Miranda Raison

Miranda Raison
Raison in 2014
Born	Miranda Caroline Raison Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, England
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2000–present

Miranda Caroline Raison is an English screen and stage actress.

Early life

Miranda Raison (born 18th November 1977) in Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk is an English screen and stage actress. Her mother, Caroline Raison (née Harvey),^[1] read the news for Anglia Television, and her father, Nick Raison, is a jazz pianist. She is the granddaughter of cricketer Max Raison and the niece of politician Timothy Raison. Her parents divorced when she was five years old. From a young age she attended several boarding schools, including Gresham's School, Felixstowe College and Stowe School.^[2][3]

Raison trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.^[4]

Career

Raison's breakthrough role was as Jo Portman (2005-2009) in the BBC One television drama series Spooks (also broadcast under the title MI-5). In the same year as she joined Spooks, she appeared alongside Scarlett Johansson in Woody Allen's film Match Point and in Land of the Blind playing the daughter of Ralph Fiennes's character.^[5] In April 2007 she appeared in the Doctor Who episodes "Daleks in Manhattan" and "Evolution of the Daleks" as Tallulah, a show girl whose opening scene involved singing to a musical number for which her father played the piano background as part of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.^[6] Also in 2007 she appeared in six episodes of the Channel 4 series Comedy Showcase Plus One alongside Duncan James, Rory Kinnear and Nigel Harman.

In 2010 after leaving Spooks, she played a model called Abbey in the ITV1 comedy-drama Married Single Other.^[7]

In 2010 she played the title role in Anne Boleyn, a new play by Howard Brenton (who had also been involved in scripts for BBC's Spooks) which premiered at Shakespeare's Globe on 24 July 2010 to high critical acclaim. In the same Shakespeare's Globe season Raison also played Anne Boleyn in Henry VIII by William Shakespeare.

In 2011 she returned to BBC1 in Sugartown and Death in Paradise and portrayed the warrior Isolde in the fourth series of Merlin. Raison also returned to Shakespeare's Globe in 2011 to reappear in the title role of Anne Boleyn.

In 2012 she played DI Georgina Dixon alongside Toby Stephens in the second series of Vexed screened on BBC2.

In June/July 2012 she appeared in a production of The Physicists: A Comedy in Two Acts at the Donmar Warehouse.

From October 2012 Raison starred in The River a new play by Jez Butterworth, at the Royal Court Theatre (Jerwood) alongside Dominic West. Tickets became "the most sought-after theatre tickets in London" after rave reviews.^[8]

In 2013 she played 'Harriet Hammond' in the third series of the BBC legal drama Silk.

In 2013 she played Anne Faulkner in the theatrical version of Strangers on a Train at the Gielgud Theatre, produced by Barbara Broccoli.

In 2014 she appeared in six episodes of 24: Live Another Day.

Miranda Raison, November 2014

In July 2014 she was announced as a new cast member of Spotless, a (10 x 1 hour episode) drama produced by Canal+.^[9]

In early 2015 she appeared with Shaun Evans at the Hampstead Theatre in Hello/Goodbye.^[10]

On 15th April 2015 it was announced that a second series of Spotless was in development.^[11]

In August 2015 she joined the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company in The Winter's Tale and Harlequinade which ran at the Garrick Theatre from October 2015 until January 2016. Raison played the wife of Kenneth Branagh's character in both plays.^[12]

In July 2016 Spotless was launched on Netflix as a 'Netflix Original' series.

Other works

She has voiced several video game characters, including Cassandra Pentaghast in the Dragon Age series.

Raison has also voice-acted in several Big Finish Doctor Who audios, including The Davros Mission and The Wreck of the Titan, and plays Constance Clarke, a regular companion to the Sixth Doctor.

In 2013 she joined the CGI cast of Thomas & Friends and provides the voice of Millie (UK/US), first introduced in King of the Railway.

Personal life

She plays golf and is a member of the Aldeburgh Golf Club.^[13]

Raison supports Kings Lynn Town Football Club.

Filmography

References

External links

• Miranda Raison at the Internet Movie Database