Tilda Swinton is a well-known British actress, model, and artist who has starred in numerous well-known films and received numerous accolades for her exceptional performances. Swinton was born into a prominent family in London. Her father was a British Army major general who formerly commanded the Household Division. She began performing on stage while still in college, despite having had an early interest in acting. Later, she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and made her professional acting debut in the play ‘Measure for Measure’. She made her film debut in the British film ‘Caravaggio’. Her other significant works include Vanilla Sky, Constantine, and Michael Clayton, for which she received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Karen Crowder. The film was both commercially and critically successful. Her recent performances include the supporting role of The Ancient One in the superhero film Doctor Strange. She is a highly accomplished actress who has received numerous prestigious awards. In 2013, she received a special tribute from the Museum of Modern Art.
Youth and Early Life
Katherine Matilda Swinton was born in London on November 5, 1960. Her father, John Swinton, was a British Army major general, and her mother was Judith Balfour. She has three siblings. She attended three distinct schools, one of which was the expensive West Heath Girls’ School boarding school. She subsequently described her experience at the school as bitter and stated that boarding schools are extremely cruel and do not benefit children.
In 1983, she graduated with a degree in social and political sciences from New Hall (now Murray Edwards College) at the University of Cambridge. She joined the Communist Party and the Scottish Socialist Party during this time. During this time, she also began performing on stage.
Tilda Swinton’s Career
Tilda Swinton joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1984 and performed in ‘Measure for Measure’. Her first film role was in Derek Jarman’s 1986 drama ‘Caravaggio’. Her television career began in 1986 with a role in the miniseries ‘Zastrozzi: A Romance,’ which was based on Percy Bysshe Shelley’s Gothic novel. She appeared in the 1986-1990 television series ‘The Open Universe’.
She continued to work with Jarman in some of his other films, including ‘The Last of England (1987), ‘War Requiem’ (1989), and ‘Edward II (1991), for which she received the Volpi Cup at the 1991 Venice Film Festival in the ‘Best Actress Category’. She appeared in the films ‘Female Perversions (1996), ‘Conceiving Ada’ (1997), and ‘The War Zone’ (1999) during the late 1990s.
She appeared in the 2000 Canadian film ‘Possible Worlds’, which was based on the same-titled play. Next, she appeared alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in “The Beach,” a drama-thriller film. The film was a commercial triumph despite receiving mostly negative reviews. She starred alongside Tom Cruise in the 2001 science fiction/psychological thriller ‘Vanilla Sky’. It was a commercial success and received generally divided reviews.
In the years that followed, she acted in films such as ‘Adaptation’ (2002), ‘Young Adam’ (2003), ‘Constantine’ (2005), ‘Stephanie Daley’ (2006), and ‘The Man from London (2007). She appeared in ‘Michael Clayton’ (2007), a commercial and critical success. The film, directed by Tony Gilroy, was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Swinton was the sole winner in the ‘Best Supporting Actress category. She also earned the ‘Best Supporting Actress BAFTA.
In 2008, she played the main character in the crime-drama film Julia. Next, she had a supporting role in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,’ which was a box office hit and received mostly positive reviews. In 2008, she starred in the macabre comedy film “Burn After Reading.” Her subsequent role was a small one in the fantasy-romantic-drama film “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” by David Fincher, which was nominated for thirteen Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Her other significant works include ‘I am Love’ (2009), for which she also served as executive producer. The movie was a commercial and critical success. She portrayed the main character in the 2011 psychological thriller film We Need to Talk About Kevin. Her performance earned her nominations for the Best Actress categories of the BAFTA Award and the Golden Globe Award.
She continued to star in successful films throughout the 2010s, including ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ (2012), ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’ (2013), ‘Snowpiercer’ (2013), ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ (2014), and ‘Hail, Caesar (2016). In the 2016 superhero film ‘Doctor Strange,’ she portrayed ‘The Ancient One,’ the mentor of the title character. The film was a financial and critical success. ‘Okja’ (2017), ‘War Machine’ (2017), and ‘Isle of Dogs (2018) are her most recent compositions.
Michael Clayton, a 2007 legal suspense film starring Tilda Swinton, is undoubtedly one of her most significant works. Tony Gilroy directed the film, which featured George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, and Sydney Pollack. The film was financially successful, grossing more than $90 million on a budget of $25 million. It was also widely praised by the media. Swinton won the Oscar for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ and the BAFTA Award in the same category for her performance.
Swinton played the main role in the 2011 psychological thriller film ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin.’ It was adapted by Lynne Ramsay from Lionel Shriver’s novel of the same name. The film was a moderate financial triumph, grossing over $10 million on a $7 million budget. Swinton’s performance garnered her nominations for the Golden Globe Award, the Screen Actors Guild Award, and the BAFTA Award.
In the superhero film Doctor Strange, she played the role of “The Ancient One.” The film was based on the renowned Marvel Comics character of the same name and was directed by Scott Derrickson. Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, and Benedict Wong also appeared in the film. The film was a tremendous commercial success and was largely praised by critics.
Tilda’s Personal Life
From 1989 to 2003, Tilda Swinton dated playwright John Byrne. They have two children, twins born in 1997 named Honor and Xavier Swinton Byrne. Her current companion is the German painter Sandro Kopp. In addition to acting, Tilda Swinton is known for a variety of other endeavors. She established the ‘Ballerina Ballroom Cinema of Dreams film festival and opened the Screen Academy Scotland production center in Edinburgh.
Estimated Net Worth
Oscar-winning British actress Tilda Swinton has a net worth of $14 million. In the 1980s, she made her debut in Derek Jarman’s independent films “Caravaggio” and “The Last of England.” She has appeared in numerous films since then, including “Orlando,” “The Deep End,” “Michael Clayton,” “Julia,” “We Need to Talk About Kevin,” “Snowpiercer,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” and “Memory.”