Miranda Raison Explained

Miranda Raison
Birth Name:Miranda Caroline Raison
Birth Place:Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, England
Years Active:1999–present
Spouse:
    Children:2
    Relatives:Paul Raison (cousin)

    Miranda Caroline Raison is a British and French actress. She is best known for playing Jo Portman in five seasons of Spooks (MI5) and Nellie Davenport in HBO's Warrior.[1] She originated the title role in Howard Brenton's Anne Boleyn at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre[2] and played Hermione in Kenneth Branagh's production of The Winter's Tale, both to critical acclaim.[3] She is also a prolific voice artist.[4]

    Early life and education

    Miranda Caroline Raison was born in Burnham Thorpe.[5] Her mother is former Anglia News reader Caroline Raison (née Harvey).[5] Her father, Nick Raison, is a jazz pianist who accompanied the BBC National Orchestra of Wales [6] when Raison played a showgirl in the Doctor Who episodes "Daleks in Manhattan" and "Evolution of the Daleks".[7]

    Raison's parents divorced when she was five years old. From a young age she attended five boarding schools, including Gresham's School, Felixstowe College and Stowe School; her education was paid for by her grandfather.[8] [9]

    It was at Felixstowe College where she developed an interest in acting; she moved there after experiencing bullying at her previous school.[10] She trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.[11]

    Career

    Theatre

    From 2002–3, she appeared as Ben-Hur's love interest in a minimalist production of the eponymous play at the Battersea Arts Centre.[12] Later in 2003, she was featured in Pains of Youth, again at the Battersea Arts Centre, playing the death obsessed bisexual Desiree;[13] Lyn Gardner of The Guardian described her performance as making "Desiree's death wish seem tragic rather than merely silly."[14]

    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 in which Raison went on to appear in 5 series, 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.[15]

    In 2011, she appeared as Ann in the short play "Oliver Lewis" by Jack Thorne, part of the series of plays 66 Books performed at the Bush Theatre.[16]

    In June/July 2012 she appeared in a production of The Physicists: A Comedy in Two Acts at the Donmar Warehouse, playing the roles of Lina Rose, the lead character's ex-wife, and Monika Settler, the lead's attending nurse.[17] 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.[18]

    In 2013–14 she played Anne Faulkner in the theatrical version of Strangers on a Train at the Gielgud Theatre, produced by Barbara Broccoli.[19]

    From January to February 2015, she starred opposite Shaun Evans in Hello/Goodbye at the Hampstead Theatre.[20] 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.[21] She stated that she enjoyed the experience and was grateful for the opportunity, given that previously she had a bad audition with Branagh for Macbeth in 2011. She also enjoyed learning from Judi Dench.[22]

    Film and television

    Raison's first film role in 2000 was playing Marianne Faithfull in Suzy Q alongside Carice Van Houten

    In 2004, Raison was cast as 'Heather' in Match Point, the first Woody Allen film to be made in London.[23]

    In 2005, she appeared in , which she said "may as well have been the most brutal Lars von Trier film. Another actress and I actually spent a whole night just crying." She called the experience "regrettable from start to finish" and a "hideous, hideous moment and a great lapse of judgement on my part".[24]

    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). She requested that the production company let her go in 2009 as she felt that her character could not develop further and wanted to follow up on theatre opportunities.[25]

    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 Raison's father played the piano background as part of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.[7]

    In 2009, she was featured in the show Plus One. She was originally featured in the Comedy Showcase pilot in 2007, where she wore a fat suit.[26]

    In 2010 after leaving Spooks, she played a model called Abbey in the ITV1 comedy-drama Married Single Other.[27]

    She had a small role in My Week with Marilyn. She expressed pleasure in being able to work with great British talent and her fascination with Marilyn Monroe.[28]

    In 2012 she played DI Georgina Dixon in the second series of Vexed, screened on BBC2.[29]

    In 2013 she played 'Harriet Hammond' in the third series of the BBC legal drama Silk; her character was a practice manager who shook up the firm and a potential love interest for her former Spooks co-star Rupert Penry-Jones' character.[30]

    In 2014, she had a small role in I Am Soldier, playing "Stella", the lead interrogator in the "Tactical Questioning" portion of the lead character's training.[31] In July 2014 she was announced as a new cast member of Spotless, a (10 × 1 hour episode) drama produced by Canal+.[32]

    In 2018, Raison reprised her role as ‘Sylvie’ in 6 episodes of Dark Heart, played xenobiologist ‘Tessia’ in 6 episodes of Nightflyers and appeared in Artemis Fowl.[33]

