Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston and Lilly Tomlin by J.R. Mankoff for The Wrap Magazine December 9, 2015

Carey Hannah Mulligan (born 28 May 1985) is an English actress and singer. Born in London and brought up in Düsseldorf, Germany and Surrey, Mulligan developed an avid passion for acting as a child and was the student head of the drama department at Woldingham School, acting in various play and musical productions. She made her professional acting debut on stage in the Kevin Elyot play Forty Winks at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 2004. Her film debut was in the role of Kitty Bennet in Pride & Prejudice (2005), followed by supporting roles as Ada Clarke on the BBC serial Bleak House (2005), Emily Pritchard on the BBC One drama series The Amazing Mrs Pritchard (2006), and a guest performance as Sally Sparrow in Doctor Who (2007). She made her Broadway debut in The Seagull in 2008 to critical acclaim, and her West End performance garnered her an Ian Charleson Commendation Award.

Mulligan's breakthrough performance was as Jenny Mellor in the coming-of-age drama An Education (2009), for which she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and was nominated for the Academy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress. Her leading portrayal of Kathy H in the dystopian romantic-drama Never Let Me Go (2010) earned her a BIFA Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a British Independent Film, and she garnered further acclaim for her supporting performances in the action film Drive (2011), for which she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and the drama Shame (2011). Her appearances in The Great Gatsby (2013), Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), Far from the Madding Crowd (2015), and Suffragette (2015) earned her further praise and recognition. In 2015, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Play for her performance in the Broadway revival of David Hare's Skylight. In 2017, she starred in the critically acclaimed period drama film Mudbound, and the following year portrayed Detective Inspector Kit Glaspie on the BBC Two drama serial Collateral.

Apart from her acting career, Mulligan is noted for her philanthropic efforts, and has been an ambassador for Alzheimer's Society since 2012, and an ambassador for War Child since 2014. She has been married to English singer-songwriter Marcus Mumford since 2012, with whom she has two children.