Geraldine James, OBE (born 6 July 1950) is an English actress. Early life and family James was born in Maidenhead, Berkshire, to a cardiologist father and an alcoholic mother, who had been a nurse. She failed her 11 plus exam, so was educated at Downe House, a girls' independent school in Newbury, Berkshire, where she was known as Gerry Thomas. Embarrassed by her simple surname, James used the grander-sounding double-barrelled name of Vaughan-Thomas while at school. After graduating from the Drama Centre London in 1973, she began her career in repertory theatre. On 17 January 1977, she met her husband, Joseph Blatchley, at a party. Acting James has been nominated four times for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress; for Dummy (1977), The Jewel in the Crown (1984), Band of Gold (1995) and The Sins (2000). For her role as Portia in the 1989 Broadway revival of The Merchant of Venice, she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play. She also won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the 1989 Venice Film Festival for She's Been Away. Her film credits include Gandhi (1982), The Tall Guy (1989), Sherlock Holmes (2009), Alice in Wonderland (2010), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), and 45 Years (2015). Since 2017, she has starred in the Netflix series Anne with an E as Marilla Cuthbert, and in the 2019 film Downton Abbey as Queen Mary. Theatre director Peter Hall said that James ranks amongst the great English classical actresses. Credits Film appearances The Dumb Waiter (1979) as Sally Bloody Kids (1980) as Ritchie's Wife Sweet William (1980) as Pamela Gandhi (1982) as Mirabehn Freedom Fighter (1988) as Krista Donner The Tall Guy (1989) as Carmen The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (1989) as Mrs. Gertrude Brisket Prince of Shadows (1991) as Rebecca Osorio If Looks Could Kill – Teen Agent, (1991) as Vendetta Galante The Bridge (1992) as Mrs Todd Words Upon the Window Pane (1994) as Mrs. Henderson Moll Flanders (1996) as Edna The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997) as Dr. Ludmilla Kropotkin The Luzhin Defense (2000) as Vera Lover's Prayer (2001) as Mother An Angel for May (2002) Calendar Girls (2003) as Marie Northanger Abbey (2007) as the narrator Sherlock Holmes (2009) as Mrs Hudson Alice in Wonderland (2010) as Lady Ascot Made