Sophie Thompson (born 20 January 1962) is a British actress. She has worked in film, television and theatre and she won the 1999 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the London revival of Into the Woods. She has been nominated for Olivier Awards six other times: for Wildest Dreams (1994), Company (1996), Clybourne Park (2011), Guys and Dolls (2016), Present Laughter (2020), and When We Are Married (2026).

Thompson's film appearances include Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Persuasion (1995), Emma (1996), Dancing at Lughnasa (1998), Gosford Park (2001) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010). Her television roles include playing Stella Crawford in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2006–2007) and Rosemary Piper in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street (2018).

Life and work

Early life, training and early career

Thompson was born on 20 January 1962 in West Hampstead, London and grew up there. She is the daughter of actress Phyllida Law, and actor Eric Thompson. She is the younger sister of actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson.

In 1979, Thompson made her professional theatre debut at the age of 17 in the play The Schoolmistress by Arthur Wing Pinero at the Royal Exchange in Manchester.

Film

Big-screen roles include Four Weddings and a Funeral, Her recent television credits include Detectorists, Professor Branestawm, A Gert Lush Christmas, Jericho, Coronation Street (2018) and Inside No. 9.

Theatre

She played Ophelia in the Renaissance Theatre Company production of Hamlet in 1988 in Birmingham, later touring England with the production.

In 1996, Thompson appeared as Amy in Sam Mendes' acclaimed Donmar Warehouse revival of Company, receiving an Olivier Award nomination for her performance. They have two sons: Ernie James Lumsden born in 1997, and Walter Ernest Thompson, born in 2000.

Thompson has been an active charity ambassador over the years for Dan's Fund For Burns. She also ran the 2010 Marathon for CINI, a charity supporting vulnerable families in India, and 24th Tottenham, a London-based group for children and young adults with special needs. She is also a patron of the charity Firefly International.

Acting credits

Film

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Year

! Title

! Role

! Notes

|-

|1982 ||The Missionary ||Mission Girl ||

|-

|1991 ||Twenty-One || Francesca ||

|-

|1994 ||Four Weddings and a Funeral || Lydia, the Bride – Wedding Two ||

|-

|1995 ||Persuasion || Mary Musgrove ||

|-

|1996 ||Emma || Miss Bates ||

|-

|1998 ||Dancing at Lughnasa || Rose Mundy ||

|-

|2000 ||Relative Values || Dora Moxton ||

|-

|2001 ||Gosford Park ||Dorothy ||

|-

|2002 ||Nicholas Nickleby || Miss Lacreevy ||

|-

|2004 ||Fat Slags || Tracey ||

|-

|2009 ||Morris: A Life with Bells On || Glenda ||

|-

|rowspan=2|2010 ||Eat Pray Love ||Corella ||

|-

|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 ||Mafalda Hopkirk ||

|-

|2011 ||Monte Carlo || Auction Bidder 2 ||

|-

|rowspan=2|2014 ||That Day We Sang ||Dorothy ||

|-

|Mohammed || Emily || Short film

|-

|2015 || Viking || Cathy || Short film

|-

|rowspan=3|2019 || A Disappearance ||Dame Alvera || Short film

|-

|Tales from the Lodge || Emma ||

|-

|Present Laughter ||Monica Reed ||

|-

| 2024 ||Time Travel is Dangerous|| Valerie||

|}

Television

  • A Traveller in Time (1978) ... Penelope; 5 episodes
  • Hammer House of Horror (1980) ... First Girl in "Guardian of the Abyss";
  • Casualty (1987) ... Judy Wilson in "Cross Fingers"; 1 episode
  • Boon (1991) ... Vicky 'Mouthpiece' in "Help Me Make It Through the Night"; 1 episode
  • The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes (1992) ... Agatha in "The Master Blackmailer"
  • Comedy Playhouse (1993) ... Val in "The Complete Guide to Relationships"
  • Performance (1994) ... Gillian Player in "Message for Posterity"
  • Nelson's Column (1994–1995) ... Clare Priddy
  • Mr. Bean (1995) ... Girlfriend "Torvill and Bean"; 1 episode
  • The Railway Children (2000) ... Mrs Perks
  • So What Now? (2001) ... Heather
  • Jonathan Creek (2003) ... Dorothy Moon in "Angel Hair"; 1 episode
  • The Young Visiters (2003) ... Bessie Topp
  • Midsomer Murders (2006) ... April Gooding in "Dead Letters"; 1 episode
  • Magnolia (2006) ... Marjorie Forsyth
  • A Harlot's Progress (2006) ... Jane Hogarth
  • Doctors (2006) ... Rachel Barton in "Rabbitgate"; 1 episode
  • EastEnders (2006–2007) ... Stella Crawford
  • A Room with a View (2007) ... Charlotte Bartlett
  • Big Top (2009) ... Aunty Helen
  • May Contain Nuts (2009) ... Sarah McDonald
  • Doc Martin (2009) ... Tasha
  • Agatha Christie's Poirot (2010) ... Mrs Reynolds in "Hallowe’en Party"
  • Whistle and I'll Come to You (2010) ... Carol, the hotel proprietor
  • Love Life (2012) ... Penny
  • Lightfields (2013) ... Lorna
  • Death in Paradise (2014) ... Angela ; 1 episode
  • Inside No. 9 (2014) ... Jan in "Last Gasp"
  • Detectorists (2014–2015, 2017, 2022) ... Sheila
  • Celebrity MasterChef (2014) ... Herself/series winner
  • The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm (2014) ... Aggie
  • Harry Hill in Professor Branestawm Returns (2015) ... Aggie
  • A Gert Lush Christmas (2015) ... Sue Colman
  • Bounty Hunters (2017) ... Fiona
  • Ratburger (2017) ... Miss Maxwell
  • Coronation Street (2018) ... Rosemary Piper, recurring role
  • Ghosts (2019 TV series) (2019) ... Bunny Beg-Chetwynd
  • Sandylands (2020) ... Jeannie Swallows
  • Feel Good (2020) ... Maggie
  • Sex Education (2021) ... Carol Iglehart
  • The Flatshare (2022) ... Katherine
  • Silo (2023) ... Gloria Hildebrandt
  • Sisters (2023) ... Sheryl

Theatre

  • Hamlet ... Ophelia; Renaissance Theatre Company; 1988
  • As You Like It ... Rosalind; Royal Shakespeare Company; 1989–1990