British American actress Hayley Atwell is probably best known for playing the role of Peggy Carter in the MCU, but her acting history goes well beyond big, all-action blockbusters.
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A talented theater actress, Atwell has been nominated for an Olivier Award (the British equivalent of a Tony), while also being involved in one hit after hit on both the big and small screen. Whether she’s playing the role of a secret agent, a grieving lover, or an aristocrat in a love triangle, Atwell always gives it her all, usually with brilliant results. With her upcoming part in the upcoming Mission Impossible sequel, you might be wondering what her very best performances to date have been. So, here are the 10 best Hayley Atwell movies and TV shows, ranked!
10. Conviction
This ABC drama wasn’t exactly the best thing Atwell has ever been in, but she was certainly the best thing about it. The British-American took on the leading role of Hayes Morrison, a former first daughter with a rebellious streak and a penchant for getting into trouble. After a series of terrible decisions, she is blackmailed into heading the Conviction Integrity Unit, a department of the New York DA’s office whose job it is to reexamine cases where there may have been a wrongful conviction. All the while, her mother is running for office.
Conviction has all the elements to be great, but the writing veers into some poor, cliched territory, and even Atwell’s supreme talent can’t save a poor script and plot.
9. Avengers: Endgame
Although she’s played a part in numerous pieces of Marvel content, and Endgame wasn’t a movie where she had the largest role, Atwell’s turn as Peggy Carter in the celebrated final film of MCU’s Phase Three was a vital part of a brilliantly done film. Avengers: Endgame follows the titular group as they seek to reverse the half-the-universe-annihilating damage that Thanos did at the end of the previous Avengers film, Infinity War.
Part of the reason this film is so beloved is the blatant slip in Marvel’s standards that accompanied the next phase, with the focus on the multiverse proving confusing and poorly planned. But there is no denying that Atwell’s performance (and that of her fellow stars) was the ruling factor in establishing Endgame as one of the best Marvel films.
8. Christopher Robin
The 2018 film, about the eponymous creation by A.A. Milne and companion to Winnie the Pooh, is as sweet as it is charming, and while it doesn’t have the magic of the other creations in the Pooh universe, it’s certainly a pleasant watch, buoyed by a great Atwell performance.
She takes on the role of Evelyn Robin, wife of the titular main character (played wonderfully by Ewan McGregor). The pair are struggling as Christopher takes on too much at work, only for Pooh to turn up and, eventually, turn Robin’s life around, as well as that of his family. A great watch for all ages.
7. Captain America: The First Avenger
Atwell’s first foray into the MCU saw her take on the part of MI6 agent Peggy Carter, and boy did she knock it out of the park (after all, there’s a reason the wise, money-making machines at Marvel later gave her a series of her own).
The film follows Steve Rogers, a frail man desperate to fight for his country in the second world war. So, he undergoes a transformation into a super-soldier called Captain America to stop the bad guys from achieving world domination. Atwell is brilliant as Carter, a woman originally working on the super soldier project who’s not only smart as a whip but just as good at fighting as any of the men. As Rogers undergoes his metamorphosis, the pair grows closer, developing a mutual appreciation of each other’s abilities that blossoms into much more.
6. Howards End
This miniseries adaptation of the famous and beloved E.M. Forster novel of the same name sees Atwell take on the role of Margaret Schlegel, and she does so phenomenally.
The four-part television show delves into intriguing questions about class and social conventions at the time it was set in (the turn of the 20th century). It is a stunning, faithful, yet gripping retelling of what many believe to be Forster’s masterpiece. Atwell is particularly brilliant as the idealistic and artistic Margaret who, along with her sisters, tries to help a local impoverished family while teaching their wealthier friends to overcome their deeply ingrained notions of class. A star-studded cast also includes Succession’s Matthew McFadyen and the legendary Tracey Ullman.
5. Blinded by the Light
This wonderful little comedy-drama is perfect for fans of Atwell and the legendary Bruce Springsteen. Inspired by the life of writer and journalist Sarfraz Manzoor, Blinded by the Light is a coming-of-age story about a British-Pakistani teen named Javed, who stumbles upon the music of The Boss and has his life changed.
Life-affirming and sweet, but not overly formulaic despite a warming familiarity, this is a truly wonderful film that touches upon several intriguing themes, like belonging, love, and how music can save us from the worst parts of life. Atwell plays the part of Ms. Clay, an English teacher who encourages Javed to focus on his art, even as his father tries to force him down a more traditionally stable path. She’s empathetic and a comforting presence, making her a flawless addition to everything that makes this film so watchable.
4. Agent Carter
Anybody who watched Atwell as Peggy Carter prior to her getting a Marvel show would not be surprised to find out that she killed it when given her own vehicle.
Marvel’s Agent Carter, to give the series its full name, follows the adventures of the eponymous agent after the events of Captain America: The First Avenger. Set in 1946, we see Carter struggling to balance a boring role at the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) while helping Howard Stark prove his innocence after he’s framed for selling deadly weapons to enemies of the U.S. In the second season, she moves to L.A. to deal with a looming nuclear threat. Atwell is magnetic as Carter, and although the second season fell a bit flat in terms of writing and plotting, her performances made sure it remained a must-watch for Marvel fans.
3. Black Mirror
Back in the heady days of the early 2010s, Black Mirror was still being produced by Channel 4 in the U.K, and a much-hyped second season of the Charlie Brooker vehicle began with the episode “Be Right Back” starring Atwell.
She plays Martha, a woman who’s just lost her boyfriend in a car accident, only to discover a new technology that allows her to communicate with an AI that mimics him. Soon, she moves on to an android version of her boyfriend, but things soon unravel. In a world where you can feed ChatGPT old conversations and have them mimic someone, the episode hits eerily close to home, and the performances by Atwell and her co-star Domhnall Gleeson are spellbinding and heartbreaking at the same time. A 10/10 bit of acting from Atwell in a 10/10 episode – widely considered to be one of the best in the series – of a phenomenal show.
2. The Pillars of the Earth
Political intrigue, scheming and plotting, and…a cathedral? This miniseries, based on a novel of the same name by Ken Follett, focuses on the building of a cathedral in 12th-century England, a time of civil war and societal breakdown in the nation. The structure is being built in the fictional town of Kingsbridge, and Atwell plays Lady Aliena, the daughter of a wealthy merchant. Like the rest of the cast in this Canadian production she’s utterly brilliant, but even among all the great performances she steals the show, earning a Golden Globe nomination for best actress in a miniseries or television film.
1. The duch*ess
Atwell was the supporting star to Keira Knightley in this 2008 historical drama that racked up award nominations.
The duch*ess follows the life of the late 18th-century English aristocrat Georgiana Cavendish, a direct ancestor of Princess Diana, whose story contains a lot of parallels to the “people’s princess.” Amid the gripping drama, great costumes, and brilliant performances, Atwell manages to stand out as Lady Elizabeth ‘Bess’ Foster, ostensibly the Camilla to Cavendish’s Diana, although Bess and the titular duch*ess end up with a much more cordial relationship. A great watch for lovers of period dramas, and even those who don’t usually like that sort of thing.
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