Philippa Elaine Fanti Bennett-Warner (born 23 July 1988) is a British actress.[1] She began her career as a child actress, playing young Nala in the original West End production of The Lion King (1999). She went on to earn WhatsOnStage and Ian Charleson Award nominations for her roles in the musical Caroline, or Change (2006) and Michael Grandage's King Lear (2010) respectively.[2]

Pippa Bennett-Warner
Bennett-Warner in 2022
Born
Philippa Elaine Fanti Warner

(1988-07-23) 23 July 1988 (age 36)
Banbury, Oxfordshire, England
OccupationActress
Years active1999–present

On television, Bennett-Warner starred in the Sky Atlantic crime drama Gangs of London (2020–present) and the BBC thrillers Roadkill (2020) and Chloe (2022).

Early life

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Bennett-Warner was brought up in Buckinghamshire, and was educated at St Edward's School in Oxford, and Lucie Clayton Charm Academy. She is of Jamaican and Kittitian descent, and has a sister, Georgina, who is three years older.[3]

Career

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Early work (1999–2009)

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She started her acting career in Julie Taymor's 1999 London production of The Lion King, as one of the original young Nalas.[4]

In 2006, she got a place at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and the role of Emmie Thibodeaux in the musical Caroline, or Change, for which she was nominated for the Whatsonstage.com Stuart Phillips London Newcomer of the Year award 2007, alongside Andrew Garfield. She went on to star in the lead role in Athol Fugard's UK premiere of Victory for the Peter Hall Company and then went to RADA in September 2007.

Bennett-Warner graduated from RADA in 2010, but left early to take on the role of Sophie in Lynn Nottage's Ruined at the Almeida Theatre. Before completing the course she was awarded the prestigious Carleton Hobbs Radio Award. However, due to another job commitment she was unable to join the radio rep.[clarification needed]

After finishing Ruined, a two-hander (Crocodile, written by Frank McGuinness) with Sinéad Cusack for Sky Arts followed. During this time Bennett-Warner was cast in Michael Grandage's award-winning King Lear as Cordelia, with Derek Jacobi in the title role.[4] Before rehearsals started for King Lear in October, she filmed small parts in Come Fly With Me with David Walliams and Ashley Lucas and also in Case Histories alongside Jason Isaacs.

Breakthrough (2010–present)

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Bennett-Warner received an Ian Charleson commendation for King Lear. She then took the role of Denise in D. C. Moore's new play The Swan — in a role that had been written for her – at the National Theatre[5] followed by playing Queen Isabel in Michael Grandage's swan song Richard II at the Donmar Warehouse with Eddie Redmayne in the title role and Andrew Buchan as Bolingbroke in 2010.[6] She received positive reviews from the critics, with Kate Bassett from The Independent saying: "Both of them (Redmayne and Buchan) are, in fact, outshone by Pippa Bennett-Warner in the cameo role of Isabel, Richard’s devoted, fiery queen."[7]

In 2012, she played the lead role in Vivienne Franzmann's second play The Witness, at the Royal Court Theatre.[4] She received rave reviews with Susannah Clapp from The Observer stating, "Always thought Pippa Bennett-Warner had big future. Now she is having it in 'The Witness' at Royal Court...There are actresses (even actors) who are more flashy, who more obviously inflect every detail of a speech. PBW is completely natural. Audiences of course admire her: but they do something else, which is not always the same thing: they believe her". Bennett-Warner went on to secure a nomination for Best Actress at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2012, alongside Cate Blanchett and Dame Eileen Atkins and was named as one of the 1,000 Most Influential Londoners in 2012 in the category "Generation Next" by The Evening Standard.

In 2016, she narrated Zadie Smith's book Swing Time. From 2018 to 2019 she played the title role in The Maya Angelou Autobiographies for BBC Radio 4. In 2020, she narrated Bernardine Evaristo's Girl, Woman, Other for the BBC.

