Skip to content
MovieCove
Claire Foy

Claire Foy

Actor, also producer · Born April 16, 1984 (42) · Stockport, Greater Manchester, England, UK

2 Primetime Emmys · Golden Globe winner · 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards · 3 other major award bodies

Claire Elizabeth Foy (born 16 April 1984) is an English actress. She studied acting at the Liverpool John Moores University and the Oxford School of Drama, and made her screen debut in the pilot of the supernatural comedy series Being Human, in 2008. Following her professional stage debut at the Royal National Theatre, she played the title role in the BBC One miniseries Little Dorrit (2008) and made her film debut in the American historical fantasy drama Season of the Witch (2011). Following leading roles in the television series The Promise (2011) and Crossbones (2014), Foy received praise for portraying the ill-fated queen Anne Boleyn in the miniseries Wolf Hall (2015). Foy was educated at Aylesbury High School from the age of 12 and later attended Liverpool John Moores University, studying drama and screen studies. She also trained in a one-year course at the Oxford School of Drama. She graduated in 2007 and moved to London's Peckham district to share a house with five friends from drama school. While at the Oxford School of Drama, Foy appeared in the plays Top Girls, Watership Down, Easy Virtue, and Touched. After appearing on television, she made her professional stage debut in DNA and The Miracle, two of a trio of single acts directed by Paul Miller at the Royal National Theatre in London (the third was Baby Girl). Foy gained international recognition for portraying the young Queen Elizabeth II in the first two seasons of the Netflix series The Crown, for which she won a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy, among other awards. In 2018, she starred in Steven Soderbergh's psychological thriller Unsane and portrayed Janet Shearon, wife of astronaut Neil Armstrong, in Damien Chazelle's biopic First Man. For the latter role, she was nominated for a BAFTA and a Golden Globe. Description above from the Wikipedia Claire Foy licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 16, 1984 (42)
From
Stockport, Greater Manchester, England, UK
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
26 on MovieCove · 41 credits in all
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 15% in 30 days

What are Claire Foy's films like?

Across their 23 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Survival.

What they feel like to watch

their average across 17 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

Light 2 · Serious 5 · Dark 10

A split, not a type: Grounded 9 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 2

A split, not a type: Gentle 2 · Charged 7 · Intense 8

A split, not a type: Steady 10 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced 15 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 1

Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 4

Casual 4 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 3

A split, not a type: Resolved 9 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

16 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 6 of 16 analyzed roles.

Ally
6 of 16
Hero
5 of 16
Shadow
3 of 16
Herald
2 of 16
Show the 16 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
13
Melancholic
12
Contemplative
11
Dread
5
Hopeful
5
Other
20

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet20
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Claire Foy's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 19 of their 26 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Subscription and free streaming for Claire Foy's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

41 credits, 26 with a MovieCove page; 13 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Ink(2026)

    as Joyce Hopkirk

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
  • Savage House(2026)

    as Lady Savage

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
  • The Magic Faraway Tree(2026)

    as Polly Thompson

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
  • H Is for Hawk(2025)

    Executive Producer · as Helen

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
  • Mog's Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    as Mrs. Thomas (voice)

  • Children of the Taliban (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    as Narrator

  • Women Talking(2022)

    as Salome

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
  • A Very British Scandal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Show 3 episodes · as Margaret Campbell

  • Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
  • My Son(2021)

    as Joan Richmond

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
  • Lungs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    as W

  • The Girl in the Spider's Web(2018)

    as Lisbeth Salander

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
  • First Man(2018)

    as Janet Shearon

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
  • Unsane(2018)

    as Sawyer Valentini

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
  • Breathe(2017)

    as Diana Cavendish

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
  • The Crown(2016)

    Show 21 episodes · as Queen Elizabeth II · as Young Elizabeth / Young Queen Elizabeth II · as Young Queen Elizabeth II (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
  • The Lady in the Van(2015)

    as Lois, Social Worker

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
  • Wolf Hall(2015)

    Show 10 episodes · as Anne Boleyn

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
  • Rosewater(2014)

    as Paola

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
  • The Great War: The People's Story(2014)

    Show 2 episodes · as Helen Bentwich

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows
  • Crossbones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Show 9 episodes · as Kate Balfour

  • Vampire Academy(2014)

    as Sonya Karp

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
  • White Heat(2012)

    Show 6 episodes · as Charlotte

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows
  • Hacks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Kate Loy

  • Wreckers(2011)

    as Dawn

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
  • Going Postal 2in1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Adora Belle Dearheart

  • The Night Watch(2011)

    as Helen Giniver

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
  • The Promise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Show 4 episodes · as Erin Matthews

  • Season of the Witch(2011)

    as The Girl

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
  • Upstairs Downstairs(2010)

    Show 9 episodes · as Lady Persephone Towyn

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows
  • Pulse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Hannah Carter

  • Going Postal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Show 2 episodes · as Adora Belle Dearheart

  • 10 Minute Tales (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Woman

  • Little Dorrit(2008)

    Show 14 episodes · as Amy Dorrit

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
  • Who Do You Think You Are?(2004)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows
  • Marlow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Migrations (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Executive Producer · as Franny Stone

  • The Pisces (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Lucy

  • You Are Here (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · Executive Producer · as Marnie

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 41 titles, 36 of them dated from 2004 to 2026; peak year 2017.

Film career

MilestoneAward winNomination
20042026

Peak 2017 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 13 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting41 of 41: 38 only acting, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score71stProducing3 of 41: 0 only producing, 3 with another role

41 titles, 3 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

2000s3 · acting2010s22 · acting2020s11 · 11 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 18% of 17 roles
1116

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

2 Primetime Emmys, a Golden Globe, 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards and 2 other major awards from 21 major nominations, 2016–2024.

WinNomination
  1. 2024
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actress
  2. 2023
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
    • +1 other major body · 1 win
      • Independent Spirit Award, won
  3. 2021
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
  4. 2019
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actress
    • +1 other major body · 1 win and 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, won
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actress
  5. 2018
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Leading Actress
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Actress in a Drama Series
  6. 2017
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
    • Golden Globe, won · Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Leading Actress
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
  7. 2016
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Leading Actress

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Claire Foy's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 65th percentile, the median of all 19; across their 17 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 65th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Approval · how many liked their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Reach · how many have seen their films

95thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Midcredits score across 26 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 26 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser13
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed5

Reviewers score the acting 78/100 in their films, across 16 reviewed titles; fans 85, detractors 60. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Claire Foy's work okay for kids?

Across up to 14 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore11 titles11–80 · median 42 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity14 titles14–62 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity11 titles25–82 · median 53 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs11 titles27–56 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense11 titles33–68 · median 54 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Claire Foy work with?

People who share at least 2 of Claire Foy's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ollie Madden shares the most, 3.

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles