Natalie Dormer

Biography of Natalie Dormer

Natalie Dormer is a British actress of cinema and theater; she became famous after participating in "The Tudors" series and gained worldwide fame after the role of Margaery Tyrell in "Game of Thrones".

Natalie Dormer was born to play "royal" roles

Childhood

Natalie Dormer was born in Reading that is the largest town in Berkshire. Since very childhood, she has warm and trustful relationships with her mother. Her stepfather was stricter to her, and about her father, the actress prefers not to remember.

Natalie Dormer was bullied as «miss piggy» in childhood

When Natalie was 7 years old, her sister Samantha was born, and two years later her brother Mark appeared. Dormer treated to her sister and brother motherly.

«I always was their leader, such an overbearing sister. Perhaps, it was so because of the age difference and my inclination to rule».

Natalie loved to stage different plays when she was just a child. The girl was a director, an actress, and the audience in one person at the same time. At the age of three, Natalie started dancing. First, she took the interest into modern dance, but then the girl entered the dance group of Allenova School Of Dancing. During the training, the actress had suffered a serious injury, but this accident didn't discourage her desire to dance. Dormer felt equally confident while dancing classical ballet, contredanse, and cabaret.

Natalie Dormer was engaged in dancing for a long time

Natalie received elementary education at Chiltern Edge School, and then she studied at Reading Blue Coat School. Originally it was a boarding school only for boys, and girls were accepted there only at high school. Thus, the number of boys in the school was rather more than girls and by no surprise, a beauty of the young Natalie often attracted boys’ attention. But soon the girl got along with them: she was fond of climbing up trees and playing «war games» as almost every boy is.

Natalie Dormer at the prom from high school in 2008

She also didn't have any problems with teachers.

«At high school, I had to behave myself well and repress my individuality. By the way, I was the class president and always had the highest marks», – the actress admitted.

Natalie also was the second captain of the local netball team and often traveled with the school team of speakers around the country.

Natalie Dormer was a real activist at school

First Dormer was intended to study history at The University of Cambridge, but she misinterpreted the question at the entrance exams and was deprived of the points. It was a real tragedy for the girl who was used to get only the highest marks. She had even suffered from depression and wanted to escape to the end of the world, but she only had the money for the ticket to London.

«That time it was like the end of the world and it made me to get going. I realized I wish I was an actress, but I kept this secret deep in my heart even from myself», – said the actress.

So she tried to enter all the theater schools in London, but failed and had felt overwhelming disappointment. With no money, Natalie even had to wander about King's Cross.

«I had no money, I was not admitted to the university, and perhaps the identity crisis happened to me then. It was the darkest times of my life».

Some time Natalie Dormer was forced to live at the King's Cross railway station

But this determined girl was not going to give in on her way to make dreams come true. She changed several working positions from the bartender to the secretary while never stopping the auditions. Finally, she got lucky at The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. She spent three years studying acting and martial arts there. Interestingly, that latter activity was not the new experience for Natalie – she was involved in fencing for many years and even was a member of the London School of Fencing.

Natalie Dormer never gives up

The first roles of Natalie Dormer

The young actress made her debut in 2005. She played a character named Victoria in the costume comedy by Lasse Hallstrom "Casanova". Actually, it supposed to be one of the episodic roles, but Dormer impressed the director so much at the auditions that he decided to expand the storyline of the ill-starred ingénue and let her participate in the adventures of the main characters that were played by the legendary Heath Ledger, Sienna Miller, and Jeremy Irons. Dormer played an innocent-looking girl who is actually suffering from temptations and passions.

Young Natalie Dormer in "Casanova"

Managers of Touchstone Pictures contacted the actress immediately after the premiere of "Casanova" and offered her roles in three films, but none of these projects have been implemented. At the same time, Natalie appeared in the serials "Distant Shores" and "Rebus".

First the fame came to Natalie after her debut in "Casanova"

Then there was a lull in her career. Once again the actress did not have a job and once again she went to the London auditions without any success. Those days he had to take a temporary job to pay the rent.

The role of Anne Boleyn in the first two seasons of the period series "The Tudors" helped Natalie to reveal her dramatic talent. "Anne Boleyn was a true evangelist with faith in conversion that's why I wanted to show her not just as a femme fatale", admitted Natalie.

The royal wedding: Dormer and Meyers in The Tudors

The role of the wife of Henry VIII made the actress a world-class celebrity and she was nominated for the Gemini Award and The Golden Nymph Award for that outstanding work. Jonathan Rhys Meyers played the role of Henry VIII and they might be called one of the most attractive and memorable couples on TV by right. Interestingly, that starring in "The Tudors" has launched the career of Henry Cavill, a talented actor who played the role of Superman in the future.

Natalie Dormer and Jonathan Rhys Meyers in «The Tudors»

After appearing in "The Tudors" Natalie Dormer became a real star. The actress worked together with Demi Moore and Michael Caine while starring in "Flawless» in 2007. She also starred in the film "City of Life" the same year. Then she played the leading female role in the project "The Fades" and episodic role in the TV series "Agatha Christie's Marple".

Natalie Dormer in "Flawless"

In March 2010, Natalie made her debut as a theater actress. She appeared on the stage of Young Vic Theatre in tragicomedy "Liebelei" by Arthur Schnitzler. She was not going to stop and soon thereafter Dormer had played in the Broadway Theatre and Hampstead Theatre in such plays as "The Book Club", "School for Scandal", "After Miss Julie", "45" and "The Comedy of Errors". She also impressed the audience with her BBC radio roles in audio dramas "Neverwhere" and "Sacred Heart".

