Geraldine James Biography: Child, Husband, Age, Net Worth, Siblings, Height, Ethnicity, Parents, Films, Awards

Geraldine James is an English actress whose breakthrough came with her portrayal of Portia opposite Dustin Hoffman in the 1989 Broadway revival of The Merchant of Venice.

She earned early recognition as Mirabehn in Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi (1982) and went on to win the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for She’s Been Away (1989).

On television, she was lauded for her performances in The Jewel in the Crown (1984) and Band of Gold (1995), and more recently reached new audiences as Marilla Cuthbert in Netflix’s Anne with an E (2017–2019) and as Queen Mary in the film Downton Abbey (2019).

Profile

• Full name: Geraldine James
• Date of birth: 6 July 1950
• Age: 75 years old
• Gender: Female
• Place of birth: Maidenhead, Berkshire, England
• State of origin: Berkshire
• Nationality: British
• Profession: Actress
• Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
• Parents: N/A
• Siblings: N/A
• Spouse: Joseph Blatchley (m. 1986)
• Children: Ellie Blatchley
• Relationship status: Married
• Religion: N/A
• Ethnicity: English
• Net worth: $18 million

Early Life and Education

Geraldine James was born on 6 July 1950 in Maidenhead, Berkshire. Her father worked as a cardiologist; her parents divorced during her childhood.

She attended Downe House School in Newbury, where she briefly used the surname Vaughan-Thomas, and then trained at the Drama Centre London before beginning her professional acting career.

Personal Life

Geraldine James married actor and director Joseph Blatchley in 1986 after meeting him in 1977. The couple have one daughter, Ellie Blatchley, born in 1985. She maintains a private family life with no public records of affairs or divorce.

Career

After graduating from the Drama Centre London, James spent several years in repertory theatre before making her film debut as Mirabehn in Gandhi (1982).

She won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the 1989 Venice Film Festival for her role in She’s Been Away and received Tony and Drama Desk Award recognition for Portia in The Merchant of Venice on Broadway.

On television, she earned BAFTA nominations for Dummy (1977), The Jewel in the Crown (1984), Band of Gold (1995), and The Sins (2000). From 2017 to 2019, she starred as Marilla Cuthbert in Anne with an E and portrayed Queen Mary in Downton Abbey (2019), continuing a distinguished career spanning stage, screen, and voice work.

Awards

• Venice Film Festival Volpi Cup for Best Actress – She’s Been Away (1989)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play – The Merchant of Venice (1989)
• Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Play – The Merchant of Venice (1990)
• BAFTA TV Award nominations for Best Actress – Dummy (1977), The Jewel in the Crown (1984), Band of Gold (1995), The Sins (2000)
• Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) – 2004 New Year Honours

Net Worth

Geraldine James’s net worth is estimated to be $18 million, earned through her extensive work in film, television, and theatre, as well as voice-over performances.

Social Media

• N/A

Filmography

• Gandhi (1982)
• She’s Been Away (1989)
• The Merchant of Venice (stage/Broadway, 1989)
• The Jewel in the Crown (TV, 1984)
• Band of Gold (TV, 1995–1997)
• Dummy (TV, 1977)
• The Sins (TV, 2000)
• Anne with an E (TV, 2017–2019)
• Downton Abbey (film, 2019)
• Alice in Wonderland (film, 2010)
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (film, 2011)
• Sherlock Holmes (film, 2009)
• 45 Years (film, 2015)
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (film, 2016)
• Silo (TV, 2023)
• This Town (TV, 2024)