British actress Vanessa Kirby has garnered immense acclaim for her awe-inspiring performances, undeniable on-screen charisma, and uncanny ability to choose roles that leave audiences spellbound. With an undeniable flair for seamlessly transitioning between genres, Kirby has consistently proven her prowess on the silver screen. From heart-wrenching dramas to side-splitting comedies, Kirby’s extensive body of work has earned her numerous accolades and nominations, including one for Best Actress at the Academy Awards.
The actress, born on 18 April 1988 in London, first found fame on stage, where she quickly attracted the attention of critics. Her appearance as Princess Margaret in Netflix’s acclaimed series The Crown marked a major turning point in her career. Kirby’s portrayal of Martha, a mother coping with the death of her newborn baby, in the riveting drama Pieces of a Woman is another of her most notable film roles. In addition to her dramatic roles, Kirby has shown her flexible acting muscles by starring in high-octane action franchises Mission: Impossible and Hobbs & Shaw, a spin-off from The Fast & Furious series.
Whether playing a sorrowful woman in an intimate drama or a mysterious figure in a high-budget action blockbuster, Vanessa Kirby always adds fascinating and moving realism to her roles. It will be exciting to see what the Great Expectations star does next as she expands her filmography with new and different roles. For the time being, let’s review her top 10 works so far.
10. Great Expectations (2012)
Vanessa Kirby portrays Estella, a pivotal character in the novel and film version of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. The film, directed by Mike Newell, depicts the life of an orphan named Pip as he encounters love, social status, and the need to succeed.
Estella was adopted as a child and raised by the eccentric and affluent Miss Havisham (portrayed by Helena Bonham Carter), who teaches her to shatter men’s hearts as revenge for Miss Havisham’s own thwarted love. Estella appears cold and manipulative on the surface, but she is actually suffering from psychological trauma brought on by Miss Havisham’s abuse. Pip has feelings for Estella. Theirs is an unrequited love story, with Estella consistently appearing unloving and distant.
9. Mr. Jones (2019)
Mr. Jones stars Vanessa Kirby as Ada Brooks, a British journalist who lived and worked in Moscow in the 1930s. The film, directed by Agnieszka Holland, is based on the real-life account of Welsh journalist Gareth Jones (James Norton), who exposed Soviet Ukraine’s horrific manufactured famine, the Holodomor. Ada Brooks is a fictional character who represents a synthesis of real-life individuals from the era.
Brooks is introduced as a foreign journalist for The New York Times, reporting to Peter Sarsgaard’s Walter Duranty (who plays the bureau head who won a Pulitzer Prize). Despite being entangled in the Soviet Union’s highly manipulative and propagandistic media environment, Ada is dedicated to reporting the truth. Brooks is Gareth Jones’s coworker and an ally who helps him in his mission to expose the truth about the hunger caused by the Soviet Union.
8. Kill Command (2016)
Vanessa Kirby’s role in Kill Command is Katherine Mills, a top-tier AI expert. Steven Gomez’s film follows a squad of marines deployed to an isolated island for a regular training exercise but find themselves in a life-or-death struggle against highly sophisticated military robots. Mills stands out from the rest of the crew due to her superior knowledge of robotics and her artificial eye that can communicate with computers.Â
She is a tech liaison brought in to monitor and analyze the group’s training, and it is through her eyes that the audience learns about the events taking place and the growing danger posed by the robots. Kirby brings to life Mills, an intriguing figure who manages to stay calm and collected under pressure as she discovers the sinister motivation behind the lethal machines and the terrifying breadth of their power.
7. About Time (2013)
In Richard Curtis’s charming romantic comedy-drama About Time, Vanessa Kirby plays Joanna, a fun and flirtatious friend of the film’s leading man, Tim Lake, portrayed by Domhnall Gleeson. Also starring Rachel McAdams and Bill Nighy, About Time follows a young man who gains the ability to travel through time and uses it to alter his past in an effort to change his future self for the better.
Joanna is one of many people that impact Tim’s life as he travels through time and space with his unique abilities. Joanna, as portrayed by Kirby, is lively and impulsive, making a refreshing contrast to Tim’s quiet and sometimes awkward demeanor. She is one of Tim’s first loves and complicates his life in many ways.
6. The Son (2022)
Directed by Florian Zeller, The Son is a drama film starring Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern, Vanessa Kirby, Zen McGrath, and Hugh Quarshie. Hugh Jackman’s Peter Miller and his new wife Beth, played by Vanessa Kirby, are caring for their young baby when his ex-wife, Kate (Laura Dern), suddenly shows up to tell him that their unhappy and depressed son, Nicholas, has dropped out of school. Despite their unfamiliarity, Peter welcomes Nicholas into his home.
