Lesley is best known for her starring role as Mrs. Patmore in the hugely successful worldwide hit TV series “Downton Abbey” and its box-office smash film sequels.
She’s also enjoyed a wildly diverse theatrical career in the UK and the US, starting in musicals with a role in the original London production of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” followed by singing her way ‘round the theatres of Great Britain.
In the West End, she starred as Rosie in “Mamma Mia” for two years and originated the role of Kath in “Our House - The Madness Musical.”
More recently, she portrayed the redoubtable Miss Hannigan in “Annie” at Toronto’s Ed Mirvish Theatre.
She also enjoyed creating the character of Auntie Annie in “East is East” at the Royal Court which was later made into a BAFTA Award-winning film.
Other highlights include narrating PBS’s “Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir” in front of a live audience of 15,000 people.
Apart from “Downton Abbey” her TV careers includes playing real-life sub-postmistress Pam Stubbs in the recent ITV drama “Mr. Bates vs. The Post Office,” which has been described as ITV’s biggest hit since “Downton Abbey”… and more importantly, seems to have stirred up a huge body of support for these badly maligned people.
Other shows include “Shameless,” “Blackadder,” “Dinnerladies,” the BBC’s “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” and “Inspector George Gently.”
In the US, she has guest-starred on Amazon’s “The Boys,” ABC’s “Once Upon a Time,” Fox’s “Raising Hope,” TVLand’s “Hot in Cleveland” and the CW’s long-running hit “Supernatural,” in which she truly showed her range by playing an evil, child-eating German witch!
Other US roles include a mafia matriarch Sybil Griffiths in the ABC/Shonda Rhimes crime drama “The Catch” and lead character Henrietta Beecham in the India-set period drama “Beecham House” for ITV/PBS Masterpiece.
Her voice work includes the children’s series “Sarah and Duck” for the BBC. In addition Lesley can be heard regularly on “Goldie and Bear,” “Harvey Beaks,” “Tom and Jerry,” “Summer Camp Island” and “Jellystone.”
She currently has recurring roles on “Alice’s Wonderland Bakery” and “The Wingfeather Saga” and recently completed work on her first-ever video game, playing Professor Matilda Weasley in “Hogwarts Legacy” for Warner Brothers.
Lesley also had the huge honour of paying a “flying visit” to the “Ghostbusters” film reboot for director Paul Feig.
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