Miranda Caroline Raison is a British and French actress. She is best known for playing Jo Portman in five seasons of Spooks (MI5) and Nellie Davenport in HBO's Warrior.[1] She originated the title role in Howard Brenton's Anne Boleyn at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre[2] and played Hermione in Kenneth Branagh's production of The Winter's Tale, both to critical acclaim.[3] She is also a prolific voice artist.[4]
Miranda Raison | |
|---|---|
 Raison in 2018 | |
| Born | Miranda Caroline Raison Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, England |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1999–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Paul Raison (cousin) |
Early life and education
editMiranda Caroline Raison was born in Burnham Thorpe.[5] Her mother is former Anglia News reader Caroline Raison (née Harvey).[5] Her father, Nick Raison, is a jazz pianist who accompanied the BBC National Orchestra of Wales [6] when Raison played a showgirl in the Doctor Who episodes "Daleks in Manhattan" and "Evolution of the Daleks".[7]
Raison's parents divorced when she was five years old. From a young age she attended five boarding schools, including Gresham's School, Felixstowe College and Stowe School; her education was paid for by her grandfather.[8][9]
It was at Felixstowe College where she developed an interest in acting; she moved there after experiencing bullying at her previous school.[10] She trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.[11]
Career
editTheatre
edit
From 2002–3, she appeared as Ben-Hur's love interest in a minimalist production of the eponymous play at the Battersea Arts Centre.[12] Later in 2003, she was featured in Pains of Youth, again at the Battersea Arts Centre, playing the death obsessed bisexual Desiree;[13] Lyn Gardner of The Guardian described her performance as making "Desiree's death wish seem tragic rather than merely silly."[14]
In 2010 she played the title role in Anne Boleyn, a new play by Howard Brenton, who had also been involved in scripts for BBC's Spooks in which Raison went on to appear in 5 series, which premiered at Shakespeare's Globe on 24 July 2010 to high critical acclaim. In the same Shakespeare's Globe season Raison also played Anne Boleyn in Henry VIII by William Shakespeare.[15]
In 2011, she appeared as Ann in the short play "Oliver Lewis" by Jack Thorne, part of the series of plays 66 Books performed at the Bush Theatre.[16]
In June/July 2012 she appeared in a production of The Physicists: A Comedy in Two Acts at the Donmar Warehouse, playing the roles of Lina Rose, the lead character's ex-wife, and Monika Settler, the lead's attending nurse.[17] From October 2012 Raison starred in The River, a new play by Jez Butterworth, at the Royal Court Theatre (Jerwood) alongside Dominic West. Tickets became "the most sought-after theatre tickets in London" after rave reviews.[18]
In 2013–14 she played Anne Faulkner in the theatrical version of Strangers on a Train at the Gielgud Theatre, produced by Barbara Broccoli.[19]
From January to February 2015, she starred opposite Shaun Evans in Hello/Goodbye at the Hampstead Theatre.[20] In August 2015 she joined the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company in The Winter's Tale and Harlequinade which ran at the Garrick Theatre from October 2015 until January 2016. Raison played the wife of Kenneth Branagh's character in both plays.[21] She stated that she enjoyed the experience and was grateful for the opportunity, given that previously she had a bad audition with Branagh for Macbeth in 2011. She also enjoyed learning from Judi Dench.[22]
Film and television
editRaison's first film role in 2000 was playing Marianne Faithfull in Suzy Q alongside Carice Van Houten
In 2004, Raison was cast as 'Heather' in Match Point, the first Woody Allen film to be made in London.[23]
In 2005, she appeared in Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, which she said "may as well have been the most brutal Lars von Trier film. Another actress and I actually spent a whole night just crying." She called the experience "regrettable from start to finish" and a "hideous, hideous moment and a great lapse of judgement on my part".[24]
Raison's breakthrough role was as Jo Portman (2005–2009) in the BBC One television drama series Spooks (also broadcast under the title MI-5). She requested that the production company let her go in 2009 as she felt that her character could not develop further and wanted to follow up on theatre opportunities.[25]
In April 2007 she appeared in the Doctor Who episodes "Daleks in Manhattan" and "Evolution of the Daleks" as Tallulah, a show girl whose opening scene involved singing to a musical number, for which Raison's father played the piano background as part of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.[7]
