She was born in Paris to an Irish mother, a teacher, and Anglo-French father, a financial accountant; she lived in France until the age of five. She trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Leonard played Anne Boleyn in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies at London's Aldwych Theatre from May until October 2014. The RSC production transferred to Broadway as Wolf Hall: Parts One and Two at the Winter Garden Theatre, running from March until July 2015. Leonard reprised the role, which earned her a nomination for the 2015 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.
Leonard appeared on stage as Polyxena in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of Hecuba starring Vanessa Redgrave, the production played in London's West End and then at B.A.M in New York. She played Hazel Conway alongside Francesca Annis in the National Theatre's production of Time and the Conways. In 2005 she appeared as Caroline Cushing in the original Donmar Theatre and West End productions of Frost/Nixon. In 2010 Leonard played the role of Jackie Onassis in Martin Sherman's play Onassis at the Novello Theatre in London.
In 2008 Leonard played the female lead in the BBC remake of The 39 Steps. Part of the Christmas scheduling, its first showing was the most watched programme on BBC One on that day. Leonard starred as Cynthia in Joanna Hogg's 2010 feature film Archipelago. In 2012, Leonard starred in two episodes of ITV drama series Whitechapel, as psychiatrist Morgan Lamb, for which she was nominated for Most Outstanding Actress at the Monte Carlo television awards. In 2013 Leonard played a leading role in the action adventure film Legendary: Tomb of the Dragon alongside Dolph Lundgen and Scott Adkins. In 2013 Leonard played Alex Lang in DreamWorks The Fifth Estate starring Benedict Cumberbatch. In 2015, Leonard played Virginia Woolf in Life in Squares, a BBC miniseries on the Bloomsbury Group.
Selected radio
The Colour of Murder, by Julian Symons, BBC Radio 4 2003, with Tom Smith, Lydia Leonard, Frances Jeater
A Sting in the Tale - Myrtle, Mahonia and Rue, by Briony Glassco, BBC Radio 4, 1//1/2004
Bunyan John - The Pilgrim's Progress, weekly from 4/1/2004, with Anton Rodgers, Neil Dudgeon, Alec McCowen, Anna Massey, Philip Voss, Lydia Leonard
The Lair of the White Worm, by Stoker Bram, BBC World Service 4/12/2004, with Peter Marinker, Ben Crowe, Stephen Critchlow, Lydia Leonard, Richenda Carey
The Seagull, by Anton Chekhov, BBC World Service 18/3/2006, with Ben Silverstone, Lydia Leonard, Nicholas Farrell
Our Country's Good, by Thomas Keneally, adapted by Timberlake Wertenbaker, BBC World Service ~15/10/2005, with Nichloas Bolton, Lydia Leonard, Geoffrey Whitehead
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, by Toby Young; R4 afternoon play 3/11/2006; with Val Murray, Kerry Shale, Lydia Leonard, Elizabeth Bell, Kim Wall.
Arms and the Man, by GB Shaw, BBC Radio 3 21/3/2010, with Rory Kinnear, Lydia Leonard, Hugh Ross, Frances Jeater
Filmography
Actress
2023
Northern Comfort as
Sarah
2022
The Crown (TV Series) as
Cherie Blair
- Decommissioned (2022) - Cherie Blair
2019
Gentleman Jack (TV Series) as
Mariana Lawton
- It's not Illegal (2022) - Mariana Lawton
- I Can Be as a Meteor in Your Life (2022) - Mariana Lawton
- I'm Not the Other Woman, She Is (2022) - Mariana Lawton
- Tripe All Over the Place, Presumably (2022) - Mariana Lawton
- Two Jacks Don't Suit (2022) - Mariana Lawton
- Faith Is All (2022) - Mariana Lawton
- Why've You Brought That? (2019) - Mariana Lawton
- Do Ladies Do That? (2019) - Mariana Lawton
- Most Women Are Dull and Stupid (2019) - Mariana Lawton
- I Was Just Passing (2019) - Mariana Lawton
2022
Ten Percent (TV Series) as
Rebecca Fox
- Episode #1.8 (2022) - Rebecca Fox
- Episode #1.7 (2022) - Rebecca Fox
- Episode #1.6 (2022) - Rebecca Fox
- Episode #1.5 (2022) - Rebecca Fox
- Episode #1.4 (2022) - Rebecca Fox
- Episode #1.3 (2022) - Rebecca Fox
- Episode #1.2 (2022) - Rebecca Fox
- Episode #1.1 (2022) - Rebecca Fox
2022
Star Wars: The Old Republic - Legacy of the Sith (Video Game) as
Lana Beniko (voice)
2021
Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker (Video Game) as
Lucia (voice)
2021
Red Election (TV Series) as
Beatrice Ogilvy
- Episode #1.5 (2021) - Beatrice Ogilvy
- Episode #1.4 (2021) - Beatrice Ogilvy
- Episode #1.3 (2021) - Beatrice Ogilvy
- Episode #1.2 (2021) - Beatrice Ogilvy
- Episode #1.8 (2021) - Beatrice Ogilvy
- Episode #1.7 (2021) - Beatrice Ogilvy
- Episode #1.6 (2021) - Beatrice Ogilvy
- Episode #1.1 (2021) - Beatrice Ogilvy
- Episode #1.10 (2021) - Beatrice Ogilvy
- Episode #1.9 (2021) - Beatrice Ogilvy
2021
The Big Loop (Podcast Series) as
Georgia
- Memory Of A Dress (2021) - Georgia
2020
Flesh and Blood (TV Mini Series) as
Natalie
- Episode #1.4 (2020) - Natalie
- Episode #1.3 (2020) - Natalie
- Episode #1.2 (2020) - Natalie
- Episode #1.1 (2020) - Natalie
2019
Last Christmas as
Marta
2019
Star Wars: The Old Republic - Onslaught (Video Game) as
Lana Beniko / Additional Voices (voice)
2019
GreedFall (Video Game) as
Chief Derdre / Other Characters (voice)
2017
Absentia (TV Series) as
Laurie Colson / Journalist / Logan Brandt / ...
- Accomplice (2019) - Laurie Colson
- Aggression (2019) - Laurie Colson
- Original Sin (2017) - Logan Brandt / Laurie Colson
- Child's Play (2017) - Journalist Laurie Colson
- Brave Boy (2017) - Logan Brandt / Laurie Colson
- A & B (2017) - Reporter
- Me You Him Me (2017) - Journalist
- The Emily Show (2017) - Journalist
- Reset (2017) - Journalist
- Comeback (2017) - Journalist
2018
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom (Video Game) as
Nerea (English version, voice)
2018
Sea of Thieves (Video Game) as
Madame Olivia (voice)
2017
Total War: Warhammer II (Video Game)(voice)
2017
Quacks (TV Series) as
Caroline
- The Madman's Trial (2017) - Caroline
- The Lady's Abscess (2017) - Caroline
- The Bishop's Appendix (2017) - Caroline
- The Physician's Hernia (2017) - Caroline
- The Indian Mesmerist (2017) - Caroline
- The Duke's Tracheotomy (2017) - Caroline
2017
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age (Video Game) as
