Hayley Atwell Biography

(Actress)

Birthday: April 5, 1982 (Aries)

Born In: London, England, United Kingdom

Hayley Atwell is a celebrated America and British actress, who has been enthralling her audience since her debut in 2005. Born in London to British mother and American father, she was raised mostly in England, earning her BA in Acting before beginning her career on stage with an ancient Greek tragedy drama. Soon she was appearing in films and television productions and made her breakthrough with the historical drama film, The Duchess, in 2008. Within two years, she made her international breakthrough with her role of Agent Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger, eventually reprising the role in six other feature films, as well as a short film called Agent Carter, two television productions, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Agent Carter. A skilled ventriloquist, she has also appeared in various radio plays and gave voice in various films and television productions, including Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway.

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Quick Facts

British Celebrities Born In April

Also Known As: Hayley Elizabeth Atwell

Age: 42 Years, 42 Year Old Females

Family:

father: Grant Atwell

mother: Allison Cain

Born Country: England

Actresses British Women

Height: 5'7" (170 cm), 5'7" Females

Notable Alumni: Guildhall School Of Music And Drama

More Facts

education: Guildhall School of Music and Drama

  • 1

    What is Hayley Atwell's most famous role?

    Hayley Atwell is best known for her role as Peggy Carter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing in several films and the television series "Agent Carter."
  • 2

    Has Hayley Atwell done any theater work?

    Yes, Hayley Atwell has a background in theater and has appeared in various stage productions, including "The Pride," "A View from the Bridge," and "Dry Powder."
  • 3

    Does Hayley Atwell have any upcoming projects?

    Yes, Hayley Atwell has been cast in the upcoming Disney+ series "Secret Invasion," based on the Marvel Comics storyline of the same name.
  • 4

    What are some other TV shows Hayley Atwell has appeared in?

    In addition to her role in "Agent Carter," Hayley Atwell has also appeared in TV shows such as "Black Mirror," "Howards End," and "Christopher Robin."
  • 5

    Has Hayley Atwell ever done voice work for animated films?

    Yes, Hayley Atwell provided the voice for Evelyn Robin, the wife of Christopher Robin, in the animated film "Christopher Robin" (2018).
Childhood & Early Life

Hayley Elizabeth Atwell was born on 5 April, 1982 in London, England. Her father, Grant Atwell, an American citizen of partly Native-American descent, earned his living as a massage therapist, shaman and photographer. Her mother, Alison nee Cain, was a motivational speaker of partly Irish ancestry. Hayley was their only child.

Her parents divorced when Hayley Atwell was two years old. Thereafter, her father returned home to America, while she remained in London and was raised by her mother. However, as she grew up, she began to spend her summers in Missouri with her father.

At the age of eight, she became a committed vegetarian when she witnessed Loyd Grossman putting a live lobster into boiling water. At nine, she attended a Power into Action workshop with her mother, in course of which she walked over hot coal.

While it is not known where she began her education, it is certain she was introduced to the theatre early in her life by her mother, who believed that theatres provided the much-needed insight into society.  At eleven, she saw Ralph Fiennes playing Hamlet, an incident she remembered all her life.

For her secondary education, she went to Sion-Manning Roman Catholic Girl's School, where she excelled in academics and played Rugby. At sixteen, she moved to London Oratory School for her A-level.

Soon after her graduation, Hailey took two years of hiatus. During this period, she traveled around with her father and even worked for a while for a casting director. In 2002, she resumed her education, studying at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London and earned her BA in Acting in 2005.

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Career

In 2005, soon after graduation, Hayley Atwell began her career in stage, portraying a maiden exiled by Zeus in the ancient Greek tragedy drama, Prometheus Bound. She earned critical acclaim for her performance. Also in the same year, she debuted on television, portraying Sabrina Guinness in Whatever Love Means.

