Andrea Riseborough – Biography, Films and Personal Life

Andrea Riseborough is an English actress and producer who has built a reputation for taking on unconventional roles across independent cinema, television, and the stage. With a career spanning nearly two decades, she has appeared in everything from big-budget sci-fi features to intimate character dramas, and her 2023 Oscar nomination for the low-budget film To Leslie placed her squarely in the middle of a wider conversation about awards campaigning in Hollywood.

Riseborough trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and began her career on the stage before moving into television and film. She is known for a chameleon-like quality that allows her to disappear into roles, and she has worked with directors such as Denis Villeneuve, Alejandro González Iñárritu, and Panos Cosmatos. Despite a high public profile during awards season, she keeps her personal life largely out of the spotlight.

What movies and TV shows has Andrea Riseborough been in?

Riseborough’s filmography covers a wide range of genres and scales, from supporting roles in studio films to lead performances in art-house productions. Below are key insights drawn from her career trajectory.

• She made her film debut in a small role in Venus (2006) and gained early visibility with Made in Dagenham (2010).
• Her mainstream breakthrough came in 2013 when she played Julia in Oblivion opposite Tom Cruise.
• She has worked repeatedly with directors such as Mike Leigh (Happy-Go-Lucky) and Armando Iannucci (The Death of Stalin).
• Riseborough produced and starred in Nancy (2018), a drama that earned strong reviews at Sundance.
• She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for To Leslie (2022), a film made on a very tight budget.
• On television, she earned a BAFTA TV Award nomination for her performance in The Long Walk to Finchley (2008).
• She is classically trained in ballet to an advanced level and is a qualified stage fighter, skills that have informed her physical performances.

Who is Andrea Riseborough’s partner?

Riseborough keeps her personal life relatively private, and confirmed details about her relationships are limited. According to her IMDb biography, she has been in a relationship with Los Angeles-based street artist Joe Appel, known professionally as Thrashbird, since 2009. Appel is known for his large-scale public murals and satirical street art, and the couple has maintained a low public profile together.

Is Andrea Riseborough married?

There is no public record of a marriage involving Andrea Riseborough. No official announcements, legal filings, or credible media reports indicate that she is or has been married. The question remains open, and no reliable source has confirmed a marital status either way.

Does Andrea Riseborough have children?

IMDb’s biography data does not list any children for Riseborough, and no credible public source has reported that she has children. She has not addressed the subject in interviews, and it is not discussed in any of her known professional biographies.

How old is Andrea Riseborough and where was she born?

Andrea Louise Riseborough was born on 20 November 1981 in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England, and was partly raised in the nearby coastal town of Whitley Bay. As of June 2025, she is 44 years old. Her nationality is English, and she holds British citizenship.

What is her educational background?

Riseborough graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 2005, a training ground for many of Britain’s most respected actors. Her education at RADA followed an early interest in dance: she trained in classical ballet to an advanced level before turning to acting. She is also a qualified stage fighter through the British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat (BASSC), a credential that reflects her commitment to physically demanding roles.

What is her height?

Multiple sources, including her IMDb biography, list her height as 5′ 5½″ (1.66 m).

What is Andrea Riseborough’s role in Oblivion?

In the 2013 science-fiction film Oblivion, directed by Joseph Kosinski, Riseborough played Julia, the wife of Tom Cruise’s character, Jack Harper. Julia is a key figure in the story’s emotional core: she is a fellow astronaut who re-enters Jack’s life after being in suspended animation, challenging his understanding of his own identity and mission.

The role marked Riseborough’s highest-profile mainstream appearance to that point. Oblivion grossed over $286 million worldwide, exposing her work to a broad international audience. Critical reception of the film was mixed, but Riseborough’s performance was generally noted for bringing warmth and emotional weight to a film dominated by visual effects.

What awards has Andrea Riseborough been nominated for?

Riseborough has received recognition across multiple formats—film, television, and stage. The following timeline captures the key milestones in her award history.

1. 2006–2008: Early stage work earns her the Ian Charleson Award for classical performance, a prize that honors actors under 30.
2. 2009: She receives a BAFTA TV Award nomination for Best Actress for her portrayal of a young Margaret Thatcher in The Long Walk to Finchley.
3. 2016: Another BAFTA TV Award nomination comes for her role in the drama The Dress (part of the National Treasure anthology series).
4. 2023: Riseborough is nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in To Leslie, a film that had a very limited theatrical release and no major studio campaign.

In total, IMDb lists 23 wins and 32 nominations across her career, spanning festival prizes, critics’ circles, and industry awards.

What information about Andrea Riseborough is certain versus unclear?

Like many public figures who guard their private life, some aspects of Riseborough’s biography are well established while others remain speculative. The table below separates what is known from what is not.

What is the broader context of Andrea Riseborough’s career?

Andrea Riseborough’s career arc reflects a deliberate mix of independent, art-house, and mainstream projects. She has never settled into a single genre or type of role, moving from period dramas such as Made in Dagenham and W.E. to science fiction like Oblivion and Possessor, and from horror (Mandy, The Grudge) to dark political satire (The Death of Stalin).

Her 2023 Oscar nomination for To Leslie was unusual in several respects. The film had a very limited theatrical release and no major studio marketing budget. Her nomination was driven by a grassroots campaign that involved high-profile endorsements from actors such as Kate Winslet, Cate Blanchett, and Gwyneth Paltrow. The Academy subsequently reviewed its campaign rules in response to the controversy, though no formal penalties were issued.

Riseborough has not publicly spoken in depth about the controversy, consistent with her general tendency to let her work speak for itself. Her role in Oblivion remains a popular entry point for new audiences, while her more recent work in Possessor and The Regime (2024) has drawn interest from viewers who follow her career closely.

What do credible sources say about Andrea Riseborough?

“Andrea Louise Riseborough (born 20 November 1981) is an English actress.”

— Wikipedia

“Classically trained in Ballet to Advanced standard. Qualified stage fighter (BASSC).”

— Independent Talent

“One of the most prolific and chameleon-like British actresses of the 2010s.”

— Rotten Tomatoes

Key takeaway about Andrea Riseborough

Andrea Riseborough is an English actress and producer whose career spans film, television, and theatre, distinguished by a willingness to take on unconventional roles and a consistent avoidance of the celebrity spotlight. Her 2023 Oscar nomination for To Leslie brought her to a wider audience, while her earlier work in Oblivion and Birdman remains widely recognized. For readers interested in similar British performers, the profile of Sheridan Smith – Age, Family, Notable Roles and 2025 Projects offers a parallel career overview, while Mia Goth – Biography, Career and What She Is Doing in 2025 provides context on another actress working across genre and independent film.

Frequently asked questions about Andrea Riseborough