In 2009, she was featured in the show Plus One. She was originally featured in the Comedy Showcase pilot in 2007, where she wore a fat suit.[26]
In 2010 after leaving Spooks, she played a model called Abbey in the ITV1 comedy-drama Married Single Other.[27]
She had a small role in My Week with Marilyn. She expressed pleasure in being able to work with great British talent and her fascination with Marilyn Monroe.[28]
In 2012 she played DI Georgina Dixon in the second series of Vexed, screened on BBC2.[29]
In 2013 she played 'Harriet Hammond' in the third series of the BBC legal drama Silk; her character was a practice manager who shook up the firm and a potential love interest for her former Spooks co-star Rupert Penry-Jones' character.[30]
In 2014, she had a small role in I Am Soldier, playing "Stella", the lead interrogator in the "Tactical Questioning" portion of the lead character's training.[31]
In July 2014 she was announced as a new cast member of Spotless, a (10 × 1 hour episode) drama produced by Canal+.[32]
In 2018, Raison reprised her role as ‘Sylvie’ in 6 episodes of Dark Heart, played xenobiologist ‘Tessia’ in 6 episodes of Nightflyers and appeared in Artemis Fowl.[33]
In May 2019 it was announced that Raison would be joining the main cast of Warrior for the second season.[34]
In September 2021 it was announced that Raison had joined the first series of Sister Boniface Mysteries playing Ruth Penny, a main character across all ten episodes.[35]
Raison reprised her role as 'Nellie Davenport', as part of the main cast of the third season of Warrior which began airing on HBO in July 2023.[36][37][38]
In April 2023 she was cast as Jean Seberg in L'Enchanteur opposite Charles Berling as Romain Gary which was aired on France 2 in 2024.[39]
Other works
editIn 2005 she appeared in the BBC radio comedy Deep Trouble. She has voiced several video game characters, including Cassandra Pentaghast in the Dragon Age series, Lieutenant Sandra Lansing in Apache: Air Assault and Natasha and other characters in Renegade Ops. BioWare also hired Raison for providing several voices in Mass Effect: Andromeda. She voiced three characters in The Secret World and lent her voice for Dreamfall Chapters and Blades of Time.[40]
Raison has also voice-acted in several Big Finish Doctor Who audios, including The Davros Mission and The Wreck of the Titan, and plays Constance Clarke, a regular companion to the Sixth Doctor. She also provides additional voices in other Big Finish audio productions, including other Doctor Who stories and The Avengers.[41]
In 2013 she joined the CGI series cast of Thomas & Friends and provides the voice of Millie (UK/US), first introduced in King of the Railway.[42]
Since July 2017 she has been narrating the BBC2 documentary Hospital.[43]
Personal life
editShe plays golf and is a member of the Aldeburgh Golf Club.[44]
While separated from her first husband, Raza Jaffrey, she began a relationship with her Married Single Other co-star Ralf Little in November 2009, which ended in February 2013.[8]
She married again in 2017 and had a daughter in that same year. In the summer of 2022, Raison gave birth to her second child. Her husband is 13 years her junior.[45]
Raison has dual nationality and holds both French and British passports.[46] She speaks fluent French and is conversational in Italian and Spanish.[47][44]
Raison is distantly related to Jack Huston.[48] Her cousin, Paul Raison, was a Chairman of Christie's.
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Suzy Q | Marianne Faithfull | Television film |
| 2003 | The Private Life of Samuel Pepys | Deb Willet | Television film |
| 2004 | The Deal | Virginia | Short film |
| 2005 | Match Point | Heather | Feature film |
| Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo | Svetlana Revenko | Feature film | |
| 2006 | Land of the Blind | Daisy | Feature film |
| Nostradamus | Henriette | Television film | |
| 2008 | Exit Strategy | Wife / Eve Klammer | Short film |
| HeavenScent | HeavenScent | Short film; voice role | |
| 2011 | My Week with Marilyn | Vanessa | Feature film |
| 2013 | Thomas & Friends: King of the Railway | Millie | Direct-to-video; voice role |
| Thomas & Friends: The Thomas Way | Millie | Direct-to-video; voice role | |
| 2014 | I Am Soldier | Stella | Feature film |
| Thomas & Friends: Trouble on the Tracks | Millie | Direct-to-video; voice role | |
| 2015 | Thomas & Friends: Dinos and Discoveries | Millie | Direct-to-video; voice role |
| Yussef Is Complicated | Miss Robson | Short film | |
| AfterDeath | Robyn | Feature film | |
