Rose Eleanor Arbuthnot-Leslie is a prominent Scottish actress known for her roles as Ygritte in Game of Thrones and Gwen Dawson in Downton Abbey.
She graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 2008 and gained recognition early in her career with a BAFTA win for New Town.
Leslie is married to her Game of Thrones co-star Kit Harington, with whom she has two children.
She also starred in The Time Traveler’s Wifeand is a descendant of King Charles II.
Siblings
Rose has four siblings, namely Portia Leslie, John Arbuthnot-Leslie and William Arbuthnot-Leslie.
She was born to Sebastian Arbuthnot-Leslie, the Chieftain of Clan Leslie, and Candida Mary Sibyl Weld.
The Leslie family resides at Wardhill Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and has a rich ancestral history, including connections to King Charles II.
Career
Leslie began her acting journey in the late 2000s.
Her first notable role was in the docudrama Locked Up Abroad (2007), where she portrayed a young woman caught in a drug smuggling operation.
This early experience helped her gain valuable exposure in the industry.
In 2009, Leslie starred in the Scottish television film New Town, which tells the story of a young woman navigating life in Edinburgh.
Her performance garnered critical acclaim and earned her the BAFTA Scotland Award for Best New Talent, marking her as a rising star in the acting community.
Leslie’s career took off with her role in the critically acclaimed period drama Downton Abbey, where she played Gwen Dawson, a housemaid with aspirations of becoming a secretary.
Her character’s story arc resonated with audiences, showcasing themes of ambition and social mobility during the early 20th century.
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However, her most iconic role came when she was cast as Ygritte in HBO’s fantasy epic Game of Thrones.
Ygritte is a wildling woman who becomes romantically involved with Jon Snow, played by Kit Harington.
Leslie’s portrayal of Ygritte was praised for its depth and complexity, particularly in her famous line, You know nothing, Jon Snow.
This performance helped solidify her status as a talented actress and garnered her a dedicated fan base.
After Game of Thrones, Leslie appeared in several television series that further showcased her range.
In The Good Fight, she played Maia Rindell, a young lawyer navigating the complexities of law and ethics.
More recently, she starred as Clare Abshire in the 2022 adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger’s novel The Time Traveler’s Wife, where her character’s life is complicated by her husband’s uncontrollable time travel.
In addition to her television work, Leslie has built an impressive filmography.
She made her film debut in Now Is Good, alongside Dakota Fanning, and continued to take on diverse roles in movies such as Honeymoon, a horror film where she played a newlywed whose honeymoon takes a dark turn, and The Last Witch Hunter, where she portrayed Chloe, an ally to Vin Diesel’s character.
In 2022, Leslie appeared in Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic mystery Death on the Nile, showcasing her versatility as an actress.
Awards and accolades
Leslie has received several awards and nominations throughout her career, highlighting her talent and contributions to the entertainment industry.
She won the BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Acting Performance – New Talent in 2009 for her role in the television film New Town.
Additionally, she received a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award in 2014 for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series as part of the cast of Game of Thrones.
In 2020, Leslie was recognized with a CinEuphoria Award for her work on Game of Thrones, receiving a Merit Honorary Award.
She has also been nominated for the BloodGuts UK Horror Award for Best Actress in 2015 and is set to receive an Ambie nomination in 2024 for Best Performance in Audio Fiction.
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