33 Facts About Hayley Atwell

Hayley Elizabeth Atwell was born on 5 April 1982 and is an English and American actress.

Hayley Atwell rose to prominence with her portrayal of Agent Peggy Carter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Captain America: The First Avenger, a role she reprised in later productions such as the ABC television series Agent Carter.

Hayley Atwell starred in the fantasy films Cinderella, Christopher Robin and Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, and had a leading role in the action film Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning and Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.

Hayley Elizabeth Atwell was born on 5 April 1982 in London, the only child of Allison Cain, who is English, and Grant Atwell, an American photographer from Kansas City, Missouri, US.

Hayley Atwell took two years off to travel with her father and work for a casting director.

Hayley Atwell then enrolled at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she trained for three years, graduating in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in acting.

Hayley Atwell made her professional stage debut in Prometheus Bound at the Sound Theatre in London, portraying Io, a maiden exiled by Zeus.

Hayley Atwell's role received positive reviews with the British Theatre Guide praising her performance, writing that she "makes us respond to the anguish without for a moment inviting a chuckle at her bandaged hands".

The Guardian praised Hayley Atwell for projecting "the right seductive beauty".

Hayley Atwell appeared in two productions from 2007 to 2008 at the Royal National Theatre, both directed by Nicholas Hytner: Man of Mode and Major Barbara.

Hayley Atwell made the transition to film roles with her first major role coming in Woody Allen's 2007 film Cassandra's Dream, playing stage actress Angela Stark.

Later that year, Hayley Atwell appeared in the Miramax film Brideshead Revisited.

In 2009, Hayley Atwell made her West End debut as Catherine, the adopted niece in a troubled household, in Lindsay Posner's A View From the Bridge.

In 2010 Hayley Atwell appeared in Channel 4's adaptation of William Boyd's Any Human Heart, and later that year, Ken Follett's miniseries Pillars of the Earth for which she received a Golden Globe Award nomination.

Hayley Atwell first starred as Peggy Carter in the 2011 American superhero film Captain America: The First Avenger.

Hayley Atwell voiced Carter in the 2011 video game Captain America: Super Soldier.

In 2013, Hayley Atwell starred in BBC Two's adaptation of William Boyd's espionage novel, Restless.

Hayley Atwell received critical praise, with critics deeming her performance one of the best of the series.

That same year, Hayley Atwell worked with Alexi Kaye Campbell and Jamie Lloyd again in a revival of The Pride at Trafalgar Studios.

Hayley Atwell's performance gained her a second Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress.

Hayley Atwell returned to Marvel for the 2014 film Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and in the 2015 films Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man.

Hayley Atwell provided Carter's voice in Lego Marvel's Avengers and Avengers: Secret Wars.

In 2015, Hayley Atwell played Cinderella's mother in Disney's live action adaptation of Cinderella directed by Kenneth Branagh.

In February 2016, Hayley Atwell was cast in the ABC series Conviction.

Hayley Atwell returned to the stage in 2018 in Dry Powder at the Hampstead Theatre and later appeared in Josie Rourke's Measure for Measure at the Donmar Warehouse, opposite Jack Lowden.

In 2019, Hayley Atwell starred opposite Tamara Lawrance in a three-part BBC adaptation of Andrea Levy's novel The Long Song, about a slave on a sugar plantation in 19th-century Jamaica.

Hayley Atwell reprised the role of Peggy Carter in Avengers: Endgame.

In 2020, Hayley Atwell began hosting the podcast series True Spies.

Hayley Atwell received an Ian Charleson Commendation for her work in Major Barbara, and has received three Laurence Olivier Award nominations, first for her work in A View from the Bridge, then in 2011 for her work in the revival of The Pride, and again in 2020 for her performance as Rebecca West in Rosmersholm.

Hayley Atwell was nominated for a WhatsOnStage Award for her role in The Pride.

In October 2017, at the time of the accusations against Harvey Weinstein, a story emerged that, during filming of Brideshead Revisited in 2007, Weinstein had told Hayley Atwell she looked like a "fat pig" on screen and should eat less.

Hayley Atwell later said that someone unconnected to Weinstein had suggested she lose weight to look more like a flapper.

Hayley Atwell began a relationship with music producer Ned Wolfgang Kelly in 2022.