Vanessa Nuala Kirby (born 18 April 1988) is an English actress. She has received several accolades, including a
BAFTA TV Award, in addition to nominations for an
Academy Award and a
Primetime Emmy Award.
Born in London to urologist
Roger Kirby, Kirby studied English literature at the
University of Exeter. After graduation, she made her professional acting debut on stage with a production of
Arthur Miller's
All My Sons (2010), and followed this with acclaimed performances in the plays
A Midsummer Night's Dream (2010),
As You Like It (2010),
Women Beware Women (2011),
Three Sisters (2012), and as
Stella Kowalski in
A Streetcar Named Desire (2014).
Kirby made her film debut with a minor role in the crime drama
The Rise (2012), and rose to international prominence with her portrayal of
Princess Margaret in the
Netflix drama series
The Crown (2016–2017), for which she won the
British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actress and received a nomination for a
Primetime Emmy Award. She took on roles in the action films
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) and
Hobbs & Shaw (2019). For her performance as a grief-stricken young woman in
Pieces of a Woman (2020), she won the
Volpi Cup for Best Actress and received a nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Actress.
