You probably know the "Dormer Smirk." It’s that half-smile, slightly asymmetrical and radiating a mix of calculated intelligence and hidden vulnerability. Whether she’s navigating the viper’s nest of King’s Landing or leading a rebel camera crew through the ruins of Panem, Natalie Dormer has spent the last two decades carving out a very specific niche. She doesn't just play characters; she plays strategists.
But if you look closely at Natalie Dormer movies and tv shows, there’s a weird pattern. People often write her off as the "scheming queen" or the "femme fatale." Honestly, that’s a massive oversimplification. From her 2005 debut to her most recent stage-to-screen transitions in 2025 and 2026, her filmography is actually a masterclass in how to play power without losing humanity.
The Breakthrough: From The Tudors to Westeros
Most people think Game of Thrones was her big break. Not quite. While Margaery Tyrell made her a household name, it was her portrayal of Anne Boleyn in The Tudors (2007–2010) that set the stage.
She took a historical figure usually dismissed as a "temptress" and turned her into a tragic, high-stakes gambler. When she was eventually written out—well, beheaded—the show lost its spark. Critics at the time actually argued that her departure left a void the series never quite filled.
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Then came Margaery.
In a world of monsters like Joffrey and Cersei, Margaery Tyrell was the only one playing the game with a "soft power" approach. She wasn't just another girl in a silk dress. She was a PR genius. Dormer famously asked the showrunners to make Margaery more of a political player than she was in the books. It worked.
Natalie Dormer Movies and TV Shows: The Big Screen Pivot
Transitioning from a massive TV hit to cinema is notoriously tricky. Many actors get stuck in "typecast hell." Dormer avoided this by leaning into physicality and grit.
- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (Parts 1 & 2): She shaved half her head for the role of Cressida. Think about that for a second. Most actors would use a bald cap, but she went for the real deal. It signaled to Hollywood that she wasn't just a "period drama" actress.
- Rush (2013): A smaller role, sure, but working under Ron Howard alongside Chris Hemsworth showed she could hold her own in high-octane, big-budget productions.
- The Forest (2016): This was a rare lead horror role for her. She played twins, Sara and Jess. While the movie itself got mixed reviews, it proved she could carry a film's entire emotional weight on her shoulders.
- In Darkness (2018): This one is special because she co-wrote it. She plays a blind pianist who "hears" a murder. It’s a gritty thriller that feels deeply personal, likely because she spent years developing the script herself.
The "Irene Adler" Factor and Versatility
One of her coolest, yet most underrated roles, was in the CBS show Elementary. Playing Irene Adler is one thing, but the show threw a massive curveball by revealing her as Moriarty.
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It was a brilliant flip of the Sherlock Holmes mythos.
Dormer played the role with a chilling, detached intellectualism that was worlds away from the warmth of Margaery Tyrell. It’s probably the best example of her range—going from someone you’d want to be friends with to someone who would dismantle your life for sport.
Recent Projects and What’s Happening in 2026
Lately, Dormer has been making some gutsy moves, shifting back toward British prestige drama and heavy-hitting theater.
In 2025, she took on the title role in a new adaptation of Anna Karenina at the Chichester Festival Theatre. If you follow theater critics, you know the buzz was insane. She’s been vocal about how motherhood shifted her "acting center," making her more interested in roles about the messiness of being a parent and a person of faith.
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Which brings us to her most talked-about 2026 project: The Lady.
This is a four-part ITVX drama where she plays Sarah Ferguson (the Duchess of York). It’s a complex, "partly fictionalized" look at the Jane Andrews murder case. Interestingly, Dormer made headlines late last year for refusing to promote the series following certain revelations about the real-life figures involved, even donating her salary to charity. It's a bold move that reflects her real-life reputation for having a strong moral compass.
Exploring the Full Filmography
If you’re looking to binge-watch, here’s a quick-hit list of where to find her best work beyond the obvious hits:
- The Scandalous Lady W (2015): A BBC TV movie where she plays Seymour Worsley. It’s basically a proto-feminist story about a woman fighting for her own agency in a repressive 18th-century marriage.
- Penny Dreadful: City of Angels: She plays four different characters here (Magda and her various aliases). It’s a wild, supernatural noir set in 1938 Los Angeles.
- Picnic at Hanging Rock: A miniseries where she plays a stern, mysterious headmistress. It’s atmospheric, weird, and very different from her usual roles.
Actionable Next Steps
If you want to truly appreciate her craft, don't just stick to the blockbusters.
Start with The Tudors to see the foundation of her "strategic" acting style. Then, jump to In Darkness to see what she looks like when she has full creative control over the script. Finally, keep an eye out for the streaming release of The Lady later this year; it’s likely going to be the performance that defines this current "mature" phase of her career.