In 2006, she starred as Bianca in the Royal Shakespeare Company production, Women Beware Women. Also in the same year, she got her first major on-screen role, appearing as Catherine Fedden in BBC Two's miniseries, The Line of Beauty, and also her first radio drama role in Doctor Who: Blood of the Daleks.

Her first film role came in 2007, playing Angela Stark in Cassandra's Dream. Concurrently, she appeared in major roles in television films like Mansfield Park and The Shadow in the North. Equally active on stage, she played Belinda in the National Theatre production, The Man of Mode.

In 2008, she starred as Barbara in the National Theatre production, Major Barbara, and received an Ian Charleson Commendation for it. Concurrently, she continued to appear on screen, starring in films like Brideshead Revisited and The Duchess, receiving British Independent Film Award nomination for her role of Lady Elizabeth Foster in the latter.

In 2009, she made her West End debut with A View from the Bridge, being nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for her role of Catherine in it. Concurrently, she continued to appear in major roles in television series, earning Golden Globe Award nomination for her role in The Pillars of the Earth (2010).

Earning International Recognition

In 2011, Hayley Atwell made her international breakthrough with her role of Agent Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger. Thereafter, she started appearing in number of films and television productions, taking a temporary break from the stage.

In 2013, she returned to the stage, collaborating with Alexi Kaye Campbell and Jamie Lloyd to stage the London revival of The Pride. Appearing in it as Sylvia at Trafalgar Studios, she won another Laurence Olivier Award nomination for her performance.

While acting on stage, she continued to appear in star roles in films and on television. In 2014, she once again reprised the role of Agent Peggy Carter in the film, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, concurrently appearing in the same role in television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter.

In 2015, she appeared in the role of Peggy Carter in two different films, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man. By then, her character had become so popular that ABC decided to make a television series called Marvel's Agent Carter (2015-2016) and she was chosen to play the lead role.

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In 2016-2017, she appeared as Hayes Morrison in 13 episodes of Conviction, a legal drama on ABC.  Giving voice to Carter in Lego Marvel's Avengers, serving as the narrator in Return of the Spider Monkeys, appearing as Margaret Schlegel in Howards End were three more important works of this period.

In 2018, she returned to the stage after an absence of five years, playing Jenny in Dry Powder and Angelo / Isabella in Measure for Measure.

In 2018-2019, she appeared in a voice role (Zadra) in 17 episodes of 3Below: Tales of Arcadia. Also in the same period, she appeared in three films; Christopher Robin, Blinded by the Light and Avengers: Endgame. 

In May 2022, she had her last Peggy Carter film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, released. Two more films, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One and Part Two, are scheduled to be released in 2023 and 2024 respectively

Major Works

Hayley Atwell is best known for portraying Margaret Peggy Carter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe media franchise, receiving special commendation for her work in Captain America: The First Avenger, Avengers: Endgame and Agent Carter.

Equally adept on stage, she has also left her mark in various stage productions, including Major Barbara, The Pride and Rosmersholm.

Family & Personal Life

Hayley Atwell rumored to be in a relationship with one of her childhood friends, who is a doctor by profession. However, she has also been seen with other men, including Gabriel Bisset-Smith, Evan Jones, Tom Cruise etc.

Facts About Hayley Atwell
Hayley Atwell is a skilled saxophonist and has played the instrument since she was a child.
She is an avid supporter of various charitable causes, including organizations that focus on children's education and women's rights.
In addition to her acting talents, Atwell is also a talented painter and has showcased her artwork in several exhibitions.
She is known for her love of vintage fashion and often incorporates retro pieces into her personal style.
Atwell is a self-proclaimed foodie and enjoys exploring different cuisines and cooking new recipes in her spare time.

See the events in life of Hayley Atwell in Chronological Order

How To Cite

Article Title
- Hayley Atwell Biography
Author
- Editors, TheFamousPeople.com
Website
- TheFamousPeople.com
URL
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/hayley-atwell-50069.php

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