| Thomas & Friends: Tales on the Rails | Millie | Direct-to-video; voice role | |
| 2016 | Thomas & Friends: Tinsel on the Tracks | Millie | Direct-to-video; voice role |
| Thomas & Friends: Full Steam to the Rescue! | Millie | Direct-to-video; voice role | |
| 2017 | My Daughter Is Missing | Sara | Television film |
| Breathe | Mary Dawney | Feature film | |
| Thomas & Friends: Christmas on Sodor | Millie | Direct-to-video; voice role | |
| Murder on the Orient Express | Sonia Armstrong | Feature film | |
| 2019 | Widow's Walk | Eve | Feature film |
| 2020 | Artemis Fowl | Angeline Fowl | Uncredited |
| 2024 | L'Enchanteur | Jean Seberg | Feature film |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Heartbeat | Lucy | Episode: "Kindness of Strangers" |
| 2000 | Sunburn | Madeline Chalfont | Episode: "Children and Growing Up" |
| 2001 | Emmerdale | Nurse | Episode: "26th January 2001" |
| Perfect Strangers | Young Grace | Miniseries; 3 episodes | |
| Dark Realm | Nicole | Episode: "Castle Keep" | |
| 2002 | The Inspector Lynley Mysteries | Ros | Episode: "For the Sake of Elena" |
| 2003 | Emmerdale | Rosanna Jennings | Episode: "30 June 2003" |
| Holby City | Michelle Andrews | Episode: "Me and My Gal" | |
| 2004 | Heartbeat | Kate | Episode: "No Hard Feelings" |
| 2005 | Coming Up | Katy | Episode: "Bird's Eye View" |
| 2005-09 | Spooks | Jo Portman | Series regular; 37 episodes |
| 2007 | Doctor Who | Tallulah | Episodes: "Daleks in Manhattan" & "Evolution of the Daleks" |
| Comedy Showcase | Linsey | Episode: "Plus One" | |
| 2008 | Agatha Christie's Poirot | Mademoiselle Blanche | Episode: "Cat Among the Pigeons" |
| 2009 | Plus One | Linsey | Series regular; 5 episodes |
| 2010 | Married Single Other | Abbey | Series regular; 6 episodes |
| 2011 | Sugartown | Emily Shirley | Miniseries; 3 episodes |
| Death in Paradise | Megan Talbot | Episode: "Missing a Body?" | |
| Merlin | Isolde | Episode: "The Sword in the Stone" | |
| 2012 | Dirk Gently | Kate Edwards | Episode: "Episode 1" |
| Vexed | DI Georgina Dixon | Series regular; 6 episodes | |
| Sinbad | Lara Assuage | Episode: "Fiend or Friend?" | |
| 2013 | Jo | Katie Miville | Episode: "Concorde" |
| Lewis | Stella Drew | Episode: "Intelligent Design" | |
| 2013-20 | Thomas & Friends | Millie | Voice role |
| 2014 | Silk | Harriet Hammond | Series regular; 6 episodes |
| 24: Live Another Day | Caroline Fowlds | Series regular; 6 episodes | |
| 2015 | Spotless | Julie Greer-Bastière | Series regular; 10 episodes |
| 2018 | Dark Heart | Sylvie | Series regular; 6 episodes |
| Nightflyers | Tessia | Series regular; 6 episodes | |
| 2020-23 | Warrior | Nellie Davenport | Series regular; 17 episodes |
| 2022 | Dragon Age: Absolution | Cassandra Pentaghast | Episode: "A Woman Unseen" |
| 2022-24 | Sister Boniface Mysteries | Ruth Penny | Recurring character; 12 episodes |
Video games
edit| Year | Game | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Apache: Air Assault | Lieutenant Sandra Lansing | Voice role |
| 2011 | Dragon Age II | Cassandra Pentaghast / Varania / Dulci de Launcet / Elsa | Voice role |
| Renegade Ops | Natasha | English version; voice role | |
| 2012 | Blades of Time | Ayumi / Spirit of the Dragon | Voice role |
| The Secret World | Zaha / Rada Nastase / Aveline Belmont | Voice role | |
| 2014 | Dreamfall Chapters | Nela / Na'ane | Voice role |
| Dragon Age: Inquisition | Cassandra Pentaghast | Voice role | |
| 2015 | Dragon Age: Inquisition – Trespasser | Cassandra Pentaghast | Voice role |
| 2017 | Mass Effect: Andromeda | Mariette Rensus / Saneris / Annea / Ljeta / Revia Luxen | Voice role |
| 2019 | Anthem | Kista Stormbreaker / Varice Mal / Detective Hops | Voice role |
| 2022 | Elden Ring | Fia | Voice role |
References
edit- ^ "Spooks star Miranda Raison pledges to help Suffolk parents in new patron role". East Anglian Daily Times. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ Billington, Michael (29 July 2010). "Anne Boleyn". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ Kellaway, Kate (15 November 2015). "The Winter's Tale; Harlequinade; All on Her Own review – a gift to eye and heart". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ "Miranda Raison - Exclusive Voiceover agent for Miranda Raison; British actress best known for her roles in Spooks, 24, Murder on the Orient Express and the Oscar nominated film My Week with Marilyn. Starred in 2022's The Sister Boniface Mysteries. Neutral/RP accent. - Voiceover Agency London". Anthea Represents. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ a b "The Raison being". Great British Life. 20 October 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ "Doctor Who Guide: Miranda Raison".
