Lesley Manville: The Ageless Theatre Star and Sexual Roles After 50

Lesley Manville, the 70-year-old British veteran actress, insists that age is no barrier to remaining alluring in the entertainment world. After winning various prestigious awards, she returns to television with the new series Marble Hall Murders on BBC One, closing out Anthony Horowitz's Susan Ryeland mystery trilogy.

Manville is no newcomer to the acting stage. Over the past 15 years, her career has soared: she won a Tony Award for her role as Jocasta in Oedipus, two Olivier Awards, an Oscar nomination for Phantom Thread, and several Emmy and BAFTA nominations. These achievements place her among the most respected actresses in Britain, though she says she never chased instant fame.

In an exclusive interview, Manville reveals that success arriving at a mature age has given her the freedom to choose roles. "I'm grateful I was never flavor of the month, because that's hard to sustain," she says. She notes that the roles she has played on stage, such as in Oedipus and Les Liaisons Dangereuses, display an intense sexuality, refuting the stereotype that people over 50 lose their appeal.

Manville's career began on the stage and in the soap opera Emmerdale Farm in 1975. She says she was once a classical opera singer but chose the musical path because she felt opera was too formal. Her meeting with director Mike Leigh in 1979 was a turning point; since then, she has appeared in eight Leigh films, including Another Year and All or Nothing, which showcase her ability to inhabit complex characters.

"I'm very glad I was never flavor of the month, because that's hard to sustain. Nobody went to LA for pilot season when I was young – we were just interested in the work," Manville says.

Beyond her screen and stage success, Manville is also known for her extraordinary work ethic. In 2018, she filmed the series Harlots during the day and performed on the West End stage in Long Day's Journey into Night at night. "I just want to keep going. You're either that kind of person or you're not. I'm very good at looking after myself," she says. This principle took shape when she became a single mother after her husband, Gary Oldman, left her shortly after the birth of their son, Alfie.

Manville is also outspoken about politics. Raised in a Labour-supporting family, she hopes the party will return to its idealistic roots. "I want Labour to be everything it can be, and under Andy Burnham, there may be a glimmer of hope," she says. Even so, she has never forgotten her artistic roots, which began at the Royal Court Theatre, where she worked with writers such as Andrea Dunbar and Caryl Churchill.

For Manville, the role of Susan Ryeland in Marble Hall Murders feels very close to her own personality. "She doesn't take any nonsense, and like her, I'm very clear about who I am. I've found myself at this point in life," she says. She admits she is bad at guessing whodunit, but has caught former boyfriends red-handed a few times, so her detective skills are not entirely zero.

Looking ahead, Manville shows no signs of slowing down. She will star in a production of August: Osage County alongside Anna Maxwell Martin, and is currently filming a Prime series titled Escorted, in which she plays a Manhattan nightclub singer. "I have as much energy as the dancers I've just been working with. I'm really like Susan Ryeland. I don't care how old I am!" she declares.

The question is, will the global entertainment industry increasingly make room for senior actors to appear as complex and sensual figures, rather than merely supporting roles? Manville has proven that age is just a number, and the stage still belongs to those who dare.