Personal life

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She is an Ambassador for The Theatres Trust.[8]

Bennett-Warner is good friends with Jonathan Bailey who she appeared with in Doctor Who's "Time Heist" episode in 2014.[9] Bailey also photographed her for a profile for Rose & Ivy magazine in 2021.[10]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2016 Patient Zero Linda
Wakefield Emily
2017 The Foreigner Marissa Levitt
2018 Johnny English Strikes Again Lesley
2020 Real Jamie [11]
2021 Open Naomi
2022 See How They Run Ann Saville
A Bit of Light Bethan
2024 Magpie Esther
TBA The Magic Faraway Tree Hannah Filming

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2002 Holby City Gemma Webber Episode: "Leopard Spots"
2003 Lenny Henry in Pieces Jessica
2010 Crocodile Girl TV film
2011 National Theatre Live Cordelia Episode: "King Lear"
Come Fly With Me Lisa 2 episodes
Case Histories Emma Drake Episode: "Case Histories, Part 1 and 2"
2012 Lewis Nina Clemens Episode: "The Indelible Stain"
Inspector George Gently Delores Kenny Episode: "Gently Northern Soul"
Agatha Christie's Marple Victoria Episode: "A Caribbean Mystery"
Southcliffe Susannah TV mini-series
2013 Vera Manda/Sister Claire Episode: "Young Gods"
Death in Paradise Rosie Curloo
2014 The Smoke Ziggy Brown 8 episodes
Law & Order: UK Zana Washington Episode: "Repeat to Fade"
The Secrets Lorna TV mini-series
Doctor Who Saibra Episode: "Time Heist"
2015 National Theatre Live Dorinda Episode: "The Beaux' Stratagem"
The Trials of Jimmy Rose Kerry Irwin TV mini-series
River Tia Edwards
2016–2019 Harlots Harriet Lennox TV series
2017–2018 Sick Note Becca Palmerstone
2018 Silent Witness DC Heidi Bailey 2 episodes
2019 MotherFatherSon Lauren Elgood TV series
2020 Sitting in Limbo Eileen TV film[12]
Unsaid Stories: Look at Me Kay TV short film
Roadkill Rochelle Madeley TV series
Maxxx Tamzin TV series
2020–present Gangs of London Shannon Dumani TV series
2022 Chloe Livia TV series
2023 Obsession Peggy Graham Miniseries[13]
2024 Moonflower Murders Madeleine Post-production[14]

Theatre

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Radio

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Video games

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References

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  1. ^ "Pippa Bennett-WarnerProfile". RADA. 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  2. ^ "Ian Charleson Awards 2010 | WestendTheatre.com". westendtheatre.com. 30 June 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  3. ^ "The Inventory: Pippa Bennett-Warner". Financial Times. 22 May 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  4. ^ a b c 10 Questions for Actress Pippa Bennett-Warner
  5. ^ LondonTheatre1.com (15 December 2011). "Interview with Pippa Bennett-Warner". LondonTheatre1.com. Retrieved 30 December 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ "Pippa Bennett-Warner: There aren't enough roles for actresses, full". Evening Standard. 25 June 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  7. ^ Bassett, Kate (11 December 2011). "Richard II, Donmar Warehouse, London Company, Crucible, Sheffield The Ladykillers, Gielgud, London". The Independent. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  8. ^ "Our Ambassadors". Theatres Trust. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Doctor Who, Time Heist, review: Keeley Hawes is marvellous but the Doctor proves the real villain". The Independent. 22 September 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  10. ^ "In Conversation With Pippa Bennett-Warner". Rose & Ivy. 8 January 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  11. ^ "Real director hopes portrayal of black love will inspire". The Voice Online. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  12. ^ "Meet the cast of BBC One Windrush drama Sitting in Limbo". Radio Times. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  13. ^ "'Obsession' Netflix British Thriller Series Sets April 2023 Release Date". 16 March 2023.
  14. ^ O'Rourke, Ryan (14 December 2023). "Lesley Manville Is Back on the Case in First 'Moonflower Murders' Images". Collider. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  15. ^ "Pippa Bennett-Warner:There aren't enough roles for actresses, full stop". The Evening Standard. 25 June 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
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