Anna Madeley is an English actress, whose career in television, stage, film and radio spans an incredible four decades.
She's back on our screens for All Creatures Great and Small season 5 as Mrs Audrey Hall, the indispensable housekeeper of Skeldale House veterinary practice.
Anna has played the role of Mrs Hall since 2020 but has been acting since she was a little girl. She landed her first film role at the age of nine, and has enjoyed a successful career, starring in popular dramas including Cold Feet and Mr Selfridge.
Off-screen, mum-of-two Anna likes to keep her personal life out of the limelight. But here are a few interesting facts you may not know about her...
Anna Madeley is a former child star
Anna Madeley is a true Londoner. She was born in the capital on October 1, 1976, and grew up there.
As a youngster, Anna attended the North London Collegiate School, a private day school for girls. Her speech teacher at school spotted her acting potential and lined her up for auditions.
Anna's professional debut was playing the part of a little girl in the 1985 film, Claudia.
She went on to hone her skills at the Central School of Speech and Drama, where one of her first roles was playing a skeleton in a production of the Shakespeare comedy, "The Merry Wives of Windsor".
She's not from an acting family
Unlike a lot of stars, performing didn't run in Anna's bloodline. Her mum was a biology teacher, while her father worked in IT. She has one sister, who's also not in the industry.
“I was around 16 or 17 when I started thinking of becoming an actor — I think my parents were quite nervous about it,” she told Virgin Island Daily News.
“We’re not from an acting family, and most of my family is in the sciences in their careers, so it was a completely unknown entity. But they were incredibly supportive, and came to see every production."
Anna worked a variety of jobs while waiting for her big break — including a pub barmaid, shop assistant, market researcher and a perfume girl in Harrods.
She's worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company
Anna is an accomplished stage actress and has completed two seasons with the acclaimed Royal Shakespeare Company.
She performed with the company in its 2001-2002 season again in 2003-2004.
Anna has trodden the boards of London's West End, in productions such as "The Cosmonaut's Last Message" and "The Philanthropist" — the latter of which she reprised her role for the Broadway production in 2009. She also starred in Private Lives on Broadway alongside Kim Catrall back in 2011.
She starred as both Aaron and Young Alexander Ashbrook in the original Royal National Theatre production of Coram Boy, and appeared opposite Sir Anthony Sher in The Roman Actor.
Anna has starred in a long list of TV shows
Anna's acting CV makes for impressive reading, and it's no wonder the star says she's been fortunate enough not to go longer than six months without a job.
She's proved herself to be a versatile talent, starring in period dramas, fantasy films and dark, gripping thrillers.
Her long list of credits includes the TV adaptation of Sense & Sensibility, Code of a Killer and Deadwater Fell opposite former Doctor Who actor David Tennant.
Fans of The Crown may also remember Anna from her role as Clarissa Eden in 2016. And another one of her memorable performances was in The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister, with Maxine Peake.
Her other half is also an actor
Anna is in a long-term relationship with London-born actor Geoffrey Streatfeild.
Geoffrey is probably best known for playing Calum Reed in the BBC spy drama, Spooks, and for his role as Fergus Williams in political satire The Thick of It.
Like Anna, Geoffrey has also appeared on the big screen, with performances in Kinky Boots, The Lady in the Van and The Other Boleyn Girl.
The couple, who have two young children together, are private and rarely make red-carpet appearances together.
She's won awards for her acting work
Anna's talents were recognised in 2008 when she won the Monte Carlo Nymphe d’Or Award for Best Performance by an Actress at the Monte Carlo Film Festival.
She took the title for Affinity, a UK film adaptation of Sarah Waters' novel of the same name. In the film, Anna plays Margaret, a Victorian upper-class woman who develops an unhealthy attachment to a prison inmate.
Anna's performance also earned her another Best Actress award, this time at FilmOut San Diego in 2009.
She loves being part of the All Creatures Great and Small family
Anna has won the hearts of millions for her portrayal of Mrs Hall in All Creatures Great and Small.
The charming series is an adaptation of the books by James Herriot and has already been commissioned for a sixth series. Anna relishes the chance to revisit Mrs Hall and thinks the show has the potential to run and run.
"She's (Mrs Hall) just such a lovely character to play," she says. "She has many facets, and the beauty of these stories is that there are still lots of them to tell."
The actress also feels fortunate for the friendships she's made on the show, saying: "We’re a lovely community. We’re really lucky that loads of the crew come back, so there’s quite a feeling of familiarity. It's rare in our job to work with the same people for five years, and that’s quite special too.
She was married to Benedict Cumberbatch (sort of)
Okay, so Anna and Benedict weren't real-life spouses, but she did once play his on-screen wife.
The pair starred together in the 2018 miniseries Patrick Melrose, in which Benedict played the titular character. Anna played Patrick's wife, Mary, and the pair shared several scenes together.
The series was received with critical acclaim, going on to scoop a string of prestigious awards, including a Best Actor BAFTA for Benedict.
Anna Madeley's fact file
Frequently asked questions about the star...
How old is Anna Madeley?
Anna Madeley is 47, she was born on October 1, 1976.
Is Anna Madeley married?
Anna Madeley is in a long-term relationship with fellow actor, Geoffrey Streatfeild.
Does Anna Madeley have any children?
Anna Madeley has two children with her partner Geoffrey.
Where was Anna Madeley born?
Anna Madeley was born in London.
How tall is Anna Madeley?
Anna Madeley is five foot seven.
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We work hard to ensure that all information is correct. Facts that change over time, such as age, will be correct, to the best of our knowledge, at the time of the last article update.
