Hannah Waddingham

Hannah Waddingham
Waddingham in 2010
Born	Hannah Waddingham 1974 Wandsworth London, England
Occupation	Actress, singer
Website	hannahwaddingham.com

Hannah Waddingham (born 1974) is an English actress and singer, best known for her contribution to West End musical theatre, particularly her performances in the original London production of Spamalot, the 2012 Regent's Park revival of Into the Woods, and most recently, The Wizard of Oz (as the Wicked Witch of the West). She has received three Olivier Award nominations for her work. She has also had a successful film and television career. In 2015 she joined the cast of the fifth season of the HBO series Game of Thrones as Septa Unella.

Waddingham was born in Wandsworth in London, and credits her mother's family with her introduction to performing - her mother, Melodie Kelly, was an opera singer, as were both her maternal grandparents. A graduate of the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, Waddingham has had a successful career in the London theatre, including her performance as Starbird in Space Family Robinson (Julian & Stephen Butler, 2002); Suzanne Valadon in Lautrec.

However, it is for her portrayal of the Lady of the Lake in Spamalot (a role she originated in London and continued on Broadway), that she is best known; she received an Olivier Award nomination for her efforts. She received outstanding reviews for her portrayal of Desirée Armfeldt in Trevor Nunn's acclaimed revival of A Little Night Music, including being described by one critic as the "Joanna Lumley of musical theatre". Waddingham subsequently received a further Olivier Award nomination in 2010 for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in Night Music.