What to stream: Go on a charm offensive with Olivia Colman's many standouts
Published in Entertainment News
The charming English actress Olivia Colman co-stars opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in Jay Roach’s “The Roses,” a remake of Danny DeVito’s 1989 film about a married couple who can’t stand each other and go to war over their marital assets.
Colman, who has a long and varied career, has achieved the highest levels in her field, having been showered in awards from the Academy, Golden Globes, Emmys and BAFTA. But she still manages to come off as a cheery, whimsical presence on screen, despite working in a variety of different genres from comedy to drama to the absurd. “The Roses” may whet your appetite for more Colman, so here are just the highlights from her incredible film and TV resume.
Her breakout was on the iconic English sitcom “Peep Show,” about a pair of dysfunctional flatmates played by David Mitchell and Robert Webb and co-created by Jesse Armstrong, of “Succession.” Colman plays Sophie, a love interest. Stream “Peep Show” on Hulu, the Roku Channel, Prime Video, BritBox, and Tubi.
In a tonally different direction, Colman co-starred as a detective opposite David Tennant in the British crime drama series “Broadchurch.” The three seasons focus on the impact of a death of a local boy in a small town. Stream “Broadchurch” on Peacock, the Roku Channel, PBS Masterpiece, Prime Video, and Tubi.
She won her Emmy in 2021 playing Queen Elizabeth II in the third and fourth seasons of the acclaimed Netflix series “The Crown,” which follows the trials and tribulations of the British royal family in the 20th century. Stream it on Netflix.
Colman earned her Oscar playing another queen, Queen Anne, in the Yorgos Lanthimos film “The Favourite” (2018) which was also written by “The Roses” screenwriter Tony McNamara. Queen Anne is at the center of a devious love triangle with Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) and a scheming servant, Abigail (Emma Stone), in this raucous, unconventional look at royal life as only Lanthimos can depict it. Rent it on all digital platforms.
She previously co-starred in the Lanthimos-directed film “The Lobster” in 2015, a dystopian love drama where single people are taken to a hotel and instructed to meet their partner or be turned into an animal and sent off to live in the woods. Colin Farrell and Weisz also co-star in that film. Rent “The Lobster” on all digital platforms.
Colman was also nominated for an Oscar for her turn in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut, “The Lost Daughter,” adapted from an Elena Ferrante novel. This dreamlike film finds a retired professor (Colman) on an Italian vacation when a child goes missing, plunging her into reflection about her own life as a mother. Jessie Buckley, who plays the character in flashback, was also nominated, as was Gyllenhaal for her screenplay. Dakota Johnson and Paul Mescal also co-star. Stream “The Lost Daughter” on Netflix.
Colman is the anchor of Sam Mendes’ tribute to the movie palace, “Empire of Light” (2022), a rueful rumination on the magic of the movies and mental illness. Beautifully shot by Roger Deakins, Colman expresses the full range of her talent opposite newcomer Micheal Ward (“Eddington). Rent it on all digital platforms.
She’s also a stalwart of favorite films for families, including Paul King’s “Wonka” (2023), where she plays Mrs. Scrubitt, and in Dougal Wilson’s “Paddington in Peru” (2024), where she plays a shifty nun. Stream “Wonka” on HBO Max and “Paddington in Peru” on Netflix.
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