Vera Drake marked Imelda Staunton's first collaboration with Mike Leigh.

One of the UK's best-known stage and television actresses, Imelda Staunton has also been seen in numerous feature films, including the Oscar-winning 'Shakespeare in Love' and 'Sense and Sensibility', as well as 'Crush', 'Much Ado About Nothing' and 'Peter's Friends'. Recent television roles include the Queen Mother in 'Cambridge Spies' and Mrs. Micawber in 'David Copperfield'.

For her stage work, Imelda Staunton has won three Oliviers, the UK's most prestigious theatre award: Best Supporting Actress for 'The Corn is Green' at the Old Vic and Alan Ayckbourn's 'A Chorus of Disapproval' at the National Theatre, and Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as the Baker's Wife in the original London production of Stephen Sondheim's 'Into the Woods'. She has appeared regularly at the National Theatre, most notably as Miss Adelaide in Richard Eyre's production of 'Guys and Dolls'. At the National, she also worked with Eyre on 'The Beggar's Opera' and 'Schweyk in the Second World War', and with Matthew Warchus on 'Life X 3'. Other London stage appearances include three productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company, as Sonya in Michael Blakemore's production of 'Uncle Vanya' at the Vaudeville Theatre and with Jim Broadbent and Brenda Blethyn in Sam Mendes' production of 'Habeas Corpus' at the Donmar Warehouse. She was most recently seen in Michael Hastings' 'Calico' at the Duke of York's Theatre.