Ruth Wilson

2.1.1. Television

Wilson's television career began prior to her breakthrough role in Jane Eyre with a professional screen credit in Suburban Shootout, a situation comedy where she appeared alongside Tom Hiddleston. She continued in the second series of Suburban Shootout (2006-2007) and took on roles in a new Agatha Christie's Marple mystery episode titled "Nemesis" (2007) for ITV, and Stephen Poliakoff's BBC television drama Capturing Mary (2007), portraying the young Mary. Other projects in 2007 included A Real Summer (television film) and a guest appearance in the sitcom Freezing (2008) as Alison Fennel. She also narrated the documentary The Polish Ambulance Murders (2008) and played a mentally ill doctor in the dramatized documentary The Doctor Who Hears Voices (2008).

In 2009, Wilson appeared as Queenie in an adaptation of Andrea Levy's Small Island, which aired on BBC1 and later on PBS in the United States. That same year, she played No. 313, the Village doctor, in the 2009 TV miniseries remake of The Prisoner, which premiered on AMC Television and ITV.

From 2010 to 2019, Wilson starred as Alice Morgan, a research scientist described by Idris Elba's character John Luther as a narcissist, in the British psychological police drama Luther. Despite a proposed spin-off centered on her character by series creator Neil Cross, it did not materialize. Wilson was unable to appear in series four of Luther due to scheduling conflicts with The Affair, but she returned for series five.

In 2014, Wilson began starring as Alison Bailey in the drama television series The Affair, created by Sarah Treem and Hagai Levi. Her performance in the first season earned her the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Television Series Drama in January 2015. She departed the series in 2018 after four seasons. Reports in December 2019 indicated her departure was due to "frustrations with the nudity required of her, friction with Treem over the direction of her character, and what she ultimately felt was a 'hostile work environment'".

In 2017, she served as the narrator for the first series of the documentary Reported Missing. In November 2018, Wilson took on the role of her real-life grandmother, Alison Wilson, in the BBC drama Mrs Wilson, also serving as an executive producer. For her portrayal of Marisa Coulter in the BBC/HBO fantasy series His Dark Materials (2019-2022), she won the 2020 BAFTA Cymru Award for Best Actress.

In 2020, she appeared as Earthworm in the miniseries James and the Giant Peach with Taika and Friends. In 2021, she starred as Norwegian diplomat Mona Juul in Oslo, a filmed version of J. T. Rogers' Tony Award-winning play. In 2023, she took on the main role of Lorna Brady in the six-episode series The Woman in the Wall, also serving as an executive producer. In November 2023, it was announced she would portray Emily Maitlis in the miniseries A Very Royal Scandal, released in 2024.

2.1.2. Film

Wilson has also made significant contributions to feature films. Her film debut was in the 2007 short film Get Off My Land, playing 'Woman'. In 2012, she appeared as Princess Betsy Tverskoy in Anna Karenina. The following year, she had roles in three films: Rebecca Reid in The Lone Ranger, Margaret Goff in Saving Mr. Banks, and the voice of Katrina in Locke.

In 2015, she starred as Madeleine Labarie in Suite Française and as Eleanor in the short film Eleanor. She also appeared in the 2016 short film The Complete Walk: All's Well That Ends Well as Helena. That same year, she played Lily in I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House, which premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.

Her 2017 film credits include PT Stella in How to Talk to Girls at Parties, Ellie in the short film The Dying Hours, and Alice Bell in Dark River. In 2018, she played Caroline Ayres in The Little Stranger. Wilson was a producer for the 2021 film True Things, in which she also starred as Kate. She appeared as Petula Spencer in See How They Run in 2022. For the 2024 film Family, she served as an executive producer in addition to her role. Upcoming projects include The Book of Ruth, where she is cast as Ruth Coker Burks, and Andorra, where she will play Miss Quay.

2.1.3. Theatre

Wilson has an acclaimed career in theatre, with several notable performances and awards. In 2005, she appeared in Good at the Sound Theatre. In 2007, she played Tanya in Maxim Gorky's Philistines at the Royal National Theatre, running from May to August. In June 2007, she presented the Lilian Baylis Awards.

From July to October 2009, she appeared as Stella Kowalski in the Donmar Warehouse revival of A Streetcar Named Desire, earning her a Best Supporting Actress award. In 2010, she starred as Karin in Through a Glass Darkly at the Almeida Theatre. From August to October 2011, Wilson starred in the title role of Eugene O'Neill's Anna Christie at the Donmar Warehouse, alongside Jude Law. Her performance was critically lauded, with The Guardian dedicating an editorial to her "courageous, edgy and compelling talent". For this role, she received the Best Actress award. In 2013, she performed in The El Train at Hoxton Hall, playing Mrs Rowland and Rose.

Wilson made her Broadway debut in Constellations, a play by Nick Payne, at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. She co-starred with Jake Gyllenhaal from January to March 2015, receiving a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Play and a Theatre World Award. From December 2016 to February 2017, Wilson starred as Hedda Gabler in a new version by Patrick Marber at the Royal National Theatre. Both the production and her performance were critically acclaimed, leading to another Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress. In 2019, she played Cordelia and the Fool in King Lear at the Cort Theatre on Broadway, earning a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play. In 2022, she performed in The Human Voice at the Harold Pinter Theatre. In 2023, she starred as Virginia in The Second Woman at The Young Vic. She is scheduled to play Josie Hogan in A Moon for the Misbegotten at the Almeida Theatre in 2025.

2.2.1. Producing

Beyond her acting roles, Ruth Wilson has also contributed to the production side of several projects. She served as an executive producer for the 2018 BBC drama Mrs Wilson, where she also played the title character, her real-life grandmother. In 2021, she was a producer for the film True Things, in which she also starred. For the 2024 film Family, she held an executive producer credit. She also served as an executive producer for the 2023 series The Woman in the Wall.

2.2.2. Radio work

Wilson has also lent her voice to radio productions. In 2008, she played Elizabeth-Jane in The Mayor of Casterbridge for BBC Radio 4. The following year, she appeared in The Promise as Lika for BBC Radio 3 and as Marguerite Gautier in The Lady of the Camellias for BBC Radio 4. In 2010, she was featured in Spitfire! on BBC Radio 4, playing Daphne.