Natalie Dormer has also succeeded as a theater actress

In 2011, the actress began a collaboration with Madonna and played a leading role in the biopic "W.E." which was directed by the famous singer. Her character was Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon who is the wife of King George VI and mother of Queen Elizabeth II.

Natalie Dormer at the premiere of Madonna's film

Natalie also appeared in the superhero blockbuster "Captain America: The First Avenger". Dormer played the role of solder Lorraine while the main role of Captain America was played by Chris Evans.

Natalie Dormer in the role of solder Lorraine

Game of Thrones

In February 2011, the BBC introduced a new series "Silk" which was dedicated to working of royals' lawyers. Dormer took part in the first six episodes of the project, but 4 months after filming, she has focused on working on the TV series "Game of Thrones".

Costume designers sewed the wedding dress of Margaery Tyrell manually

Natalie Dormer was almost 30-years old, and her character was barely 15 years old. Despite actress's age, casting-managers had noted her among the much more age-appropriate girls. Moreover, Natalie looked much younger than her age, and her aristocratic manners and confident royal posture charmed producers, directors and George Martin who is the author of the original novels.

Natalie Dormer at the casting for «Game of Thrones»

Natalie Dormer's character did not become a part of the key roles, as it happened with the heroine of Sophie Turner or Maisie Williams, however, Margaery Tyrell had a serious impact on the story. Viewers were puzzled of who actually was Margaery Tyrell. Whether is she an innocent girl who was a pawn in the ambitious plans of her family, or she is a wily and prudent player in "thrones" who in fact wanted to be a queen. The mystery of her character, her charming face, and gentle voice attracted many fans of the series preferring her in the confrontation with the Queen Cersei who was played by Lena Headey.

Natalie Dormer and Jack Gleeson

Further career

Between seasons of "Game of Thrones" Dormer managed to play in movies such as "Rush", "The Counselor", "The Riot Club" and also starred in the final two parts of the franchise "The Hunger Games" where she played a film director Cressida who was following Katniss.

Natalie Dormer partially shaved her head for starring in "The Hunger Games"

Natalie Dormer and Jennifer Lawrence became friends in real life, and in November 2015 they kissed on camera. Later Natalie said that it was just a joke.

Kiss of Natalie Dormer and Jennifer Lawrence

The 2016 year supplemented the filmography of Natalie Dormer with new projects. In addition to the sixth season of "Game of Thrones," she appeared in the horror film "The Forest" and also starred in the classic zombie thriller "Patient Zero".

Natalie Dormer was faced with Japanese demons in "Forest"

For 2016 was also scheduled the premiere of the spy thriller "Official Secrets". Natalie Dormer played the role of a British secret agent named Catherine. She was accompanied by Harrison Ford and Anthony Hopkins who played the roles of CIA agents while Martin Freeman and Paul Bettany played journalists.

Natalie Dormer about the 6th season of «Game of Thrones»

In 2016, the actress's boyfriend began shooting the film "In Darkness", where Natalie played a blind actress, who became a witness of the murder. The victim was a daughter of a dangerous criminal so then mafia and the government started to hunt her character. The film was released in mid-2018. Dormer's name appears in the credits not only as the actress who plays the leading role but also as a screenwriter.

A scene from the movie "In Darkness"

She also played in the British horror movie "Patient Zero" and starred in the biographical thriller "The Professor and The Madman" in pair with Mel Gibson. The film is dedicated to the history of the compilation of the Oxford English dictionary.

Private life of Natalie Dormer

Natalie Dormer has never been a star of tabloids and scandalous news. The actress met an Irish actor Anthony Byrne at the casting of "The Tudors" in 2006.

Natalie Dormer and Anthony Byrne

They constantly flew to each other from London to Dublin but eventually began to live together in Twickenham, which is southwest of the center of London.

Natalie Dormer had to film in bed scenes

In 2011, the couple spent the holiday in Kerala where Anthony made a proposal to marry him. They were engaged until 2018 when Natalie and her fiancé broke up after 11 years of relationship.

In Jule 2019 Dormer began to date David Oakes. He is an actor from the UK.

Natalie Dormer and David Oakes

Natalie Dormer Now

The premiere of 'Penny Dreadful: City of Angels' series was in April 2020. Natalie Dormer portrayed the main female character. She played Magda, the dark essence who provokes chaos in people's souls. The critics said, that Natalie's gothic figure didn't lose to Eva Green from the previous season. Her fans were surprised by Natalie's actor skill, which let her transform into such different heroines.

Natalie Dormer in «Penny Dreadful: City of Angels»

Charles Joseph Cook

Natalie Dormer has not only a royal appearance but also a apparent spine, I respect her for perseverance.

2021-04-30 11:32:47
Alicia Bryant

Self-motivated Dormer will leave no stone unturned for the role, she even shaved her hair. I wouldn`t do this.

2021-04-28 14:21:34
James Owen Thomas

Beautiful and talented Natalie Dormer is continued improvements in that regard and always straight ahead.

2021-04-17 10:22:44
Margie Lynch

I like to watch historic movies. I think in The Tudors Natalie Dormer was on the good place, her appearance has something royal.

2021-04-05 09:30:51
Nathaniel Aiden Richardson

Natalie Dormer in Game of Thrones played a real queen, she was made for this role.

2021-02-04 18:50:24