---
name: "Joanne Whalley"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/joanne-whalley"
fi1m_id: "joanne-whalley"
imdb_id: "nm0000695"
tmdb_id: 12656
wikidata_id: "Q164069"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "25 August 1961"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 7
average_fi1m_score: 75
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 7
updated: "2026-10-07T14:21:54.475606+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."
---

# Joanne Whalley

## Identity

Joanne Whalley

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/joanne-whalley
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** joanne-whalley
- **IMDb ID:** nm0000695
- **TMDB ID:** 12656
- **Wikidata ID:** Q164069
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanne_Whalley, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q164069, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000695/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12656

Actor. Born 25 August 1961 in Salford, Manchester, England, UK.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 25 August 1961, Salford, Manchester, England, UK
- **Active:** 1982–2015
- **Also known as:** Joanne Whalley-Kilmer
- **Average Fi1m score:** 75, as actor, over 7 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 74 (3), 1990s 58 (1), 2000s 78 (1), 2010s 82 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 74 to 78 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 3 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 6, Crime 2, Action & Adventure 1, History 1, Music 1, Mystery 1
- **Screen time:** 5 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $43m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanne_Whalley, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q164069, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000695/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12656

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*Shattered*](https://film.one/film/shattered.md) (58)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Joanne Whalley

> Joanne Whalley makes capable women convincing without smoothing away their uncertainty. We value her directness, though *Scandal* shows how much can remain unexplored when the writing gives her too little to work with.

In *Scandal* (1989), Joanne Whalley gives Christine Keeler a welcome directness. We were frustrated that Michael Thomas’s screenplay left so little room for her to show how Keeler understands the people around her, because the performance had made us interested. That is the attraction of Whalley: she makes a character worth listening to without making a fuss. It is also a reason to notice when the writing lets her down.

The candid Nurse Mills of Dennis Potter’s *The Singing Detective* (1986) is an early indication of that appeal. The move into American leading roles took her from the warrior Sorsha in *Willow* (1988) to Scarlett O’Hara in *Scarlett* (1994). These are conspicuous parts, but the quality worth following is the naturalistic acting beneath the costume. Her fierceness is most interesting when it leaves room for vulnerability, rather than becoming a character’s only available response.

In *Scandal*, John Hurt’s warmth is the principal reason to consider Michael Caton-Jones’s film, while Bridget Fonda’s brisk Mandy Rice-Davies helps stop it becoming ponderous. Whalley’s directness sits well alongside them, but we would not pretend that she overcomes the film’s uneven writing. Her performance leaves us wanting a fuller account of Keeler, and that is a limitation worth acknowledging even when the screenplay bears much of the responsibility. We would not want a more emphatic performance simply to cover the gaps.

The later television work has made room for her dignity in historical parts, including Catherine of Aragon in *Wolf Hall* (2015). Returning as Queen Sorsha in *Willow* (2022) also brought her back to a character whose fierceness leaves room for vulnerability. We would welcome more parts that let her show both, without assuming that an imposing title is character enough. Start with *Scandal* if the cast is the attraction, and allow for a screenplay that gives Whalley less than she needs.

## Biography

Joanne Whalley is an English actress. She began her career in the mid-1970s with early television appearances and came to prominence in the 1980s through BBC drama serials.

She played Emma Craven in *Edge of Darkness* (1985), for which she received a BAFTA TV Award nomination for Best Actress, and Nurse Mills in *The Singing Detective* (1986). Other notable roles include Sorsha in the film *Willow* (1988). She was credited as Joanne Whalley-Kilmer during her marriage to actor Val Kilmer from 1988 to 1996.

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

## On Fi1m (7)

- *Marvel's Daredevil* (2015), Fi1m 78, as Sister Maggie — [page](https://film.one/tv/marvels-daredevil.md)
- *Wolf Hall* (2015), Fi1m 86, as Katherine of Aragon — [page](https://film.one/tv/wolf-hall.md)
- *The Virgin Queen* (2006), Fi1m 78, as Queen Mary — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-virgin-queen.md)
- *Shattered* (1991), Fi1m 58, as Jenny Scott — [page](https://film.one/film/shattered.md)
- *Scandal* (1989), Fi1m 66, as Christine Keeler — [page](https://film.one/film/scandal.md)
- *Edge of Darkness* (1985), Fi1m 88, as Emma Craven — [page](https://film.one/tv/edge-of-darkness.md)
- *Pink Floyd: The Wall* (1982), Fi1m 69, as Groupie — [page](https://film.one/film/pink-floyd-the-wall.md)

