Alex Kingston
Actor
UK
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Biography:
In 1980, Alex Kingston made her television debut in three episodes of the children's drama series Grange Hill, while also appearing as an uncredited extra in the film The Wildcats of St Trinian's. From the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, she performed on stage in twenty different theatrical productions, working extensively with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Her classic Shakespearean roles included Calpurnia in Julius Caesar (1987), Cordelia in King Lear(1990), Hero in Much Ado About Nothing (1990-1991), Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1992) and Desdemona in Othello (1993).
Around the same time, she could be seen playing small parts in television shows like A Killing on the Exchange (1987), Hannay (1989), Covington Cross (1992), Soldier Soldier (1993) and Crocodile Shoes (1994), and also had various guest roles in ITV's long-running police procedural The Bill (1988-1995). In film, she appeared in The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) with Helen Mirren, The Infiltrator (1995) with Oliver Platt and Carrington (1995) with Emma Thompson, where she played writer Frances Partridge.
In April 1996, she got her first regular television role as customs officer Katherine Roberts in the ITV crime drama The Knock, appearing in all thirteen episodes of the second series. In December, she played the lead role opposite Daniel Craig in The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders, an ITV adaptation of Daniel Defoe's novel Moll Flanders. She received a nomination for Best Actress for her performance at the following year's British Academy Television Awards.
In September 1997, Kingston gained North American television fame after being cast as a main character in the long-running medical drama ER. She made her first appearance as British surgeon Elizabeth Corday in the premiere of the fourth season, the Emmy Award-winning live episode "Ambush".
The ER role helped propel Kingston's career to new heights, which led to a number of big-screen appearances in films like the Clive Owen neo-noir drama Croupier (1998) and independent period drama Sweet Land (2005), as well as the crime dramas Essex Boys(2000) and Alpha Dog (2006). In 2003, she battled Romans as the warrior queen of Britain in ITV's biopic Boudica, which was also released in the USA on PBS under the title Warrior Queen and marked the screen debut of Emily Blunt.
In November 2005, Kingston guest starred as a vacationer whose husband gets kidnapped by a Mexican street gang in an episode of the CBS crime drama Without a Trace, titled "Viuda Negra" and directed by her former ER co-star Paul McCrane. The following year, she returned to the stage after ten years in the West End production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, starring as Nurse Ratched opposite Christian Slater as Randle McMurphy.
In 2008, Kingston guest starred as Professor River Song in the fourth series of the BBC's long-running science fictiontelevision series Doctor Who, in the two-part story "Silence in the Library" / "Forest of the Dead", starring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor. She thought it was simply a one-off guest role but was delighted to find out that she would be a returning character after the story's writer, Steven Moffat, succeeded Russell T Davies as the Doctor Who showrunner. She reprised the role in thirteen episodes between 2010 and 2015, appearing on screen opposite two more incarnations of the Doctor played by Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi. Kingston has also portrayed the role in a number of audio dramas from Big Finish Productions, including her solo series The Diary of River Song (2015-2023).
In September 2008, Kingston took the part of Mrs. Bennet in ITV's acclaimed four-part drama Lost in Austen, based on Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice. In October, she appeared in the episode "Art Imitates Life" of the police procedural drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as psychiatrist and grief counsellor Patricia Alwick, who helped the team cope with the recent death of one of their members.
In both 2009 and 2010, Kingston had recurring roles as MI6 agent Fiona Banks in the ABC science fiction drama FlashForward and defence attorney Miranda Pond in the NBC legal drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, in which she reunited with her former ER castmates, Mariska Hargitay and Maria Bello. In spring 2009, Kingston returned to ER itself during its fifteenth and final season for two episodes, "Dream Runner" and the two-hour series finale, "And in the End?". In June, she starred as the lead character Ellie Lagden, one of four former convicts, in the BBC One eight-part drama series Hope Springs.
In the early 2010s, Kingston played a housewife in the five-part supernatural drama Marchlands (2011), an archaeologist in the second series of the revived Upstairs Downstairs (2012) and an analyst working for a missing persons unit in the four-part crime drama Chasing Shadows (2014). In the US, she appeared in the romantic film Like Crazy (2011) and the Grey's Anatomy spin-off series Private Practice (2011), in the guest role of a psychiatrist writing book reviews. She also starred in the first season of The CW's superhero drama series Arrow (2013) as Professor Dinah Lance, the mother of Laurel and Sara Lance, and later reprised the role in a few episodes over the next three seasons.
