Kelly Macdonald (born 23 February 1976(1976-02-23)) is a Scottish actress, known for playing in the independent film Trainspotting and mainstream releases such as Nanny McPhee, Gosford Park, Intermission and No Country for Old Men. On television, she is known for her roles in Boardwalk Empire, The Girl in the Café and State of Play.

Personal life

Macdonald was born in Glasgow, Scotland. Her mother was a garment industry sales executive.

In August 2003, Macdonald married musician Dougie Payne. The couple live in Glasgow. Their son, Freddie Peter Payne, was born on 9 March 2008.

Career

Macdonald's career began while working as a barmaid. She saw a leaflet advertising an open casting session for Trainspotting and decided to audition, winning the part of Diane,the underage seductress to Ewan McGregor's Renton. Other roles include Mary O'Neary in Two Family Houseand an actress playing Peter Pan in Finding Neverland.She also had major roles in Robert Altman's British period piece Gosford Park,where she played a lady's maid as well as in Intermission (2003), as Deirdre.

On television, her highest-profile roles have been in two BBC dramas, the Paul Abbott serial State of Play (2003)and the one-off Richard Curtis piece The Girl in the Café (2005).Both of these were directed by David Yates, and both also starred Bill Nighy. For her performance in The Girl in the Café, Macdonald was nominated for a Golden Globe in 2006,and won an Emmy.

Macdonald starred in the 2005 film Nanny McPhee,as the scullery maid Evangeline, and has since had supporting roles in A Cock and Bull Story (2006), where she plays the girlfriend of actor Steve Coogan's onscreen alter ego, Coen Brothers' Academy Award-winning No Country for Old Men, (2007),as Carla Jean Moss, the wife of the film's protagonist, where her agent originally wasn't sure she was right for the part, and Macdonald is reported as having to "fight for the role". Her persistence paid off, however, as she was nominated for a BAFTA for best supporting actress. Other films where she had supporting roles include, Choke (2008), as Dr. Paige Marshall,the film which was adapted by Clark Gregg from the 2001 Chuck Palahniuk novel, In the Electric Mist (2009) (based on James Lee Burke's In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead (1993)), as Kelly Drummond, alongside Tommy Lee Jones and John Goodmanand Skellig (2009), as Louise.She also played the lead in The Merry Gentleman (2008), as Kate Frazier.She currently plays Margaret Schroeder on HBO's Boardwalk Empire. Her next project is the romantic comedy Decoy Bride opposite David Tennant.

In 2011, she will play the Grey Lady, revealed to be Helena Ravenclaw, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II, the final film of the Harry Potter franchise.


Filmography


1996 Trainspotting Diane Coulston Nominated — BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actress – Film
1996 Stella Does Tricks Stella
1996 Flowers of the Forest Amy Ogilvie BBC TV-Movie
1997 Dead Eye Dick Wendy Short film
1998 Cousin Bette Hortense Hulot
1998 Elizabeth Lettice Knollys
1999 Splendor Mike
1999 Entropy Pia
1999 Loss of Sexual Innocence, TheThe Loss of Sexual Innocence Susan
1999 My Life So Far Elspeth Pettigrew
1999 Tube Tales Emma Segment: Mr Cool
2000 Two Family House Mary O'Neary Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead
2000 House! Linda
2000 Some Voices Laura
2001 Strictly Sinatra Irene
2001 Gosford Park Mary Maceachran Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cast
Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
Satellite Award for Best Cast – Motion Picture
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Nominated — Empire Award for Best British Actress
Nominated — Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
2003 Intermission Deidre
2003 Brush with Fate Aletta Pieters CBS TV-Movie
2003 State of Play Della Smith
2004 Finding Neverland Peter Pan
2005 Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, TheThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Reporter
2005 All the Invisible Children Jonathan's wife Segment: Jonathan
2005 Nanny McPhee Evangeline
2005 Lassie Jeanie
2005 Alias Kiera MacLaine/Meghan Keene Episode: Ice
2005 Girl in the Café, TheThe Girl in the Café Gina BBC TV-Movie
Emmy Award
Nominated: Golden Globe
2006 Cock and Bull Story, AA Cock and Bull Story Jenny
2007 No Country for Old Men Carla Jean Moss London Film Critics Circle Award for Best British Supporting Actress
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
2008 Merry Gentleman, TheThe Merry Gentleman Kate Frazier
2008 Choke Paige Marshall Sundance Film Festival – Special Jury Prize – Dramatic
2009 In the Electric Mist Kelly Drummond
2009 Skellig Louise
2010 Boardwalk Empire Margaret Schroeder Nominated: Golden Globe
2011 Decoy Bride, TheThe Decoy Bride Katie Nic Aodh
2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II Helena "The Grey Lady" Ravenclaw Released on July 15, 2011