## Complete filmography (76)

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

- *The Rumour* (2025), series, Actor
- *Tornado* (2025), as Vienna Crawford
- *Willow* (2022), series, as Queen Sorsha
- *Love Is Love Is Love* (2021), as Lainie / Joanne (segments "Two for Dinner" and "Late Lunch")
- *Hardcore Halbert* (2021), as Janet
- *Val* (2021), Thanks
- *Resurrection* (2021), as Claudia
- *The Bird Game* (2019), as Crow
- *Carnival Row* (2019), series, as Leonora
- *Paul, Apostle of Christ* (2018), as Priscilla
- *Muse* (2017), as Jacqueline
- *Tin Star* (2017), series, as Mary James
- *The White Princess* (2017), series, as Margaret of York
- *Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands* (2016), series, as Rheda
- *Marvel's Daredevil* (2015), series, as Sister Maggie — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/marvels-daredevil.md)
- *The Ark* (2015), as Emmy
- *Wolf Hall* (2015), series, as Katherine of Aragon — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/wolf-hall.md)
- *Jamaica Inn* (2014), series, as Aunt Patience
- *The Challenger Disaster* (2013), as Gweneth Feynman
- *Twixt* (2011), as Denise
- *Golf in the Kingdom* (2011), as Agatha McNaughton
- *The Borgias* (2011), series, as Vanozza Cattaneo
- *44 Inch Chest* (2009), as Liz
- *Diverted* (2009), as Marion Price
- *Gossip Girl* (2007), series, as Sophie Grimaldi
- *Flood* (2007), as Patricia Nash
- *Life Line* (2007), as Katy Adair
- *Played* (2006), as Maggie
- *The Virgin Queen* (2006), series, as Queen Mary — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-virgin-queen.md)
- *Child of Mine* (2005), as Tess Palmer
- *The Californians* (2005), as Luna
- *Criminal Minds* (2005), series, as Karen Donovan — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/tv/criminal-minds.md)
- *Justice League Unlimited* (2004), series, as Emerald Empress (voice)
- *40* (2003), series, as Jess
- *Before You Go* (2002), as Mary
- *Virginia's Run* (2002), as Jessie Eastwood
- *Breathtaking* (2000), as Caroline Henshaw
- *Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis* (2000), series, as Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
- *Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis* (2000), as Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
- *The Guilty* (2000), as Natalie Crane
- *Run the Wild Fields* (2000), as Ruby Miller
- *A Texas Funeral* (1999), as Miranda
- *The Man Who Knew Too Little* (1997), as Lori
- *Scarlett* (1994), series, as Scarlett O'Hara
- *Trial by Jury* (1994), as Valerie Alston
- *A Good Man in Africa* (1994), as Celia Adekunle
- *Mother's Boys* (1993), as Colleen 'Callie' Harland
- *The Secret Rapture* (1993), as Katherine Coleridge
- *Storyville* (1992), as Natalie Tate
- *Shattered* (1991), as Jenny Scott — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/film/shattered.md)
- *The Big Man* (1990), as Beth Scoular
- *Navy Seals* (1990), as Claire Varrens
- *A TV Dante* (1990), as Beatrice
- *Kill Me Again* (1989), as Fay Forrester
- *Scandal* (1989), as Christine Keeler — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/scandal.md)
- *Bosses From Hell* (1989), Actor
- *To Kill a Priest* (1988), as Anna
- *Willow* (1988), as Sorsha
- *Will You Love Me Tomorrow* (1987), as Jackie
- *Shoreleave* (1987), as Myra
- *The Singing Detective* (1986), series, as Nurse Mills
- *Edge of Darkness* (1985), series, as Emma Craven — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/edge-of-darkness.md)
- *The Good Father* (1985), as Mary Hall
- *No Surrender* (1985), as Cheryl
- *Dance with a Stranger* (1985), as Christine
- *Screen Two* (1985), series, as Jackie
- *A Christmas Carol* (1984), as Fan
- *Reilly: Ace of Spies* (1983), series, as Ulla
- *Pink Floyd: The Wall* (1982), as Groupie — Fi1m 69, [page](https://film.one/film/pink-floyd-the-wall.md)
- *A Kind of Loving* (1982), series, Actor
- *Bergerac* (1981), series, as Christine Bolton
- *And Mum Came Too* (1980), as Evelyn
- *Birth of the Beatles* (1979), as Schoolgirl (uncredited)
- *The One and Only Phyllis Dixey* (1978), as Doris
- *Crown Court* (1972), series, as Linda Mason
- *Gardel*, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Joanne Whalley](https://film.one/media/person/60473/gallery-c447e02747b4.jpg) Joanne Whalley — Image via TMDB
- ![Joanne Whalley](https://film.one/media/person/60473/gallery-fe4b56bf79a8.jpg) Joanne Whalley — Image via TMDB
- ![Joanne Whalley](https://film.one/media/person/60473/gallery-9b23aa783f93.jpg) Joanne Whalley — Image via TMDB
- ![Joanne Whalley](https://film.one/media/person/60473/gallery-d2e5d5209b85.jpg) Joanne Whalley — Image via TMDB
- ![Joanne Whalley](https://film.one/media/person/60473/gallery-0b791659ea01.jpg) Joanne Whalley — Image via TMDB
- ![Joanne Whalley](https://film.one/media/person/60473/gallery-6597a1ede1c1.jpg) Joanne Whalley — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Other awards — 1 won

- Theatre World Award 1989: Theatre World Award (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© 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/joanne-whalley