Honestly, you’ve probably seen Lydia Leonard a dozen times without even realizing it was the same person. It's kinda her thing. One minute she’s playing a sharp-edged talent agent in a London high-rise, and the next she’s a Tudor queen or a 1950s bohemian. Most actors have a "vibe" they stick to, but Leonard is more like a chameleon who happens to have incredible bone structure.
She doesn’t just play roles; she inhabits them so thoroughly that the Lydia Leonard movies and TV shows list feels like a tour through different centuries.
Born in Paris but trained at the Bristol Old Vic, she’s got that specific British theatrical polish mixed with something much more unpredictable. If you’re trying to track down where you know her from, it’s a long list. It spans from the blood-soaked corridors of Rome to the fast-paced, neurotic offices of Ten Percent.
The Roles That Put Her on the Map
Most people really started paying attention when she stepped into the shoes of Anne Boleyn. Now, plenty of people have played Anne, but Leonard did it in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s massive stage adaptation of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. She was so good she ended up with a Tony nomination when the show moved to Broadway in 2015.
It’s a tough role. You have to be charming, terrifying, and doomed all at once. She nailed it.
Funny enough, her relationship with the Wolf Hall universe didn't end there. In the 2024 TV adaptation of the final book, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, she actually came back to the franchise. This time, though, she wasn't the Queen. She took over the role of Lady Jane Rochford. It’s a bit of a meta-move for fans of the series, watching her go from the woman on the throne to the woman whispering behind it.
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Why Ten Percent Was a Game Changer
If you haven't seen the UK version of Call My Agent! (titled Ten Percent), you’re missing out on Leonard’s best contemporary work. She plays Rebecca Fox. Rebecca is a high-powered talent agent who is basically trying to keep a crumbling agency together while dealing with her own complicated personal life.
The show is a remake of the French smash hit, and while remakes can be hit or miss, Leonard made the character entirely her own. She’s brittle. She’s funny. She’s incredibly stressed. It’s a masterclass in how to play "competent but barely holding it together."
A Career Built on Period Dramas (and Spies)
Leonard seems to have a face that directors think belongs in the past. Or maybe she just carries herself with a certain gravity. Whatever it is, she’s been a staple of "frock flicks" for two decades.
- Gentleman Jack: She played Mariana Lawton, the on-again-off-again lover of Anne Lister. Their chemistry was intense, painful, and felt incredibly real for a 19th-century setting.
- The Crown: In seasons 5 and 6, she popped up as Cherie Blair. It wasn't a huge role, but she looked so much like the real-life figure it was actually a bit jarring.
- Red Election: This one is a bit different. It’s a modern spy thriller where she plays Beatrice Ogilvy, a British intelligence officer. If you like Slow Horses, this is definitely in that same vein of gritty, paranoid storytelling.
She also had a standout role in Life in Squares, playing a young Virginia Woolf. Playing a literary icon is a trap for most actors—they end up doing an impression—but Leonard made Woolf feel like a living, breathing person rather than a statue.
The 2026 Landscape: What’s New?
Right now, everyone is talking about Down Cemetery Road. This is the big Apple TV+ thriller based on the Mick Herron novel (the guy who wrote Slow Horses). Leonard plays Talia Ross, the Defence Secretary. It’s a heavy-hitter cast with Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson, and Leonard fits right in with that level of talent.
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The show premiered late in 2025 and has already been renewed for a second season, so expect to see a lot more of her in this political-thriller space.
A Quick Look at the Deep Cuts
If you’re a real completionist, you have to go back to the early stuff.
She was in the very first episode of Rome (2005) as Julia, the daughter of Julius Caesar. It was a small but pivotal role that ended... well, not great for her character, but it showed early on that she could handle high-stakes drama.
Then there’s Quacks, a short-lived but brilliant BBC comedy about Victorian surgeons. She played Caroline, a woman far smarter than the men running around with saws and leeches. It’s a shame it only lasted one season, because her comedic timing is actually top-tier.
Essential Lydia Leonard Watchlist
If you want to get the full range of what she can do, here is the roadmap:
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- Ten Percent (2022): Start here for her best leading TV role. It's smart, fast, and very London.
- Gentleman Jack (2019-2022): Watch this for the emotional depth. Her scenes with Suranne Jones are some of the best in the series.
- Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (2024): To see her handle the complexity of the Tudor court.
- Down Cemetery Road (2025): For a dose of modern political intrigue.
- Archipelago (2010): A Joanna Hogg film. It’s quiet, awkward, and very indie. It shows a completely different side of her acting style.
Why She’s Actually Under-Appreciated
People often overlook actors who are "too good" at disappearing. Leonard doesn't have a signature "look" or a catchphrase. She just works. She’s one of those actors who makes everyone else in the scene look better because she’s so present.
Whether she’s playing a nurse in Casualty 1909 or a punk band manager in We Are Lady Parts (where she played Clarice Melville in season 2), there’s a consistent intelligence to her performances. She never plays "dumb." Even her characters who are making terrible life choices feel like they have a sharp brain behind their eyes.
If you’re looking for a new binge-watch, pick almost anything from her credits. You’re rarely going to find a "bad" Lydia Leonard performance. She’s the reliable backbone of British prestige TV, and with her move into bigger international productions like A Very Royal Scandal (playing Esme Wren), she’s only getting more prominent.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Check out Down Cemetery Road on Apple TV+ if you haven't started it yet; the second season is already in production for a likely 2026 release.
- If you're in London, keep an eye on the Almeida Theatre or the National Theatre schedules—Leonard frequently returns to the stage, which is where her most powerful work often happens.
- Track down the original Wolf Hall stage recordings if you can find them; her Anne Boleyn is a definitive take on the historical figure.