Manville was born and raised in in Brighton, East Sussex, the daughter of a taxi driver.

She began acting as a teenager, appearing in television series such as the soap opera Emmerdale Farm(1974-1976) and King Cinder.

At the end of the seventies she built a career as a distinct actress of theatre, appearing in new plyas at the RSC's Warehouse and Royal Court Theatre. She played Sister Croy in The Sons of Light; Ali in Savage Amusement; Isabel in Trust Us and Lucy in Lucy Page's Lucy. She met Gary Oldman while working at Slone Square.

She is perhaps best known for her acting collaborations with Mike Leigh, which began in 1980 with the BBC play Grown-Ups. She subsequently appeared in the films High Hopes, Secrets & Lies, Topsy Turvy and All or Nothing.

Other film appearances include: Dance with a Stranger, Sammy and Rosie Get Laid, High Season and The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael.

Manville has also remained active on television, with credits such as The Gentle Touch, Coronation Street, Bulman, Soldier Soldier, Ain't Misbehavin', Tears Before Bedtime, Kavanagh QC, Holding On, Silent Witness, Real Women and The Cazalets.

She is currently filming The Cranford Chronicles.

Role

Film

Year

Jill

Sparkle

Sarah Carmichael

The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael

Mrs. Wells

Vera Drake

Penny

All or Nothing

Lucy Gilbert

Topsy Turvy

Social Worker

Secrets and Lies

Laetitia Boothe-Brain

High Hopes

Carol

High Season

Margy

Sammy and Rosie Get Laid

Maryanne

Dance with a Stranger

Role

Television Feature or Series

Year

Mrs. Rose

Cranford Chronicles

Sister Antonia

Perfect Parents

Mrs. Lorrimer

Poirot: Cards On The Table

Maria Hale

North & South

[Professor Diane Marquis]]

Rose and Maloney Episode #1.2

Capt. Annie Sullivan

Promoted to Glory

Dora Bruce

Plain Jane

Mandy Greenfield

Bodily Harm

Villy Cazalet

The Cazalets

Mrs. Micawber

David Copperfield

Yvonne

Black Cab Episode: Lost & Found

Fiona

Milk

Karen Turner

Real Women II

Mrs. Allen

Toy Boys

Suzy Franklin

Silent Witness – Fallen Idol

Karen Turner

Real Women

Susie Peel

Painted Lady

Hilary

Holding On

Lucy Cartwright

Kavanagh QC – True Commitment

Ellie Shannon

The Bite

Beattie Freeman

Tears Before Bedtime

Melissa Quigley

Aint’t Misbehavin

Judith Silver

Little Napoleons

Bessie Parkes

A Skirt Through History

Rosalind Killin

Google Eyes

Margot

The Mushroom Picker

 ?

When The Lies Run Out

Fortune

Soldier Soldier

Bad Girl

Sue

The Firm

Karen Tait

Bullman The Name of the Game

Vivienne

Play for Today – Dog Ends

Liz

Objects of Affection – Our Winnie

Jill Mason

Coronation Street

Mandy

BBC2 Playhouse – Grown-Ups

Shirley Davies

The Gentle Touch – Hammer

Francoise

Wings– Dawn Attack

Nikki

King Cinder

A Bunch of Fives

Janice

The Emigrants

Christine West

Barlow at Large – Protection

Rosemary Kendall

Emmerdale Farm

1974-6

Janet

Pop Goes The Weasel

Role

Play

Theatre

Year

Dol Common

The Alchemist

National Theatre

Pillars of the Community

Lyttelton Theatre

Mrs. Coulter

His Dark Materials

National Theatre

Some Girls

Miss Julie

Miss Julie

Greenwich Theatre

Natasha

Three Sisters (Adrian Noble)

Royal Court

Varya

The Charry Orchard (Sam Mendes)

Aldwych

Sandra

American Bagpipes (Lindsay Posner)

Royal Court

Scilla

Churchill’s Serious Money (Stafford-Clark)

Royal Court

Cécile

Les liaisons dangereuses (Howard Davies)

Pit

High Season(Clare Peploe

Phebe

As You Like It (Adrian Noble)

RST

1985-6

Dolores

The Dead Monkey (Roger Mitchell)

Royal Shakespeare Company

Polya

Gorky’s Philistines

TOP

Liz

Bond’s Saved (Danny Boyle)

Royal Court

Pat

The Pope’s Wedding (Stafford-Clark)

Royal Court

Falkland Sound

Royal Court

Marlene

Top Girls (Caryl Churchill’s)

Royal Court

Sue

Rita, Sue and Bob Too (Andrea Dunbar)

Royal Court

Borderline (Stafford-Clark)

Royal Court

Jen

Fear Of The Dark (Walter Donohue)

Royal Shakespeare Company

Sister Croy

The Sons Of Light (Ron Daniels

RSC - Warehouse

Ali

Savage Amusement (John Caird)

RSC - Warehouse

Isabel

Trust Us (Walter Donohue)

RSC - Warehouse

Lucy

Lucy (Mark Dornford-May)

RSC - Warehouse

Second Student

Who Needs Enemies? (Walter Donohue)

RSC - Warehouse

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High Hopes (film) All or Nothing (film)

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Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesley_Manville"

Categories: United Kingdom screen actor stubs | 1956 births | Living people | English film actors | English television actors

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