The best Olivia Colman movies and TV shows reveal how developed from appearing in UK comedy and drama shows to becoming an Academy Award-winning Hollywood powerhouse. Born in the the UK city of Norwich in 1974, Olivia Colman made her on-screen debut in the year 2000. First appearing in the British sketch show Bruiser, Colman then went on to land ing roles in multiple sitcoms and dramas such as Green Wing, Peep Show, and Skins.

While she also had a Hot Fuzz, part of Edgar Wright’s Cornetto Trilogy, it wasn’t until the 2010s that Olivia Colman truly found her breakthrough in the world of movies and cinema. Movies like 2015’s The Lobster helped put Colman on the international map, and by the 2020s she’d cemented herself as a Hollywood star. However, the best Olivia Colman movies and TV shows reveal she’s been talented throughout her entire career, and it’s simply been a case of her reputation catching up to her abilities.

10 Wonka (2023)

Olivia Colman Plays Mrs. Scrubbit

2023’s Wonka, from director Paul King, is the musical fantasy adventure movie inspired by the works of Roald Dahl which serves as a prequel to the 1971 movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. While not her most critically acclaimed appearance, Wonka also stands as one of the best Olivia Colman movies so far thanks to her hilarious performance as the villainous Mrs. Scrubbitt.

Even in a cast that includes the likes of Timothee Chalamet in the central role and Hugh Grant making a hilarious appearance as an Oompa Loompa, Olivia Colman’s Mrs. Scrubbit still manages to stand out as one of the most memorable Wonka characters. What’s more, it perfectly captures Colman’s incredible ability to elevate family-friendly movies, which is also seen several other times in her wide filmography through titles like 2021s’ The Mitchells vs. the Machines and 2024’s Paddington in Peru.

9 Peep Show (2003-2015)

Olivia Colman Plays Sophie Chapman

Prior to achieving international acclaim and becoming an instantly recognizable presence on the big and small screens, Olivia Colman go her start in UK TV comedies and dramas. Of these early-career appearances, it was her co-starring role in the 2003-2015 sitcom Peep Show that arguably put her on the map. The show, which was created by comedians David Mitchell and Robert Webb, focused on two men with polar opposite personalities who share an apartment.

Olivia Colman played Sophie Chapman, who was initially the love interest of David Mitchell’s Mark Corrigan. Initially presenting as a down-to-earth and unassuming office worker, Sophie’s personality becomes increasingly bombastic as the series continues. It’s a role that showcased much of Colman’s range, and to this day reveals just how talented she was even during the formative years of her impressive career.

8 The Lobster (2015)

Olivia Colman Plays Hotel Manager

The Lobster is one of several movies from renowned director Yorgos Lanthimos to feature Olivia Colman. While she’s not the central character in the strange dystopian sci-fi drama, she does deliver an incredibly noteworthy performance. Notably, it’s through Colman’s character, the Hotel Manager, that many of the strange concepts of the premise of The Lobster are conveyed, making her role an incredibly important one in the 2015 movie.

The plot of The Lobster is, in a word, bizarre. The film is set in a future where uncouple people are sent to a hotel and given 45 days to find a romantic match. If they fail, they are turned into an animal (which, at least, they get to choose). As the Hotel Manager, Olivia Colman plays the woman overseeing this entire process. Her performance makes the character clinical to the point of being chilling, and it remains a career highlight.

7 Fleabag (2016-2019)

Olivia Colman Plays Godmother

Phoebe Waller-Bridge's sitcom Fleabag drew no shortage of critical acclaim and awards success, with its many wins including a Primetime Emmy for Oustanding Comedy series and a Golden Globe for Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy. Many of the cast also saw awards success for their appearances on the show, including Olivia Colman for her ing role as Godmother, the wife of Phoebe Waller Bridge's Fleabag’s father (Bill Paterson).

Olivia Colman appeared in 9 episodes of Fleabag out of its 12 total and was easily among the most memorable characters in the series outside of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s titular lead. Colman won a Satellite Award for Best ing Actress - Series, Miniseries, or Television Film for her performance in Fleabag, and was also nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding ing Actress in a Comedy Series category.

6 The Night Manager (2016)

Olivia Colman Plays Angela Burr

The spy-thriller series The Night Manager was a ing production between AMC and the UK’s BBC One, and adapts the novel of the same name by John le Carré. It was released to incredible critical acclaim, being nominated for 36 awards, including three Golden Globes - one of which went to Olivia Colman in the category of Best ing Actress - Series, Miniseries, or Television Film (and she also won a Satellite Award in the same category).

