1. Early life and education
Imogen Gay Poots was born on 3 June 1989, at the Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital in Hammersmith, London. Her father, Trevor Poots, is a current affairs television producer from Belfast, and her mother, Fiona Goodall, is a journalist and voluntary worker from Brighton. She has an older brother named Alex, who works as a model.
Poots was raised in Chiswick, West London, and received a private education. She attended Bute House Preparatory School for Girls in Brook Green, Queen's Gate School in South Kensington, and Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith. Initially, she aspired to become a veterinary surgeon. However, she abandoned this career path after fainting during work experience at the sight of veterinary surgery. During her school years, she began spending Saturdays at an improvisation workshop hosted by the Young Blood Theatre Company at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, which marked her early engagement with acting.
After achieving three A grades at A-level, Poots secured a place at the Courtauld Institute of Art in 2008. However, she deferred her enrollment for two years to pursue her burgeoning acting career. Although she has never formally trained as an actress, she developed her skills through a practical apprenticeship, which has contributed to her "compellingly natural" presence on camera, as noted by Giles Hattersley.
2. Career
Poots' professional journey as an actress began with early appearances in television and film, leading to significant roles across various media and contributions to the fashion industry.
2.1. Filmography
Imogen Poots' film career began in the mid-2000s, quickly establishing her as a prominent actress. Her debut on-screen was in a 2004 episode of Casualty, followed by a non-speaking role as Young Valerie Page in the 2006 film V for Vendetta. She gained widespread recognition at the age of 17 when Juan Carlos Fresnadillo cast her in the horror film 28 Weeks Later, which was released in 2007.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | V for Vendetta | Young Valerie Page | |
| 2007 | 28 Weeks Later | Tammy Harris | |
| Wish | Jane | Short film | |
| 2008 | Me and Orson Welles | Lorelei Lathrop | |
| 2009 | Cracks | Poppy | |
| Waking Madison | Alexis | ||
| Solitary Man | Allyson Karsch | ||
| 2010 | Centurion | Arianne | |
| Chatroom | Eva | ||
| 2011 | Jane Eyre | Blanche Ingram | |
| Fright Night | Amy Peterson | ||
| Comes a Bright Day | Mary Bright | ||
| 2012 | A Late Quartet | Alexandra Gelbart | |
| 2013 | Greetings from Tim Buckley | Allie | |
| Jimi: All Is by My Side | Linda Keith | ||
| Filth | Amanda Drummond | ||
| The Look of Love | Debbie Raymond | ||
| 2014 | That Awkward Moment | Ellie Andrews | |
| A Long Way Down | Jess Crichton | ||
| Need for Speed | Julia Maddon | ||
| She's Funny That Way | Isabella Patterson | ||
| 2015 | Knight of Cups | Della | |
| Green Room | Amber | ||
| A Country Called Home | Ellie | ||
| 2016 | Frank & Lola | Lola | |
| Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping | Ashley Wednesday | ||
| Killing for Love | Elizabeth Haysom | Voice; documentary | |
| 2017 | Have Had | Grace | Short film |
| Sweet Virginia | Lila | ||
| Mobile Homes | Ali | ||
| I Kill Giants | Karen | ||
| 2018 | Age Out | Joan | |
| 2019 | The Art of Self-Defense | Anna | |
| Vivarium | Gemma | Also executive producer | |
| Castle in the Ground | Ana | ||
| Black Christmas | Riley Stone | ||
| 2020 | The Father | Laura | |
| French Exit | Susan | ||
| 2023 | Baltimore | Rose Dugdale | |
| The Teacher | Lisa | ||
| 2024 | All of You | Laura | |
| TBA | Hedda | TBA | Post-production |
| The Chronology of Water | Lidia Yuknavitch | Post-production |
2.2. Television
Poots has also made notable appearances on the small screen:
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Casualty | Alice Thornton | Episode: "Love Bites" |
| 2008 | Miss Austen Regrets | Fanny Austen-Knight | TV movie |
| 2010 | Bouquet of Barbed Wire | Prue Sorenson | Main cast, miniseries |
| Christopher and His Kind | Jean Ross | TV movie | |
| 2016 | Roadies | Kelly Ann Mason | Main cast |
| 2020 | I Know This Much Is True | Joy Hanks | Main cast, miniseries |
| 2022-2024 | Outer Range | Autumn | Main cast |
2.3. Stage
Poots has also performed in theatrical productions:
| Year | Play | Role | Theatre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | Honey | Harold Pinter Theatre |
| Belleville | Abby | Donmar Warehouse |
2.4. Other professional activities
Beyond her acting roles, Imogen Poots has engaged in the fashion industry through modeling and advertising campaigns. In 2011, she was chosen by the fashion house Chloé to appear in a campaign for its eponymous fragrance, which was shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. The following year, in 2012, she was selected to star in an advertising campaign for a collaboration between the fashion label Marni and high street retailer H&M, a campaign directed by Sofia Coppola. In 2015, she also served as a model for the Miu Miu spring campaign.
3. Awards and nominations
Imogen Poots has received several accolades and nominations throughout her career for her performances.
| Year | Accolade | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | British Independent Film Award | BIFA Most Promising Newcomer | 28 Weeks Later | Nominated |
| 2011 | Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award | Most Egregious Age Difference Between the Leading Man and the Love Interest (shared with Michael Douglas) | Solitary Man | Nominated |
| 2012 | Hamptons International Film Festival Award | Breakthrough Performer | Knight of Cups | Won |
| 2013 | British Independent Film Award | BIFA Best Supporting Actress | The Look of Love | Won |
| 2016 | Fright Meter Award | Best Supporting Actress | Green Room | Nominated |
| 2017 | The Stage Awards | The Joe Allen Best West End Debut | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | Nominated |
| WhatsOnStage Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a play | Nominated | ||
| 2018 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Sitges Film Festival | Best Actress | Vivarium | Won |
4. Personal life
Imogen Poots was engaged to actor James Norton. However, their relationship concluded after six years.