Bafta-winning actress Carey Mulligan has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year Honours. The three-time Oscar nominee has been recognised for her services to drama, having risen to prominence in coming-of-age hit An Education before winning acclaim for her performances in Promising Young Woman, She Said, Drive and Maestro.
Born in Westminster, Mulligan has previous told BBC Radio 5 that she thought about going to university after receiving her A-level results, but instead “blagged a job” during her gap year. Her breakout role came in 2005, where she starred in the BBC adaptation of Bleak House based on the Charles Dickens novel, portraying the character of Ada Clare.
In the same year, she played Kitty Bennet in Pride & Prejudice, opposite Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. In 2009, Mulligan played British journalist Lynn Barber in the Lone Scherfig film An Education, based on Barber’s memoir about a young girl who falls into a romantic relationship with an older man.
The role of Jenny Mellor saw her nominated for her first Academy Award, as well as scoop best actress at the Bafta Awards – in which she was also nominated for the rising star gong. In April 2012, Mulligan married Marcus Mumford – lead singer of the folk band Mumford & Sons – and the couple now have three children.
During her career, Mulligan has explored dark and difficult characters, such as the suicidal singer in Sir Steve McQueen’s drama Shame opposite Michael Fassbender. and the downtrodden wife in Nicolas Winding Refn’s cult-classic Drive starring Ryan Gosling – which saw Mulligan nominated for the best supporting actress Bafta.