While she’s not the central character, Olivia Colman gets plenty of screen time in The Night Manager as Angela Burr, the manager of the UK’s Foreign Office Task Force. It’s Burr who sets Tom Hiddleston’s Jonathan Pine on his journey to take down arms dealer Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie), and Colman ensures that every scene she’s in counts. She gives one of the most memorable performances in the show, and it remains one of her best small-screen appearances.

5 Empire Of Light (2022)

Olivia Colman Plays Hilary Small

Empire of Light stands out among the best Olivia Colman movies and TV shows as it’s one of the few entries that sees the star taking on a role in a romance story. Directed by Sam Mendes, Empire of Light sees Olivia Colman co-starring alongside Michael Ward. Colman plays Hilary Small, the duty manager of a small UK cinema in the 1980s who struggles with her bipolar disorder.

The story of Empire of Light focuses on, among other things, her extramarital affair with Stephen Murray (Ward), which follows a toxic relationship with her boss, Donald (Colin Firth). However, the movie is as much an exploration of mental health, racism, and inequality in the UK as it is a love story. Colman was nominated for a Golden Globe in the category of Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama for her nuanced performance, and Empire of Light should be considered essential viewing for her many fans.

4 The Father (2020)

Olivia Colman Plays Anne

2020’s The Father marked Olivia Colman’s second Academy Awards nod, as she was nominated for Best ing Actress in 2021 due to her incredible performance as Anne, the struggling daughter of dementia sufferer Anthony (played by Anthony Hopkins). Directed by Florian Zeller (and based on his novel La Pere), The Father is an intense and deeply moving psychological drama that captures the best of Colman’s acting abilities.

In addition to her Oscar nomination, Olivia Colman was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best ing Actress - Motion Picture, a Screen Actors Guild Award for Oustanding Performance by a Female Actor in a ing Role, and a Critics Choice award for Best ing Actress, among other accolades. She has incredible chemistry with co-star Anthony Hopkins, and The Father will likely forever remain a highlight of her ever-growing filmography.

3 The Crown (2019-2023)

Olivia Colman Plays Queen Elizabeth

Historical drama The Crown is one of the most celebrated TV shows of the 21st century so far, and features an all-star cast that changes between seasons to bring to screens different stages of the life of the former UK monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. Olivia Colman portrayed Queen Elizabeth in seasons 2 and 4 of the series, which covered from 1956 to 1964. As with the majority of the best Olivia Colman movies and TV shows, her performance in The Crown was met with an incredible amount of praise and critical acclaim.

Among the many accolades she received for the show, Olivia Colman won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2021, following a nomination in the same category the prior year, and won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series - Drama. Colman’s work on the small screen is just as celebrated as her feature-film appearances, and The Crown remains her strongest TV show to date.

2 The Lost Daughter (2021)

Olivia Colman Plays Leda Caruso

2021’s The Lost Daughter is a psychological drama and the directorial debut of Maggie Gyllenhaal. Adapted from the 2006 novel by Elena Ferrante, The Lost Daughter almost won Olivia Colman her second Academy Award in the category of Best Actress, for which her incredible performance as Leda Caruso was nominated (and narrowly lost to Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Faye).

Olivia Colman was also nominated for a Golden Globe for The Lost Daughter in the Best Actress - Drama category, and nearly landed a Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role too. These nominations are far from exclusive when it comes to her appearance in The Lost Daughter though, and the strength of her performance ensures as the troubled university professor Leda will forever cement the 2021 movie as one of Olivia Colman’s best.

1 The Favourite (2018)

Olivia Colman Plays Queen Anne

Olivia Colman’s status as an Academy Award-winning actress comes courtesy of her incredible performance as Queen Anne in director Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite. Releasing in 2018 to immense critical acclaim, The Favourite stars Colman as part of an ensemble cast that also includes Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, and Nicholas Hoult. The story focuses on Sarah Churchill (Weisz) and Abigal Hill (Stone), and their attempts to win the favor of Colman’s Queen Anne in 18th century Britain.

Thanks to her performance, The Favourite easily stands as the best Olivia Colman movie or TV show of her career so far. Alongside the Academy Award for Best Actress, The Favourite also landed Colman a BAFTA for Best Actress in a Leading Role, a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, and numerous other accolades. It’s truly the crowning jewel of her career, which is no easy feat considering just how strong every Olivia Colman performance has been.