Samantha Bond - Career

Career

She has appeared in many television series, notably the 1997 adaptation of Emma starring Kate Beckinsale. She is a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and starred opposite Dame Judi Dench in David Hare's award-winning play Amy's View at the Royal National Theatre.

In 1983, she appeared in the original Southampton production of Daisy Pulls It Off before it moved to the West End. Also in 1983 she appeared in Mansfield Park and in the fourth series of Rumpole of the Bailey, where she played Rumpole's pupil 'Mizz' Liz Probert. In 1985, she appeared in the BBC's adaptation of A Murder is Announced, a Miss Marple novel by Agatha Christie.

In 1989, she starred in the television adaptation of Oswald Wynd's novel The Ginger Tree. She played Mary MacKenzie, a young Scottish woman who finds disillusionment, love and heartbreak, in turn of the century Japan. It spans the time from 1903 to the outbreak of the Second World War. She also had a featured role in Erik the Viking, starring Tim Robbins, Eartha Kitt and Mickey Rooney.

In 1990, she appeared in the Agatha Christie's Poirot television series episode "The Adventure of the Cheap Flat". In 1992, she also appeared in the "Inspector Morse" television series - 6th, episode 1("Dead on time" as Helen Marriat)-. In 2004, she starred opposite Peter Davison in the ITV drama-comedy Distant Shores. In 2006, she returned to the stage in a new production of Michael Frayn's Donkey's Years at the Comedy Theatre. On 1 January 2007, Bond appeared as the villain Mrs Wormwood in the pilot episode of the BBC children's drama series The Sarah Jane Adventures, a spin-off from the popular science fiction series Doctor Who. She later reprised this role for "Enemy of the Bane", the two-part finale of the show's second series. She has also starred in the popular English drama Midsomer Murders in the episodes "Destroying Angel" (2001) and "Shot at Dawn" (2008), and again in Neil Dudgeon's 2011 debut as lead character, in the episode "Death in the Slow Lane". In the West End she starred in David Leveaux's production of Tom Stoppard's Arcadia at the Duke of York's Theatre (2009).

From 2007-2011, Bond has appeared as the recurring character of Sue's sister, Auntie Angela in the BBC semi-improvised comedy Outnumbered, alongside Hugh Dennis, Claire Skinner and David Ryall. In series one (2007) she appeared in the episodes; 'The Special Bowl', 'The City Farm', 'The Quiet Night In', 'The Mystery Illness' and 'The Dinner Party'. In series two (2008), Bond only appeared in the first episode 'The Wedding'. In series three (2010), Bond appeared in the episode 'The Restaurant'. Bond also starred in series four (2011) for the final two episodes 'The Cold Caller' and 'The Exchange Student'.

In 2009, she took part in the BBC Wales programme Coming Home, about her Welsh family history.

In 2009, she portrayed Queen Elizabeth II in part of a series of television programmes for Channel 4 charting particular periods of the monarch's reign.

She starred as Mrs. Cheveley in a new production of An Ideal Husband at the Vaudeville Theatre in November 2010. In 2011 she narrated a documentary on Operation Crossbow and one on the science of colour on BBC's Horizon series.

She has made several guest appearances as Lady Rosamund Painswick, sister of Lord Grantham, in the ITV costume drama Downton Abbey.