Nell Williams

Not to be confused with Nell Hall Williams.
Nell Williams
Born
Nell Marmalade Baxendale-Williams[1]

(1998-09-13) 13 September 1998
Hackney, London, England
Other namesNellie
OccupationActress
Years active2012–present
Parents

Nell Marmalade Baxendale-Williams[2] (born 13 September 1998), known as Nell Williams, is an English actress. In 2015, she portrayed a teen version of Cersei Lannister in the opening episode of Season 5 of the HBO series Game of Thrones.[3] She starred in Blinded by the Light which received rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019,[4][5] in the BAFTA winning film Elizabeth is Missing,[6] and in the film London Town.[7]

She played Glen Powell's teenage mother, Mary Redfellow in A24's How To Make A Killing (2026).[8] She played Agatha in Amazon MGM Studios Young Sherlock.[9]

Early life

She was born Nell Marmalade Elizabeth Baxendale-Williams on 13 September 1998 in Hackney, London, England. She is the first child of British-American film director David L. Williams and the English actress Helen Baxendale. She has two brothers.

Career

Acting

Williams was scouted in a National Youth Music Theatre production aged 11. She was cast in Caryl Churchill's Love and Information at the Royal Court Theatre, and played the Young Queen Elizabeth II in Peter Morgan's The Audience in the Gielgud Theatre, for which she received widespread recognition from national and international media.[10]

In 2015, she portrayed a teen version of Cersei Lannister in the opening episode of Season 5 of the HBO series Game of Thrones.[3] She starred in Blinded by the Light which received rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019.[4][5]

She appeared in The Good Liar,[11] and starred in Elizabeth Is Missing,[12] which received BAFTA nominations for Best Single Drama, and won a Best Actress for Jackson.[13] Williams received widespread praise for her "sterling"[14] supporting performance as "rebellious Katy".[15]

In 2022 she played in British independent breakthrough feature Inland, playing next to Mark Rylance, directed by 20 year old Fridtjof Ryder.[16]

Williams' leading role as The Bride in Barney Norris' adaptation of Lorca's Blood Wedding, and her performance in the Arcola main stage's Don't Destroy Me earned her critical acclaim.[17][18][19]

She is set to star in independent British folk horror feature film Deepest Darkest alongside Aggy K Adams.[20] Williams playd Glen Powell's teenage mother, Mary Redfellow in A24's How to Make a Killing (2026).[21] She played Agatha in Young Sherlock (2026).

Art

While in education, Williams's painting was hand picked by Wolfgang Tillmans to exhibit at the Royal Academy of Art summer exhibition.[22] She considered pursuing a career in fine art but decided to prioritise acting.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2016 London Town Vivian Daniels Premiered at 2016 Los Angeles Film Festival
2019 Blinded by the Light Eliza Premiered at 2019 Sundance Film Festival
The Good Liar Lili Warner Bros and Bron Studios.
2022 Inland Daisy Premiered at 2022 London Film Festival
2026 How to Make a Killing Mary Redfellow A24 and Studio Canal
2027 Deepest Darkest Lila Filming currently

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2012 The Revolting World of Stanley Brown Jess 12 episodes
Loving Miss Hatto Young Birdy Television film
2013 National Theatre Live Elizabeth (teen) Episode: "The Audience"
2015 Game of Thrones Cersei Lannister (teen) Season 5
Episode: "The Wars to Come"
2016 Grantchester Gilly Bradley Episode #2.6
2017 Will Agnes Austen Episode: "The Two Gentlemen"
2019 Deep Water Sally Kallisto ITV. 6 episodes
Elizabeth Is Missing Katy Television film
2022 We Hunt Together Maisie McBride Episode: "202"

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes
2012 Love and Information Royal Court Theatre, London, 2012[23]
2013 The Audience Princess Elizabeth Gielgud Theatre, London, 2013
2024 Don't Destroy Me Arcola Theatre, London, 2024[24]
2025 Blood Wedding The Bride

References

  1. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007
  2. ^ "Helen Baxendale on her daughter's unique name". people.com. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  3. ^ a b Yeung, Peter (6 January 2015). "Nell Williams revealed as Young Cersei character for Game of Thrones season five". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  4. ^ a b Morgenstern, Joe (15 August 2019). "'Blinded by the Light' Review: Born to Inspire". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  5. ^ a b Jr, Mike Fleming (1 February 2019). "New Line Confirms $15M Deal For Bruce Springsteen-Infused 'Blinded By The Light' – Update". Deadline. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  6. ^ Mangan, Lucy (8 December 2019). "Elizabeth Is Missing review – Glenda Jackson shines in this heartrending whodunnit". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  7. ^ Borte, Derrick (3 June 2016), London Town, retrieved 5 August 2016
  8. ^ Ford, John Patton (20 February 2026), How to Make a Killing, Glen Powell, Margaret Qualley, Jessica Henwick, Blueprint Pictures, StudioCanal, retrieved 11 March 2026
  9. ^ Young Sherlock, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Dónal Finn, Natascha McElhone, Motive Pictures, Inspirational Entertainment, Amazon MGM Studios, 4 March 2026, retrieved 11 March 2026{{citation}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  10. ^ Benedict, David (6 March 2013). "Legit Review: Mirren Commands Respect in 'The Audience'". Variety. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  11. ^ Condon, Bill (15 November 2019), The Good Liar, Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen, Russell Tovey, 1000 Eyes, BRON Studios, Creative Wealth Media Finance, retrieved 11 March 2026
  12. ^ White, Peter (6 December 2019). "'Maudie' Director Aisling Walsh Reveals How She Tempted Oscar-Winner Glenda Jackson Back To Screen In BBC Drama 'Elizabeth Is Missing'". Deadline. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  13. ^ "Bafta TV Awards: Glenda Jackson 'stunned' to be named best actress". BBC News. 30 July 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  14. ^ Mangan, Lucy (8 December 2019). "Elizabeth Is Missing review – Glenda Jackson shines in this heartrending whodunnit". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  15. ^ Carr, Flora. "Elizabeth Is Missing review: Glenda Jackson blends comedy with tragedy | Radio Times". www.radiotimes.com. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  16. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (15 May 2023). "Mark Rylance in Modern Folktale 'Inland': Watch First Trailer (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  17. ^ Halliburton, Rachel (16 January 2024). "Don't Destroy Me review — a resonant play about war-shattered lives". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  18. ^ Naylor, Gary. "Review: BLOOD WEDDING, Omnibus Theatre". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  19. ^ Cavendish, Dominic (16 January 2024). "Don't Destroy Me: post-war life is beautifully captured in this revival of a forgotten curio". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  20. ^ Ntim, Zac (28 August 2025). "'The Couple Next Door' Actor Aggy K Adams To Lead British Folk Horror 'Deepest Darkest'". Deadline. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  21. ^ Ford, John Patton (20 February 2026), How to Make a Killing, Glen Powell, Margaret Qualley, Jessica Henwick, Blueprint Pictures, StudioCanal, retrieved 11 March 2026
  22. ^ "A-level Summer Exhibition Online 2017 | Royal Academy of Arts". www.royalacademy.org.uk. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  23. ^ "Love and Information at The Royal Court Theatre". Royal Court Theatre. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  24. ^ Jays, David (16 January 2024). "Don't Destroy Me review – war is not over for fractured Jewish family". The Guardian.
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