Catch up with Dormer’s ten most memorable roles before her return in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2!
Natalie Dormer should be very familiar to fans of Game of Thrones and “The Tudors.” And in both shows, she portrays a Queen. But it may not be long before Dormer becomes a box office force of her own!
Last year, Dormer joined the popular Hunger Games franchise in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 as Cressida, and it’s a role that she will reprise on November 20 when The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 brings the franchise to a close. However, Dormer already has two starring cinematic roles in 2016 as well as the much-anticipated sixth season of HBO’s Game of Thrones.
Dormer’s success story didn’t happen overnight. It’s been ten years in the making, and she’s deftly moved between film and television projects as her star has risen in Hollywood. Now Dormer is potentially on the cusp of even greater stardom if she can prove that she can headline a film next year in The Forest.
Ahead of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, ComingSoon.net is taking a look at Dormer’s ten most memorable movies and TV series, including two films that are coming in 2016.
Natalie Dormer Movies and TV Spotlight: The Tudors (2007)
Dormer’s first year as a professional actress was 2005, and she quickly had a few minor film and television roles. But it wasn’t until The Tudors that Dormer really turned heads as Anne Boleyn, the doomed Queen of England and the second wife of King Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys Meyers).
For the first two seasons of the show, Dormer’s Anne Boleyn was one of the most popular characters on the series. But as the historical Anne Boleyn lost her head to trumped up charges by her husband, so too did the fictional Anne Boleyn meet her fate at the end of the second season.
Natalie Dormer Movies and TV Spotlight: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Did you remember that Natalie Dormer is already part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? In Captain America: The First Avenger, Dormer portrayed Private Lorraine, a U.S. Army soldier who attempted to seduce Steve Rogers (Chris Evans). Although Lorraine only managed to kiss Steve, it was enough to temporarily drive a wedge between him and Agent Carter (Hayley Atwell).
Natalie Dormer Movies and TV Spotlight: The Fades (2011)
Also in 2011, Dormer joined the cast of the British supernatural TV series called The Fades. Marvel fans may recognize The Fades’ leading actor as Iain De Caestecker, one of the costars of “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” on ABC. On “The Fades,” De Caestecker played Paul Roberts, a teenager who could perceive the Fades, which was the show’s term for spirits who could not move on to the afterlife.
Dormer played Sarah Etches, a Fade who had once been very much like Paul in that she could also perceive the Fades around her. However, “The Fades” did not catch on with audiences and it came to an end after only six episodes.
Natalie Dormer Movies and TV Spotlight: Game of Thrones (2012)
For the second season of “Game of Thrones,” Dormer was cast as Margaery Tyrell, the wife of Renly Baratheon (Gethin Anthony), one of the five kings vying for control of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. But Margaery’s ambitions survived Renly’s death and she was soon betrothed King Joffrey (Jack Gleeson), one of the most hated villains on television.
As the Queen-to-be, Margaery proved to be very good at connecting with the common people and making them love her. That skill served her well and made her popular ahead of her wedding to Joffrey, which didn’t last more than a few hours. Undeterred, Margaery was quickly wed to the new king, Tommen Baratheon (Dean-Charles Chapman).
Everything worked out well for Margaery… right up until she perjured herself in an attempt to save her brother from religious fanatics. Queen Margaery is currently a prisoner of the Faith Militant heading into the upcoming sixth season.
Natalie Dormer Movies and TV Spotlight: Elementary (2013)
For CBS’ modern reinterpretation of Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller), Dormer has reinterpreted two roles from the classic Arthur Conan Doyle stories. Dormer made her debut in Elementary‘s first season as the love of Sherlock’s life, Irene Adler, who was believed to have been killed earlier in the season.
But in reality, Irene Adler didn’t exist. She was just a smokescreen for her true identity, Jamie Moriarty. Although, even after being revealed as “Elementary’s” Moriarty, the woman formerly known as Irene still has an emotional connection to Sherlock. She even likes Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) enough to have one of Joan’s criminal rivals killed in order to protect Joan’s life.
Natalie Dormer Movies and TV Spotlight: Rush (2013)
Dormer has a very small role as a nurse named Gemma in Rush, a biofilm about Formula 1 racing legends James Hunt and Niki Lauda. The Marvel Cinematic Universe connections are strong with Rush, with Thor star Chris Hemsworth portraying Hunt and Daniel Brühl playing Lauda. Brühl is making his MCU debut next year in Captain America: Civil War.
Natalie Dormer Movies and TV Spotlight: The Counselor (2013)
In director Ridley Scott’s The Counselor, Dormer also had a minor role as “The Blonde,” a woman hired to seduce Westray (Brad Pitt) by the scheming Malkina (Cameron Diaz) as a way of stealing his bank codes. And only Malkina walks away from the resulting mess with everything that she’s ever wanted.
Natalie Dormer Movies and TV Spotlight: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014)
Last year, Dormer joined The Hunger Games franchise as Cressida, the director of a propaganda crew assigned to follow Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and transform her actions and her persona into “The Mockingjay,” a symbol of rebellion against President Snow and his regime.
Although Cressida has only a minor role in Mockingjay – Part 1, Dormer shaved the left side of her head to accommodate Cressida’s distinctive tattoos. And she will also reprise her role in Mockingjay – Part 2 as Katniss and her friends take the battle to President Snow himself.
Natalie Dormer Movies and TV Spotlight: The Forest (2016)
Next year, Dormer will headline The Forest, a horror film set in Japan’s infamous Aokigahara Forest, which is better known as the “Suicide Forest.” Dormer will portray a young woman named Sara, who enters the forest to find her twin sister (also played by Dormer) before she is confronted with the very real spirits of the dead who attempt to prey upon her.
The Forest will be Dormer’s first major test as a movie star, as it is a relatively low-budget horror movie and it’s not clear how wide of a release the film will receive. But if audiences respond to Dormer’s starring turn then she’ll undoubtedly get much bigger roles in the near future.
Natalie Dormer Movies and TV Spotlight: Patient Zero (2016)
Dormer’s other big film in 2016 is Patient Zero, which will team her up with former “Doctor Who” star Matt Smith. Dormer’s role is Dr. Gina Rose, the leading researcher of a virus that transforms humans into deadly new species called “The Infected.” Smith is playing Morgan, a human survivor who can communicate with the “Infected” as he and Dr. Rose search for “Patient Zero” in an attempt to develop a vaccine for the virus.
The release of Patient Zero is just under a year away in September 2016. But unlike The Forest, Patient Zero has distribution by Sony’s Screen Gems, which means that it will likely get a wide release in theaters and offer both Dormer and Smith a chance to prove themselves as box office draws.
