Natalie Dormer

Biography:

Natalie Dormer was born on 11 February 1982 in Reading, Berkshire, to Gary Dormer and Claire Richards. She grew up with her siblings Mark and Samantha and is of English, Norwegian, and Welsh heritage. Dormer attended Chiltern Edge Secondary School and later the sixth form at Reading Blue Coat School. She recalls being bullied during her school years but never fully understood why. Alongside her studies, she trained in dance at the Allenova School of Dancing. Initially seen as the “academic hope” of her family, she nearly pursued a history degree at Cambridge University but missed the required grade on an A-level exam. Instead, she shifted her focus to acting, auditioned for drama schools, and was accepted into the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

Six months after graduating, Dormer landed her first role as Victoria in Casanova (2005), where director Lasse Hallström expanded her part after being impressed by her comedic ability. She then appeared briefly in Distant Shores (2005). Following Casanova, she experienced a 10-month period without work, which she attributed to poor representation. During that time, she supported herself with waitressing and office jobs and later called the experience “the best lesson.”

Her breakthrough came in 2007–2008 as Anne Boleyn in the first two seasons of The Tudors. Critics praised her layered performance, with one reviewer calling her “a rebellious, defiantly independent tragic heroine.” After Anne’s execution on the show, many noted her absence left a significant gap. She went on to appear in Agatha Christie’s Marple, City of Life, Silk, and Madonna’s film W.E. She also had roles in Captain America: The First Avenger and returned for a dream sequence in The Tudors’ final season.

Dormer debuted on stage in Sweet Nothings at the Young Vic in 2010, earning praise from critics and a commendation at the Ian Charleson Awards. Later that year, she appeared in * .45* at Hampstead Theatre.

From 2012 to 2016, she gained worldwide recognition as Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones. Her performance earned critical acclaim, along with several Screen Actors Guild nominations for Best Ensemble and an Empire Hero Award. She also won an Ewwy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Around the same time, she returned to the Young Vic in After Miss Julie, which critics described as “sensational” and “outstanding.”

In the following years, Dormer broadened her career. She played Lady Door in the radio play Neverwhere, appeared in Rush, The Counselor, A Long Way from Home, and as Irene Adler in CBS’s Elementary. She starred as Lady Worsley in The Scandalous Lady W (2015), and played Cressida in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Parts 1 and 2, shaving part of her head for the role. Both films became her highest-grossing projects.

Dormer went on to star in the horror film The Forest (2016), the drama The Professor and the Madman, and the thriller Patient Zero. In 2017, she played Mrs. Hester Appleyard in Picnic at Hanging Rock and received praise for her commanding presence. She returned to the stage at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in Venus in Fur, where critics described her performance as dominant and powerful. She also co-wrote and starred in In Darkness (2018), which was noted for its controversial nudity scenes. That same year, she narrated Harry Potter: A History of Magic and was cast to play Vivien Leigh in the planned series Vivling.

Her voice work includes roles in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019) and Tales of Arcadia, for which she won an Annie Award. In 2020, she starred in Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, playing multiple characters and earning a Critics’ Choice Super Award nomination. In 2024, she starred in The Wasp and later that year appeared in the crime drama White Lies. In 2025, she played Dr. Audrey Evans in Audrey’s Children, receiving praise for her authenticity and commitment.

Dormer’s personal life has often intertwined with her career. She met director Anthony Byrne while filming The Tudors in 2007; they became engaged in 2011 but separated in 2018 after collaborating on In Darkness. Since 2018, she has been with actor David Oakes, whom she met while starring in Venus in Fur. The couple welcomed their first daughter in 2021, entered into a civil partnership in 2023, and now have two daughters together.

Outside of acting, Dormer has been an active philanthropist. She ran the London Marathon in 2014 for Barnardo’s and again in 2016 for the NSPCC, later becoming a Childline ambassador. She delivered a speech at the United Nations on World Humanitarian Day in 2016 to highlight violence against women and refugees and worked with Plan International to campaign against child marriage. She has recorded audiobooks for the NSPCC, supported Childline events, and was made an honorary member of the NSPCC council in 2024.

Dormer avoids social media, citing fears of misrepresentation, and has spoken openly about her discomfort with nude scenes despite her reputation for taking such roles. She emphasizes her interest in the motivations behind characters rather than sensationalism.