---
name: "Deborah Findlay"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/deborah-findlay"
fi1m_id: "deborah-findlay"
imdb_id: "nm0277525"
tmdb_id: 135420
wikidata_id: "Q5248240"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "31 December 1947"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 78
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-10-07T11:41:28.740883+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Deborah Findlay

## Identity

Deborah Findlay

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/deborah-findlay
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** deborah-findlay
- **IMDb ID:** nm0277525
- **TMDB ID:** 135420
- **Wikidata ID:** Q5248240
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deborah_Findlay, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5248240, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0277525/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/135420

Actor. Born 31 December 1947 in Leatherhead, Surrey, England, UK.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 31 December 1947, Leatherhead, Surrey, England, UK
- **Active:** 1989–2016
- **Also known as:** Deborah Findley, Deborah Finlay
- **Frequently works with:** [Andrew Davies](https://film.one/person/andrew-davies.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 78, as actor, over 5 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 80 (1), 2000s 84 (1), 2010s 75 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 76 to 70 across 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 5, Comedy 3, Animation 1, Family 1, Fantasy 1, Romance 1
- **Screen time:** 7 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $207m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deborah_Findlay, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5248240, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0277525/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/135420

## Biography

Deborah Findlay is an English actress. She studied English at the University of Leeds, where she joined a theatre company, before beginning her professional career in the late 1970s.

She has worked extensively in theatre, including seasons with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. In 1997 she won an Olivier Award and an Outer Critics' Circle Award for her performance in Pam Gems' *Stanley*. Her film roles include Claire in *Truly Madly Deeply* (1990), Maud Shaw in *Jackie* (2016), and voice work in *Arthur Christmas* (2011) and *That Christmas* (2024). On television she is known for Ruth Defoe in *The Split* (2018–2022) and appearances in *Torchwood* (2009) and *Cranford* (2007).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (5)

- *Jackie* (2016), Fi1m 80, as Maud Shaw — [page](https://film.one/film/jackie.md)
- *The Lady in the Van* (2015), Fi1m 64, as Pauline — [page](https://film.one/film/the-lady-in-the-van.md)
- *Arthur Christmas* (2011), Fi1m 82, as General (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/arthur-christmas.md)
- *Cranford* (2007), Fi1m 84, as Miss Tomkinson — [page](https://film.one/tv/cranford.md)
- *Truly Madly Deeply* (1991), Fi1m 80, as Claire — [page](https://film.one/film/truly-madly-deeply.md)

