Hairdresser
- Volcano Saga as Gudrun
- A Call to Arms
1988
- Cycling the Frame as The Cyclist
- Degrees of Blindness
1987
- Aria as Young Girl
- The Last of England as The Maid
- Friendship's Death as Friendship
- Egomania: Island Without Hope as Sally
- Depuis le Jour
1986
- ScreenPlay as Ella / Max Gerike
- Caravaggio as Lena
- Zastrozzi: A Romance as Julia
- Caprice as Lucky
- The Sluggard as The Sluggard
1985
- Screen Two as Isabella
1953
- The Oscars as Self
1944
- Golden Globe Awards as Self - Nominee