Katherine Matilda Swinton is a British actress. Known for her physically transformative performances of eccentric and enigmatic characters on stage and screen, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, and a Volpi Cup, in addition to nominations for five Screen Actors Guild Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. In 2020, The New York Times ranked her as one of the greatest actors of the 21st century.
Swinton began her career by appearing in Derek Jarman's experimental films Caravaggio (1986), The Last of England (1988), War Requiem (1989), and The Garden (1990). For her portrayal of Isabella of France in Edward II (1991), she won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress. She next starred in Orlando (1992), Female Perversions (1996), and The Beach (2000), and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of a desperate mother in The Deep End (2001).
Swinton received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing a corporate attorney in Michael Clayton (2007).