Bel Powley

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Bel Powley
Powley in 2020
Born
Isobel Dorothy Powley

(1992-03-07) 7 March 1992 (age 32)
Hammersmith, London, England
OccupationActress
Years active2007–present
Spouse
(m. 2023)
Parents
RelativesDexter Powley (nephew)

Isobel Dorothy Powley (born 7 March 1992) is an English actress. Born and raised in London, Powley was educated at Holland Park School. She began acting as a teenager on television, starring on the CBBC action television series M.I. High (2007–2008), the period miniseries Little Dorrit (2008), the crime series Murderland (2009), and the ITV sitcom Benidorm (2014).

Powley gained critical praise for her portrayal of Princess Margaret in A Royal Night Out (2015), for which she was nominated for the British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer, and a sexually confused teenager in the coming-of-age film The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015), for which she was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead and won the Trophée Chopard at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. Her films since include Carrie Pilby (2016), Mary Shelley (2017), Ashes in the Snow (2018), White Boy Rick (2018), Wildling (2018), and The King of Staten Island (2020).

On television, Powley has starred in the Apple TV+ series The Morning Show (2019–2021) and Masters of the Air (2024), the BBC One comedy-drama Everything I Know About Love (2022), and the National Geographic miniseries A Small Light (2023). For her performance as Miep Gies in the lattermost, Powley received critical acclaim and was nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award and Screen Actors Guild Award.

Early life[edit]

Powley was born in the Hammersmith borough of London, England,[1] to British actor Mark Powley and casting director Janis Jaffa.[2] Her mother is Jewish, the descendant of emigrants from Russia to Dublin, Ireland.[3][4] Powley attended Holland Park School.[5]

Career[edit]

Screen[edit]

From 2007 until 2008, Powley was one of the lead characters in M.I. High, starring in 23 episodes. Powley has also appeared in several other productions such as Murderland (three episodes, 2009), Little Dorrit (2008), The Bill (2008) and The Whistleblowers (2007). In 2013, Powley was joining the cast of the ITV series Benidorm for series six.[6]

Powley in 2015

In 2015, Powley portrayed Princess Margaret in the biographical comedy-drama A Royal Night Out, alongside Sarah Gadon as Princess Elizabeth. Powley played the lead role of Minnie Goetze in the comedy-drama film The Diary of a Teenage Girl, which premiered in New York City and Los Angeles in August 2015. Shortly afterward, Powley starred as the titular character in the 2016 indie film Carrie Pilby, taking over the role from Hailee Steinfeld.[7]

In 2018, Powley starred opposite Liv Tyler in the horror film Wildling,[8] and appeared in the crime-drama film White Boy Rick.[9] That same year, Powley played a lead role as Holly Morten in the BBC One drama Informer.[10] In June 2020, Powley appeared in The King of Staten Island as the love interest of Pete Davidson's character.

In 2022, Powley played Birdy, one of the main characters in the TV series Everything I Know About Love.[11]

Stage[edit]

Powley appeared as Maggie in Tusk Tusk at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in March 2009.[12] On Broadway, she was Thomasina in the 2011 revival of Arcadia at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.[13] In October 2011, she once again appeared at the Royal Court as Tilly in Jumpy,[14] a role to which she returned in the West End transfer of Jumpy to the Duke of York's Theatre in August 2012.[15] She appeared as Dawn in the March 2018 revival of Lobby Hero at the Hayes Theatre, alongside Chris Evans, Michael Cera and Bryan Tyree Henry.[16]

Personal life[edit]

In an interview in 2013, Powley said she had a spot reserved to study history at the University of Manchester,[5] but she never attended. It was announced in July 2021 via actor Douglas Booth's Instagram page that he and Powley were engaged to be married, having met on the set of the film Mary Shelley in 2016.[17] The wedding took place on 28 October 2023 at Petersham Nurseries in Richmond, followed by an afterparty at the Institute of Contemporary Arts. The couple were married under a chuppah made by Booth's sister, an artist, to honour Powley's Jewish heritage.[18]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2013 Side by Side Lauren Buckle
2015 The Diary of a Teenage Girl Minnie Goetze
A Royal Night Out Princess Margaret
Equals Rachel
2016 Detour Cherry
Carrie Pilby Carrie Pilby
2017 Mary Shelley Claire Clairmont
Pipe Dreams Helen Short
2018 Wildling Anna
White Boy Rick Dawn Wershe
Ashes in the Snow Lina Vilkas
2020 The King of Staten Island Kelsey
2023 Cold Copy Mia Scott
TBA Turn Me On TBA [19]

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2007 The Whistleblowers Emma Clayson Episode: "Starters"
2007–2008 M.I. High Daisy Millar 23 episodes
2008 The Bill Becky Cooper Episode: "Loved and Lost"
Little Dorrit Flower Girl Episode #1.3
2009 Murderland Carrie Walsh TV mini-series
Victoria Wood's Mid Life Christmas Cranchesterford teenager TV movie
2011 The Cabin Sydney TV movie
2014 Benidorm Bianca Dyke 5 episodes
2016 Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes Cindy (voice) TV movie
2018 Informer Holly Morten 6 episodes
2019–2021 The Morning Show Claire Conway Main role (season 1); guest role (season 2), 11 episodes
2019–2022 Moominvalley Little My (voice) 39 episodes
2022 Everything I Know About Love Birdy Main role[20]
2023 A Small Light Miep Gies Miniseries; lead role
2024 Masters of the Air Sandra Wesgate Miniseries

