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
2025
- Ballad of a Small Player as Cynthia Blithe
- Karl as Self
- Phantoms
- Camaraderie
- Recipes for Phantoms as Herself
- Die Coen-Brüder - Eine amerikanische Geschichte as Self
- Broken English as The Overseer
- Instant Coffee as Self
2024
- The End as Mother
- Problemista as Elizabeth
- The Room Next Door as Martha / Michelle
- Fantasmas as Water (voice)
- A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things as Wilhelmina Barns-Graham (voice)
- The Hexagonal Hive and a Mouse in a Maze as Self
- January Stories (version Harinezumi)
- Impulse: Playing with Reality as Narrator
- Chroma
- Transparent
2023
- The Killer as The Expert
- Asteroid City as Dr. Hickenlooper
- Cannes Uncut as Self
- 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
- Durmiente
- Sleep Song
- Ott torony volt ... (Executive Producer)
2021
- What If...? as The Ancient One (voice)
- The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun as J.K.L. Berensen
- Marvel Studios Legends as The Ancient One (archive footage) (uncredited)
- The Souvenir: Part II as Rosalind
- The Storms of Jeremy Thomas as Self
- Memoria as Jessica Holland
- Goliath: Playing with Reality as Narrator (voice)
2020
- 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
- The Souvenir as Rosalind
- The Dead Don't Die as Zelda Winston
- The Personal History of David Copperfield as Betsey Trotwood
- Uncut Gems as Anne - Adley's Auction Manager (voice)
2018
- Isle of Dogs as Oracle (voice)
- Suspiria as Madame Blanc / Dr. Klemperer / Helena Markos
- Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema as Narrator (voice)
2017
- Call Me by Your Name ... (Thanks)
- War Machine as German Politician
- Okja as Lucy Mirando / Nancy Mirando
- async - first light
- Letters from Baghdad as Gertrude Bell (voice)
- The Seasons in Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger as Self
- Tania Libre as Narrator (voice)
- Letters from Generation Rx as Narrator (voice)
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
- Exploring the Set of 'Moonrise Kingdom' as Self / Social Services
- B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989 as Self
- Dreams Rewired as Narrator (voice)
2014
- Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self
- Variety Studio: Actors on Actors as Self
- The Grand Budapest Hotel as Madame D.
- Antarctica: On the Edge as Narrator (voice)
- Travelling at Night with Jim Jarmusch as Self
- The Gospel According to St Derek as Self
- Snowpiercer: Transperceneige, From the Blank Page to the Black Screen as Self
2013
- Snowpiercer as Mason
- Only Lovers Left Alive as Eve
- One Water
- David Bowie: Five Years as Self (archive footage)
- The Stars (Are Out Tonight)
- The Zero Theorem as Dr. Shrink-Rom
- Love Flesh as Self
- Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes as Narrator (voice)
- Death for a Unicorn as Narrator (voice)
- When Björk Met Attenborough as Narrator (voice)
2012
- Radioman as Self
- Here ... (Idea)
- Ashes as Self
- Song 1 as Self
- Moonrise Kingdom as Social Services
2011
- We Need to Talk About Kevin as Eva Khatchadourian
- Cinema Is Everywhere as Self
- Women, War & Peace as Narrator (voice)
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)
2009
- The Limits of Control as Blonde
- The Invisible Frame as The Cyclist
- Moments on the Set of I Am Love as Self
- Getting On as Elke
2008
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button as Elizabeth Abbott
- Julia as Julia
- The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian as White Witch
- Burn After Reading as Katie Cox
- The Man from London as Camélia
- Derek as Narrator (voice)
- DC Insiders Run Amuck as Self
- Finding the Burn as Self / Katie Cox (archive footage)
- The New Ten Commandments as Self
2007
- Michael Clayton as Karen Crowder
- Stephanie Daley as Lydie Crane
- Here’s Looking at You, Boy as Self
- Sleepwalkers as Violinist Working As a Copy Clerk
- Faceless as Narrator (voice)
- Cannes: All Access as Self
- Strange Culture as Hope Kurtz
- Hitler's Favourite Royal as Narrator
2006
- Deep Water as Narrator (voice)
- Thumbsucker - Behind the Scenes as Self
- Galapagos as Self - Presenter
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
- The Somme as Narrator (voice)
- Thumbsucker as Audrey Cobb
2003
- The Statement as Annemarie Livi
- Young Adam as Ella Gault
2002
- Teknolust as Rosetta / Ruby / Marinne / Olive
- Adaptation. as Valerie Thomas
- Tilda Swinton: The Love Factory as Self
2001
- Vanilla Sky as Rebecca Dearborn
- The Deep End as Margaret Hall
2000
- The Beach as Sal
- The Dilapidated Dwelling as Narrator (voice)
- Possible Worlds as Joyce
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
1997
- Female Perversions as Evelyn Stephens
1996
- The Daily Show as Self
1994
- Glitterbug as Self
- Visions of Heaven and Hell as Narrator (voice)
- Death of a World Star as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Remembrance of Things Fast: True Stories Visual Lies
1993
- Wittgenstein as Lady Ottoline Morrell
- Blue as (voice)
- The Open Universe as Carla
1992
- Orlando as Orlando
- Hamlet as Ophelia
- Shakespeare: The Animated Tales as Ophelia (voice)
- Man to Man as Ella / Max Gerike
1991
- Edward II as Isabella
- The Party: Nature Morte as Queenie
- Derek Jarman: A Portrait as Self
1990
- The Garden as Madonna/Voice Overs
- Your Cheatin' Heart as Cissie Crouch
- Your Cheatin' Heart
1989
- War Requiem as The Nurse
- Volcano Saga as Gudrun
- Play Me Something as Hairdresser
- 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
- Egomania: Island Without Hope as Sally
- Friendship's Death as Friendship
- Depuis le Jour
1986
- Caravaggio as Lena
- Caprice as Lucky
- Zastrozzi: A Romance as Julia
- The Sluggard as The Sluggard
1944
- Golden Globe Awards as Self - Nominee