    In May 2019 it was announced that Raison would be joining the main cast of Warrior for the second season.[34]

    In September 2021 it was announced that Raison had joined the first series of Sister Boniface Mysteries playing Ruth Penny, a main character across all ten episodes.[35]

    Raison reprised her role as 'Nellie Davenport', as part of the main cast of the third season of Warrior which began airing on HBO in July 2023.[36] [37] [38]

    In April 2023 she was cast as Jean Seberg in L'Enchanteur opposite Charles Berling as Romain Gary which was aired on France 2 in 2024.[39]

    Other works

    In 2005 she appeared in the BBC radio comedy Deep Trouble. She has voiced several video game characters, including Cassandra Pentaghast in the Dragon Age series, Lieutenant Sandra Lansing in and Natasha and other characters in Renegade Ops. BioWare also hired Raison for providing several voices in . She voiced three characters in The Secret World and lent her voice for Dreamfall Chapters and Blades of Time.[40] 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. She also provides additional voices in other Big Finish audio productions, including other Doctor Who stories and The Avengers.[41] In 2013 she joined the CGI series cast of Thomas & Friends and provides the voice of Millie (UK/US), first introduced in King of the Railway.[42] Since July 2017 she has been narrating the BBC2 documentary Hospital.[43]

    Personal life

    She plays golf and is a member of the Aldeburgh Golf Club.[44]

    While separated from her first husband, Raza Jaffrey, she began a relationship with her Married Single Other co-star Ralf Little in November 2009, which ended in February 2013.

    She married again in 2017 and had a daughter in that same year. In the summer of 2022, Raison gave birth to her second child. Her husband is 13 years her junior.[45]

    Raison has dual nationality and holds both French and British passports.[46] She speaks fluent French and is conversational in Italian and Spanish.[47]

    Raison is distantly related to Jack Huston.[48] Her cousin, Paul Raison, was a Chairman of Christie's.

    Filmography

    Film

    YearTitleRoleNotes
    1999Suzy QMarianne FaithfullTelevision film
    2003The Private Life of Samuel PepysDeb WilletTelevision film
    2004The DealVirginiaShort film
    2005Match PointHeatherFeature film
    Svetlana RevenkoFeature film
    2006Land of the BlindDaisyFeature film
    NostradamusHenrietteTelevision film
    2008Exit StrategyWife / Eve KlammerShort film
    HeavenScentHeavenScentShort film; voice role
    2011My Week with MarilynVanessaFeature film
    2013MillieDirect-to-video; voice role
    Thomas & Friends: The Thomas WayMillieDirect-to-video; voice role
    2014I Am SoldierStellaFeature film
    MillieDirect-to-video; voice role
    2015Thomas & Friends: Dinos and DiscoveriesMillieDirect-to-video; voice role
    Yussef Is ComplicatedMiss RobsonShort film
    AfterDeathRobynFeature film
    Thomas & Friends: Tales on the RailsMillieDirect-to-video; voice role
    2016Thomas & Friends: Tinsel on the TracksMillieDirect-to-video; voice role
    Thomas & Friends: Full Steam to the Rescue!MillieDirect-to-video; voice role
    2017My Daughter Is MissingSaraTelevision film
    BreatheMary DawneyFeature film
    Thomas & Friends: Christmas on SodorMillieDirect-to-video; voice role
    Murder on the Orient ExpressSonia ArmstrongFeature film
    2019Widow's WalkEveFeature film
    2020Artemis FowlAngeline FowlUncredited
    2024L'EnchanteurJean SebergFeature film

