Marcia Warren


Marcia Warren is an English stage, film and television actress. On stage, she appeared in Blithe Spirit as Madame Arcati and The Sea at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. In 2022 and 2023, she starred as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in seasons 5 and 6 of the Netflix historical drama series The Crown.
She is a two-time Olivier Award winner.

Early life

Warren trained as an actress at Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, graduating in 1963. From there on she took the path of many of her performing contemporaries, acting in repertory throughout the country, beginning as an assistant stage manager in David Copperfield in Salisbury.

Career

From 1983 to 1986 she played Vera in the BBC sitcom, No Place Like Home. From 2013 to 2016, she played the role of Penelope in the ITV sitcom Vicious and also starred in the 2014 sitcom Edge of Heaven as Nanny Mo. She has also appeared in Keeping Up Appearances, Midsomer Murders and Inside No. 9.

Awards

She has won two Laurence Olivier Theatre Awards for Best Actress in a Supporting Role—one in 1984 for Stepping Out and the other in 2002 for Humble Boy at the Royal National Theatre. She was also nominated for another in 2001 for In Flame at the New Ambassadors Theatre. For her role as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in The Crown, Warren received two nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.
YearAwardCategoryNominated workResult
1984Laurence Olivier AwardsBest Supporting ActressStepping OutWon
2001Laurence Olivier AwardsBest Supporting ActressIn FlameNomitated
2002Laurence Olivier AwardsBest Supporting ActressHumble BoyWon
2023Screen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama SeriesThe CrownNomitated
2024Screen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama SeriesThe CrownNomitated

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
1986Mr. LoveDoris Lovelace
1994Don't Get Me StartedPauline Lewis
2004GladiatressQueen Tuathfhlaifthfth
2005Mrs. Palfrey at the ClaremontVera Post
2005The Jealous GodMrs Dungarvan
2006Housewife, 49Mrs LordTelevision film
2011HattieEsma CannonTelevision film
2012Run for Your WifeWoman on seat
2016Absolutely Fabulous: The MovieLubliana

Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1972Public EyeWaitress"Girl in Blue"
1983–1986No Place Like HomeVera Bottingsitcom
1986We'll Think of SomethingMaureen BrooksITV sitcom
1986I Woke Up One MorningDorisBBC sitcom
1991Miss Pym's Day OutDora Caldicote
1991The Diamond Brothers: South by South EastMrs JacksonCITV mini-series
1992Keeping Up AppearancesBuntysitcom
1995SearchingChancy's Mumsitcom
1996–1998DangerfieldAngela Wakefielddrama
2000Coronation StreetGladys Braithwaiteguest role
2003–2004My Dad's the Prime MinisterGranny Philipssitcom
2006Housewife, 49Mrs Lord
2006, 2008Jam & JerusalemLady Anne Crumpsitcom
2007Midsomer MurdersMelissa Shrike“Death in a Chocolate Box”
2008Consuming Passion: 100 Years of Mills & BoonElsieBBC Four drama
2008The Long Walk to FinchleyOld DearBBC Four drama
2009Victoria Wood's Midlife ChristmasArnica
2011The CaféAlice DobsonSky1
2013–2016ViciousPenelopeITV sitcom
2014Father BrownMiss Audrey Diggle"The Pride of the Prydes" Episode 2.3
2014Edge of HeavenNanny MoITV sitcom
2014Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of DeathMrs BoggleSky1
2015CrackanoryDolly CoblingtonSeries 3, Episode 6
2017SherlockVivian Norbury"The Six Thatchers"
2017JoshVioletSeries 3, Episode 4
2018Inside No. 9Alice"Zanzibar"
2019Don’t Forget the DriverJoySeries 1
2019Not Going OutMrs HoskinsHalloween Special
2019Midsomer MurdersBelinda Braun“The Causton Lions”
2022–2023The CrownQueen Elizabeth the Queen MotherMain role
2023Beyond ParadiseFloellaEpisode 5

Video games
YearTitleRoleNotes
2003Tomb Raider: The Angel of DarknessMargot Carvier
2014Dark Souls IIMorrel/Merchant Hag Melentia