## Complete filmography (74)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Ladies First* (2026), as Mrs. Sachs
- *A Death in the Family* (2025), as Mother
- *That Christmas* (2024), as Mrs. Horton (voice)
- *Such a Lovely Day* (2023), as Grandmother
- *Up on the Roof* (2023), as Claire
- *Dalgliesh* (2021), series, as Miss Willard
- *From A Strange Land* (2021), as Margaret
- *National Theatre Live: Romeo and Juliet* (2021), as Nurse
- *The Drowning* (2021), series, as Lynn
- *Making Noise Quietly: Three Conversations* (2019), as Helene
- *National Theatre Live: Allelujah!* (2018), as Sister Gilchrist
- *The Split* (2018), series, as Ruth Defoe
- *Kaleidoscope* (2017), as Maureen
- *Hampstead* (2017), as Mary Neal
- *Jackie* (2016), as Maud Shaw — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/jackie.md)
- *The Ones Below* (2016), as Tessa
- *The Lady in the Van* (2015), as Pauline — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/the-lady-in-the-van.md)
- *Life in Squares* (2015), series, as Aunt Jane
- *Coalition* (2015), as Harriet Harman
- *Suite Française* (2015), as Madame Joseph
- *Lovesick* (2014), series, as Fiona
- *National Theatre Live: Coriolanus* (2014), as Volumnia
- *Leaving* (2012), series, as Vanessa
- *Arthur Christmas* (2011), as General (voice) — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/arthur-christmas.md)
- *Gunrush* (2009), as Jill
- *Summer* (2008), as Doctor Price
- *One of Those Days* (2008), as Supervisor
- *Who Gets the Dog* (2007), as Pamela Wilson
- *Cranford* (2007), series, as Miss Tomkinson — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/cranford.md)
- *Wilfred Owen: A Remembrance Tale* (2007), as Susan Owen
- *The Yellow House* (2007), as Madame Roulin
- *Lewis* (2007), series, as Lady Hugh
- *This Life +10* (2007), as Doctor
- *Torchwood* (2006), series, as Denise Riley — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/tv/torchwood.md)
- *Thin Ice* (2006), series, as Jeanette
- *Vanity Fair* (2004), as Mrs. Sedley
- *Home* (2003), as Margaret Ballantyne
- *State of Mind* (2003), as D.C.I Stella Munroe
- *Foyle's War* (2002), series, as Mrs Thorndyke/Evelyn Cresswell — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/foyles-war.md)
- *Me Without You* (2001), as Judith
- *Anna Karenina* (2000), series, as Countess Lydia
- *The End of the Affair* (1999), as Miss Smythe
- *Wives and Daughters* (1999), series, as Miss Phoebe
- *The Last Train* (1999), series, Actor
- *Trial & Retribution* (1997), series, as Jill Ashton
- *Midsomer Murders* (1997), series, as Lorna Soane, Hilary Richards — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/midsomer-murders.md)
- *Jane Eyre* (1997), as Mrs. Reed
- *Silent Witness* (1996), series, as Gemma King
- *Jack & Sarah* (1995), as Miss Cartwright
- *The Vet* (1995), series, as Anna Walker
- *Kavanagh Q.C.* (1995), series, as Susannah Emmott
- *Milner* (1994), as Sylvia Milner
- *The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes* (1994), series, as Sarah Cushing
- *15: The Life and Death of Philip Knight* (1993), as Cheryl Morris
- *Downtown Lagos* (1992), series, as Celia Dawson
- *Natural Lies* (1992), series, as Grace
- *Anglo Saxon Attitudes* (1992), series, as Kay Consett
- *Heartbeat* (1992), series, as Eva Knight
- *The House of Bernarda Alba* (1991), as Martirio
- *Top Girls* (1991), as Isabella Bird / Joyce / Mrs Kidd
- *Performance* (1991), series, as Isabella Bird
- *All Good Things* (1991), series, as Doll
- *Truly Madly Deeply* (1991), as Claire — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/truly-madly-deeply.md)
- *First and Last* (1989), as Lisa
- *Agatha Christie's Poirot* (1989), series, as Rowena Drake — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/agatha-christies-poirot.md)
- *Casualty* (1986), series, as Debbie Cookson — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/casualty.md)
- *What If It's Raining* (1986), series, as Marilyn
- *Ladies in Charge* (1986), series, as Hetty
- *Sherlock Holmes* (1984), series, as Sarah Cushing
- *Shroud for a Nightingale* (1984), series, as Heather Pearce
- *Dalgliesh* (1983), series, as Heather Pearce
- *Busted* (1983), as Angela
- *Commitments* (1982), as Ingy
- *Great Performances* (1971), series, as Nurse

## Gallery

- ![Deborah Findlay](https://film.one/media/person/78141/gallery-29b5c1b67a9d.jpg) Deborah Findlay — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/ThatXmasBFILFF191024_%28102_of_119%29_%2854100563823%29_%28Deborah_Findlay%29_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![That Christmas Premiere - BFI LFF - Royal Festival Hall - Saturday 19th October 2024](https://film.one/media/person/78141/gallery-bc5b13db45d9.jpg) That Christmas Premiere - BFI LFF - Royal Festival Hall - Saturday 19th October 2024 — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/ThatXmasBFILFF191024_%28102_of_119%29_%2854100563823%29.jpg/1280px-ThatXmasBFILFF191024_%28102_of_119%29_%2854100563823%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![That Christmas Premiere - BFI LFF - Royal Festival Hall - Saturday 19th October 2024](https://film.one/media/person/78141/gallery-add79d32e053.jpg) That Christmas Premiere - BFI LFF - Royal Festival Hall - Saturday 19th October 2024 — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/ThatXmasBFILFF191024_%28102_of_119%29_%2854100563823%29_%28Deborah_Findlay%29.jpg/1280px-ThatXmasBFILFF191024_%28102_of_119%29_%2854100563823%29_%28Deborah_Findlay%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/deborah-findlay