Anna Chancellor is the niece of journalist/ commentator Alexander Chancellor, and the daughter of John Chancellor by his 1st wife Hon. Mary Joliffe, of the Lords Hylton (and herself a great-granddaughter of H.H. Asquith, formerly a Prime Minister and then 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith). So that means she is related to actress Helena Bonham Carter (also a great-granddaughter of Asquith - but via his elder daughter Violet, instead of his eldest son like Anna).
Anna's father was the great-grandson (maternally) of the 12th Earl of Winchilsea & Nottingham, who was himself the son of the 10th Earl of Winchilsea & Nottingham (two separate earldoms) by his *third* wife Fanny Margaretta Rice. Fanny Rice was herself the granddaughter maternally of one Edward Knight, of Chawton, Hants, and Godmersham, Kent, whose younger sister just happened to be one Jane Austen, novelist.
She was nominated for the 1997 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role of 1996 for her performance in Stanley.
Trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, but left at the age of 21 when she became pregnant with her daughter, Poppy.
Once famously shocked hosts Richard and Judy, the TV audience, and the ITV network bosses, when she uttered the 'f' word live on "This Morning" whilst being interviewed.
Anna Chancellor Detailed Biography
Anna Chancellor was born on April 27, 1965. Anna Chancellor was trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Anna Chancellor's career has spanned theater, television and film. Anna Chancellor founded the Wicked Theater Company and produced "The Nativity," "The Birthday of the Infanta," "Cinderella," "Sleeping Beauty," and "Peter Pan." Anna Chancellor's list of theatrical credits included "Boston Marriage," "King Lear," "Faithless," "Real Inspector Hound," "The Prisoners of War" and "Stanley," for which Anna Chancellor was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the 1997 Laurence Olivier Awards.
Anna Chancellor appeared in various British TV series including "Spooks, Fortysomething," "Pride & Prejudice," "Kavanagh Q.C" and "The Vice." Anna Chancellor also worked on several films including "Four Weddings and a Funeral," What a Girl Wants" "Crush" "The Dreamers" and "Agent Cody Banks II." Prior to her role in The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, Anna Chancellor was probably most well known as "Barbara Ritchie" (the sister-in-law to Bill Murray's character) from the "The Man Who Knew Too Little". Anna Chancellor plays the role of Questular Rontok in the 2005 big budget Disney movie, "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy."
