Diana Quick

Diana Marilyn Quick (born 23 November 1946) is an English actress celebrated for her versatility across stage, film, and television. Born in London and raised in Dartford, Kent, she was the third of four children of Leonard Quick, a dentist, and Joan Quick. Encouraged by an inspiring English teacher, Quick joined an amateur dramatic society in Crayford while attending Dartford Grammar School for Girls. She pursued higher education at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where she made history as the first female president of the Oxford University Dramatic Society, honing a craft that would span more than six decades. Quick’s early career featured a stage debut in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in 1959, followed by a succession of classical and contemporary productions, including The Rivals, Hedda Gabler, Measure for Measure, and The Duchess of Malfi. Her television breakthrough arrived with the role of Lady Julia Flyte in the acclaimed 1981 adaptation of Brideshead Revisited, earning nominations for both an Emmy and a BAFTA TV award. Over the years she has portrayed a range of historic figures, notably Queen Elizabeth II in the 2009 documentary drama The Queen, and has maintained a steady presence in British cinema with credits such as The Duellists, Nostradamus, and The Death of Stalin.