On stage, she participated in the Donmar Warehouse production of Friedrich Schiller's play Luise Miller (2011), directed by Michael Grandage.
In July 2013, she played Lady Macbeth opposite Kenneth Branagh in the Manchester International Festival's production of Macbeth, which was broadcast live in cinemas worldwide as part of the National Theatre Live programme. Following a nomination for Best Actress at the Manchester Theatre Awards, she reprised her role with Branagh at the Park Avenue Armory in June 2014, making her New York stage debut. Earlier in April, Branagh and Kingston took other classic Shakespearean lead roles in the two-and-a-half-hour adaptation of Antony and Cleopatra, broadcast on BBC Radio 3as part of its celebration of the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth.
During the late 2010s, she took a prominent role as Sarah Bishop in Sky's fantasy drama A Discovery of Witches (2018-2022), while also appearing in shows like Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life (2016), Shoot the Messenger (2016) and The Widow(2019). In 2021, she wrote a River Song novel called Doctor Who: The Ruby's Curse for BBC Books, and reprised the role for pre-recorded elements of the interactive theatrical experience Time Fracture.
The following year, she starred as British Prime Minister candidate Audrey Gratz in the Netflix spy miniseries Treason and as the villainous Lucifer in the Oliver Twist-inspired children's television series Dodger, also starring the Ninth Doctor actor, Christopher Eccleston.
In January 2023, she returned to the Royal Shakespeare Company for the first time since the early nineties in the role of Prospero in The Tempest.
Convention Guest Appearances
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2025
- GalaxyCon Richmond 2025 - March 27-30, 2025 in Richmond, VA, USA
- Planet Comicon Kansas City 2025 - March 21-23, 2025 in Kansas City, MO, USA
- Comic Con Scotland Aberdeen 2025 - March 1-2, 2025 in Aberdeen, UK
- Pensacon 2025 - February 14-16, 2025 in Pensacola, FL, USA
- MegaCon Orlando 2025 - February 6-9, 2025 in Orlando, FL, USA 2024
- Fan Expo Dallas 2024 - June 7-9, 2024 in Dallas, TX, USA
- Gallifrey One 2024 - February 16-18, 2024 in Los Angeles, CA, USA
- MegaCon Orlando 2024 - February 1-4, 2024 in Orlando, FL, USA 2023
- Rose City Comic Con 2023 - September 22-24, 2023 in Portland, OR, USA
- FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention 2023 - September 21-23, 2023 in Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- GalaxyCon Richmond 2023 - March 24-26, 2023 in Richmond, VA, USA
Planet Comicon Kansas City 2023 - March 17-19, 2023 in Kansas City, MO, USACancelled Appearance 2022- Supanova Comic Con & Gaming - Adelaide 2022 - November 12-13, 2022 in Wayville, South Australia, Australia
- Supanova Comic Con & Gaming - Brisbane 2022 - November 5-6, 2022 in South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Motor City Comic Con 2022 - October 14-16, 2022 in Novi, MI, USA
- London Film & Comic Con 2022 - July 8-10, 2022 in London, UK 2021
FedCon 2021 - October 22-24, 2021 in Bonn, GermanyCancelled AppearanceDragon Con 2021 - September 2-6, 2021 in Atlanta, GA, USACancelled AppearanceEM-Con Nottingham 2021 - August 28-29, 2021 in Nottingham, UKCancelled AppearanceLondon Film & Comic Con 2021 - July 23-25, 2021 in London, UKConvention PostponedShore Leave 2021 - July 9-11, 2021 in Hunt Valley, MD, USAConvention Went Online-OnlyEM-Con Nottingham 2021 - May 1-2, 2021 in Nottingham, UKConvention Postponed 2020Shore Leave 2020 - July 10-12, 2020 in Hunt Valley, MD, USAConvention Went Online-OnlyFedCon 2020 - May 29-31, 2020 in Bonn, GermanyConvention PostponedMotor City Comic Con 2020 - May 15-17, 2020 in Novi, MI, USAConvention CancelledEM-Con Nottingham 2020 - May 2-3, 2020 in Nottingham, UKConvention Postponed- Pensacon 2020 - February 28 - March 1, 2020 in Pensacola, FL, USA 2019
