Anna Chancellor

Anna Chancellor often plays women accustomed to being obeyed, and her poise makes their sharp tongues more effective. Caroline Bingley in Pride and Prejudice (1995) gives her a good setting for that wit. The adaptation is not faultless: a few supporting performances are too broad, and its leisurely pace needs actors worth watching. We were won over by the romance because Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth make its slow development feel worthwhile. Chancellor's poise and wit suit a version of Austen that gives the comedy room alongside the attraction.

Her breakthrough film part was Henrietta in Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994). Upper-class and eccentric supporting women have recurred often enough to make the restriction worth noticing. These parts suit her, but casting the same actor whenever someone formidable is required can become a substitute for thinking about the character. The Hour (2011–2012), with Chancellor as Lix Storm, is an important counterweight. Her strong supporting work there is a reason to think of her as an ensemble actor before thinking of her as a social type.

The Girlfriend (2025), in which she plays Lillith Greenway, makes the importance of the writing plain. Robin Wright and Olivia Cooke make the family feud worth following, and the shifting viewpoints keep the series lively. The supporting characters are thin, though, while the behaviour becomes increasingly outlandish. It remains enjoyable melodrama, but it is not a programme from which we would draw sweeping conclusions about what Chancellor can do. Her own assessment that she depends on strong writing is sensible; an actor cannot supply everything a supporting character has not been given.

We would like to see more work that uses her wit without relying on the audience to recognise a familiar sort of woman. Giving her another eccentric to play is not, by itself, an interesting casting decision. Start with Pride and Prejudice if a leisurely ensemble drama appeals. Try The Hour next for Lix Storm.