    Television

    YearTitleRoleNotes
    1999HeartbeatLucyEpisode: "Kindness of Strangers"
    2000SunburnMadeline ChalfontEpisode: "Children and Growing Up"
    2001EmmerdaleNurseEpisode: "26th January 2001"
    Perfect StrangersYoung GraceMiniseries; 3 episodes
    Dark RealmNicoleEpisode: "Castle Keep"
    2002The Inspector Lynley MysteriesRosEpisode: "For the Sake of Elena"
    2003EmmerdaleRosanna JenningsEpisode: "30 June 2003"
    Holby CityMichelle AndrewsEpisode: "Me and My Gal"
    2004HeartbeatKateEpisode: "No Hard Feelings"
    2005Coming UpKatyEpisode: "Bird's Eye View"
    2005-09SpooksJo PortmanSeries regular; 37 episodes
    2007Doctor WhoTallulahEpisodes: "Daleks in Manhattan" & "Evolution of the Daleks"
    Comedy ShowcaseLinseyEpisode: "Plus One"
    2008Agatha Christie's PoirotMademoiselle BlancheEpisode: "Cat Among the Pigeons"
    2009Plus OneLinseySeries regular; 5 episodes
    2010Married Single OtherAbbeySeries regular; 6 episodes
    2011SugartownEmily ShirleyMiniseries; 3 episodes
    Death in ParadiseMegan TalbotEpisode: "Missing a Body?"
    MerlinIsoldeEpisode: "The Sword in the Stone"
    2012Dirk GentlyKate EdwardsEpisode: "Episode 1"
    VexedDI Georgina DixonSeries regular; 6 episodes
    SinbadLara AssuageEpisode: "Fiend or Friend?"
    2013JoKatie MivilleEpisode: "Concorde"
    LewisStella DrewEpisode: "Intelligent Design"
    2013-20Thomas & FriendsMillieVoice role
    2014SilkHarriet HammondSeries regular; 6 episodes
    Caroline FowldsSeries regular; 6 episodes
    2015SpotlessJulie Greer-BastièreSeries regular; 10 episodes
    2018Dark HeartSylvieSeries regular; 6 episodes
    NightflyersTessiaSeries regular; 6 episodes
    2020-23WarriorNellie DavenportSeries regular; 17 episodes
    2022Cassandra PentaghastEpisode: "A Woman Unseen"
    2022-24Sister Boniface MysteriesRuth PennyRecurring character; 12 episodes

    Video games

    YearGameRoleNotes
    2010Lieutenant Sandra LansingVoice role
    2011Dragon Age IICassandra Pentaghast / Varania / Dulci de Launcet / ElsaVoice role
    Renegade OpsNatashaEnglish version; voice role
    2012Blades of TimeAyumi / Spirit of the DragonVoice role
    The Secret WorldZaha / Rada Nastase / Aveline BelmontVoice role
    2014Dreamfall ChaptersNela / Na'aneVoice role
    Cassandra PentaghastVoice role
    2015Cassandra PentaghastVoice role
    2017Mariette Rensus / Saneris / Annea / Ljeta / Revia LuxenVoice role
    2019AnthemKista Stormbreaker / Varice Mal / Detective HopsVoice role
    2022Elden RingFiaVoice role