Kirby masterfully captures the spirit of a woman nearly 20 years younger than her husband. Throughout the movie, we get to know Beth and Peter better as a couple and learn about the ups and downs they’ve had together. She faces the challenges of becoming a stepmother to Peter’s son from his first marriage. Kirby does an excellent job of depicting Beth’s ambivalent feelings towards Peter and the challenges of integrating their families.
5. The World to Come (2020)
Vanessa Kirby stars as Tallie, a charming and feisty lady making her way in the harsh environment of the American frontier in the 1850s, in the poignant drama The World to Come. Tallie stands out as a force of vigor and innovation compared to her society’s conservative norms. After moving to the frontier town, Tallie becomes close with Katherine Waterston’s Abigail, the shy wife of a farmer. A blossoming friendship and passionate love affair between them brighten, giving them hope despite their bleak circumstances.
What makes The World to Come so compelling is the close relationship between Kirby and Waterston. Tallie and Abigail’s connection is the story’s throbbing heart, full of passionate glances and unsaid feelings. Kirby delivers a touching and evocative portrayal as she deftly moves from the thrill of new love to the terror of possible social judgment. The World to Come premiered on 6 September 2020 at the 77th Venice International Film Festival, winning the festival’s Queer Lion for best LGBTQ-themed film.
4. Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
Starring Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, Eiza González, Cliff Curtis, and Helen Mirren, the action picture Hobbs & Shaw is a spin-off from the massively successful Fast & Furious franchise. Luke Hobbs (Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Statham) are an unexpected duo, and their friendship drives the film’s plot. Hattie Shaw, played by Vanessa Kirby, is a brave and competent MI6 agent who must save the world from the evil hands of Brixton Lore, portrayed by Idris Elba.
Hattie Shaw is Deckard Shaw’s younger sister, and her presence adds a familial dimension to the story, reiterating the series’ recurring emphasis on family. Kirby’s performance as Hattie highlights her character’s strength, intelligence, and perseverance. She is not only a supporting character but takes an active role in the mission, proving herself more than capable of holding her own against both her co-stars and the film’s adversaries.
3. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
In the thrilling spy film Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Vanessa Kirby plays the role of Alanna Mitsopolis, better known by her alias, the White Widow. The White Widow is a high-profile arms dealer in the underground market with ties to the highest levels of international espionage. She adds an intriguing element of tradition and continuity to the Mission: Impossible franchise as the daughter of Max, a character from the first film in the series.
As a member of the morally ambiguous spy world, the White Widow is neither an ally nor an enemy to Tom Cruise’s character, Ethan Hunt. The White Widow’s connection with Hunt and his men is based on necessity and mutual gain rather than trust or companionship. Her reasons are unknown, adding to the film’s suspense and intrigue. Kirby’s portrayal of the White Widow is both charming and menacing, making it tough to tell whether she’s a friend or foe, a trait that keeps fans guessing throughout the film.
2. Pieces of a Woman (2020)
Pieces of a Woman stars Vanessa Kirby as Martha Weiss, a mother who must deal with the unimaginable tragedy of losing her newborn daughter during a home birth gone awry. Martha personifies the internal anguish and personal sadness of a mother grieving the loss of a child, punctuated by occasional outbursts of real, visceral pain.
Following Martha for a year after her loss, the film sees her trying to find her way in the world while dealing with her domineering mother, Elizabeth (Ellen Burstyn), and her troubled relationship with her partner Sean (Shia LaBeouf). As Martha goes through the stages of grieving (shock, denial, anger, and acceptance), Kirby sensitively brings Martha’s quiet strength to life. With Pieces of a Woman, Vanessa Kirby shows off her acting chops, catapulting her from supporting roles to the spotlight as a leading lady. Kirby’s performance as Martha is a career high point, earning her a Best Actress Oscar nomination and critical acclaim.
1. The Crown (2016-2020)
Vanessa Kirby’s portrayal of Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II’s younger sister, in Netflix’s critically praised series The Crown is a tour de force that captures the character’s endearing mix of vitality, fragility, and rebellion. Princess Margaret is lively and defiant, the life of the party, but feelings of isolation and frustration also plague her as she tries to live up to the royal family’s high standards. This inner struggle is essential to Margaret’s development throughout the show. Kirby’s The Crown arc centers on Princess Margaret and Group Captain Peter Townsend’s doomed love affair.
The relationship is controversial because of Townsend’s divorce, but it shows a new, softer side of Margaret. When choosing between her happiness and royal duty, Kirby perfectly captures Margaret’s grief. Moreover, Princess Margaret is also a woman constantly under her sister’s shadow. She has complex feelings of devotion, hatred, adoration, and competition toward Elizabeth, creating an emotional undertone to the series that stems from their sibling connection. Vanessa Kirby received a BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress for portraying Princess Margaret, among other accolades.
