Joanna Lumley
Biography
Dame Joanna Lamond Lumley DBE FRGS (born 1 May 1946) is a British actress, presenter, former model, author, television producer, and activist. She has won two BAFTA TV Awards for her role as Patsy Stone in the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous (1992–2012), and was nominated for the 2011 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for the Broadway revival of La Bête. In 2013, she received the Special Recognition Award at the National Television Awards, and in 2017 she was honoured with the BAFTA Fellowship award. Lumley's other television credits include The New Avengers (1976–1977), Sapphire & Steel (1979–1982), Sensitive Skin (2005–2007), Jam & Jerusalem (2006–2008) and Finding Alice (2021–present) as well as playing Elaine Perkins in Coronation Street in 1973. Her film appearances include On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Trail of the Pink Panther (1982), Shirley Valentine (1989), James and the Giant Peach (1996), Ella Enchanted (2004), Corpse Bride (2005), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), and Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie (2016). She had roles in two episodes of Are You Being Served? (1973–1975) written by Jeremy Lloyd, whom she had married and divorced three years prior to her first appearance on the show. Lumley is an advocate and human rights activist for Survival International and the Gurkha Justice Campaign. She supports charities and animal welfare groups, such as Compassion in World Farming and Vegetarians' International Voice for Animals. Lumley was made a Dame (DBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to drama, entertainment and charity.
Known For
Aunt Spiker
James and the Giant Peach
Maudeline Everglot (voice)
Corpse Bride
The House That Dripped Blood
Morgan Le Fey
Prince Valiant
Mary Smiling
Cold Comfort Farm
Elinor Glyn
The Cat's Meow
Jessica Van Helsing
The Satanic Rites of Dracula
Shiela
Maybe Baby
Dame Olga
Ella Enchanted
Countess Chandra
Curse of the Pink Panther
Self
Attenborough at 90
Presenter
Joanna Lumley and the Human Swan
Ermintrude (voice)
The Magic Roundabout
Gillian
Mad Cows
Self
Joanna Lumley: My Best Bits - In My Own Words
Self
Quentin Blake – The Drawing of My Life
Liz Franks
A Rather English Marriage
Marjorie Majors
Shirley Valentine
Half Tusk (voice)
Whispers: An Elephant's Tale
Lady Helena Graves
Innocent Lies
Lady Drayton
A Ghost in Monte Carlo
Charlotte
Late Bloomers
Aunt Emma
The Wolf of Wall Street
Georgia
The Ballad of Tam Lin
Narrator (voice)
50 Years of BBC Two Comedy
Narrator (voice)
Counting Tigers
Herself
Joanna Lumley in the Land of the Northern Lights
Mrs. Lovett
The Tale of Sweeney Todd
Diana Carey-Lewis
Nancherrow
Diana Carey-Lewis
Coming Home
Lady Maria Byrne
The Making of a Lady
Susie
The Breaking of Bumbo
The Queen
Gangsta Granny
Vivian Claremont
She's Funny That Way
Patsy Stone
Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout
Patsy Stone (archive footage)
Absolutely Fabulous: A Life
Patsy Stone (archive footage)
How to Be Absolutely Fabulous
Mrs. Alfreda Rhinegold
Boogie Woogie
An Audience with Dame Edna Everage
Mrs. Foster
My Week with Maisy
The English Girl
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Fenella
Absolutely Anything
Self
imagine... French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter
Fanny Hill
Games That Lovers Play
The Female Doctor
Doctor Who: The Curse of Fatal Death
Marie Jouvet
Trail of the Pink Panther
Patsy Stone
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie
Electric Blue Special: Nude Celebrity Special
Self
Joanna Lumley: Elvis and Me
Self - Host
Bette Midler: One Night Only
Presenter
Girl Friday
Herself - Presenter
Joanna Lumley: The Search for Noah's Ark
Presenter
Joanna Lumley Meets Will.I.Am
Tiger Lily (voice)
Alice in Wonderland
Mary Rawlinson
Me Before You
Jackie
Finding Your Feet
Narrator
The Snowman Live Stage Show
Last in Line
Stories of Lost Souls
Last in line
Standing Room Only
Freda
Parting Shots
Herself (voice)
Carnage: Swallowing the Past
Comedy Role (archive footage) (uncredited)
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
Robot Saboteur (uncredited)
Some Girls Do
Felicity Fanshaw
Paddington 2
Self
And the Winner Isn't
Self
Wogan on Wodehouse
Hostel Clerk
EuroTrip
Annie (voice)
The Forgotten Toys
Kate
The Weather in the Streets
Self - Presenter
Joanna and Jennifer: Absolutely Champers
Miss Parkyn
Don't Just Lie There, Say Something!
Herself
Ian Fleming: Where Bond Began
Narrator (voice)
7 Up & Me
(archive footage)
Electric Blue - The Movie
(archive footage)
Electric Blue 002
Herself
The Genius of Roald Dahl
Herself
In Search of Dracula
Herself - Host
20 Years of the Black Eyed Peas
Meghan Geoffrey-Bishop
Falling for Figaro
Hitcher
The Plank
Narrator
Coronation Street: 60 Unforgettable Years
Self
The Vicar of Dibley: Inside Out
Lady Narborough
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Jackie Riviera
Mirrorball
Self
Twiggy
Self
Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out
Sketch Performer (Archive Footage)
In the Best Possible Taste: A Tribute to Kenny Everett
Joanna Lumley
The Man You're Not
Self
Netflix Tudum 2025
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
89
Gender
Female
Birthday
1946-05-01
Place of Birth
Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, British India
Also Known As
Joanna Lamond Lumley, OBE, FRGS