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: 2020-05-13 . Spooks star Miranda Raison pledges to help Suffolk parents in new patron role . 2023-10-18 . East Anglian Daily Times . en.
    2. News: Billington . Michael . 2010-07-29 . Anne Boleyn . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-10-18 . 0261-3077.
    3. News: Kellaway . Kate . 2015-11-15 . The Winter's Tale; Harlequinade; All on Her Own review – a gift to eye and heart . en-GB . The Observer . 2023-10-18 . 0029-7712.
    4. Web site: Miranda Raison - Exclusive Voiceover agent for Miranda Raison; British actress best known for her roles in Spooks, 24, Murder on the Orient Express and the Oscar nominated film My Week with Marilyn. Starred in 2022's The Sister Boniface Mysteries. Neutral/RP accent. - Voiceover Agency London . 2023-10-18 . Anthea Represents . en.
    5. Web site: The Raison being . Great British Life . 20 October 2014 . 1 March 2024.
    6. https://guide.doctorwhonews.net/person.php?name=MirandaRaison
    7. Web site: Doctor Who . https://web.archive.org/web/20070125131319/https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2006/11/03/37552.shtml . 25 January 2007 . BBC . 7 July 2012.
    8. Web site: Miranda Raison – Playing Anne Boleyn. 18 July 2011 . sharonfeinstein.com. 30 June 2017.
    9. News: Spooks star's new mission in Suffolk. EADT Suffolk Magazine. 22 July 2017. en.
    10. News: The Raison being. EDP Norfolk Magazine. 20 June 2017.
    11. Web site: Jo Portman – Spooks (UK) Characters . ShareTV. 13 May 2002. 7 July 2012.
    12. Web site: Ben Hur . beggarsbelief.org.uk. 28 June 2017.
    13. Web site: Mind Rocket: Pains Of Youth, pullout flyer – Battersea Arts Centre Digital Archive. cs. 12 July 2017.
    14. Web site: Pains of youth . Lyn Gardner . . 2003-07-31 . 2018-12-11 .
    15. News: The alternative Boleyn girl . Ed Caesar . 2010-04-22.
    16. Web site: 66 Books, a Curtain up London review .
    17. News: Review: 'The Physicists'. Benedict. David. 12 June 2012. Variety. 11 July 2017. en-US.
    18. Web site: Jez Butterworth play The River wows at the Royal Court. 29 October 2012. BBC. 23 September 2016.
    19. Web site: Strangers on a Train at the Gielgud Theatre, W1. 20 November 2013. The Times.
    20. Web site: Hello/Goodbye. Hampstead Theatre. 20 June 2017.
    21. Web site: Spooks actress Miranda Raison is set to star in The Winter's Tale. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220515/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/miranda-raison-interview-the-spooks-actress-is-set-to-star-in-kenneth-branaghs-version-of-a6721681.html . 15 May 2022 . subscription . live. 4 November 2015. The Independent. 23 September 2016.
    22. News: interview miranda raison. Schön! Magazine. 21 June 2017. en-GB.
    23. Web site: Miranda Raison - Biography . 8 October 2009 . Hello!.
    24. Web site: Miranda Raison. officiallondontheatre.co.uk. 18 June 2017.
    25. Web site: Miranda Raison. officiallondontheatre.co.uk. 19 June 2017.
    26. Web site: character makeups fat faces & fat-suits obese & morbidly obese Miranda Raison in 'Plus One' themakeupgallery. Davies. Jeff. www.themakeupgallery.info. 15 July 2017.
    27. Web site: Ian Wylie . Married Single Other: Miranda Raison | Manchester Evening News . menmedia.co.uk . 12 March 2010 . 7 July 2012.
    28. News: Miranda Raison on her role. working with great British talent and.... Getty Images. 15 June 2017. en-GB.
    29. Web site: A quick chat with Vexed star Miranda Raison. Patrick McLennan. 20 July 2012.
    30. Web site: Silk, BBC1 - TV review: 'Thrilling twists and turns make Silk's farewell a guilty pleasure'. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220515/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/silk-bbc1-tv-review-thrilling-twists-and-turns-make-silks-farewell-a-guilty-pleasure-9226611.html . 15 May 2022 . subscription . live. Ellen E Jones. Independent.co.uk. 1 April 2014.
    31. Web site: Miranda Raison Artist Details – The Artists Partnership. Partnership. The Artists. theartistspartnership.co.uk. 14 July 2017.
    32. Web site: Tandem and Canal Plus Unveils International Cast of 'Spotless'. Elsa. Keslassy. 23 June 2014. Variety. 23 September 2016.
    33. Web site: Dark Heart star Miranda Raison has had her busiest year yet with several hit roles, a wedding and a baby. Bill Gibb . . 2018-10-30 . 2018-12-11 .
    34. Web site: 'Warrior' Casts Four For Season 2 Of Cinemax Drama Series. Denise Petski . . 2019-05-09.
    35. Web site: 'Drama secures UK broadcasting rights for Sister Boniface Mysteries. Mel Lynch . . 2021-09-09.
    36. Web site: Warrior Season 3 - What We Know So Far . looper.com . 2022-04-21.
    37. Web site: Petski . Denise . 2022-07-27 . 'Warrior': Mark Dacascos & Chelsea Muirhead Joins Season 3 Cast Of HBO Max Series . Deadline .
    38. https://bleedingcool.com/tv/warrior-season-3-promo-spotlights-women-warriors-aftershow-podcast/
    39. https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm=315416.html
    40. Dragon Age: Inquisition Preview - Meet Miranda Raison Who Plays Cassandra. https://web.archive.org/web/20141020013802/http://www.gameinformer.com/games/dragon_age_inquisition/b/xboxone/archive/2014/10/18/meet-miranda-raison-who-plays-cassandra.aspx. dead. 20 October 2014. Game Informer.
    41. Web site: Miranda Raison. 31 January 2023 .
    42. Web site: Millie.
    43. Web site: Miranda Raison.
    44. Web site: My perfect weekend: Miranda Raison.
    45. Web site: Doctor Who Interview | Miranda Raison - WHO Corner to Corner | A Doctor Who Podcast .
    46. Web site: Doctor Who Interview | Miranda Raison - WHO Corner to Corner | A Doctor Who Podcast .
    47. Web site: Interview with Miranda Raison. 18 December 2015.
    48. Web site: Raison d'etre . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714203600/http://www.placesandfaces.co.uk/archive/articles/1422/raison_d_etre.html . 14 July 2014 .