Audio[edit]

Year Show Role Notes
2021 Soft Voice Soft Voice Podcast[21]
2023 Told You So Lucie Audible Original[22]

Theatre[edit]

Year Title Role[23] Company Director
2009 Tusk Tusk Maggie The Royal Court Theatre Jeremy Herrin
2011 Arcadia Thomasina Ethel Barrymore Theatre (Broadway) David Leveaux
Jumpy Tilly Royal Court Theatre & Ambassador Theatre Group Nina Raine
2013 Raving Tabby Hampstead Theatre Edward Hall
2014 Elephants Daisy Hampstead Theatre Tamara Harvey
2018 Lobby Hero Dawn Helen Hayes Theatre (Broadway) Trip Cullman

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Work Association Award Result
2015 A Royal Night Out Hamptons International Film Festival Breakthrough Performer Won
British Independent Film Awards Most Promising Newcomer Nominated
The Diary of a Teenage Girl Gotham Independent Film Awards Best Actress Won[24]
Niagara Integrated Film Festival NIFF Rising Star Won
Detroit Film Critics Society Best Actress Nominated
Breakthrough Artist Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association Most Promising Performer Nominated
Florida Film Critics Circle Pauline Kael Breakout Award Nominated
Women's Image Network Awards Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film Nominated
Women Film Critics Circle Best Young Actress Nominated
Village Voice Film Poll Best Actress Nominated
New York Film Critics Circle Breakthrough Performance Nominated
Indiewire Critics' Poll Best Lead Actress Nominated
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Best Actress Nominated
2016 Cannes Film Festival Trophée Chopard - Female Revelation Won
British Academy of Film and Television Arts BAFTA Rising Star Award Nominated
Film Independent Spirit Awards Best Female Lead Nominated
Empire Best Female Newcomer Nominated
Alliance of Women Film Journalists Best Breakthrough Performance Nominated
Chlotrudis Awards Best Actress Nominated
FEST International Film Festival Best Actress Won
2024 A Small Light Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Nominated

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Isobel Dorothy Powley - England and Wales Birth Registration Index". FamilySearch. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  2. ^ Synnot, Siobhan (2 August 2015). "Actress Bel Powley comes of age as 1970s adolescent". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  3. ^ @bdpowley (4 March 2014). "missing" (Tweet) – via Twitter.[dead link]
  4. ^ "Bel Powley Adds Staten Island to Her Accent Repertoire". The New Yorker. 29 May 2020.
  5. ^ a b Arcadia - Broadway (17 March 2011). "Arcadia's Bel Powley on Coming to Broadway as a Brainy Teen | Broadway Buzz". Broadway.com. Archived from the original on 27 July 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  6. ^ Lazarus, Susanna (12 April 2013). "Benidorm series 6 confirmed". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 26 April 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  7. ^ Ford, Rebecca (5 August 2015). "'Diary of a Teenage Girl' Actress Bel Powley to Star in 'Carrie Pilby' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  8. ^ Jaafar, Ali (5 October 2015). "Rising Star Bel Powley To Topline 'Wildling'; Liv Tyler and Trudie Styler's Maven To Produce". Deadline. Archived from the original on 4 March 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  9. ^ Pedersen, Erik (7 September 2018). "'White Boy Rick' Clip: Exclusive Look At Matthew McConaughey & Family – Toronto". Deadline. Archived from the original on 8 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  10. ^ "When is BBC1's Informer on TV? Who's in the cast and what's it about?". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 8 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  11. ^ Grater, Tom (23 August 2021). "Emma Appleton & Bel Powley Starring In Dolly Alderton Adaptation 'Everything I Know About Love' For Working Title & BBC One". Deadline. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  12. ^ Spencer, Charles (2 April 2009). "Tusk Tusk at the Royal Court". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 26 January 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  13. ^ Brantley, Ben (18 March 2011). "Arcadia:The 180-Year stitch, Metaphysically Speaking". The New York Times. p. 1. Archived from the original on 18 May 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  14. ^ Spencer, Charles (19 October 2011). "Jumpy, Royal Court". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 28 October 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  15. ^ "Observations' One To Watch: Bel Powley, Actress, 20 - Features - Films". The Independent. 7 July 2012. Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  16. ^ Stasio, Marilyn (27 March 2018). "Broadway Review: Chris Evans in Kenneth Lonergan's 'Lobby Hero'". Variety. Archived from the original on 18 June 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  17. ^ Rice, Nicholas (5 July 2021). "Bel Powley and Douglas Booth Are Engaged: We're 'Very, Very Happy!'". People. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  18. ^ Macon, Alexandra (2 November 2023). "Bel Powley Wore An Embellished Miu Miu Dress At Her Wedding To Douglas Booth In London". British Vogue. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  19. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (10 February 2022). "Nick Robinson & Bel Powley To Star In Sci-Fi Rom-Com 'Turn Me On'; Film Constellation Launches Sales — EFM". Deadline Hollywood.
  20. ^ "First-look images released for Dolly Alderton's highly anticipated adaptation of Everything I Know About Love, for BBC One and BBC iPlayer". bbc.co.uk/mediacentre. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  21. ^ Mudiwa, Takudzwa (24 May 2021). "Where to start with... QCODE Podcasts". POD BIBLE. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  22. ^ "Audible acquires two books from debut romance author Slade". Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  23. ^ "Curtis Brown". www.curtisbrown.co.uk. Archived from the original on 8 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  24. ^ "'Spotlight' Tops Gotham Awards; Full Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. 30 November 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2023.

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