- ^ a b "Doctor Who". BBC. Archived from the original on 25 January 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- ^ a b "Miranda Raison – Playing Anne Boleyn". sharonfeinstein.com. 18 July 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
- ^ "Spooks star's new mission in Suffolk". EADT Suffolk Magazine. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
- ^ "The Raison being". EDP Norfolk Magazine. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
- ^ "Jo Portman – Spooks (UK) Characters". ShareTV. 13 May 2002. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- ^ "Ben Hur". beggarsbelief.org.uk. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- ^ "Mind Rocket: Pains Of Youth, pullout flyer – Battersea Arts Centre Digital Archive" (in Czech). Retrieved 12 July 2017.
- ^ Lyn Gardner (31 July 2003). "Pains of youth". TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
- ^ Ed Caesar (22 April 2010). "The alternative Boleyn girl".
- ^ "66 Books, a Curtain up London review".
- ^ Benedict, David (12 June 2012). "Review: 'The Physicists'". Variety. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- ^ "Jez Butterworth play The River wows at the Royal Court". BBC. 29 October 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- ^ "Strangers on a Train at the Gielgud Theatre, W1". The Times. 20 November 2013.
- ^ "Hello/Goodbye". Hampstead Theatre. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
- ^ "Spooks actress Miranda Raison is set to star in The Winter's Tale". The Independent. 4 November 2015. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- ^ "interview | miranda raison". Schön! Magazine. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ "Miranda Raison - Biography". Hello!. 8 October 2009.
- ^ "Miranda Raison". officiallondontheatre.co.uk. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
- ^ "Miranda Raison". officiallondontheatre.co.uk. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
- ^ Davies, Jeff. "character makeups | fat faces & fat-suits | obese & morbidly obese | Miranda Raison in 'Plus One' | themakeupgallery". www.themakeupgallery.info. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ Ian Wylie (12 March 2010). "Married Single Other: Miranda Raison | Manchester Evening News". menmedia.co.uk. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- ^ "Miranda Raison on her role. working with great British talent and..." Getty Images. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
- ^ Patrick McLennan (20 July 2012). "A quick chat with Vexed star Miranda Raison".
- ^ Ellen E Jones (1 April 2014). "Silk, BBC1 - TV review: 'Thrilling twists and turns make Silk's farewell a guilty pleasure'". Independent.co.uk. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022.
- ^ Partnership, The Artists. "Miranda Raison Artist Details – The Artists Partnership". theartistspartnership.co.uk. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
- ^ Keslassy, Elsa (23 June 2014). "Tandem and Canal Plus Unveils International Cast of 'Spotless'". Variety. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- ^ Bill Gibb (30 October 2018). "Dark Heart star Miranda Raison has had her busiest year yet with several hit roles, a wedding and a baby". Sunday Post. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
- ^ Denise Petski (9 May 2019). "'Warrior' Casts Four For Season 2 Of Cinemax Drama Series". Deadline.
- ^ Mel Lynch (9 September 2021). "'Drama secures UK broadcasting rights for Sister Boniface Mysteries". UKTV.
- ^ "Warrior Season 3 - What We Know So Far". looper.com. 21 April 2022.
- ^ Petski, Denise (27 July 2022). "'Warrior': Mark Dacascos & Chelsea Muirhead Joins Season 3 Cast Of HBO Max Series". Deadline.
- ^ "Warrior Season 3 Promo Spotlights Women Warriors; Aftershow Podcast". 25 June 2023.
- ^ "L'Enchanteur".
- ^ "Dragon Age: Inquisition Preview - Meet Miranda Raison Who Plays Cassandra". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014.
- ^ "Miranda Raison". 31 January 2023.
- ^ "Millie".
- ^ "Miranda Raison".
- ^ a b "My perfect weekend: Miranda Raison". 30 June 2010.
- ^ "Doctor Who Interview | Miranda Raison - WHO Corner to Corner | A Doctor Who Podcast". January 2023.
- ^ "Doctor Who Interview | Miranda Raison - WHO Corner to Corner | A Doctor Who Podcast". January 2023.
- ^ "Interview with Miranda Raison". 18 December 2015.
- ^ "Raison d'etre". Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
External links
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