Charity Wakefield

Oxford Mud and the Leap to the BBC

Charity Wakefield did not chase easy applause when she graduated from the Oxford School of Drama in 2003. She preferred to hone her craft in British regional theater before casting directors in London began noting her name on their schedules. Her technical training is the foundation of everything that followed.

In 2008, she landed the role that often defines the career of any rising English actress. She played Marianne Dashwood in the BBC miniseries Sense and Sensibility. Written by Andrew Davies, the adaptation avoided sugarcoating and focused on the emotional rawness of Jane Austen's work.

It was a decision with long-lasting impact.

That job opened the doors to major period productions, but she did not want to be boxed into one type of role. So she alternated projects like Casualty 1907 with stage appearances in London. In 2012, she took part in the production of The Cherry Orchard at the National Theatre. The stage has always remained her main refuge.

Historical Dramas and the American Risk

American television knocked on her door with big-budget projects that did not always take off. In 2015, she starred in The Player alongside Philip Winchester and Wesley Snipes. The NBC series barely lasted nine episodes before it was canceled due to low ratings on Thursday nights.

But the Hollywood stumble did not slow her work pace in the United Kingdom. That same year she appeared in Wolf Hall, the acclaimed adaptation of Hilary Mantel's novels. She played Anne Boleyn and shared the screen with Mark Rylance in a production that paid close attention to every detail of the natural lighting.

And the commitment to quality paid off.

In 2017, she joined the cast of the action comedy Bounty Hunters. She worked side by side with Rosie Perez and Jack Whitehall for two seasons. It was a necessary change of pace that moved her away from teacup dramas and showed she had a good handle on physical comedy timing.

Russian cynicism and original production

In 2020, she signed on to The Great to bring Georgina Dymova to life. It's a role where cynicism and courtly survival mix with sharp historical satire. She filmed three full seasons of the series for Hulu until the network announced its cancellation in August 2023.

Her work goes beyond acting in front of the camera. Wakefield founded the production company Go Girl to develop projects with a fresh perspective on female storytelling. Creative independence is her absolute priority outside the major studios.

The industry no longer sees her only as a romantic heroine.

In 2024, she played Princess Beatrice in the Netflix film Scoop. The script follows the BBC's negotiations to secure an interview with Prince Andrew about the Epstein case. Filming of her scenes took place mainly in locations in central London under the direction of Philip Martin.