Rachael Atlanta Stirling (born 30 May 1977) is a British stage, film, and television actress. She played Nancy Astley in the BBC drama Tipping the Velvet, and Millie in the ITV series The Bletchley Circle. She has also guest-starred in Lewis and one episode of Doctor Who, co-starring with her mother, Diana Rigg. She has been nominated twice for the Laurence Olivier Award for her stage work.
Early life and education
Rachael Atlanta Stirling was born on 30 May 1977 in Marylebone, London, England, and is the daughter of actress Diana Rigg and theatre producer Archibald Stirling, Laird of Keir. Her parents married in 1982 and divorced in 1990.
Stirling attended the private school Wycombe Abbey. She graduated with a BA in art history from the University of Edinburgh, where she performed with the Edinburgh University Theatre Company.
Theatre
Stirling made her first major appearance on stage in 1997 as Desdemona in the National Youth Theatre revival of Othello at the Arts Theatre opposite Chiwetel Ejiofor in the title role. and as Katharina in The Taming of the Shrew.
Stirling starred onstage in The Priory directed by Jeremy Herrin at the Royal Court Theatre in 2009. Her role as Rebecca earned her a nomination for Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role. In 2010 she appeared as Helena in Peter Hall's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Rose Theatre, Kingston.
In 2014, Stirling portrayed Kate Wilkinson in the Cold War spy thriller television series The Game.
In 2015, Stirling played the part of Arabella Yount, the spendthrift wife of a banker, in the three-part BBC series Capital based on John Lanchester's novel of the same name.
In December 2016, Stirling appeared on University Challenge at Christmas as part of a team made up of notable alumni of the University of Edinburgh.
In 2021, she starred in the ITV television drama series Hollington Drive.
Other work
Stirling is an occasional interviewer on the BBC Radio 4 chat show Loose Ends, In 2014, Stirling appeared as a guest on BBC Radio 4's Midweek with Libby Purves, Roger Bannister, and Kevin Warwick.
Personal life
Stirling can speak Russian and is experienced in horse riding and jumping. Stirling married musician and Elbow frontman Guy Garvey on 3 June 2016; they have one son, born in April 2017.
Filmography
{| class="wikitable"
|+
|-
! Year
! Film/Show
! Role
! Notes
|-
| rowspan="1" | 1998
|Still Crazy
| Clare Knowles
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2000
|Maybe Baby
| Joanna
|
|-
|Complicity
| Claire
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2001
|Redemption Road
| Becky
|
|-
|Another Life
| Avis Graydon
|
|-
|Triumph of Love
| Corine
|
|-
| 2004
|Freeze Frame
| Katie Carter
|
|-
|2006
|The Truth
| Martha
|
|-
| rowspan="1" | 2007
|Dangerous Parking
| Kirstin
|
|-
| 2009
|The Young Victoria
|Duchess of Sutherland
|
|-
| rowspan="1" | 2010
|Centurion
| Druzilla
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2012
|Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
| Mary Jones
|
|-
|Snow White & the Huntsman
| Anna
|
|-
|2013
|Sixteen
|Laura
|
|-
| 2015
|Scottish Mussel
|Ms Pringle
|
|-
|2016
|Their Finest
| Phyl Moore
|
|-
|2019
|Wild Bill
|Lady Mary Harborough
|
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
|2000
|In the Beginning
|Young Rebeccah
| rowspan="2" |TV film
|-
|2001
|Othello
|Lulu
|-
| rowspan="2" |2002
|Tipping the Velvet
|Nan Astley
|Miniseries
|-
|Bait
|Stephanie Raeburn
|TV film
|-
|2003
|Agatha Christie's Poirot
|Caroline Crale
|Episode: "Five Little Pigs"
|-
| rowspan="2" |2004
|Agatha Christie's Marple
|Griselda Clement
|Episode: "The Murder at the Vicarage"
|-
|The Final Quest
|Young Annabelle
| rowspan="3" |TV film
|-
|2005
|Riot at the Rite
|Marie Rambert
|-
| rowspan="3" |2006
|Beyond
|Guilean Hade
|-
|Hotel Babylon
|Nina Bailey
|First episode
|-
|The Haunted Airman
|Julia Jugg
|TV film
|-
|2008
|Lewis
|Zöe Kenneth
|Episode: "Life Born of Fire"
|-
| rowspan="2" |2009
|Minder
|Eve Cornell
|Episode: "Thank Your Lucky Stars"
|-
|Boy Meets Girl
|Veronica Burton
|4 episodes
|-
|2011
|Women in Love
|Ursula Brangwen
| rowspan="2" |Miniseries
|-
|2012
|The Bletchley Circle
|Millie
|-
|2013
|Doctor Who
|Ada Gillyflower
|Episode: "The Crimson Horror"
|-
|2014
|The Game
|Kate Wilkinson
|Miniseries
|-
|2014–2022
|Detectorists
|Becky
|19 episodes
|-
|2015
|Capital
|Arabella Yount
|Miniseries
|-
|2016
|Churchill's Secret
|Sarah Churchill
|TV film
|-
|2018
|The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco
|Millie
|TV series spin-off of The Bletchley Circle
|-
|2020
|Life
|Kelly Aston
|Miniseries
|-
| rowspan="2" |2021
|Midsomer Murders
|Eleanor Karras
|Episode: "Happy Families"
|-
|Hollington Drive
|Helen
|Miniseries
|-
| rowspan="2" |2023
|Heartstopper
|Amanda Olsson
|2 episodes
|-
|The Chelsea Detective
|Rebekah Chaban
|Episode: "The Blue Room"
|-
|2026
|Believe Me
|Philippa Kaufman K.C.
|1 Episide
|}