One of the most wicked teachers in the history of Hogwarts, Dolores Umbridge is a fascinating
villain and the woman who played her, Imelda Staunton, is a versatile and talented performer.
But what happened to the actress after leaving the franchise?
Here’s what Staunton has been up to since Harry Potter.
Imelda Staunton didn't join the Harry Potter films until the fifth installment, The Order
of the Phoenix, but she was the perfect choice to play the multi-layered character of Dolores
Umbridge.
As the new Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor, the saccharine, pink-clad professor is only
there to dissuade students from actually learning.
This forces Harry and his friends to create an illegal study group so they can teach themselves
defensive spells.
If that wasn't bad enough, Umbridge also tortures her students and, in one scene, she even gets
a little slap-happy with Harry.
Despite the fact that she's driven out of Hogwarts by the end of Harry's fifth year,
Umbridge reappears during the second to last installment of the film series, Harry Potter
and the Deathly Hallows, Part One.
In classic Umbridge style, she's back to her old ways of abusing power.
Fortunately, Harry manages to disguise himself and best her once again.
With a mix of wholesomeness, arrogance, and cruelty, Staunton's pitch-perfect performance
as Umbridge left an unforgettable mark on the series.
After her run in the Harry Potter movies, it seemed logical for Staunton to transition
into other blockbuster films, and eventually, she found her way into a few hugely successful
Disney projects.
In 2010, Staunton joined Tim Burton's adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic novel Alice in
Wonderland.
The film even features a few of Staunton's Harry Potter co-stars, including Alan Rickman,
Timothy Spall, and Helena Bonham Carter, as well as Staunton's husband, Jim Carter.
She only has a few, short lines as the Talking Flowers, but Staunton gives her thorny characters
some serious personality and she comes out...smelling like a rose.
"Stop that."
Staunton also appeared in Disney's 2014 antihero tale Maleficent, which stars Angelina Jolie
as the seemingly evil witch who cursed Aurora, better known as "Sleeping Beauty."
Staunton plays a character named Knotgrass.
She's one of three pixies who take human form and stay by Aurora's side until she becomes
safe from Maleficent's clutches.
Staunton later reprised the role in the 2019 sequel Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.
Staunton might not have physically appeared on screen in her next big project but her
role was an incredibly vital one.
In 2014's Paddington, Staunton provided the voice of Aunt Lucy, who remains off-screen
for most of the film but still manages to give an emotional backbone to the entire narrative.
Paddington spends his childhood with his loving Aunt Lucy and Uncle Pastuzo, who was voiced
by Michael Gambon.
You might remember him as the actor who played Albus Dumbledore opposite Staunton.
After Pastuzo tragically dies, Aunt Lucy sends Paddington to live in London, where he's adopted
by the quirky and kind Brown family.
In Paddington 2, the little bear embarks on a mission to bring Aunt Lucy to London to
live with him and the Browns.
Despite many struggles, he eventually succeeds, and Staunton briefly reprises her role for
some of the film's most heartfelt moments.
The same year that Staunton made her first appearance in the Paddington series, she took
on an emotionally charged and resonant project called Pride.
The film, based on a true story, is about a faction of London's LGBTQ+ community that
bands together to support miners during the 1984 British miner's strike.
Though the two groups seem to have very little in common, the LGBTQ+ community raises money
for the miners, creating a campaign known as Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners.
Staunton played real-life activist Hefina Headon, who was part of the Women's Support
Group and strike committee.
Throughout the film, there's no denying that Staunton gave a truly powerful performance.
"You better shut her mouth, or I'm gonna do it permanently."
Staunton earned a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and the film itself got
a nod at the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture in the Comedy or Musical category.
Plus, Pride featured Staunton acting alongside yet another Harry Potter veteran, Bill Nighy,
who appeared in The Deathly Hallows, Part One.
After years on the big screen, Staunton took on some television roles, but true to form
for the talented actress, she wisely chose high-profile projects that brought her even
more acclaim.
In 2007 and 2009, Staunton appeared in Cranford and its sequel Return to Cranford.
The story of a small town where widows and unmarried women lead happy, fulfilled lives
within their community, Cranford featured Staunton as Octavia Pole, one of the more
gossipy residents of the town.
She was joined on the show by her husband, Jim Carter, and, once again, her old Harry
Potter cohort, Michael Gambon.
The year 2012 brought Staunton even more critical success with HBO's original film The Girl,
which told the dark, lurid story of Alfred Hitchcock and his enduring obsession with
the leading lady of The Birds, Tippi Hedren.
Staunton played Alma Reville, Hitchcock's long-suffering wife and screenwriting partner.
Her performance earned her nominations for another BAFTA and a Primetime Emmy Award.
After the success of the original series, it seemed inevitable that Downton Abbey would
get its own movie, and in 2019, the long-rumored film finally hit theaters.
It focuses on a visit from King George V to the Crawley estate.
Imelda Staunton's husband, Jim Carter, reprises his role as Carson, while she plays Maud,
one of Queen Mary's ladies-in-waiting.
The movie premiered to positive reviews, and it also allowed Staunton to reunite with her
Potter co-star Maggie Smith, who played Professor McGonagall.
"Are we going to kiss?"
"I'm glad you want to kiss me.
It wasn't quite what you said when I last heard from you."
"Something you'd like to say, dear?"
"Oh, there are several things I would like to say."
The actress who played Dolores Umbridge isn't just an acclaimed star of stage and screen.
In 2006, Imelda Staunton made news when she was named an Officer of the Order of the British
Empire.
Ten years later, she earned the title of Commander of the British Empire, both thanks to her
work in the dramatic arts.
Now, it seems that Staunton will take her royal ambitions to the next level.
According to Variety and the BBC, Staunton will play the part of Queen Elizabeth in the
fifth and final season of The Crown.
We can only be thankful that Dolores Umbridge never achieved the power of the throne.
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