- Wales Comic Con: Telford Takeover 2019 - December 7-8, 2019 in Telford, UK
- Vienna Comic Con 2019 - November 23-24, 2019 in Wien, Austria
- Rhode Island Comic Con 2019 - November 1-3, 2019 in Providence, RI, USA
- London Film & Comic Con 2019 - July 26-28, 2019 in London, UK
Pensacon 2019 - February 22-24, 2019 in Pensacola, FL, USACancelled Appearance 2018- New York Comic Con 2018 - October 4-7, 2018 in New York, NY, USA
- Wizard World Comic Con Austin 2018 - September 21-23, 2018 in Austin, TX, USA
Pensacon 2018 - February 23-25, 2018 in Pensacola, FL, USACancelled AppearancePlanet Comicon Kansas City 2018 - February 16-18, 2018 in Kansas City, MO, USACancelled Appearance 2017- MegaCon Tampa Bay 2017 - September 29 - October 1, 2017 in Tampa, FL, USA
- Edmonton Comic & Entertainment Expo 2017 - September 22-24, 2017 in Edmonton, AB
- Dragon Con 2017 - September 1-4, 2017 in Atlanta, GA, USA
- Wizard World Comic Con Chicago 2017 - August 24-27, 2017 in Rosemont, IL, USA
- Raleigh Supercon 2017 - July 14-16, 2017 in Raleigh, NC, USA
- Montreal Comiccon 2017 - July 7-9, 2017 in Montreal, QC
- Ottawa Comiccon 2017 - May 12-14, 2017 in Ottawa, ON
- Fan Expo Dallas 2017 - March 31 - April 2, 2017 in Dallas, TX, USA 2016
- FanExpo Vancouver 2016 - November 11-13, 2016 in Vancouver, BC
MegaCon Tampa Bay 2016 - October 28-30, 2016 in Tampa, FL, USACancelled Appearance- New York Comic Con 2016 - October 6-9, 2016 in New York, NY, USA
Edmonton Comic & Entertainment Expo 2016 - September 23-25, 2016 in Edmonton, ABCancelled Appearance- Intervention 2016 - September 16-18, 2016 in Rockville, MD, USA
- Dragon Con 2016 - September 2-5, 2016 in Atlanta, GA, USA
- FanExpo Canada 2016 - September 1-4, 2016 in Toronto, ON
- Florida Supercon 2016 - July 1-4, 2016 in Miami, FL, USA
- Denver Comic Con 2016 - June 17-19, 2016 in Denver, CO, USA
- Phoenix Comicon 2016 - June 2-5, 2016 in Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Space City Comic Con 2016 - May 27-29, 2016 in Houston, TX, USA
- Ottawa Comiccon 2016 - May 13-15, 2016 in Ottawa, ON
- Wizard World Comic Con Madison 2016 - April 8-10, 2016 in Madison, WI, USA
- Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience 2016 - March 24-26, 2016 in Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Wizard World Comic Con & Gaming Portland 2016 - February 19-20, 2016 in Portland, OR, USA 2015
- Chicago TARDIS 2015 - November 27-29, 2015 in Lombard, IL, USA
- Rhode Island Comic Con 2015 - November 6-8, 2015 in Providence, RI, USA
Salt Lake Comic Con 2015 - September 24-26, 2015 in Salt Lake City, UT, USACancelled Appearance- Dragon Con 2015 - September 4-7, 2015 in Atlanta, GA, USA
- Wizard World Comic Con Des Moines 2015 - June 12-14, 2015 in Des Moines, IA, USA
- Awesome Con DC 2015 - May 29-31, 2015 in Washington, DC, USA
- MegaCon 2015 - April 10-12, 2015 in Orlando, FL, USA
- Gallifrey One 2015 - February 13-15, 2015 in Los Angeles, CA, USA 2012
- Florida Supercon 2012 - June 29 - July 2, 2012 in Miami, FL, USA
The 11th Hour 2012 - June 15-17, 2012 in Birmingham, UKCancelled Appearance 2011Chicago TARDIS 2011 - November 25-27, 2011 in Lombard, IL, USACancelled Appearance- The Entertainment Media Show 2011 - October 1-2, 2011 in London, UK
- London Film & Comic Con 2011 - July 8-10, 2011 in London, UK
53 confirmed guest appearances