2004 Tony Award nominee for Best Actress in a Play for "The Retreat from Moscow."
Co-creator (with actress Jean Marsh) of the classic British drama series "Upstairs, Downstairs" (1971) - making her wonderful presence in the Altman upstairs-downstairs movie Gosford Park (2001) particularly resonant.
Has been nominated for four Tony Awards: as Best Actress (Dramatic), in 1967 for "The Killing of Sister George" and in 1972 for "Vivat! Vivat Regina!; and as Best Actress (Play), in 1995 for "Indiscretions" and in 2004 for "The Retreat from Moscow."
Is a breast cancer survivor.
She claims to be high-maintenance
She has no children. She claimed in an interview with the Radio Times that she has never had any maternal instinct and put that down to the fact that she did not get on with her mother
She was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1989 (1988 season) for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for "Cymbeline and Mountain Language".
She was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1999 (1998 season) for Best Actress for her performance in "The Unexpected Man".
She was awarded the 1992 London Critics Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Night of the Iguana.
She was awarded the 1997 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress for her performance in A Delicate Balance.
She was awarded the 2004 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Actress of the 2003 season for her performance in "Honour" at the Royal National Theatre: Cottesloe Stage.
She was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1990 Queen's Honours List and awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2001 Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to drama.
She was nominated for a 1997 (1996) Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Actress in a play for her performance in "John Gabriel Borkman".
She was nominated for a 2003 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress for her performance in Honour at the Royal National Theatre: Cottesloe.
Won the Best Actress Award for "Honour" at the 2004 Laurence Olivier Awards.