Lesley Manville (born 12 March 1956) is an English actress.
Manville was born and raised in in Brighton, East Sussex, the daughter of a taxi driver.
She began acting as a teenager, appearing in television series such as the soap opera Emmerdale Farm(1974-1976) and King Cinder.
At the end of the seventies she built a career as a distinct actress of theatre, appearing in new plays at the RSC's Warehouse and Royal Court Theatre. She played Sister Croy in The Sons of Light; Ali in Savage Amusement; Isabel in Trust Us and Lucy in Lucy Page's Lucy. She met Gary Oldman while working at Sloane Square.
She is perhaps best known for her acting collaborations with Mike Leigh, which began in 1980 with the BBC play Grown-Ups. She subsequently appeared in the films High Hopes, Secrets & Lies, Topsy Turvy and All or Nothing.
Other film appearances include: Dance with a Stranger, Sammy and Rosie Get Laid, High Season and The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael.
Manville has also remained active on television, with credits such as The Gentle Touch, Coronation Street, Bulman, Soldier Soldier, Ain't Misbehavin', Tears Before Bedtime, Kavanagh QC, Holding On, Silent Witness, Real Women and The Cazalets.
She is currently filming The Cranford Chronicles.
One son, Alfie Oldman (b. 1988), with Gary Oldman
