Romola Garai made her big movie breakthrough last year when she landed the role of eighteen year old Briony Tallis in Atonement.The young actress, who was born in Hong Kong before her family relocated back to England, moved to London at the age of sixteen where she attended the National Youth Theatre.Success came in 2000, when she was spotted by an agent, and went on to play the younger Judi Dench in The Last of the Blonde Bombshells.After appearing in BBC's Attachments Garai left university to concentrate on her acting career. This move was successful as her first major movie role came in 2002 when she played Kate Nickleby in Charles Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby.Glowing praise followed in 2003 for her performance in I Capture The Castle.In 1934, seventeen-year-old Cassandra Mortmain struggles to survive in a decaying English castle.
Her father is desperate to repeat the spectacular success of his first novel, but hasn't written a word for 12 years; her exquisite sister Rose can only rail against their fate; and their bohemian step-mother Topaz is a nudist, and no help at all.
Salvation comes in the form of their American landlord Simon Cotton and his brother Neil. Although initially repelled by Simon, Rose is determined to make him fall in love with her and succeeds.
A wedding is arranged and Cassandra is left on the sidelines as everyone around her is drawn into a maelstrom of interconnected relationships.
But events spiral out of control, and before the summer ends she will experience frustrated desire, first love, and a broken heart.
Her performance earned her a Most Promising Newcomer nomination from the British Independent Film Awards.
After the flop of Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights she bounced back with independent film Inside I'm Dancing with James McAvoy, a role which won her a Best Supporting Actress gong from the London Film Critics Circle.
She moved into television with The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant in 2005 before returning to the big screen with As You Like It and Amazing Grace.
Despite this success it was her role in Joe Wright's critically acclaimed Atonement where she really made a name for herself here and in America.
It's 1935 and thirteen year old Briony Tallis, an aspiring writer with a wild imagination, is fascinated by the behaviour of the adults around her, despite not understanding what they are doing.
She witnesses two strange encounters between her older sister Cecilia and Robbie, a family friend and son of the cook.
She believes, after reading a letter from Robbie to Cecilia, that Robbie is a dangerous, sex crazed individual.
When she walks in on Robbie and Cecilia making love in the library, which she believes to be an attack on her sister, her suspicions about Robbie are confirmed.
Later that night their cousin Lola is raped in the grounds of their house and Briony accuses Robbie of the crime.
The three main character's lives pivot on this one event: Robbie is sent to prison before going to fight for his country in the Second World War, Cecilia leaves her family behind and becomes a nurse in blitz London, and Briony spends her whole life attempting to atone for her mistake.
The film went on to win Best Picture at the Golden Globes and was nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture.
Next up for Romola is television movie King Lear in which she plays Cordelia alongside Ian McKellen.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw